Arnold Schwarzenegger Body Weight Workout
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the most famous bodybuilder of all time, he won the top bodybuilding contest, the IFBB Mr. Olympia, seven times - from 1970 to 1975 when he announced his retirement, but then there was the famous some would say infamous
Arnold Schwarzenegger comeback at the 1980 Mr. Olympia where he won again.
Arnold undoubtedly built one of the best physiques of all time and everyone knows he did it with free weight barbells and dumbbells for most exercises such as squat, dead lifts, bench press, rows, curls, etc., but he also used some weight machines for exercises such at leg extension, leg curl, lat pull down, triceps push downs. Most people would not think of Arnold a big proponent of bodyweight exercises such as push ups, knee bends, etc., but those people would be wrong.
The truth is Arnold started his bodybuilding training using bodyweight only exercises and has done them ever since. In fact the bodybuilders in Arnold's hometown of Graz, Austria would do an outdoor calisthenics workout by the lake every spring and this was one of Arnold's first workouts when they invited him to join them. They did freehand squats, push ups, sit ups and chin up from tree branches. And don't forget that bodyweight only chin ups, bodyweight only dips and sit ups have always been a part of Arnold's workout routine.
In his coast-to-coast best selling book "Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder", Mr. Schwarzenegger included a freehand exercise workout that can be used for beginners to advanced that can be done at home with any weights or expensive equipment. All you need are two sturdy chairs, a broomstick and chin up bar.
He recommended the following body weight only exercises:
Push-Ups
Dips Between Two Chairs
Rowing With Broomstick Between Chairs
Bent-Leg Sit-Ups
Bent-Leg Raises
Bent-Over Twists
Deep Knee Bends (Squats)
Calf Raises
Close-Grip Chin-Ups
After The Workout - Jogging and Swimming
Close-Grip Chin-Ups
This callisthenic workout can be used to lay a foundation for a beginner to bodybuilding, to break back in after a lay off from training, anytime you can't get to the gym, or even as your regular workout routine.
You may ask, "what kind of results can I get from bodyweight training?". Arnold said that "Freehand exercises help build muscle size, give definition, and create the kind of muscle contour that give the body the look of a sculpted Greek god."
