"To Be Successful, You Must Dedicate Yourself 100% to Your Training, Diet, and Mental Approach." —Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most respected and legendary professionals in bodybuilding. He is considered to be one of the greatest in the bodybuilding business and there are several competitions that are named after him, including the Arnold Sports Festival.

Since retiring from the bodybuilding business, Arnold Schwarzenegger has garnered immense popularity in Hollywood with his acting and directing; in politics; and in philanthropy.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's successful career both in bodybuilding and later in Hollywood has inspired millions of young people across the world.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Bodybuilding Strategy

Arnold's philosophy might sound simple, yet it is profound. He believes that

"To Be Successful, You Must Dedicate Yourself 100% to Your Training, Diet, and Mental Approach." – Arnold Schwarzenegger

According to Schwarzenegger, one should consider bodybuilding just like any other sport that requires complete focus with a combined mental and physical approach.

His workout routine was and is still considered to be one of the hardest and most intense training splits. Even professional and advanced athletes failed to follow through Arnold’s workout routine without injuring themselves or overstraining their muscles. His workout routine is often considered to be borderline overtraining, which tends to increase the risk of injuries.

However, he warns people against overtraining and considers that it might be counterproductive. If you are overtraining any part of your body, then there is a high probability that it does not have enough time to grow as it is not allowed to recuperate sufficiently.

Arnold believed in performing on an average of 10 repetitions of every set rather than focusing on a single repetition. He added that the number of muscle fibers that are activated with more repetitions cannot be compared with any other compound and maximal lift.

One of his advice to young people is to try to feel the pump while working out. The pump can be understood as a rush of blood in the part as you are training so that it swells from the inside. So, if your aim is to build muscles, then you should definitely focus on chasing the pump even when you are struggling. What you need to do to achieve this is utmost concentration and focus, according to Schwarzenegger.

Arnold Schwarzenegger focuses hard on the task at hand. He believes that once you are inside the gym, you should leave the outside world with problems and decisions at the doorstep of the gym. Even in your mind, you should focus on completing the exercise for the day effectively. Therefore, you must not carry outside distractions into the gym.

Just like the intense workout routine, Arnold also focuses on getting proper rest to give the muscles enough time to recover. He advises that you should have at least 1 day a week where you should steer clear from physically challenging activities and weight training. This will give you time to rest, recover from the intense workouts throughout the week, and feel rejuvenated.

Along with his workout routine, Arnold Schwarzenegger was also mindful of the food that he ate daily. His careful diet routine not only gave him the required energy to carry on throughout the intense workout routine but also helped in building muscles throughout the body. Just as he did with his workout routine, Arnold stayed on top of his diet routine with good-quality proteins and proper mix of nutrients.

Lastly, Schwarzenegger advises that one should never quit if they fail to achieve their target, especially in a workout that requires immense patience, dedication, and stamina. You should keep your momentum going even if sometimes you fail to achieve your target.

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Bottom Line

In this article, we have seen that in order to succeed in both acting and bodybuilding careers, Arnold Schwarzenegger worked immensely hard in both the physical and mental aspects.

His bodybuilding routine consisted of an intense and hardcore workout regime along with a strict diet routine packed with a variety of nutrients and proteins.

Arnold further believes that a mental approach to the task is as important as a physical approach. If you want to excel in the bodybuilding field, you must craft a focused and solid strategy tailored to your own needs rather than focusing on the usual routine.