Arnold’s 6-Day Split!

Arnold ‘s 6 Day Split! In Part 1 of this edition of the Olympia Series, we covered Arnold’s success and looked at his 4-Day Split routine. In Part 2, we’re looking at a 6-Day Split – but not the same one that you can find literally everywhere. Plus, we’ll look at his nutritional tips and as always, I’ll provide supplement suggestions, this time inspired by the Austrian Oak himself!

A Quick Recap

Section	Core Strategy	Structure / Frequency / Focus
4-Day Split Routine (Education of a Bodybuilder)	• High-volume, classic bodybuilding split• Focuses on heavy, basic lifts with escalating weights	• Trains each muscle group twice a week(Mon/Thu & Tue/Fri schedules).
Level 1 Basic Training (Encyclopedia)	• 6 days of lifting, 1 day of rest• Focuses on 75% 1RM intensity• Heavy “Power Training” blocks	• High volume: Too intense for true beginners;natural/older lifters should add rest days.
Protein & Fats	• Protein: Minimum 1g per lb of bodyweight daily• Fats: 20% of daily calories from healthy sources	• Prioritize whole foods, fatty fish, olive oil, and nuts;avoid trans/saturated fats.
Carbohydrate Approach	• 1g of carbs per lb of bodyweight as a baseline• Carbs used strictly to fuel energy (ATP)	• Strategic Manipulation: High carbs to fuel training days;low carbs on off-days.• Timing: Consume 50% of carbs around the training window.

Arnold’s Basic Training (Arnold’s Encyclopedia)

Everybody always lists Arnold’s 6-day competition double-split routine. That most likely would never fit the majority of lifter’s lifestyles. This routine is also from his Encyclopedia, but it is his Level 1 Basic Training Program, still intense but a little more practical for the average lifter.

Level 1 6-Day Schedule

Day 1 – Chest, Back, Abs

Day 2 – Shoulders, Upper Arms, Forearms, Abs

Day 3 – Thighs, Calves, Lower Back, Abs

Day 4 – Repeat Day 1

Day 5 – Repeat Day 2

Day 6 – Repeat Day 3

Day 7 – Rest

This is quite a routine, and it is not a beginner program in any sense of the word. If you’re an older lifter, this will be too much volume. Therefore, I would stretch out your training week to 8 or 9 days and add 1-2 rest days. 

The Routine

Arnold suggests all working sets be done using 75% of your 1RM unless otherwise noted. On your final 2 sets, you may only be able to get 6-8 reps. 

Day 1 / Day 4 – Chest, Back, Abs

Bench Press

2 sets x 15 reps – Use a light weight, these are warm-up sets.

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Incline Press

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Pullovers (Use a dumbbell or EZ bar)

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Chin-Ups

50 reps – I suggest 5 sets x 10 reps

Power Training – Deadlifts

3 sets x 10, 6, 4 reps to failure

Crunches

5 sets x 25 reps

Day 2 / Day 5 – Shoulders, Upper Arms, Forearms, Abs

Barbell Clean and Press

2 sets x 15 reps (light weight, warm-up)

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Power Training – Heavy Upright Rows

3 sets x 10, 6, 4 reps to failure

Power Training – Push Presses

3 sets x 6, 4, 2 reps to failure

Standing Barbell Curls – Use a barbell or EZ bar.

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Seated Dumbbell Curls – Supinate

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Close Grip Bench Press

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Standing Triceps Extension – Use a barbell or EZ bar.

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Wrist Curls

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Reverse Wrist Curls

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Day 3 / Day 6 – Thighs, Calves, Lower Back, Abs

Squats

2 sets x 15 reps – Use a light weight, these are warm-up sets.

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Lunges

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Leg Curls

5 sets x 8-12 reps

Standing Calf Raises

5 sets x 15 reps

Power Training – Straight Leg Deadlifts

3 sets x 10, 6, 4 reps to failure

Power Training – Good Mornings

3 sets x 10, 6, 4 reps to failure

Crunches

5 sets x 25 reps

Notes

Rest between sets: Arnold suggests resting 60 seconds or less between sets. There’s no mention of tempo, but most readers have no doubt seen videos of Arnold training. Most of the time, he used a continuous tension style, sometimes adding a pause and squeeze at the top. Most likely 1-2 seconds up, 1-2 seconds down. Arnold was a big believer in feeling the muscle working, therefore even though 1-2 seconds is quick, do not let momentum take over your reps. 

Nutritional Guidelines

Arnold’s approach to nutrition as advocated in his Encyclopedia is not really that much different from what is commonly suggested today. In fact, he’s in line with the same amount of protein I suggest below. 

Protein Intake and Timing

I suggest serious lifters consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. I also suggest you should spread out your protein consumption over 5-6 meals (which includes protein shakes and bars/snacks). This is a classic approach to protein timing. It’s convenient, easy, and it allows most lifters to work their protein intake into their normal meal schedule. 

OK but what if you lead a very busy life? Then you can easily adjust your protein intake to fall in line with your lifestyle. The easiest way to do that is to utilize the convenience of protein shakes. I did that for over 30 years because my job didn’t allow much time for whole food meals. I say “meals” because I always worked at least 10 hour days, and often several hours beyond that.

On the other hand, if your life is reasonably simple, your goal should be on whole-food meals first. Then you can use a shake or two at your convenience to help you meet your daily protein requirements. 

Don’t Neglect A Post-Workout Shake

I also recommend drinking a post-workout shake as soon as possible after your workout is over. You want to get recovery and muscle building nutrients into the muscles you just worked. Therefore, it makes sense to drink a shake consisting of fast digesting protein and fast digesting carbs when you’re done. 

A Trip Back In Time – Arnold’s Weight Gain Shake

For those trying to gain mass, here’s Arnold’s recipe for his “Level 1” homemade weight gain shake from his Encyclopedia:

Place in a blender:

1. 20 ounces of milk or juice
2. 1/4 cup of Milk & Egg protein powder ( of course you can use the protein powder I suggest below).
3. 4 ounces whipping cream
4. 2 raw eggs
5. 2 teaspoons of granulated lecithin
6. Blend until mixed

Optional: 

7. Add two to four ounces of cold-pressed Safflower oil in place of lecithin
8. Add one ripe banana or other fruit
9. Fructose for sweetness
10. Blend until mixed

This shake provides about 50 grams of protein, and is one of three levels. There are other Arnold recipes online, but this is taken directly from his book. As noted, you can update this by using whey protein (see below for the recommendation, I would drop the raw eggs and double the whey). An interesting side note is that even though he was a Weider-sponsored bodybuilder, rumour has it that he used the “gold standard” protein powder of the day: Blairs Milk and Egg Protein (the same powder that Mr. Olympia Larry Scott used). 

With that in mind, here is a similar shake he used during his 70s Olympia reign.

• 24 ounces of whole milk (or fresh fruit juice)
• ½ cup Milk & Egg protein powder (again, you can use whey)
• 6 whole raw eggs (or slightly cooked if preferred)
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 to 4 ounces of cold-pressed safflower oil (used for dense calories and essential fatty acids) 
• Blend the milk and protein powder first for 5-10 seconds, then add the raw eggs, banana, and safflower oil, and blend for another 10-20 seconds until smooth.

Tip: Strategic Nighttime Protein Intake

Casein protein wasn’t around in Arnold’s day, but as noted he used a milk and egg protein which would have worked for this tip: about a half-hour before going to bed, eat or drink a protein source that focuses on slow digesting sources. There are several good options: low-fat cottage cheese, low-or no-sugar Greek yogurt, or a shake containing casein protein. 

This is a simple and easy tip that can help you stay in a state of positive protein balance during the night. Why is that important? Because that’s when your body moves into a state of negative protein balance, which in turn can slow your gains. 

Carbohydrates

Arnold understood the function and importance of carbohydrates. They are what the body utilizes for training energy (and what the brain uses for energy). When it comes to carbs, the problem is overeating junk high sugar, processed carbs. Not to mention when someone eats more carbs than the body can use, they will end up stored as excess body fat. 

Arnold suggested eating enough carbs to propel your workouts and keep you out of ketosis.  

With that in mind, I suggest starting with 1 gram per pound of bodyweight on training days, and then .75 grams of carbs on off days. You can adjust these numbers up or down depending on how your body responds. For example, if you feel lethargic when you train, and have trouble completing your sets and reps, you need more carbohydrates, which, as noted, is what your muscles use for energy in the form of ATP. I suggest adding 50 grams on your workout days and monitor your results, then adjust from there. 

Of course, if you’re in a cutting phase, keep them as low as possible. 

Tip: Strategic Carbohydrate Manipulation

On your training days, I suggest consuming about 50% of your daily carb intake (you should include all your simple carbs) in the hours before and after your training sessions. I would actually start the night before by consuming extra carbohydrates around dinner time. 

Then pick it up the day of your workout right up through your post-workout shake and your eventual post-workout meal. To be specific, I suggest an extra 30g the day before and then 50% of your day’s total carbs on your training day. 

Healthy Fats

Finally, during his Olympia reign, Arnold ate healthy fats liberally. However, today most experts claim about 20% of your daily calories should come from healthy fats. Great choices include salmon, tuna and other fatty fish, olive oil, seeds, and nuts. I also advise that you avoid saturated and trans fats (that means fast food, fried foods, high fat red meat, and high fat dairy products). 

Supplement Tips

Here are my cornerstone supplement suggestions. 

1. Hi-Tech Precision Protein – Back in Arnold’s prime years, they did not have whey protein, Blair’s as mentioned above was the best, and of course you had other choices like Weider and Hoffman.
2. One scoop of Precision Protein provides 25 grams of hydrolyzed whey, but the innovation that sets this protein powder apart is Hi Tech’s exclusive technology which allows leucine to be released in the early stages of protein synthesis. 
3. PEScience Select – Here’s a great protein powder for your nighttime protein source. One serving supplies 24 grams of fast and slow digesting whey and milk proteins.
4. Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode – Pre-workouts didn’t exist when Arnold competed, and when the first pre-workout (Ultimate Orange) hit the market in 82, it was nothing like this. Gorilla Mode is the Pre that changed pre-workout dosages forever and literally revolutionized the industry. And it doesn’t stop there – this Pre is well-dosed down the entire label.
5. NutraBio Base – This is a great example of the “Core” stripped down, budget pre-workout category – a to-the-point effective formula at a price you can afford. 
6. AllMax Nutrition Creatine – Another legendary supplement that did not exist in the 70s, creatine has been consistently tested and proven-effective, with new benefits springing up all the time. This product takes it one step further with patented CreaSyn® micronized creatine monohydrate. Not to mention, it features a purity rating of 99.9% and it has the “Informed Choice” seal. 
7. Myogenix Myo Vite – It’s important to not overlook a good multi, especially when you use a higher volume workout like Arnold’s. Myo Vite is one of the most comprehensive nutrient packs on the market. Don’t look past this impressive product!
8. EFX Sports Karbolyn – I suggest a carb powder to help you power through tough workouts like Arnold’s – especially if you plan to try his 6 Day Split. It loads fast-digesting carbs for rapid ATP energy and zero insulin spikes. I suggest mixing it in with your pre-workout or intra-workout.
9. Axe & Sledge The Grind – For a long workout like Arnold’s I suggest using an intra-workout like this one. The Grind gives you all nine EAAs along with a Hydration and Recovery Blend, one of the things that sets this formula apart. I suggest stacking this with Karbolyn, and drinking it right before and throughout  your workout. 

Summary

That’s it for this 2 part Olympia Series feature on the great Austrian Oak himself. In Part 1,we looked at the things that made him a success as well as one of his routines from “Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder”. Then in Part 2 we looked at a more involved 6-Day Split routine plus Arnold-inspired nutritional guidelines, and we covered supplement suggestions. All that’s left to do is stop by illpumpyouup.com before you leave for the gym so you can stock up!

References:

1. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/athletics/news/arnold-schwarzenegger-mr-olympia-bodybuilding-wins/ql0i2vccfvgvcbdcqrk2zpkf
2. https://www.fitness.ee/en/arnold-schwarzenegger-lifts/
3. https://www.elonetwork.org/blog/121/Aronold-Schwarzenegger-and-Me-Part-II
4. https://www.forbes.com.au/news/billionaires/how-arnold-schwarzenegger-became-a-billionaire/
5. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-10-me-arnoldbiz10-story.html
6. https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/obvious-history-arnold-schwarzenegger-made-million-dollars-laying-bricks

By Jim Brewster