Legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger regularly educates his massive fanbase on leading a healthy lifestyle. His valuable insight stems from his decades of experience competing on stage at the highest level. In a recent edition of Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter, Schwarzenegger shared four ways how to strengthen a routine that works for you.
Arnold Schwarzenegger first gained attention for his impressive muscle size, mass, and symmetry as a Men’s Open competitor in the IFBB Pro League. He narrowly missed out on the top prize to three-time champ Sergio Oliva in his Mr. Olympia debut in 1969. He returned stronger than ever the next year to secure his first Sandow trophy and moved on from professional competition with seven titles under his belt.
Schwarzenegger has not lost his passion for fitness and continues to work out in his later years. Earlier this year, he provided some crucial tips for shedding fat and building muscle for longevity. He stressed the importance of good body composition with a higher level of muscle mass and less fat to boost your immune system and reap other health benefits.
‘The Austrian Oak’ followed up with a three-step plan to design a ‘bulletproof’ training routine days later. He promoted his fans to exercise every day for a total of 30 minutes instead of worrying about doing it in one go. Then, Schwarzenegger offered a full-body stretch focused on soothing pain using Brettzel stretches along with a quick two-minute workout challenge.
Schwarzenegger’s impact on the sport is palpable to this day. Former Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout heaped praises on Schwarzenegger for the package he brought to the stage and labeled him the greatest bodybuilder of all time.
Two months ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger highlighted the benefits of using caffeine before workouts to boost performance in the gym. He recommended consuming about 200-300mg of caffeine for most people and cautioned against taking the substance too close to bedtime. His next update provided a straightforward one-step weight loss plan by replacing whole foods with meal-replacement drinks.
The 75-year-old is a big proponent of using self-limiting movements. He laid out an intense bodyweight workout for building muscle weeks ago. He also gave a brief five-minute workout without using any equipment to start your day.
Last month, Schwarzenegger encouraged his followers to incorporate cluster sets, which are clusters of multiple supersets, to get strength gains and take their fitness game to the next level.
Arnold Schwarzenegger shares 4 ways to strengthen your routine
In a recent edition of Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter, Arnold Schwarzenegger shared four ways to build a solid routine that fits any schedule.
4 Ways to Strengthen Your Routine
“Arnold says it all the time: If you want amazing results, build automatic routines,” he wrote. “But it’s not always as easy as it seems. How often do you try to follow the routines of others, only to discover that your lifestyle doesn’t align with a 15-step morning plan that requires more time than you have?
“Thankfully, routines don’t need to be overly complicated or detailed. Arnold’s morning routine is simple: wake up, drink coffee, feed the animals, bike to the gym, workout, bike to breakfast. That’s it, and it’s incredibly effective.
“To help simplify the process, we pulled together a few tips of what to do (or avoid) that will help you build a routine that sticks.”
Make it easy to win
Your routine doesn’t need to be long. Start by focusing on just two or three things you’d like to accomplish. Not sure what to select? Look at the bigger picture of what will make the day a win, so — even if things get crazy — you know where your focus needs to be so you can still make any day a success.
Avoid the morning scroll
Some habits can make it harder to build healthier habits. One example is starting your day with social media. We recommend avoiding your social accounts for the first hour of your day. You might be surprised at what happens when you don’t have that distraction.
Turn on your brain
It doesn’t matter if you meditate, read, write, do a crossword, or listen to a podcast. Do something that you enjoy that makes you think. The combination of mental stimulation + enjoyment = positive outcomes. For once, we don’t need to cite a study. You’ll feel better, and that is what matters.
Create a habit loop
Great habits are formed by following a simple system: you need a cue (something that reminds you to act), a behavior (the action or habit), and a reward.
For Arnold, it can look like:
- Cue: Friends show up
- Behavior: Ride bikes to the gym and lift weights
- Reward: Breakfast
“Whatever you do, creating a simple habit loop is a great way to program the types of changes you want.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger advocated for getting more sleep to aid in weight loss efforts last months. He reported sleeping under five hours generally results in added weight and recommended sleeping for about seven to eight hours each night.
Schwarzenegger opened up on his ambitions to live forever earlier this week. He admitted to not being a fan of how his physique looks at the age of 75 and plans to never retire.
His latest offering will help many to improve their fitness with a custom-built routine that fits their schedule and they can stick to.