Arnold Schwarzenegger's Home Routine (No Gym? No Problem!)

Dips will hit the lower fibers of your chest and activate the triceps brachii and anterior deltoid.

How to Perform Dips

1. Assume a position with both your hands on the chair.
2. Start bending your elbows and extending the shoulder to lower yourself down.
3. When you reach the end range of motion, reverse the entire movement to return to the starting position.

3. Row Between Chairs

Rows will target your lats, trapezius, and posterior deltoid.

How to Perform Rows Between Chairs

1. Lay on the floor between the chairs and put both hands on each chair to get a firm grip on its edges.
2. Start the exercise by pulling yourself toward the ceiling and stop when your chest reaches the level of the chairs.
3. Reverse the motion to return to the starting hanging position. Don’t drop down to the floor.

Sit-ups will activate your triceps, chest, and deltoid muscles.

How to Perform Sit-Ups

1. Place your hands behind your body on an elevated surface, such as a chair or sofa.
2. Start the exercise by lowering your body toward the floor.
3. When you reach the end range of motion, reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

5. Bent-leg Raises

Bent-leg raises will activate your abdominal and hip flexor muscles.

How to Perform Bent-Leg Raises

1. Assume a lying position on the floor and bend your knees slightly together with your upper leg towards the hip.
2. Start the exercise by extending the knees and hips so all body parts are in the same line.
3. Bend your knees and hips again to return to the starting position.

Bent-over twists will activate your internal and external obliques.

How to Perform Bent-Over Twists

1. Assume a standing position with your torso bent forwards and knees slightly bent to avoid hyperextension.
2. Start the exercise by twisting your body to the right side and stop when you reach the end range of motion.
3. Return to the starting bent-over position and repeat the same movement on the left side.

7. Knee Bends (Squats)

Squats will target your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.

How to perform squats

1. Assume a standing position with your knees slightly bent. Your feet should be a little wider than shoulder-width apart, and follow the line of your knees.
2. Start the exercise by squatting down until your thighs parallel the ground.
3. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position.

Calf raises will build your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.

How to Perform Calf Raises

1. Assume a standing position where your legs are close to each other, and your feet look straight ahead.
2. Start the exercise by performing a plantarflexion in your ankle joint.
3. Reverse the motion by performing dorsiflexion in your ankle joint and repeat the whole process.

10. Pull-ups

Pull-ups and chin-ups will build your lats, traps, and posterior deltoid muscles.

How to Perform Pull-Ups

1. Assume a hanging position from a doorway pull-up bar or a tree branch.
2. Pull your chin above the bar and hold the position for one second.
3. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position.

The principle of progressive overload is the primary principle for Arnold`s no-gym at home exercise routine.

There is no other way for a gym and a no gym-required routine to build strength and muscles if you fail to increase the total volume or intensity of each session [1].

You must increase sets, reps, or the total amount lifted to continue experiencing hypertrophy and strength gains.

However, you might be on the opposite side, complete too many sessions during the week, and even start as high as two a day.

This can produce consequences popularly called overtraining syndrome, a term used to describe a state of your body failing to super compensate glycogen and other energy sources [2].

Overtraining always results in gradually decreased performance, meaning your muscle-building and strength-training efforts will be neglected.

It would be helpful to use some form of external resistance, such as weight plates for bodyweight exercises like pull-ups and push-ups to facilitate hypertrophy [3].

Arnold prefers an omelet of scrambled eggs and a salad and vegetables for his lunch.

Additionally, he likes to have the same type of food for his breakfast but with additional yogurt or granola.

For dinner, Arnold prefers to have vegetable soup with pumpkin oil.

Overall, the diet isn't complicated, and the main thing to remember is to have enough proteins and carbs for each meal to support recovery after each exercise session.

Arnold likes to snack sometimes, and when he does that, he prefers to have almonds.

There is only one supplement Arnold kept taking during his whole professional career and retirement: protein powder.

There are two main types of protein you should consider, and those are whey and casein.

Whey protein absorbs faster and enters the bloodstream much quicker compared to casein.

It also exits the bloodstream quicker, meaning some protein may not be absorbed during the anabolic window.

However, that is rarely the case, and my general recommendation is to stick with the quality whey protein powder if your aim is hypertrophy and strength gains.

On the contrary, casein is a type or source of protein that slowly absorbs in your system.

It stays longer in your bloodstream, but sometimes that isn't the best option since the anabolic window may close, and proteins may fail to absorb.

During my fitness career, I trained people who had problems with eating during the night, and to those people, I highly advise taking casein over whey.

You may take casein protein before bed as a meal replacement, and it will prevent you from getting up at 2 o'clock to attack the poor fridge in the kitchen.

The main reason is that casein promotes satiety, and you won't feel hungry.