Arnold’s Blueprint is a distillation of the training style that elevated Arnold from Mr. Teen Europe to Mr. Universe and then Mr. Olympia. But back then, as George Butler and Charles Gaines noted in the book ”Pumping Iron,” he was one of only two full-time bodybuilders without a day job, even among the elite competitors. This meant he could find the time to work out for 3-4 hours every day. We understand if you can’t.
The workouts in Arnold’s Blueprint are designed to be performed in a single, time-efficient session. If you’re struggling to find time to fit it in, consider trying early-morning workouts—the earlier the better. Arnold has said that his best workouts were always in the morning, and he admired those who were able to get up even earlier than him.
”When Franco [Columbu] and I got to the gym at 7 a.m., we would frequently see lawyers, accountants, teachers, and others with a full work schedule just finishing their training and hitting the showers before going to their jobs,” he wrote in The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. ”This showed a lot of dedication on their part, but it’s this kind of dedication that yields the best results.”
If that’s still not enough time to fit in all the sets on a busy day like today, consider moving some of the movements, like calf or ab work, to an evening workout. These ”double-split” days were one important way that Arnold balanced his life with training, ensuring that no particular body part got left behind.
1
CLEAN AND PRESS
5 sets of 25 reps, 45 seconds rest
SUPERSET
2
STANDING DUMBBELL PRESS
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
FRONT DUMBBELL RAISE
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
SUPERSET
3
SIDE LATERAL RAISE
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
UPRIGHT BARBELL ROW
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
4
BARBELL CURL
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
SUPERSET
5
INCLINE DUMBBELL CURL
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
CONCENTRATION CURLS
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
6
CLOSE-GRIP BARBELL BENCH PRESS
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
SUPERSET
7
LYING TRICEPS PRESS
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
DUMBBELL ONE-ARM TRICEPS EXTENSION
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
SUPERSET
8
PALMS-UP BARBELL WRIST CURL OVER A BENCH
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
PALMS-DOWN WRIST CURL OVER A BENCH
5 sets of 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps, 45 seconds rest
9
DECLINE CRUNCH
5 sets of 25 reps, 45 seconds rest
