If your goal is to build muscle, who better to take note from than Arnold Schwarsenneger himself? The retired bodybuilder was (and, still is) a source of inspiration to those looking to gain size and strength. But if you’ve been pumping the dumbbells and are still struggling to build muscle, listen up, as Arnie’s shared two techniques that will help you do just that and, you may be surprised to hear, it doesn’t involve lifting more weight.
We know muscle growth isn’t an overnight process, it takes time, consistent training and hitting every muscle group at least two times a week. While studies have shown lots of different styles of training can help grow muscle, what’s known as ‘hypertrophy’ training (where you lift moderate weight for a high number of reps) is the most effective when it comes to increasing the overall size of them.
Arnold Schwarzenegger two top techniques to build muscle
In a recent episode on his podcast ‘Arnold’s Pump Club’, the 75-year-old says the secret sauce to muscle growth is “progressive resistance”, also known as progressive overload. This is where you increase the intensity of your workout, either by adding more weight or performing more reps, which puts more stress on your muscles. But, contrary to this, Arnie says that adding more weight to a weight lifting barbell, or lifting heavier dumbbells, doesn’t always equate to a ‘great pump’. So, what does?
Here are his two top techniques:
#1:The 4-1-1 method
'The what?', you say. This is all about the tempo in which you lift the weights and it’s one of Arnie’s favourites. Here’s how you do it:
- Lower the weight four four seconds
- Hold for one second
- Return to the starting position in one second
“The slow four second lowering tempo forces you to control the weight through the full range of motion, which gives your body an incredible stretch,” says Arnold. "The flex portion of a lift gets all the glory, but research suggests the lowering portion, known as the eccentric, helps you add more strength and more tension which is a key part of muscular growth.” Also, by not swinging around large amounts of weight means you’re also less likely to injure yourself.
#2:The pause
As you’ve probably guessed, ‘the pause’ (also known as a 'static hold') is where you hold at the bottom of your exercise for a number of seconds, for example, three instead of one. What does this do? “This removes all momentum and puts your muscles in a position where, on most exercises, they will be the weakest and forces you to generate force from a dead stop. This can help activate more muscle fibres,” says Arnold. It's also thought to create better ‘mind-muscle connection’, where you’re really thinking about the muscles that you're using, which can help activate them more.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
If you found these two techniques helpful, then you may want to implement them into Arnold's full body dumbbell workout that you can do at home, or into this exercise he used to sculpt his back.
Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.
-
Forget sci-fi, my Netflix guilty pleasure is back with a must-watch special
Is It Cake? returns for a four-part seasonal special
By Mike Lowe Published
-
I used the Sony A1 II to shoot a Premier League football match — here’s what I learned
Sony’s new flagship camera is made for sports photographers — but is it any good?
By Sam Cross Published
-
Arnold Schwarzenegger shares his Golden Era chest and back workout and it's insane
It even took Arnie two hours to complete
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
New Netflix documentary takes a deep dive into Arnold Schwarzenegger's life
From his bodybuilding days to his personal life, we'll get a closer look at it all
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
Arnold Schwarzenegger shares 15-minute full-body workout you can do at home
"All you need is a pair of dumbbells for a great workout"
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
Arnold Schwarzenegger shares what he eats in a day and it may surprise you
Including his breakfast, lunch, dinner and cheat meal
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
What's the "suicide grip", and why did Arnold Schwarzenegger use it for bench pressing?
There are many Arnie workout techniques you should copy – the suicide grip isn't one of them
By Matt Kollat Published
-
Arnold Schwarzenegger used this classic bodybuilding exercise to sculpt his colossal back
70s archive footage of Arnie provides excellent insight into the 3x Mr Universe's back workout routine
By Matt Kollat Last updated
-
How I grow my pecs with an exercise Arnold Schwarzenegger said helped him build his enormous chest muscles
This is an exercise I would never leave out from my push workouts; all you need is a pair of dumbbells and a weight bench
By Matt Kollat Last updated
-
The Arnold Schwarzenegger Blueprint to Mass workout plan builds muscle all over your body in 8 weeks
Take on the world with the muscle-building, 8-week Arnie workout plan. It's as brutal as you expect!
By Matt Kollat Last updated