In 1968, 20-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger lost the IFBB Mr. Universe to a ripped Frank Zane. In his Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, Arnold pinpointed his lack of ab development and muscle definition as a major contributor to his loss. Learning from that humiliating experience, the Austrian Oak made sure that a nicely developed abdominal region would never be his downfall again.
During his Mr. Olympia winning streak (1970-1975, 1980), Arnold followed a high-volume ab routine that helped him develop abs that complemented his outstanding chest, wide shoulders, and arm development.
In this article, I’ll lay out Arnold’s exact Mr. Olympia ab workouts, along with his training tips and key insights on how to present the midsection to the best effect on stage.
Arnold’s Ab Workout
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ab routine was performed several times per workout as the last part of the workout. It was designed to hit the three key areas of the abdominal region – the upper abs, lower abs, and obliques – while also improving core strength.
Arnold’s 1970s Mr Olympia ab workout consisted of the following five exercises:
Hanging Knee Raises: 3 sets of 25-50 reps
Roman Chair Sit-Up: 4 sets of 25-30 reps
Lying Leg Raises: 3 sets of 25-30 reps
Side-to-Side Twist: 3 sets of 50 reps
Seated Leg Tucks: 4 x 25-50 reps
The Exercises
1. Hanging Knee Raises
The hanging knee raise, a variation of hanging leg raises, is Arnold’s favorite move to target the lower portion of the abdominals. Here’s how he did it:
Hang from a pull-up bar with your hands shoulder distance apart. Your legs should be together, and your knees bent slightly.
Pivot from the hips to bring your knees up to your abdominal area.
Now, round your back, bringing your knees as high toward your head as possible. You will be trying to roll yourself into a ball.
Hold the top contracted position for a second.
Lower under control to the start position.
Arnold’s Training Tip:
Perform the exercise slowly and deliberately to avoid using momentum to get your knees up.
2. Roman Chair Sit-Up
The Roman Chair, or hyperextension bench, is a padded bench with seat and foot supports designed to allow you to work your core at a range of angles. Here’s how to do the Roman Chair Sit-Up:
Sit on the bench with your feet hooked under the foot supports. Fold your arms in front of your body.
Maintain a tight core as you lower your torso back to a 70-degree angle. Do not go so far that your back is parallel to the floor.
Contract your abs to curl your torso as far forward as possible. Fully contract the abs in the top position.
Arnold’s Training Tip:
Place a block under the back of the Roman Chair to increase the difficulty of the movement. If you’re gym doesn’t have a dedicated Roman Chair, you can also perform this move on a seated calf raise machine.
3. Lying Leg Raises
The lying leg raise is an exercise that has fallen out of favor with the realization that the abs do not actually attach to the lower body through the legs. As a result, the effect on the abs is minimal. However, Arnold swore by the effects of this move on his lower ab development.
Lie on a flat bench on your back with your butt on the end of the bench so that your legs are hanging off the end.
Place your hands on the bench by your hips and extend your legs out straight.
Without bending your knees, lift your legs as high as possible.
Pause in the top position, then lower to just below parallel.
Arnold’s Training Tip:
Keep your head up by looking at your feet throughout the movement.
4. Side-to-Side Twist
The side-to-side twist was Arnold’s favorite exercise to develop the obliques at the side of the waist. He alternated between the seated and standing bent-over version of the exercise. Here’s how to do the seated side-to-side twist:
Sit on a bench with feet shoulder-width apart and an unloaded barbell across your shoulders. Hold the bar out wide.
Keep your head looking directly ahead as you twist as far to the right as possible.
Hold the extreme position for a second, then reverse to twist in the opposite direction.
Arnold’s Training Tip:
Rather than swinging back and forth, perform the exercise in a fluid, smooth motion.
5. Seated Leg Tucks
The seated leg tuck (also called the In and Out Abs Exercise) contracts the rib cage toward the pelvis, working both the lower and upper abdominal area.
Sit on a bench with your legs together and extend in front of you with knees slightly bent. Hold the sides of the bench for support.
Lean back at a 45-degree angle.
Simultaneously, curl your torso up as you draw your knees toward your head.
Hold the top contracted position for a second and then slowly return to the start position.
Arnold’s Training Tip:
Do not allow your feet to touch the floor between reps.
3 More Ab Training Tips from the Austrian Oak
1. Training Frequency
During the 1970s, bodybuilders were known for their high-volume training programs. The workout just described saw Arnold performing more than 500 reps every workout. Arnold felt that the abs should be worked several times a week. Leading up to the Mr Olympia competition, he was even known to work the abdominal muscles twice per day.
2. Oblique Training
Arnold wasn’t blessed with a naturally small waist. So, the last thing he wanted to do was make his midsection look any bigger. As a result, he never added extra weight to his oblique training. Instead, he used controlled twisting movements with an unloaded bar.
3. Work Abs Last
Arnold would train his abs at the end of his workout. He believed that his mental focus needed to go on his other muscles and major body parts and that he could afford to work the abs when his energy was diminished after smashing his chest, back, or quads.
Arnold’s Ab Posing Strategy
While Arnold’s abs during his 1970s Olympia reign weren’t a weakness, neither were they a standout. He never had the great abdominal development of such competitors as Frank Zane or Serge Nubret.
Arnold was a master poser who knew how to showcase his physique to its best advantage. Take a look at video and photos from his Mr. Olympia wins, and you’ll notice that he often twists his body while posing. This gave the impression of a tiny waist while emphasizing his gargantuan biceps and back.
Wrap Up
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s abs training routine was a product of its time. From a modern perspective, it seems to be very high volume and includes at least one exercise that is frowned upon today. However, there is no denying the results that Arnold was able to achieve with this routine.
Why not give it a try and see if it does the same for you?
(All image credit to original owners)
