We've gone through the Arnold Schwarzenegger archives and scoured the internet to uncover the legendary programme he attributes his GOAT bodybuilding physique to. What we uncovered was 'The Golden Six' – a programme that Schwarzenegger credits his seven Mr Universe trophies and tremendous gains to.
Schwarzenegger used the Golden Six workout while training at his local gym in Munich and found the results life changing, not just aesthetically but also mentally. Growing up in post WWII Austria, his bodybuilding training helped him develop the drive and discipline necessary while treading the boards of the world's bodybuilding stages, and eventually, becoming the icon we know him as today.
While there are many versions of the Golden Six workout available, Arnold's original programme is still exclusive material. Below we've put our MH sauce on The Austrian Oak's muscle-building secrets. You'll notice that even though modern bodybuilding programmes incorporate varied sets and myo-reps, Schwarzenegger utilises straight sets of three by 10s. That may seem a little mundane, but the workout proves that just because a protocol is simple, doesn't mean it's easy.
We can assure you from our own experience, don't underestimate the Golden Six programme.
The Workout
To be completed three days a week with at least one day rest in between workouts. 90 seconds rest between all sets.
Barbell Back Squat x 10 reps and 4 sets
Begin by grabbing the barbell a little wider than shoulder-width apart and unrack the barbell with it on the meaty part of your shoulders, behind your head. Maintain an upright torso and push your hips back, bending your knees until your thighs pass parallel to the floor. Stand back up to the start position.
MH: The godfather of leg exercises, the barbell back squat would of course be at centre stage in the Golden Six workout. While one leg exercise a session is likely to be scoffed at by the devout leg day enthusiasts, the high volume certainly got the workout off to a high intensity start. The rest time is just about adequate, but if you're used to strength training and reaching more maximal efforts at the end of your sets, you may find it a tad brisk. Adjust your weights accordingly.
Barbell Bench Press x 10 reps and 3 sets
Lay flat on a bench, with your knees bent and pushing your feet into the floor. Take the weight off the rack, locking out your elbows. Lower the bar slowly until it touches your chest. Keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle, pause here before explosively pressing back up.
MH: Another heavy compound lift, this is where the intensity starts to increase. For beginners, perhaps this could be subbed for dumbbell bench press to help build strength equally between the arms and also to increase range of movement during the reps. For more experienced lifters, the addition of incline bench press on an alternate day could benefit muscle building for the entirety of the pecs.
Pull-ups x max reps and 3 sets
Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip with you hands over shoulder-width apart. Lift your feet from the floor, hanging freely with straight arms. Pull yourself up by flexing the elbows, while pinching your shoulder blades together. When your chin passes the bar, pause before lowering to the starting position.
MH: At this point in the workout, the culmination of big lifts back to back started to take their toll. The reps are long and the rest has a sharpish turnaround considering the prescribed max effort. Since the workout is aimed at beginners, the addition of pull-ups in the programme is a little optimistic. If you haven't managed to do these yet, regress the exercise by completing inverted rows, ring rows or banded pull ups, which could help you acquire the necessary strength to reach higher reps.
Behind the Neck Barbell Press x 10 reps and 4 sets
Take the barbell behind the neck with a wide grip. Take a breath and brace your core. Press the barbell overhead while keeping the chest open. Lower under control to your shoulders and repeat.
MH: A controversial choice of exercise, especially for beginners. The behind the neck barbell press divides lifters over its safety and efficacy. It is believed that for people without the required mobility, it can put excessive stress on the shoulders. However, as with many exercises, usually it is the load of the exercise that can cause issues, not necessarily the exercise itself. The exercise can easily be subbed for dumbbell or barbell strict press, and the Golden Six has been widely modified online to adopt these changes should you be concerned about the exercise choice.
After the max pull ups and four sets of overhead press, at this point in the workout, a colossal amount of upper body fatigue started to set in.
Barbell Bicep Curls x 10 reps and 3 sets
Stand tall, gripping a barbell with palms facing upwards. With minimal momentum, curl the barbell upwards, until your little fingers are near your shoulders. Squeeze here and lower the weight under control.
MH: It wouldn't be an Arnie workout without barbell bicep curls. In many clips from Schwarzenegger's training through the ages, he can be seen completing 'cheat curls' to focus on the eccentric part of the movement. This means to drive your hips forward and use the momentum to help you curl the barbell upwards. On the descent, the weight is controlled slowly for a three count. If you find this part of the workout brings you repeatedly to failure during your reps of 10, reducing the weight can be your first port of call. However, if like MH, you don't have lower weights available, 'cheat curls' could be the answer due to the eccentric part of the movement being slightly easier. It's not cheating if you can get a few extra reps in, and after all, if it's good enough for Arnie...
Sit-ups x max reps and 3 sets
With your legs bent and your soles on the floor, lie with your arms at your sides. Tense your abs as you lift up, and touch your hands to your knees. Reverse the move, slowly and under control.
MH: Schwarzenegger is famous for his lengthy abs sessions, mentioning his father would make sure he completed 200 reps before breakfast. With the bar set high, we completed 25 and got a bit bored. To avoid succumbing to an Arnie-workout-induced existential dread, a weight was added to cut down on the reps and speed up the process to hit fatigue. We recommend to regress the exercise, complete crunches, and to progress the exercise, complete jack knives or weighted sit-ups.
The MH Verdict
The no-frills Golden Six sounds good on paper, however, in terms of hypertrophy it is a little minimal. Hitting more of the muscle groups on different days with intensity would likely result in increased full-body muscle gain. Schwarzenegger later in the 70s famously followed split training for this very reason. The addition of dumbbells to the workout could add some more volume, much needed variety and also throw some unilateral work in the mix.
Having said that, it's a great beginner's programme to get people started on their muscle building journey. The repetition of the same exercises three days a week, gives a gym newbie the leg up to perfect the technique and push themselves in each session. With some small exercise modifications, as mentioned, and the addition of another more varied weekly workout session, it would mean the Golden Six could be a staple in our programme.
As workouts go, it ticks the majority of the boxes. Plus, judging by his track record in the sixties, the GOAT of bodybuilding must have been doing something right.
The July/August 2023 issue of Men's Health, featuring Arnie is out now!
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.