Flexibility is often a neglected aspect of a fitness routine. Many people understand its importance but do not follow the basic science. So, for those fans, 7-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger had something to say.

Schwarzenegger, whose basic training approach is to achieve a full stretch to attain complete flexibility, discussed the importance of flexibility in a video message that was recently shared by the Instagram account of Arnold Sports.

On July 21, the post was shared, where the 7-time Mr. Olympia was seen trying to do a split in his kitchen when he said, “Flexibility is just as important as weight training itself. So here we go.”

Later in the post, the Austrian Oak was seen slowly leaning over to try to touch his right foot. At the time, Schwarzenegger said, “Up with your arms. And then bend slowly to the side. And then the other side”.

Interestingly, he showed the funny side of his character when, in the next scene, he came out from the kitchen platform area and revealed that he had only been showing fake legs before.

At that time, Schwarzenegger said, “Anyway, I feel very flexible today. I'm really proud of myself.”

No doubt the moment was funny, but in a humorous way, the 7-time Mr. Olympia revealed a vital health secret: flexibility and mobility need to be taken seriously.

Many experts are vocal about the benefits of flexibility.

According to a Healthline article by Emily Cronkleton, medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, NASE Level II-CSS, “Stretching your body to become more supple and flexible offers many physical benefits,” including:

• Fewer injuries
• Less pain
• Improved posture and balance
• A positive state of mind
• Greater strength
• Improved physical performance.

Apart from this, Schwarzenegger also once revealed 5-minute workouts for mobility and flexibility.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s workout suggestions for flexibility

According to a 2023 article posted by Men's Health, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his Arnold Pump Newsletter, outlined a simple but challenging routine of activation exercises and stretches to enhance mobility and flexibility.

Schwarzenegger said, “You can do this anywhere, in less time than it takes to brew your coffee (so maybe do it while you’re waiting for that sweet caffeine in the morning), and you can make it a standalone routine or a pre-workout warm-up.”

The 1st step is a circuit of four stretches including:

• High knee raises to activate glutes
• Spider-Man lunge
• End with the hip raise in the lunge position
• Cat-cow stretch.

According to the article, “The next move is more challenging: the 90/90 hip switch. This is great for targeting tight adductors and improving your hip flexion.”

After that, one needs to lower themselves into a 10-second squat hold position by standing up. In the end, a “set of 5 to 10 bodyweight squats” based on one's ability is needed.

Schwarzenegger said, “This should take about five minutes, but you can fly through it faster to get your heart rate up or really slow down and enjoy the stretches. You can do as many rounds as you want.”

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil