Seven-time Mr. Olympia champion and bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger has been lifting weights for decades. So, when the legend speaks, we all listen. According to him, building muscle isn’t about lifting heavier – it’s about listening to your body. His timeless ‘instinctive principle’ serves as an incredible reminder that sometimes the best coach you can ask for is your own body.

All lifters have experienced this at some point – some days, the same weights that had you groaning and panting yesterday feel suspiciously light and easy today. This happens to everyone, and Schwarzenegger believed that recognizing how to listen to your body can be the key difference between a great and a horrible workout. ‘The Instinctive Principle’ urges you to listen to your body and adjust the training intensity and recovery accordingly.

“I learned from Dave that the body has its own rhythms, that it is different from day to day and that the more advanced you become, the more you need to be aware of these variations and cycles,” Schwarzenegger explained in The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, as per Men’s Health.

According to the Men’s Health article, Schwarzenegger, like most of us, followed a ‘rigid, set pattern, the same way every time’ during his early bodybuilding years.

It was only when he met fellow bodybuilding legend Dave Draper that he realized the importance of listening to your body and adjusting your workouts.

This meant reducing the weight when it was required and adding weight when sets began feeling especially easy.

That said, Schwarzenegger warned that this principle doesn’t encourage you to skimp out on training. He recommended training for at least a year to truly understand your body’s needs and respond to it.

Schwarzenegger doesn’t just preach listening to your body; he practices it, especially in his current training routine.

How Schwarzenegger applies the instinctive principle today

Over his years of training and experience, Schwarzenegger has learned one thing: listening to his body and responding to its needs.

According to an interview with Business Insider, Schwarzenegger continues to train today, his passion for training running through his veins. However, he has switched up his routines and how long he spends on training.

In the good old days, Schwarzenegger would train twice a day for up to five hours per day.

Now, at 79, he trains for just one and a half hours – which is massively impressive, considering his age. Moreover, he has switched from lifting heavy barbells to using exercise machines to train smarter.

That said, Schwarzenegger emphasized that his point was not to abandon weights. He firmly believed that people should continue to lift, but do so while mastering control and protecting their joints.

As a part of his daily routine, he enjoys riding his bike, even when traveling to the gym. His goal: consistency over perfection.

What do you think about Schwarzenegger’s “train smarter, not just harder” approach?

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Written by

Avantika Das