Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of bodybuilding’s most iconic figures, popularized the brutal six-day training split, hitting two muscle groups a day. But according to Tom Platz, following Arnold’s split has its own perils.

Back in January 2024, the ‘Quadfather’ sat down with Dorian Yates on his podcast, 'Shadow Talk.' Yates brought up Arnold, saying, “I know you were influenced by [Schwarzenegger] and Mentzer,” and asked him, “How did you settle into a style of training that worked for you?”

In response, Platz mentioned that Arnold’s split had an adverse effect on his physique. He disclosed, “I tried training with [Schwarzenegger]. I got small, and I got fat.”

Upon hearing the answer, Yates was completely perplexed and asked, “You were over-trained, right? It was too much?”

Platz explained that there was nothing wrong with the workout split, but for him, it led to overtraining, leaving his body with no room to recover.

“I’m not a long, lean, tall guy. I’m much more ‘squatty’; I did much better on three or four days a week. High-frequency training wasn’t right for me," said Platz.

Well, learning about all this might make many wonder what Schwarzenegger's workout split looks like. Let’s take a look.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Workout Split

Standing 6'2" tall and weighing around 235 lbs, Arnold had 22-inch arms, a 57-inch chest, and a 34-inch waistline, and he used to train twice a day.

Day 1 - Chest and Back
Day 2 - Shoulders and Arms
Day 3 - Legs and Lower Back
Day 4 - Chest and Back
Day 5 - Shoulders and Arms
Day 6 - Legs and Lower Back
Day 7 - Rest

He was the man who popularised the push, pull, and legs workout formula, which is still followed by many worldwide. Well, following his training methods will certainly yield results, but we ought to remember that recovery is equally important.

So, are you thinking of following a workout split like Schwarzenegger?

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Souvik Roy