Arnold Schwarzenegger has come a very long way in his lifetime. From being born in a tiny town called Thal in Austria in 1947 to becoming a household name for his movie and political career. Chances are he didn’t know when he started just how big of a name he would become but he always had one thing going for him – his determination.

When he began his bodybuilding career at the age of 15 he was determined to make something of himself. It took him just 7 years of hard work to become Mr. Universe and then move on to become Mr. Olympia which he won 7 times. His determination was unparalleled and he worked harder than anyone else in the gym.

Arnold wasn’t too much of a fan of doing strict bodybuilding workouts. He would do combinations of different exercises and really mix things up. His philosophy was to get his mind focussed and working for him, rather than against him. There were times when he would even workout twice on one day to really push his muscles. He would also not stick to the same amount of reps (normally 8-10) per set, he would sometimes push beyond the limits and do 20 reps in a set.

This video shows how hard he worked and also what a phenomenal body he had:

He was also dedicated to training each muscle set hard and not neglecting any part of his body. He is also against doing exercises just because everyone else is doing them. He says that every body is different and you will find what routines work for you and this will give your body more mass and strength.

Here are some of Arnold’s best bodybuilding tips:

#1 – Reduce your meal size but eat 6 smaller meals instead of 3 large ones. This keeps your metabolism working efficiently.

#2 – Make sure you get plenty of rest, at least 8 hours sleep every single night.

#3 – Have rest days too. Take a break between each bodybuilding workout of a day. So workout on Monday, have Tuesday off, Workout on Wednesday etc. This “rest” time allows your muscles to repair themselves and grow stronger.

#4 – Although protein is important, try not to eat more than 3 eggs each day.

#5 – To build large muscles you need to make sure you are eating between 70-100 grams of carbs each day.

So to recap, Arnold recommends that although there are basic workouts you need to incorporate into your routine, you should experiment and see what works on your own body. By working out each muscle set and eating properly, you should be able to build muscle mass fast.