We scoured Arnold Schwarzenegger’s archives and scoured the Internet to discover the legendary program he credits his GOAT bodybuilding physique. What we’ve revealed is “Golden Six,” the program Schwarzenegger has brought to his seven Mr. Universe trophies and huge profits.
Schwarzenegger used the Golden Six Workout while training at his local gym in Munich and found the results to be life-changing, not just aesthetically, but mentally. Growing up in post-WWII Austria, his bodybuilding training helped him develop the drive and discipline needed to step on the boards of the world’s bodybuilding stages and ultimately lead us to where we are today. It has become a familiar icon.
Although there are many versions of the Golden Six Workout, Arnold’s original program remains proprietary material. Below you’ll find MH sources on Austrian oak muscle building secrets. Modern bodybuilding programs incorporate a variety of sets and mio his reps, but Schwarzenegger will find himself utilizing 3 x 10 straight he sets. It may seem a bit mundane, but this workout proves that just because a protocol is simple doesn’t mean it’s easy.
From our own experience, don’t underestimate the Golden Six program.
workout
You should complete 3 days a week with at least 1 day rest between workouts. There is a 90 second rest between all sets.
Barbell back squat x 10 times x 4 sets
First, grab the barbell slightly wider than shoulder width and place it on the fleshy part of your shoulders behind your head and lower the barbell. Keep your torso upright, push your hips back, and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stand up to the starting position.
MH: The godfather of leg exercises, the barbell back squat will of course be a staple of your Golden Six training. While single-leg exercises during a session are likely to be derided by avid leg day enthusiasts, the high volume certainly gives the workout a high-intensity start. Rest periods are pretty much enough, but if you’re used to strength training and are used to doing maximum effort at the end of a set, it might feel a little brisk. Adjust your weight accordingly.
Barbell bench press x 10 x 3 sets
Lie flat on a bench, bend your knees and press your feet into the floor. Lower your weight off the rack and brace your elbows. Slowly lower the bar until it touches his chest. Keep your elbows at a 45 degree angle with her and pause here before pushing back explosively.
MH: Another heavy compound lift, where the intensity starts to increase. For beginners, use this as an alternative to the dumbbell bench press to evenly distribute strength in both arms and increase range of motion during repetitions. For more experienced lifters, adding an incline bench press every other day may help build muscle across the pectoral muscles.
Pull-ups x max reps and 3 sets
Place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart and grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Lift your feet off the floor and let your straight arms hang freely. Bend your elbows and pull your body up while pinching your shoulder blades. When the chin goes over the bar, Pause before lowering to the starting position.
MH: At this point in the workout, the climax of big consecutive lifts started to take its toll. The reps are long and the rest of the reps change abruptly considering the prescribed maximum effort. Since this workout is aimed at beginners, adding pull-ups to the program is a little optimistic. If you haven’t been able to do these yet, doing the exercise backwards by completing an inverted row, ring row, or band pull-ups may give you the strength you need to reach higher reps.
Behind the Neck Barbell Press x 4 sets of 10 reps
Hold the barbell behind your neck with a wide grip. Inhale and tighten your core. Keeping your chest open, press the barbell overhead. Lower to shoulders with control and repeat.
MH: It’s a controversial exercise choice, especially for beginners. The behind-the-neck barbell press is divided among lifters over its safety and effectiveness. It is believed that it can put undue stress on the shoulders for those who do not have the necessary mobility. However, as with many exercises, it’s usually the exercise load that causes the problem, not the exercise itself. This exercise can easily be replaced with a dumbbell or barbell strict press, and the Golden Six has been heavily modified online to adopt these modifications if exercise selection is a concern.
After doing 4 sets of max pull-ups and overhead presses, at this point in my workout, I started to accumulate an enormous amount of fatigue in my upper body.
10 reps and 3 sets of barbell bicep curls
Stand tall and grip the barbell with your palms facing up. With minimal momentum, curl the barbell upward until your little finger is near your shoulder. Squeeze here to lower the weight while controlling.
MH: It wouldn’t be an Ernie workout without a barbell bicep curl. Many clips of Schwarzenegger’s training over the years show him completing “cheat curls” to focus on the eccentric part of his movements. This means moving your hips forward and using that momentum to curl the barbell upwards. On the descent, slowly control your weight and count 3. If he finds that this part of the workout is failing him many times while doing 10 reps, losing weight may be the first resort. However, like MH, when lower weights are not available, “cheat his curl” may be the answer, as the eccentric part of the move is slightly easier. It’s not cheating if you can get a few extra repeats and that’s enough for Ernie…
Abs x maximum reps and 3 sets
Bend your legs and place the soles of your feet on the floor and your arms by your sides. Squeeze your abs and place your hands on your knees as you lift. Do the opposite movement, slowly and with control.
MH: Schwarzenegger is famous for his long sit-ups, and his father said he always completes 200 sit-ups before breakfast. The bar was set high, I completed 25, but was getting a little bored. Not succumbing to the existential dread caused by the Ernie workout, I added weight and cut down on reps to speed up the process leading to fatigue. We recommend completing crunches to end the exercise and jackknifing or weighted sit-ups to progress the exercise.
MH Verdict
The no-frills Golden Six looks good on the surface, but is a bit minimal when it comes to bloat. By working more muscle groups on different days at higher intensity, you are more likely to increase muscle mass throughout your body. In the late ’70s Schwarzenegger famously split training for this very reason. Adding dumbbells to your workout adds more volume, much-needed versatility, and potentially one-sided work.
That being said, this is a great beginner program to start your muscle-building journey. Repeating her same exercises three days a week allows the gym newbie to perfect her technique and push herself with each session. As I mentioned earlier, adding in a few minor exercise changes and a more varied weekly training session means the Golden Six could become a staple in our program.
As you progress through the workout, most conditions will be checked. Plus, judging by his track record in the ’60s, the head of bodybuilding must have been doing something right.
July/August 2023 issue “Men’s Health” featuring Ernie is out now!
