Historically, bodybuilders have grown from being perceived as vain athletes to sources of inspiration, pushing people to achieve their fitness goals. Amongst these names, Arnold Schwarzenegger has probably shone the brightest due to his rags-to-riches story. Looking back at his prime, his strength and aesthetics have always been unmatched.
Recently, Schwarzenegger took to Instagram to share a rare clip from his bodybuilding days where he was bench pressing at the gym. The clip featured a bunch of bodybuilders loading up weights while he lay in the back getting in his reps.
The caption provided by both him and his newsletter page, ‘The Pump Club’, described the correct technique to bench heavy weights. In the clip, Schwarzenegger was bench-pressing about 225 lbs, but the stunning part of the video was the ease of movement that he portrayed even with the heavyweights performing multiple reps.
Describing 225 lbs as a warm-up to prepare for heavier weights ahead, Schwarzenegger explained that the key to nailing the exercise was the correct technique. A proper range of motion would not only ensure lower risk but also give a good pump to the chest.
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“Walk your feet back… firmly on the ground under you (closer to your b**t).
Pull your shoulder blades down.”
When aiming to pull the weights down after securing and locking in the position of one’s feet, Schwarzenegger suggested a trick. He asked fitness enthusiasts to imagine pulling the bar apart with both hands. This ensured a good stretch to the length muscles of the arms.
“The bar will come down around mid chest. No need to flare your elbow out wide.”
This technique was perfect to get the most out of one’s bench press while also increasing the capacity to perform more reps and up the weights. Since then, Schwarzenegger has experimented around in the gym with various exercises and postures.
Arnold Schwarzenegger introduced the side-lying dumbbell raises
Those who know Schwarzenegger know how detail-oriented he could get to chisel away at his physique. This mindset gave him a deeper understanding of the anatomy while he tried various exercises and modifications to see what gave him the best output.
It turns out that side-lying dumbbell raises, a rarely-used exercise modification, worked his deltoid muscles perfectly. It helped him develop the part of his body while giving him a challenging move and a good burn. After noticing how it has disappeared from routines these days, he recently recommended the tweak in an Instagram post.
