“Gym Was My Lab”: With a 500lbs Bench Record, Arnold Schwarzenegger Revealed His Ultimate Secret to Inventing a New Press

Arnold Schwarzenegger had humble beginnings in terms of his career. Finding his passion for fitness through powerlifting and bodybuilding and eventually transitioning to Hollywood and politics, the star has dabbled in many fields. And now, he raves about the joys of being healthy and fit at 76.

Throughout his fitness career, people saw Schwarzenegger go from being a hardcore bodybuilder to someone who knew his way around the sport. Now, his expertise goes to such an extent that he shares his experiences in the form of advice in his newsletter. In the latest publication, the former bodybuilder answered some questions from fans about his life, his experience at the gym, his friends, and so on.

One of his ‘village members’ asked him about how the popular ‘Arnold Press’ originated. The workout was invented by Schwarzenegger himself and involved raising dumbbells in the air by twisting the arms midway. This gave an edge to the average dumbbell raises.

So what prompted Schwarzenegger to think of such a modification to an otherwise straightforward exercise? The star simply stated that the gym was to him what a laboratory was to a scientist. He spent his glorious bodybuilding days trying new techniques to see what worked.

“I was constantly testing and experimenting in the gym…the gym was my lab.”

For the Hollywood star, the amount of weight didn’t hold a lot of importance. He pointed out that many villagers would think too much about carrying the wrong weights for exercising, thus getting upset. Instead, what he suggests they should focus on was trial and error at the gym.

“I always tried different movements and hand placements, and I would do 30 sets and see how the soreness worked.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the time, was already famous for his intense workouts. At one point, he became popular for his eye-popping bench press record. Therefore, it’s not surprising to see the 76-year-old roll into Gold’s Gym every day, pumping iron like no other.

Arnold Schwarzenegger shocked strength trainers with his bench press

Starting his career with powerlifting gave Schwarzenegger an edge over other bodybuilders. He gained muscle and strength at an early age after joining his local powerlifting team in Austria at around 15. Since then, his strength feats have been unparalleled.

Throughout his years as a Mr. Olympia champion, the star claimed to have lifted about 500 LBS at his best. This is incredible for a bodybuilder who mostly focuses on aesthetics rather than strength. It certainly gave the former bodybuilder an edge while competing.