Arnold's Training: How to Train for Mass

Before Arnold Schwarzenegger became a movie star (again) and before his time as Governor of California, he won five Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia titles.

There is a 1977 movie starring Arnold called Pumping Iron, which is a documentary chronicling the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests. Lou Ferrigno and Mike Katz are two of Arnold's main competitors for the titles. It's a fascinating movie from the perspective of their training and Arnolds' use of psychological tactics to affect Ferrigno (later The Incredible Hulk) and win the titles. Worth a rental if you can find it through Netflix or some other service. 

  Even though most people reading this blog are runners or triathletes, there are parts of Schwarzenegger's "Blueprint to Mass" video that can apply to us. During interview sessions Arnold discusses training the basics to build mass. Runners have to adhere to similar basics to race at their best, not by doing massive lifts with squats, but by hill repeats, interval workouts, long runs and more. He talks about "shocking the muscles" three months before competition. Runners can do the same thing by increasing the workload, adding more repeats or less rest during interval sessions or increasing your speed for each repeat or long run. What are your weak points? Listen to Arnold's message and see if you can transfer his bodybuilding theory into your running training. His nutrition advice around the 12 minute mark is also interesting, especially if you are trying to add muscle. Even if you aren't a fan of Arnold the video is worth watching and one I find fascinating.