Covering all the bases of building full-body muscle is a difficult task, and doing it in a short amount of time and with minimal equipment only complicates things. If you want a workout that offers all of that, there’s no one who can plan your workout better than Arnold Schwarzenegger, the GOAT of bodybuilding.. In Arnie’s latest Daily Pump newsletter, Austrian Oak featured a four-part workout that only requires one band to complete.
It’s clear that Schwarzenegger stays up to date with the latest scientific advances His latest workout proves that you don’t have to lift heavy weights to build muscle.. A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared workouts that combined high reps with low weight and low reps with high weight and found that muscle size results were similar regardless of the modality participants chose.
With this knowledge, it’s time to grab a resistance band and skip the trip to the gym. In the words of Schwarzenegger’s newsletter, “If life is all about reps, consider this workout as a way to get ahead of the competition and win the game.”
The workout
This training consists of four circuits. Do one set of the first exercise of the first circuit, then one set of the next exercise, and then one set of the third exercise. Rest for a minute or two and repeat the cycle. Once you have completed all sets of one round, move on to the next and repeat.”
- Beginner: Do the fewest reps and 2 sets of each exercise
- In between– Do the lowest or highest number of reps and 3 to 4 sets of each exercise.
- Progressive: Perform as many repetitions and 5 to 6 sets of each exercise as possible.
Circuit one
Bodyweight squats x 10-20 reps
Stand tall, keeping your chest up and lowering your hips back before bending your knees to lower your thighs until they are at least parallel to the floor. Then press up, ready to repeat.
Push-ups x 10-20 reps
Get into a plank position. With your upper body tight and your hands under your shoulders, bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body as you push upward explosively.
Row with backpack or band x 12-15 reps
Place the tape under your feet and rotate your hips until your chest is parallel to the floor. Keeping your back straight, row the band toward your torso, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and lower yourself to start in a controlled manner before repeating.
Circuit two
Squat jumps x 5-6 reps
Slowly bend your knees into a squat and explosively jump up. After landing, control your descent and slowly return to a crouch before jumping back into the sky.
T push-ups x 8-15 reps per side
Get into a strong plank position with your upper body tight and your hands under your shoulders. Bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body as you push upward explosively, reaching one hand toward the ceiling as you rotate your torso. Place your hand back under your shoulder, ready to repeat the push-up, reaching up with the opposite side.
Lunges x 12-15 reps on each side
Stay upright after the final squat. Always keeping your chest up, step one leg back and bend your front knee until your back knee touches the floor. Stand up explosively, pause, and repeat with the other leg.
Circuit three
Single-leg hip thrust x 12-15 reps on each side
Start with your upper body supported on a bench or chair, legs bent, and feet flat on the floor. Make sure your feet are an appropriate distance from the bench so that your knee forms a 90-degree angle as you extend your hips (i.e. push your hips up). Lift one leg completely off the floor. Push with your supporting leg so your hips are extended. Reverse the movement, ready to repeat.
Back press with backpack or band x 8-20 reps
Start with the band under your feet, in a zip-front position over your collarbone, and with the band over your palms. Stand up and slide the band over your head. Lower the band to the starting position and prepare to repeat.
Side lunges x 12-15 reps on each side
Begin standing with your feet under your hips. Take a large step to the side and shift your weight onto your working leg so that your knee bends. Keep your chest up and the other leg straight. Push off with your working leg so that the weight is shifted back to the standing position and you can repeat the exercise on the other side.
Circuit four
Plank Walk x 6-15 reps
Start in plank position with hands under shoulders and body aligned. Move your hands away from you without arching your back. When you’re so far gone that you can’t go any further without losing control of your abs, slide your hands back in, ready to repeat.
Reverse Crunch x 10-20 reps
Start by lying on the floor and lifting your legs over your hips. You can use a dumbbell or the leg of the couch above your head to anchor yourself during the movement. Lower your legs so that you feel your core engage without your back losing contact with the floor. As you lift your legs back up, press your back into the floor so your hips lift off the floor. Slowly lower your back to the floor, ready to repeat.
Hollow Body Endurance x 30 seconds
Lie face up on the floor. Raise your legs until they are just off the floor and your arms are straight above your head. Stay like this without letting your back lose contact with the ground. If this is difficult for you, bend your legs slightly and lift them up.
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutritional advice. She has a postgraduate diploma in sports performance nutrition and, prior to working at Men’s Health, was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5,000 hours of gym coaching under her belt. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering at animal shelters, and when she’s not lifting weights in her garden, she can be found hanging out with her rescue dog.
