Arnold Schwarzenegger had a max bench press of 525 pounds in his heyday.
The bench press is a quintessential upper-body exercise that athletes use to enhance muscle strength and development, especially in the chest. A study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics reveals that performing bench presses significantly boosts upper-body muscle activity and enhances athletic performance (1).
Arnold Schwarzenegger, a legendary figure in bodybuilding, regularly incorporated the bench press into his routine to elevate his training and mental resilience. He embraced this exercise as part of powerlifting training and successfully competed in the sport, winning the 1966 International Powerlifting Championships.
| Full Name: Arnold Schwarzenegger | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| 235 lbs | 6’2″ | 7/30/1947 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Bodybuilder, Actor, & Businessman | 1960s, 1970s, 1980s | Austrian |
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Bench Pressing Approach
View this post on Instagram
Arnold Schwarzenegger loved mixing powerlifting with bodybuilding at least once a week. The “Austrian Oak” did his bench press as part of his powerlifting routine, so he treated bench pressing as a big and heavy lift. He hit a career max bench press of 525 lbs.
To do a bench press, Arnold Schwarzenegger started by warming up with relatively light weights before progressing to heavy weights. He did this to determine the amount of weights he could do for three reps. This study reveals that warm-ups before your major exercises can help improve your exercise performance (2).
“I loved mixing in powerlifting with bodybuilding one day a week. This was my heavy day: I warmed up with 135, then 225, then 275, then 315, 375, then 405, then 455, then 495. From that, I would know the weight I could do for 3 reps. Sometimes it was 455, sometimes more or less, it depended on the day.”
After warm-ups, Arnold Schwarzenegger followed up with his actual bench press routine: five to eight sets of three reps. He would reduce the weights to about 315 lbs and do as many reps as possible, training to failure. A study shows that training to failure can help maximize muscle growth (3).
“I would do 5-8 sets of 3 reps. It was a way to get my body used to lifting very heavy. And then I would take off the weight so it was only 315 and do as many reps as I could, and then I was finished with my bench press.”
How Does Arnold Schwarzenegger Bench Press?
View this post on Instagram
- Lie on the flat bench.
- Set your feet on the ground under you, placing them under your glutes.
- Pull your shoulder blades back and use a tight, overhand, wide grip on the bar. “Imagine pulling the bar apart,” said Schwarzenegger.
- Unrack the bar, pull it down (think like a row), and expand your chest to meet it (this gives you a good stretch in your reps).
- Schwarzenegger said that as the bar comes down to your mid-chest, there’s no need to flare out your elbows.
- Next, press up with your full strength and squeeze your pecs at the top to finish a rep.
- Repeat this movement for as many reps as you desire.
According to the seven-time Mr. Olympia, this technique will give you the desired results. However, it will take a lot of practice and patience. Arnold Schwarzenegger says this took him so many trials, but as soon as he got the technique right, he could increase his bench press PR.
Benefits of Bench Pressing
Bench pressing is a compound exercise that works on upper body muscles in the chest, shoulders, and arms. Changing your grip width during this routine can influence which muscles become primary movers. A wider grip width activates the biceps and the lower triceps, and a medium grip effectively targets the anterior delts (4). Check out more benefits of performing this exercise below.
- It strengthens your upper body muscles.
- It builds your muscle mass, giving you an aesthetically pleasing physique.
- Performing the bench press can help strengthen your core muscles, which in turn help with your balance and posture. This can reduce the chance of injuries.
- It strengthens your form for other upper-body exercises like push-ups, overhead presses, and arm-building exercises.
- Doing this exercise can help improve your bone structure because it works multiple joints by strengthening and increasing their resistance.
Arnold Schwarzenegger states that setting goals helped him with his bench pressing and throughout his life.
“There is a lesson in setting a goal and hitting it that has helped me all throughout my life, so if you’re young, set yourself some big goals and work on a sustainable plan to achieve them.”
“What you learn is simple: failure is not losing, failure is part of growing. Before I lifted 500 pounds, do you know what I did? I failed to lift 500 pounds, not once, not twice, but tons of times.”
“One of the best lessons the gym can teach you is that failure is not an end—it’s a means to an end.”
Follow Generation Iron on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more bodybuilder lifting tips!
References
- Saeterbakken, A. H., Mo, D. A., Scott, S., & Andersen, V. (2017). The Effects of Bench Press Variations in Competitive Athletes on Muscle Activity and Performance. Journal of human kinetics, 57, 61–71. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2017-0047
- Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0
- Schoenfeld, B. J., & Grgic, J. (2019). Does training to failure maximize muscle hypertrophy? Strength and Conditioning Journal, 41(5), 108–113. https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0000000000000473
- Saeterbakken, A. H., Stien, N., Pedersen, H., Solstad, T. E. J., Cumming, K. T., & Andersen, V. (2021). The Effect of Grip Width on Muscle Strength and Electromyographic Activity in Bench Press among Novice- and Resistance-Trained Men. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(12), 6444. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126444
