Arnold Schwarzenegger knows a lot about building muscle and strength. Unlike most people, he trained multiple times a day, six days a week. But now, he has shared a simple workout that fits into a busy schedule. This workout, featured in his Pump Club Newsletter, takes only 30 minutes and focuses on building full-body, functional strength.
The routine can be done with either a barbell or two dumbbells. This makes it easy to do at home or in the gym.
Unlike intense, high-rep workouts, this session uses low repetitions and heavy weights. It also includes enough rest between exercises. This approach is important for improving strength. Schwarzenegger explains, “This workout is not about chasing fatigue—it’s about chasing strength and force. You’ll focus on moving heavy weights with intention, power, and perfect mechanics while still fitting it into your busy day.”
To do the workout, set a timer for 30 minutes. If you are short on time, 20 minutes works too. Perform the four exercises below, aiming for 3 to 6 reps each. Rest for 60 seconds after each exercise. Keep cycling through these exercises until the timer ends. It may feel like you are resting a lot, but resting is necessary when lifting heavy weights.
The workout includes these exercises:
Dumbbell or barbell front squat
Dumbbell or barbell bent-over row
Dumbbell or barbell Romanian deadlift
Dumbbell or barbell overhead press
After finishing, Schwarzenegger recommends a five-move full-body stretch routine. This helps reduce muscle soreness and stiffness the next day.
If you like this style of workout—focused on strength and recovery—there is another dumbbell-only routine from Schwarzenegger. It targets the entire body and delivers a powerful muscle pump.
