Arnold Split
The Arnold split is the routine Arnold Schwarzenegger popularized: chest and back together, shoulders and arms together, then legs, repeated twice a week. Pairing opposing muscles like chest and back means you can alternate them and keep sessions moving. It's a high-volume split, so it suits lifters who already train consistently.
- Days per week
- 6 (or 3)
- Best for
- Experienced lifters with time to train 6 days
Who it's for
- Intermediate and advanced lifters
- People who can train 6 days a week and recover from it
- Lifters who want extra shoulder and arm work
Weekly schedule
- MonChest & Back
- TueShoulders & Arms
- WedLegs
- ThuChest & Back
- FriShoulders & Arms
- SatLegs
- SunRest
On 3 days a week, run each day once with a rest day between sessions.
The workouts
Sets are working sets: warm up with a couple of lighter sets on your first lift. Rest 2–3 minutes on the big compound lifts and 60–90 seconds on everything else. Start each lift at a weight you can do for the bottom of the rep range, and add weight once you hit the top of the range on every set.
Chest & Back
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 3 | 6–10 |
| Pull-up or lat pulldown | 3 | 6–10 |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 | 8–12 |
| Barbell row | 3 | 8–10 |
| Cable fly | 2 | 10–15 |
| Straight-arm pulldown | 2 | 10–15 |
Shoulders & Arms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead press | 3 | 6–10 |
| Lateral raise | 3 | 12–20 |
| Rear delt fly | 3 | 12–20 |
| Barbell curl | 3 | 8–12 |
| Close-grip bench press | 3 | 8–10 |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 2 | 10–15 |
| Triceps pushdown | 2 | 10–15 |
Legs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 3 | 6–10 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8–10 |
| Leg press | 3 | 10–12 |
| Lying leg curl | 3 | 10–15 |
| Standing calf raise | 4 | 10–15 |
FAQ
Is the Arnold split good for beginners?
Not as a first program. Six days of this volume is a lot to recover from. Start with full body or upper lower, then move to the Arnold split once you've trained consistently for a year or so.
Should I superset chest and back?
You can. Alternating a chest exercise with a back exercise saves time, since one muscle rests while the other works. Keep 2–3 minutes between rounds on the heavy presses and rows.
Is this Arnold's exact routine?
No. His original routine used far more sets than most people can recover from. This version keeps the structure with a volume most lifters can sustain.