When you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, you think of the time when he embodied Conan, brought soldier-of-fortune Dutch to life, and killed everything in sight as the Terminator. But before all that, Agh-nuld was a 7-time Mr. Olympia, making a name for himself in the bodybuilding world. Who could forget that iconic pose?
Of course, if you want to get a body like that, you’ll have to push yourself for long hours at the gym, and it’s not going to come easy. So, the most important things you should have are patience, discipline, and diligence. But here are some of the basic exercises you can do at the gym to get that Schwarzenegger-inspired back.
Pro tip: it’s better to consult a trainer on which of these exercises are applicable and doable for you.
1. Deadlift
Position yourself with your feet hip-width apart and bend your hips back. Your grip should just be an inch or two outside of your knees. Keeping your back flat, extend your hips to stand up, and pull the bar up along your body until lock-out, as your hips drive forward and your shoulders move back. Repeat as necessary.
2. Alternating Dumbbell Row
Again, you bend forward at the hips as you do in the Romanian deadlift, and row one dumbbell to your side, locking in at the shoulder blades. Lower it, and repeat on the other side. Repeat as many times as recommended by your trainer.
3. Wide-Grip Pullup
If you’ve already got a solid upper body that can lift your entire weight, go grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, wider than outside shoulder width. Hang from the bar before pulling yourself up until your chin is over it.
4. Towel Cable Row
Hook a (clean) towel to a cable pulley, and stand in front of it. Set up to do a row, holding either end of the towel in each hand. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and row the towel to your rib cage.
Pro tip: don’t lift your elbows to the side like a chicken.
5. Hang Clean
Start by holding the bar against your body with your hands at shoulder-width. Keeping your back in its natural curve, bend your hips and knees (like you would in a squat), lowering the bar to just above your knees. Extend your hips as if you’re about to jump, while at the same time shrugging your shoulders, and pulling the bar straight up in front of your torso. As the bar reaches chest level, bend your elbows under the bar, and flip your wrists to catch the bar at shoulder level. It’s important to bend your hips and knees as you catch the bar to absorb the impact.
In this stance, your palms should face the ceiling, and your shoulders should be pointing forward. Make sure at this stage that your back is straight, and that the bar is at your center of gravity.
6. Seated Cable Row
Sit on the bench (or floor) of a seated row station with your feet against the footplate and knees slightly bent. Bend it too much and it will get in the way of your rows. Not bend it enough, and your knees might buckle and bend the other way.
Keeping your back flat while grasping the cables, row it to your sternum, squeezing your shoulder blades together in the end position. Extend your arms and you’ll feel the stretch in your back before beginning the next rep.
7. Bent-over Reverse Fly
Keep your stance at shoulder-width apart, and bend forward while still keeping your back flat. Slight bend at the knees for proper balance, and then raise your arms out to your sides at 90 degrees, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top for a brief moment. Repeat until satisfied.
8. Barbell Back Squat
Set up in a squat rack or cage, and start to get comfortable because you’re going to come back here a lot more times. Grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width until you’re comfortable. Position yourself under the bar so that your shoulders are directly underneath the bar. Retract your shoulder blades and unrack the bar. Take one step back with each foot and point your toes out. Inhale while bending your hips and knees to lower your body as far as you can without losing the arch in your lower back. Push your knees outward as you descend. Then drive your hips forward and up as you lift yourself and exhale.
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