Supersetting involves the grouping of two or more exercises performed in sequence without rest. There are two ways of supersetting: one that groups exercises for the same body part, and another that pairs exercises for opposing body parts. Arnold was a fan of both variations, and he applied supersetting most faithfully to his chest-back workout.
"There are several advantages to alternating chest and back exercises," he has said on multiple occasions:
"There are several advantages to alternating chest and back exercises," he has said on multiple occasions:
- It saves time and the workout goes much faster.
- You can handle heavier poundage, for more mass and power.
- You get a greater pump and a continuous flushing effect of both areas for the entire workout, and you keep the pump longer.
- Greater muscle-density results because you can work to the absolute limit of your physical capacity.The first superset of the routine would begin with a warmup of 30-45 reps on the bench with 135 pounds, followed by 15 chins. For the next five sets, Arnold would shuttle back and forth between bench presses and chins, pyramiding up in weight for the bench press while reducing reps for both the bench and chin. Typically, his rep scheme would be 15, 15, 12, 8, 6 for each exercise. It's worth noting that Arnold was diligent about his breathing and made sure to take extra deep breaths during this particular superset.Superset 1:After resting the two to three minutes he needed to set up for his next exercise pairing, Arnold was good to go. T-bar rows were a favorite for their ability to add thickness and width as well as provide a great stretch in the lats.Superset 2:
Again, he would pyramid his weight and reps, going from an initial 15 reps to sets of 12, 12, 10, and 10.Arnold was a master of training technique, and nowhere was this more evident than in the way he performed dumbbell flyes.Superset 3:
Typically, you'll see guys bring the dumbbells about as low as their chests and then clank them together at the top of the movement. Arnold's form was nearly the opposite - he made it a point to bring his elbows down as far as possible, with the dumbbells around bench level. As he brought them back up in a perfect arc, he'd stop when they were about a foot apart - just at the point when tension on his pecs was lessening.
Similarly, for barbell rows he'd stand on a bench or high box-the better to get a full stretch at the bottom-and, with his torso nearly parallel to the floor, perform picture-perfect reps. No jerking the weight for him; it was all back taking the load.
Typically, he would perform sets of 15, 12, 10, 10, and 10 reps for each exercise.
By this point Arnold would be sucking wind pretty good. He'd have been at it for more than a half hour, and the dual pump in his pecs and lats would be stretching his tank top.Superset 4:
Still, he would soldier on.
He'd strap a dumbbell weighing as much as 80 pounds around his waist and aim for 15 reps in each of the five sets of dips.
For the close-grip chins, he preferred using a V-bar attachment that he'd drape over the overhead bar. If none were to be found, he'd take a narrow, overhand grip and shoot for five sets of 12 reps.The Finale:Whether one can actually expand the rib cage via exercise is open to debate, but Arnold believed it and so performed pullovers throughout his bodybuilding career."You'll not believe the ache in the sternum that this movement will produce!" Arnold said. "It literally pulls your chest apart and forces it into new growth."
The fact is, regardless of its purported rib cage-expanding properties, the pullover is an excellent exercise for targeting both the lats and the hard-to-reach serratus, and for providing the pecs with a great stretch.Arnold liked to lie across the bench to better sink his hips toward the floor and get an even stretch throughout the thoracic region.
Despite his state of near-total fatigue, he'd knock out five sets of 15-20 full, breathing- intensive reps to finish the workout.Arnold always finished up his workouts with a few minutes of flexing and posing. He liked the idea of further flooding each body part with oxygen-rich blood, and he believed this gave his muscles a harder, more defined look that would carry over to onstage success.Post-work outIso-tension Contractions
Finally, after 45 minutes and a few pounds of lost sweat, Arnold's morning workout was done. "As I head for the shower, I feel exhausted but exhilarated, like a boxer who has just gone 15 rounds with the heavyweight champion and beaten him with a knockout in the final round!"
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