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zakruti.com » Sport, fitness, workout » Jeff Cavalier
Don't Skip The Golden Six Exercises (IM BEGGING YOU)

Don't Skip The Golden Six Exercises (IM BEGGING YOU)

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Rating: 4.0; Vote: 1
Arnold Schwarzenegger had 6 favorite exercises that he called the Golden 6 and said they were responsible for the majority of his muscle growth and massive early in his bodybuilding career. In this video, I am going to show you Arnold’s Golden Six exercises, as he referred to them, and give you my thoughts on each one to see if they are worth adding to your routine. The first exercises in Arnold’s Golden Six is the foundational lower body compound exercise known as the barbell squat. I think that this exercise highlights one of those non-negotiable movement patterns that we attribute to muscle size and strength. If you want bigger, stronger legs, then you better be squatting. After all, Arnold did say it was the king of all lower body exercises. However, if you find that your body does not allow you to squat due to your biomechanics, then you simply have to find another squat variation you can do. I’ve gone on record about my knees hurting when I squat, so I squat to a box or perform Bulgarian split squats. There is always a variation of the squat that you can do. Next up in the Golden 6 exercises from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s routine is the wide grip bench press. While I love the bench press for its ability to grow not only a bigger but a stronger chest as well, I don’t love the wide grip position. As you can see in the video, his hands are nearly at the end of the barbell. This is a tough position for anyone with shoulder issues and I while I would say the bench press is a staple exercise here, you would likely be better off doing it with a narrower grip than Arnold. If you have shoulder issues that prevent you from performing the barbell bench press comfortably or safely, then I would recommend that you opt to use dumbbells instead. The freedom of motion will allow you to press comfortably and safely while still delivering the chest gains you are looking for. Arnold’s third exercise in his Golden Six is what he calls the chin-up. However, this name is interchangeable with the exercise that we know as pull-ups (underhand vs overhand grip. I love this exercise and I think that its inclusion is great. One change I would want to make to Arnold’s pullups is to narrow the grip (just like the bench press) albeit for a different reason. The wide grip that was used by Arnold during his chin-ups / pull-ups does a better job of targeting the teres major as opposed to the lats. So if you were doing pullups to increase the width of your lats, you’d opt for a narrower grip. Next is the behind the neck barbell press and here’s where Arnold and I disagree. I think that a vertical press is an important inclusion in the golden six to complement the horizontal pressing that comes in the form of the bench press. However, pressing behind the neck is less desirable for the greater population. Arnold was able to get away with it due to his form and shoulder mobility and flexibility - he was able to keep his elbows pointing forward towards the scapular plane. For most gym goers today, posture is a limiter for this exercise. Having rounded shoulders will make it extremely difficult if not impossible to keep your elbows point forward while pressing the bar overhead and behind the neck. Instead, I would prefer to see the bar out in front of you when you press, so that you can keep your elbows and shoulders in the right position. Exercise number five in Arnold’s Golden Six exercises is the barbell curl. A simple, no frills exercise that helped to build Arnold’s big biceps. I think that a heavy barbell curl is one of the best exercises you can do for your biceps as the overload you get is almost unmatched. You don’t have to be afraid of momentum with a heavy curl, but don’t get too lax with it otherwise you are making a great exercise far less effective. It’s hard to argue with Arnold including the barbell curl as a staple exercise to build big arms. The last exercise in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Golden Six routine is the sit-up. I like sit-ups as a basic ab exercise. The two most important things you can do is remember to paint your spine down to the ground on every rep by posteriorly rotating your pelvis and not anchoring your feet under something when you do it if you have back pain. Anchoring your feet over something will instead engage the hamstrings which will take some of the load off of the psoas and the strain off the low back. Train Like Arnold - Subscribe to this channel here -
Date: 2024-10-23

Comments and reviews: 20


Hi Jeff! So, my burning question does not pertain to this video, but rather something I've been trying to understand more and more about for quite a while now (several years. Withe training for Plyometrics, should they, A. Be done on their own day B. Before strength/hypertrophy training Or C. After strength/hypertrophy training I'm curious as I have read extensively about PAP training (post activation potentiation. Also, would Plyometrics not just increase hypertrophy as well, considering they are explosive movements that would recruit fast twitch fibers Please let me know. A video on this from you would be incredible. Cheers.
P. s. My golden 6
1. Bulgarian split squats.
2. Barbell hip thrust (or kettlebell swings.
3. Slight incline dumbell bench.
4. Weighted pull-ups just outside shoulder width (overhand grip.
5. Push press.
6. Barbell curls.
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As a 54 year old master swimmer who hits the weight room 1-2 times per week to support 3-4 swimming sessions, the golden 6 will be
1. Front squats (barbell and kettlebell)
2. Kettlebell swings (explosive work that targets the hamstrings)
3. Rows (to counteract forward posture )
4. Bottom up kettlebell press (as an overhead athlete you need to limit overhead work in the weight room)
5 narrow grip push-ups
6. Outward rotations (rotator-cuff work is a must for swimmers)
These 6 excercises does not target hypertrophy. Instead, they will make you stronger and help you to stay injury free in the pool. Mix in some core work, additional biceps curls and triceps presses and periodize over the year. It has worked well for me over the years.
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I do a 6 exercise workout routine, but I have 2 split routines - routine A is - Deadlift, leg press, barbell bench press, barbell/dumbbell/preacher curls, tricep cable pulldowns/dips/french presses, dumbbell shoulder presses. Routine B - Squat, lat pulldowns/bent over rows, dumbbell bench press, rest same as routine A. All exercises are 1 warm-up set followed by 3x10 reps. I don't aim for specific numbers, but I'm currently doing full body weight on deadlift and squat, double body weight on leg press, 2/3 body weight on bench press (I have a really weak chest, 1/2 body weight on the rest.
So my routine includes, Deadlift, Squat, bench press, a form of barbell/dumbbell curl, a tricep exercise and a shoulder exercise.
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I've been going to the gym for 3 weeks and it has been fun.
Is this a good program, and could the exercises be in a better order
Should you add or remove something
Lower Body (Mon/Thu):
hex bar 3x10
Bulgarian split squats 3x10
Leg curls 3x10
Face pulls 3x10
Shoulder press 3x10
Upper Body (Tue/Sat):
Incline dumbbell press 3x10
Lat pulldown 3x10
Barbell rows 3x10
Biceps curls 3x10
Seated cable fly 3x10
Cardio (Wed/Sun):
20min jog
2x deep abs
2x plank
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If we're talking maximal hypertrophy I would struggle with just 6 exercises, I feel there is a big place for dips, curls, leg extensions, dumbell/cable flys and some amount of vertical pull in there too. However in terms of overall gains that have a degree of transferable strength and functionality I would put in Squat, Deadlift, Pullup, Bench Press, Dips and Overhead Press as my 6 choices. I feel with these you can get a full body workout that ticks all the boxes
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After years of injuries and cortisone injections it occurred to me that for every successful bodybuilder doing wide grip this and behind the neck that there will be a hundred failed lifters who got injured trying to copy the magazine exercises. Most people don't have the flexibility to pull these exercises off, I've lived with shredded bicep tendons for 40 years, we could have done with ATHLEAN-X in the 80s teaching us about should impingement and the like.
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Love the golden 6, who can truly argue with Arnold unless youre Ronnie Coleman My golden 6 would be, based on the realization Im getting older but still want to be able to lift into my 70s.
1. Incline Press (either BB or DB)
2. BB Rows (over or under) hand all is good
3. Front or Goblet Squats
4. DB Curls (21's preferably)
5. Superset Chin ups / Dips
6. Military Press (Front ) I like whats left of my shoulders, behind the neck will destroy them.
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THE GOLDEN 6 Well the more important question is Would Arnold be able to compete today (if he were a young man again) following his original plan
Arnold had excetional genetics. and great mental focus, but. given what we know about Hypertrophy, I think he would have far more competition than he did back in his day.
Would he win the 6 or 7 times in today's areana My guess is probably not. Would he win at all. Probably but not 6 or 7 times.
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As someone who is Arnold's height (6'2 with a 34 inch inseam, I can verify it's really, REALLY rough on the knees to squat ass-to-grass (aka hamstrings-to-calves) with super-heavy weight! I avoided squats for 47 years due to having scoliosis and mistakenly believing squats and deadlifts would worsen my condition. As a late bloomer, it's nice to know the greatest lifter of all time was not going as deep as possible and still got insane results!
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I personally think triceps are more crucial than biceps as they are a larger mussel and stand out more. I don't like the overhead press for shoulders either preferring to go cables here with cuffed shoulder raises and mostly from behind the back to more isolate the always forgotten middle delt. I like the dead lift and leg squat machine over traditional squats as stability and my knees it feels better and allows me to press more weight.
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Arnold’s behind-the-neck overhead press looks more for flexibility. That’s nowhere near the weight his muscles can press, which we see when he does other overhead press variations.
Also, his wide grip on chest presses seems necessary to fully stress his strongest muscles at heavier weight. A narrower grip might allow for full range of motion but it would limit the load carried by muscles he may be trying to target.
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If only 6 exercises:
Quad compound: Bulgarian split squat
Hinge: RDL
Vertical pull: Chinup
Horizontal pull: Db row
Horizontal push: Bench press
Vertical push: Overhead press
Honorable mention to Farmer's carrys and lateral raises. Add in a facepull, hanging leg raises, and an isolation exercise for biceps, triceps, and calves, and you probably have everything you'll ever need.
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I’m having trouble believing that the anabolic period after a workout is no longer something that we believe in. I used to finish a workout and rush to drink the post workout shake to maximize results. May you please explain how something that the community believed in for decades is no longer believed in at all Thank you Jeff! You’re the best!
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FAST ACTION Q&A - Leave your most burning question about this video or any other training, PT or nutrition question within the first 2 hours of this video’s release (AS A SEPARATE COMMENT) and I will pick 8 to get a detailed reply from me right here in the comments. Answers will be posted within the first 24-48 hours of you leaving the question. Good luck!
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I'm pretty well aligned with Jeff. My six would be:
1. Supported Bulgarian Split Squat (my right knee's bad)
2. Bench Press
3. Pull-ups
4. DB Seated Shoulder Press
5. Chin-ups (slowly down and not till dead-hang keeping tension throughout the exorcise)
6. Sumo Dead-lift / Hanging Leg Raises with a twist (if abs need be in the list)
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For my golden 6: bench press, Deadlift, squats, OH press, biceps curls and BB row. Many people, even beyond novice lifters, struggle with pull-ups. BB row is something anyone can do at the weight they can control. Progressing to pull-ups is great, but BB row allows them to go heavy (for them) while building up to 8-12 rep sets on pull-ups.
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I remember buying Arnold's Education of a Bodybuilder book back in 1977 as a 16 year old starting to lift weights. The beginner routine was basically these 6 exercises or variants of each. I did do direct tricep work after bicep curls then abs. I still apply these muscle groups in the same order in my current full body workouts.
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Anyone interested in getting to the point where you can do behind-the-neck presses like 7: 03, I personally got a lot out of the Bradford press. When I started it I only felt it in my rotator cuff, but after a few weeks those muscles got strong enough that my delts could become the prime mover and that position felt comfortable.
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My Copper 6 Squat/Bulgarian Squat, Deficit Pushup(lack a bench plus I feel it more in the chest) Overhead press, lateral/front raises, lat pulldown, Curls. I use resistance bands and 20lb dumbbells. Been at it for 6 weeks. Very small newbie gains. 51, don't want to tear anything by going too heavy, too soon.
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Arnold did the concentration curls though that's how you get the peak weird that's how you get the Bulge in the middle because of the angle of the bicep you're really only working the bottom part to the middle of the outer biceps. So you get that bulge or that peak in the middle
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