Arnold Schwarzenegger has never been a proponent of taking shortcuts. At 78 years young, the iconic bodybuilder still stresses the importance of discipline, routine, and reality, as he calls it, in terms of fitness success. Now, he’s speaking out against today’s viral fitness trends, claiming that social media is making fitness entertainment rather than education.
Recently, in an edition of his newsletter, Arnold’s Pump Club, he spoke out about how social media is affecting younger generations. He referenced a study done by Zing Coach, which found that more than half of those between 18-27 years old use TikTok to get their fitness advice, while a large segment of those people do not bother to fact-check what they see on there.
To him, this is a growing problem, as while misinformation has been a part of fitness culture forever, it’s never been so widespread as it is today due to social media.
Schwarzenegger recommends that people put on their “shyster radio” as they browse social media, as he claims that a lot of this information is just a way to grab people’s interest rather than help them achieve results.
“The goal of this stuff is to keep them entertained, to keep them interested, to keep them engaged, but it’s not to help them get better, it’s not to help them get healthier,” he explained.
Rather than engaging in today’s fitness trends, Schwarzenegger recommends sticking to what has been known to work for years: routine, nutrition, and recovery.
Long before speaking out against today’s fitness trends, he developed a personal philosophy that has to do with long-term results, as well as overall health and wellness. One of those things is gut health, as he believes it plays a huge part in how we age.
His daily routine includes a lot of fiber to help with digestion as well as to cut down on bloating, which includes foods such as oats, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, which are all part of a long-standing routine that has to do with long-term fitness success rather than short-term results.
This celebrity who also has a dietary regime consisting of 80% plant-based foods is helping to control cholesterol levels while also allowing for small portions of chicken and salmon as a source of protein.
He also advocates for probiotic foods such as yogurt, kefir, and kimchi to help maintain a strong immune system. For Arnold, digestion is more than just a source of comfort; it plays a critical role in performance.
His reasoning is that if nutrients are being absorbed into the body, then this can only mean a better performance overall as an athlete. His logic is simple: to achieve this, there needs to be a high level of discipline placed into nutrition as well as into performance.
Viral trends under scrutiny
Rather than advocating for new trends in fitness, which are currently trending on TikTok, Arnold has come out to voice concerns regarding a number of them, which he claims can actually hold an individual’s performance back.
One such trend is taking dry pre-workout powder without mixing it with water to help it take effect faster in the system. However, this trend is dangerous, as it can lead to breathing complications as well as an extremely high heart rate due to excessive intake of caffeine.
Another trend that has been trending on TikTok is berberine, which is a plant-derived ingredient that can also be found in other ingredients such as goldenseal and barberry. This ingredient has been known to replicate the effects of prescription drugs such as Ozempic. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence to support this claim, especially regarding long-term weight loss.
He also argues against programs that claim you can have visible abdominal muscles in just a few weeks’ time. Schwarzenegger argues that while you can crunch your abs as much as you want, you still won’t lose the fat that covers your abs, as the idea of spot reduction is a complete myth.
Schwarzenegger’s strong criticism is also aimed at detox trends, whereby you are promised that certain drinks, like chia seeds and lemon water, can “flush” out the toxins from your body. However, as Schwarzenegger points out, the liver and the kidneys are the ones that are naturally supposed to flush out the toxins from your body, so there is really no need for these drinks.
Schwarzenegger’s Training Formula
The actor’s formula for getting fit is the complete opposite of the trends that he so strongly criticizes. While the trends are based on getting instant results, Schwarzenegger’s formula is based on consistency, structure, and gradual progression in your workouts.
This formula is based on the idea of progressive overload, whereby your workouts need to become gradually more challenging as you go along.
He encourages people to focus on the basics, such as getting enough protein, eating veggies, following a structured program, and achieving measurable progress, such as lifting slightly heavier weights or performing more repetitions each week, even though this might sound dull, as Schwarzenegger himself points out, this is still the only way to achieve the strength you need.
His way of working out is also based on the idea of the intensity, whereby you can use certain techniques like superset training, where you train the opposite muscle groups consecutively, in order to achieve the maximum from your workouts, as the hardest repetitions are the ones that result in the maximum muscle growth.
Schwarzenegger’s perspective on the role of the diet in getting fit is equally as straightforward as his perspective on the role of workouts, whereby he points out that, in the end, fitness is really just about the balance of the calories you burn versus the calories you consume, with there being no such thing as the “magic” diet.
Lifestyle Habits for Longevity
Schwarzenegger’s advice is not limited to bodybuilding; it also includes long-term health and longevity. For this, he recommends at least an hour of daily activity, which includes strength training along with low-intensity cardio such as cycling or swimming.
In addition, he also recommends exercising in the morning, as this minimizes the chances of skipping a workout due to a busy schedule later in the day.
Another important aspect of his advice is taking adequate rest but also staying active every day. For this, he recommends at least six to seven hours of sleep every night. However, as he puts it, “If you rest, you rust,” which indicates that staying active is important to maintain healthy joints and muscles in the long run.
His advice on aging also indicates that he is a practical person who does not believe in supplements and trends that promise instant results.
