Arnold Schwarzenegger Just Shared His Simple Bulking Method
Arnold Schwarzenegger has never been shy about sharing his own experiences, insights, and expertise with fans about how to eat and train to maintain a healthy physique at any age. During a recent Q&A, he responded to questions about his approach to gaining or losing size for his film roles, given his aversion to tracking macronutrients.
"I call it turning the dial," he wrote. "I add just a little or cut out just a little, maybe cutting bread or adding bread... see how it goes, and then turn the dial more if I need."
Schwarzenegger has stated previously that he tends to avoid counting calories, and he revealed that he often has "no clue" what his caloric intake has been on an average day and just goes on how he feels and what the physical results indicate, saying: "I really have never known anything and just turned the dial."
During the same Q&A, Schwarzenegger was asked about his approach to cutting back in his competitive bodybuilding days, and what he did aside from adjusting his diet. "Just a two mile run in the sand after my morning lift," the Mr. Olympia champion replied. "I wasn't cutting like the guys today. The three months before the contest, I was building up and adding weight while trying to stay lean. I was lighter in the off-season than in season, the opposite of modern bodybuilders."
Schwarzenegger's diet has changed considerably from what he calls his "garbage disposal" days, with a greater focus on greens and vegetables. He has also become an advocate for a meat-free lifestyle, for both environmental and personal health reasons, and believes you can get more than enough protein to build muscle from alternative sources.
"There’s this misperception that that’s the only way you get big and strong," he previously told Men's Health, adding that as he gets older, he actually "feels better" the less meat he consumes.
Philip Ellis
Philip Ellis is News Editor at Men's Health, covering fitness, pop culture, sex and relationships, and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV, and he is the author of Love & Other Scams.
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