Arnold's Golden Six
Also known as: golden six · golden 6 · arnold golden six · arnold golden 6 · arnold full body · arnold beginner · schwarzenegger golden six
The full-body routine Arnold Schwarzenegger says he used to get bigger in his early days at his gym in Munich, as IronMan printed it in 1992. Six lifts, three times a week on alternate days: squats, bench press, chins, overhead press, barbell curls and bent-knee sit-ups. Mostly sets of 10; chins and sit-ups for as many as you can. Once you can do two or three more reps than the 10, the weight goes up. Stay on it for at least three months without missing a workout.
Free to use · auto progression, rest timers & PR tracking built in
What is Arnold's Golden Six?
The Golden Six is the full-body routine Arnold Schwarzenegger says he used to get bigger in his early days of training, and that many others at his gym in Munich used too. The version Durata runs is the one IronMan printed in October 1992, in Gene Mozee's article Gain 50 Pounds of Muscle, with Arnold's section written in his own voice. We could find no copy of the routine published by Arnold himself, so the program says Based on that article rather than carrying our From Original Source tag.
It is one workout done three times a week on alternate days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday here), six lifts in his order: barbell squats 4 x 10, bench press 3 x 10 with a fairly wide grip, chins for as many reps as you can for 3 sets, the overhead press 4 x 10 (he prefers it seated and often behind the neck), barbell curls 3 x 10, and bent-knee sit-ups, 20 reps or as many as you can without stopping, 3 or 4 sets. His form cues from the article are in each lift's notes.
Is Arnold's Golden Six right for you?
It is written for someone early in their training who wants to put on size with a short, simple routine. The article asks you to stay on it for at least three months without missing a workout. All you need is a squat rack, a bench, a barbell and a chin-up bar; if you can't do chins yet, the article says to do lat pulldowns until you can.
How progression works
The article's rule is to add weight to a lift when you can do two or three more reps than the 10. Durata builds that as a range of 10 to 12: once every set reaches 12, the next session adds 2.5 kg, or 5 kg on the squat. The amounts are ours; the article doesn't give any. There is no deload, because it doesn't write one. Chins and sit-ups are bodyweight and have no load rule. No rests are set either, because the article gives none, so your own rest settings apply.
The article also tells the story of Paul Grant, a former Mr. World who used almost the same program: he went to four sets on the first five lifts after three months and six sets after six months. That is in the day's notes. Durata doesn't build it in, because it isn't part of Arnold's routine.
Durata runs this progression for you — there are no percentages to work out, so each session's target carries over from what you logged last time and the weight moves when you hit or miss the prescribed reps.
Arnold's Golden Six — every set, every session
AMRAP = as many reps as possible on the sets marked AMRAP.
Golden Six
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 4×10–12 | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Pull Up | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Behind the Neck Press (Barbell) | 4×10–12 | — |
| Bicep Curl (Barbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Sit Up | 4×20+ AMRAP | — |
Golden Six
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 4×10–12 | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Pull Up | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Behind the Neck Press (Barbell) | 4×10–12 | — |
| Bicep Curl (Barbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Sit Up | 4×20+ AMRAP | — |
Golden Six
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 4×10–12 | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Pull Up | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Behind the Neck Press (Barbell) | 4×10–12 | — |
| Bicep Curl (Barbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Sit Up | 4×20+ AMRAP | — |
Arnold's Golden Six — common questions
Did Arnold write the Golden Six?
Arnold says he used it, but the routine wasn't his invention: in the 1992 article it is a routine called the Golden Six that he followed in Munich. That article is the earliest full version we could find, and the many versions online all go back to it.
How long does a session take?
About 55–75 minutes. Six lifts, three or four sets each.
Do I have to press behind the neck?
No. Arnold says he prefers to press seated and often behind the neck, not always. Durata uses the behind-the-neck press; a seated press to the front is fine if that suits your shoulders better.
Is there an app that runs Arnold's Golden Six for you?
Yes. Durata runs Arnold's Golden Six as written, free: the 3-day-a-week schedule, every set and rep, and the progression built in. Log your sets and the next session's weights are worked out for you, with the stalls the program calls for; a tap on any lift shows why the weight moved. It is on iPhone and Android, works offline, and your history from Hevy or Strong imports free.
Source: Based on "Gain 50 Pounds of Muscle", IronMan, October 1992 (Gene Mozee)
Durata is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program's author. The program structure (sets, reps, exercise selection) is presented as published methodology.
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