Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals How He Came Up With Legendary Shoulder Exercise Named After Him: “I Was Constantly Testing and Experimenting in the Gym”

Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t just become the first man to win seven Mr. Olympia titles. The bodybuilding icon experimented with innovative methods of maximizing his gains in the gym. His experimentation led to him developing various unique approaches toward traditional movements. One such exercise variation became so popular that it was named after the Austrian Oak.

Known as the Arnold Press, the movement is a variation of a staple exercise, the dumbbell shoulder press. In his latest newsletter, Arnold Schwarzenegger explained the origins of the exercise that became so famous that people do it even today.

Arnold Schwarzenegger felt the results

The 1970s were an interesting time in bodybuilding history. While the Silver Era bodybuilders had established the standards, Golden Era bodybuilders still experimented with diet, exercise, and everything in between. “I was constantly testing and experimenting in the gym… The gym was my lab,” Schwarzenegger responded to a Pump App member.

The member also asked Arnie how he discovered that the movement was effective. So the 76-year-old fitness icon explained that he felt the results. “I always tried different movements and hand placements, and I would do 30 sets and see how the soreness worked,” wrote the Austrian Oak. If Schwarzenegger felt more sore than usual, he knew something must have happened differently.

Unlike a standard dumbbell press, you have to turn your hands at the bottom of the Arnold Press. “The next day, sure enough, my front and side delts were crushed,” wrote Arnold Schwarzenegger. Just like the “mickey mouse” triceps exercise by Vince Gironda had surprised Arnie, he knew he had invented an effective variation. The rest is history. However, not everyone has the same opinion of the Arnold Press.

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Jay Cutler is not a fan of the Arnold Press

Four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler spoke about the Arnold Press and its effectiveness. Thanks to its popularity, almost every gymgoer and Mr. Olympia has tried the Arnold Press at one point in time. However, the lift wasn’t too effective for the Comeback Kid. Cutler confessed that Schwarzenegger’s variation “never really did anything” for him.

Instead, Cutler stuck to the standard dumbbell shoulder press. He did other isolation exercises for the side and rear delts. However, the bodybuilder praised Schwarzenegger for innovation during the Golden Era. Cutler said that Arnie’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding had many great exercises.

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Exercises have become far more standardized today. After decades of trial and error, people have found that certain movements are far more effective than others. However, it was the experiments that pioneers like Arnold Schwarzenegger did that led to such advancements in exercise science.