The Arnold Diet: What Did the Austrian Oak Eat During the Golden Era of Bodybuilding?

In recent years, Arnold Schwarzenegger has touted the benefits of eating more plant based foods in his diet, but it may come as no surprise that his original diet from the golden era of bodybuilding was far more carnivorous.

Schwarzenegger's diet and training plans are as influential now as they were in the 70s when he rose to fame. From the beginning of his bodybuilding journey he was meticulous with his nutrition and training, and although there may have been less of an emphasis on the intricacies of the 'perfect diet' for competition prep in the sixties, it was still at the forefront of most bodybuilder's minds during the process.

While we can't share Schwarzenegger's exact legendary high-protein mass gain meal plan that he recommended for bulking, we break down the types of food bodybuilders were eating at the time, and the typical food sources Arnie ate day to day. We share the secrets behind his consecutive Mr Universe contest wins and how he built the incredible stature that we recognise him for.

Calorie Surplus

During a period of muscular gain, Schwarzenegger's diet would have needed to include a calorie surplus to recover from his intense workouts and facilitate muscle gain. A calorie surplus means to consume more calories than you burn everyday, with the result of weight gain. He consumed multiple meals a day to ensure he wouldn't feel too full, containing well proportioned carbohydrates, protein and fats in order to fuel his training sessions, which would sometimes take hours at a time.

In his documentary Arnold, it was mentioned how he wasn't the leanest of bodybuilders, and from the photo evidence from the 60s, we can see he certainly wasn't 'shredded' for his early Mr Universe competitions. In fact, he walked at the higher end of body fat percentages than his competitors.

Peers such as Frank Zane spoke about Schwarzenegger's defeat in 1968: 'He wasn't in shape, because it was all about being big and size with him'. Therefore, we can assume that previous to this, he was on a diet that was higher in energy intake and not necessarily counting calories or macros like the modern day bodybuilders.

Actually, it was only after visiting Gold's gym in the 70s, did he then start taking his diet more seriously, and reduced calorie and carbohydrate intake.

Of the time, many bodybuilders had day jobs and then trained either side of their long work hours. It wasn't uncommon for them to consume somewhere between 3000-5000 calories a day. To meet these lofty calorie goals without breaking the bank, their food sources had to be affordable. Think chicken, potatoes and rice rather than grass-fed beef and kombucha.

Protein Sources

Of course, protein was one of the fundamental parts of Schwarzenegger's diet from the golden era. He organised his nutrition with the principle of eating 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight – at the time he weighed 250lbs, you can do the maths. Schwarzenegger told Bodybuilding.com: 'Everything I ate as a competitor was geared first and foremost to how much protein it had. My diet was based less on what I was hungry for and more on ensuring I met my daily protein requirements.'

Schwarzenegger focussed on:

• Meat: While high in fat, beef was a frequent addition to bodybuilder's diets. 20% fat cooked minced beef contains roughly 23 grams of protein per 100 grams.
• Poultry: It's of no surprise that chicken was a staple during mass building phases. Cooked chicken breast contains roughly 32 grams of protein per 100 grams.
• Fish: Tins of tuna were an easy and affordable protein source. Tinned tuna contains 27 grams of protein per 100 grams.
• Eggs: Some bodybuilders at the time ate as many as 10 eggs in one sitting. One large egg contains roughly 8 grams of protein per 100 grams.
• Dairy: Schwarzenegger is known to have consume a lot of milk and cottage cheese in the early days. Cottage cheese contains 10 grams of protein per 100 grams.

Carbohydrate Sources

According to Muscular Development, the diets of bodybuilders of the time were 'low carb, though not ketogenic' during contest preparation. However, it's likely during a mass gain phase, Schwarzenegger would have included complex carbohydrates in his diet, in moderate quantities. For example:

• Bread: Sandwiches were easy go-to sources of energy for bodybuilders. Whole-grain choices were selected due to their slow releasing energy.
• Pasta: This high calorie bulking carbohydrate in combination with cheese would have been a suitable high carb meal.
• Cereals: Breakfast cereal with milk was an easy go-to for bodybuilders to up their carbohydrates and deliver fast releasing energy for their workouts.
• Rice: No bodybuilder's meal plan is complete without rice. For additional fibre, brown rice is a great high carb source.
• Potatoes: Baked potatoes were an affordable meal for bulking.
• Vegetables and fruit: A key part of bodybuilder's diets were vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage in order to fill them up, aid digestion and top up micronutrients.

Fat Sources

Bodybuilders at the time were aware that fat sources were an essential part of the diet and, while he didn't go overboard, Schwarzenegger was not one to stick to only egg whites. Instead, he'd include the yolk of his eggs. He likely got the majority of the fat from his diet from meat and dairy sources along with:

• Nuts: Peanuts and cashews as snacks
• Avocados: A great source of unsaturated fats to bolster any diet

Arnie's Diet

The Arnie diet is basic but does the job. It's certainly plain, but the truth is, the basics work. We know that flash diets with obscure protocols aren't necessarily suitable in the long-term for everyone. However, for muscle gain, being consistent and focussing on a diet that has a small calorie surplus of mainly whole foods and high protein will undoubtedly deliver results. The Arnie diet from the golden era certainly ticks all the boxes in that respect – it's a timeless muscle-building guide.

The July/August 2023 issue of Men's Health, featuring Arnie is out now!

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