It’s crazy to think that hundreds of millions of people are currently staying at home to minimize the spread of the virus. And while this is good news for stopping the pandemic, it is not such good news for those whose daily movement has been limited significantly.
In response to this, Arnold Schwarzenegger took to Reddit (where he’s been very active—you can read up on some of his wholesome acts here) asking people to stay responsible by staying at home, but also shared an exercise routine that anyone can do at home during this tough time and shared some vintage photographs of himself from his youth when he didn’t have a gym to go to. He even gave fans advice in the comments on how to go about staying fit at home.
Amidst the lockdown, Arnold Schwarzenegger continues to be wholesome on Reddit
Image credits: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold started off by saying that nearly everything that’s going on the world today is beyond our control, thus urging people to focus on the things that they can control. First, it is being responsible and staying at home—if not for ourselves, then for our loved ones.
Another thing that we can actually control is our own physical fitness and health at home. Arnold explained that his fitness journey started with chin-ups on a tree branch by a lake in Austria. Once, when he was in New York to promote fitness and couldn’t find a gym, he found another way to keep it up by running up the steps of Park Lane Hotel—46 stories worth of steps, to be precise.
Many of us need new ways to stay fit, so Arnold posted a home workout with vintage Arnold pictures, starting with #1: Push-Ups
Image credits: Arnold Schwarzenegger
#2: Dip Between Chairs
Image credits: Arnold Schwarzenegger
So, Arnold shared a 9-piece home exercise routine that covers all of the muscle groups, which can be done daily or every other day, depending on the situation, and has given exercise guidelines for beginners as well as the more advanced.
The routine includes push-ups, dips and rows between chairs, sit-ups, bent leg raises, bent-over twists, knee bends, calf raises, and chin-ups. So that everyone is on the same page, Arnold also included some vintage photos from his youth of how he used to perform these exercises at home.
#3: Row Between Chairs
Image credits: Arnold Schwarzenegger
#4: Sit-Ups
Image credits: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Here is the full workout (exercise, repetitions for beginners, and repetitions for the advanced):
Pushups: 25 Reps / 50 Reps
Dips between chairs: 20 Reps / 50 Reps
Row between chairs: 30 Reps / 50 Reps
Sit-ups: 30 Reps / 100 Reps
Bent-leg raises: 25 Reps / 50 Reps
Bent-over twists: 25 Reps / 50 Reps
Knee bends (squats): 25 Reps / 50-70 Reps
Calf raises: 25 Reps / 50 Reps
Chin-ups: 10 Reps / 30 Reps
Dips between chairs: 20 Reps / 50 Reps
Row between chairs: 30 Reps / 50 Reps
Sit-ups: 30 Reps / 100 Reps
Bent-leg raises: 25 Reps / 50 Reps
Bent-over twists: 25 Reps / 50 Reps
Knee bends (squats): 25 Reps / 50-70 Reps
Calf raises: 25 Reps / 50 Reps
Chin-ups: 10 Reps / 30 Reps
#5: Bent-Leg Raise
Image credits: Arnold Schwarzenegger
#6: Bent-Over Twist
Image credits: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold also noted that if you have never actually worked out, it’s advised to spend the first few workouts getting used to the movements and to adjust the workout accordingly: if 25 knee bends look like too much, tone it down so that you’ll be able to continue the routine every day. When you’re comfortable, just increase the number of reps gradually to fit your situation.
Also, don’t worry about adjusting the exercises if they are too hard at first: “if a push-up is too much, instead of putting your hands on the floor, put them on a counter to make the movement a little easier. If a dip between chairs is too much, use your feet on the floor to take some of the weight off of your upper body. Don’t feel bad about working your way up to the full workout—we all start somewhere,” explained Arnold.
#7: Knee-Bend (Squat)
Image credits: Arnold Schwarzenegger
#8: Calf-Raise
Image credits: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold is already a hero to many of us, especially those who grew up with his movies, but staying in touch with his fandom (and beyond), being wholesome, and empowering people to stay strong in tough times with acts such as this makes him more than just a hero at this point.
A lot of people started awarding Arnold’s post with Reddit badges (awards) for this, to which he responded by asking people not to spend their hard-earned money on his post—better send that money towards his after-school initiative called After-School All-Stars. Feel free to do the same here.
#9: Pull-Up
Image credits: Arnold Schwarzenegger
For added inspiration, watch the trailer for Pumping Iron, a documentary about bodybuilding featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger
Image credits: MCMLXXVI White Mountain Films
How do you stay fit during the lockdown? If you’re not, would you consider starting with Arnold’s home exercise routine? Let us know in the comments below!
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