Arnold Schwarzenegger's Daily Routine

He gets up every day between 5:30 and 6 a.m. and goes straight down to the kitchen (2024). ¹ Arnold's Morning Routine: Part 1 (2024) · 0:18

"I get up every day around 5:30 to 6:00"

In the kitchen he turns on the lights, the coffee machine and the stereo before anything else (2024). ¹ Arnold's Morning Routine: Part 1 (2024) · 0:27

"I come into the kitchen turn on the lights turn on the coffee machine"

He feeds his three dogs, a pig, a miniature pony and a miniature donkey every morning at 6 in the kitchen (2026). In a 2024 video he feeds the pig first and shuts it away so it doesn't go for the dogs' bowls. ² Arnold Schwarzenegger Interview: 2026 Arnold UK · 59:02

"I feed them every morning at 6:00 in the morning in the kitchen"

His rule is to train before his mind can talk him out of it. He says there is a right moment for thinking, and the first thing in the morning is not it (2023). ³ Arnold Schwarzenegger On Finding Ways To Be Useful (2023) · 29:11

"in the morning when you get up and you have time do the workout before you start thinking"

As soon as the animals are fed he gets on his bicycle and rides to the gym (2023). He says the ride turns the day from black and white to color by the time he gets there. ⁴ Arnold Schwarzenegger FINALLY Reveals His Training Secrets | Train Like (2023) · 0:31

"I feed my animals in the morning and immediately after I'm finished with that get on the bicycling and bicycle down here"

At 77 he says his heart and joint problems are manageable because he trains every day and watches what he eats (2025). ⁵ Arnold Schwarzenegger | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #587 (2025) · 65:07

"everything is good because I train every day"

He opens each exercise with a light set of 30, sometimes 50, reps to warm up whatever is vulnerable, for him the elbows (2023). ⁴ Arnold Schwarzenegger FINALLY Reveals His Training Secrets | Train Like (2023) · 2:56

"always start out with High Reps so we kind of warm up the area"

Every morning he moves through 25 to 30 sets in about 30 minutes, going quickly from one exercise to the next instead of chasing heavy weights (2023). ⁴ Arnold Schwarzenegger FINALLY Reveals His Training Secrets | Train Like (2023) · 2:34

"this is what I do every morning I come in here and they do 25 to 30 sets in a half an hour"

After several heart surgeries and operations on his shoulders and knees, he trains with lighter weights and correct form and treats it partly as therapy (2023). ⁴ Arnold Schwarzenegger FINALLY Reveals His Training Secrets | Train Like (2023) · 2:16

"I just do a faster lighter but correct exercises"

After his first heart surgery his doctor told him to stop lifting heavy and to breathe out while lifting rather than holding his breath, which strains the heart (2023). ⁶ Arnold Schwarzenegger on Aging and Being Out of Shape (2023) · 2:40

"pay attention when you breathe, when you exercise exhale"

He no longer trains legs. About 10 years ago he was told he needed knee replacements after decades of skiing, running, squats, deadlifts and movie stunts (2026). ² Arnold Schwarzenegger Interview: 2026 Arnold UK · 8:28

"I don't train legs."

After 70 he noticed back cramps on long walks and started walking less, so he added stretching exercises for his back (2023). ⁷ Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thinking Big, Building Resilience, 7 Tools for Life, and More (2023) · 59:35

"I started doing stretching exercises for the back"

He doesn't eat until the training and the ride are done. Breakfast comes after (2023). ⁴ Arnold Schwarzenegger FINALLY Reveals His Training Secrets | Train Like (2023) · 0:37

"after when it's all finished now I'm gonna go and have my breakfast"

He eats breakfast and dinner and skips lunch, saying his body no longer burns food off the way it did and that staying lean helps him live longer (2023). ⁶ Arnold Schwarzenegger on Aging and Being Out of Shape (2023) · 1:56

"I eat only two meals a day. I have breakfast and have dinner."

He has moved toward oatmeal, greens and vegetables and away from meat and other animal protein, and says he feels better for it, though he is not 100% vegan (2019). ⁸ Arnold Schwarzenegger Shows His Gym & Fridge | Gym & Fridge (2019) · 2:14

"now i eat more you know like oatmeals and greens and vegetables and healthy foods stay away more from the meats"

His shake is a splash of almond milk (he hates cow's milk), Ladder protein, a banana and a whole raw egg (2019, before he described skipping lunch). Leave out the raw egg, which carries a salmonella risk. ⁸ Arnold Schwarzenegger Shows His Gym & Fridge | Gym & Fridge (2019) · 0:59

"i just put in a little bit of this almond milk not much just a little bit"

He takes a multivitamin but says the point is not to rely on supplements: greens, fruit and good protein come first (2019). ⁸ Arnold Schwarzenegger Shows His Gym & Fridge | Gym & Fridge (2019) · 4:29

"not to rely on the supplements as much as you rely on good food natural food"

When he has to get in shape for a film he trains harder, does more cardio and cuts out sugar and white bread (2019). ⁸ Arnold Schwarzenegger Shows His Gym & Fridge | Gym & Fridge (2019) · 4:11

"cut out just simply all the sugar products"

Many evenings he works out again in his home gym (2019). ⁸ Arnold Schwarzenegger Shows His Gym & Fridge | Gym & Fridge (2019) · 5:30

"many times i go back at night and i work out at home in my home gym"