With so many energy-demanding roles and to maintain such a physique at such a ripe age, we all wonder, what does Schwarzenegger even eat on a normal day? While he admitted to eating nearly anything and everything in his competition days, he has decided to almost cut out animal protein entirely (with an occasional steak, just for fun) because of his recent health scares.
Seems Arnie has adopted a reducetarian diet. The term describes those who are aware of the environmental and health costs associated with eating meat but still want to enjoy the occasional meat dish once every blue moon. These days he focuses on whole foods, that being primarily fruits and vegetables, and plant-based protein.
A Conscientious Celeb
It may be the last thing anyone would consider when examining his illustrious image or career, but Schwarzenegger is over and beyond his Hollywood iconic status he is also a very passionate environmentalist. During his time as governor of California, he made an effort to be a part of the United States' first emission cap on greenhouse gas (part of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006).
He has also chastised politicians in the past for not taking environmental issues more seriously and has attempted to drive more eco-friendly cars. The world needs more good-hearted fellows like Arnie who use their power in the world to advocate for the environment.
Getting a Good Heart
Schwarzenegger may look completely invincible and untouchable with all of his impressive muscles, but he has also experienced a past health scare regarding his most important one. In 2018, the former bodybuilder underwent an open heart surgery to replace a pulmonary valve.
He had also previously had heart surgery in 1997 to fix a congenital heart valve condition. Thankfully for Schwarzenegger, all appears to be well now, and at the age he's at, he still works out about three times a day! Perhaps he does not go as hard as he used to but he makes a point of it to stay active for life, in order to stay healthy for life.
Arnold's Diet
Despite that, it's been decades since the release of films like "Pumping Iron" and "Stay Hungry," Schwarzenegger's diet and workout plan has remained intact. As expected, he goes all out on protein, and by that, we mean ALL OUT. Needless to say, if you weigh 250 pounds as he did, you are gonna need a boatload of protein.
Besides the protein, he did not shy away from grains, veggies, or fats either. His daily calorific intake reached almost 4000 calories which came in the form of six meals and protein shakes and was all burned through at the gym. His training routine was largely focused on building muscles. As the man himself once said, no pain, no gain.
Schwarzenegger's Workout Routine
It is unquestionable that Schwarzenegger's workout plan is all-encompassing and ferociously intense. Back in the 80s, the star would train twice a day, with workouts that lasted for hours. He would mostly do heavy weight lifting with an evidently infinite amount of sets and reps.
It was the embodiment of high-volume training, a style of exercise that would be critiqued by most training specialists today for the lack of adequate time for muscle recovery. This is all possible when you're young, but as he got older, he slowed down a bit, and nowadays, he is more focused on more efficient exercises than lifting the weightiest weights.