Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Blueprint to Mass (Full Review)

Blueprint to Mass isn’t only one of Bodybuilding.com’s top-ranked programs for men looking to maximize their muscle mass in the true “Golden Era of Bodybuilding” style. Its creator happens to be a man with 80s star-power, infamous movie roles, and the title of “governor of California.”

That’s right — Ronald Reagan.

(Edit: Nevermind, it’s actually the Governator and star of the 90s classic, Kindergarten Cop, Arnold Schwarzenegger.)

Keep reading to learn more about the seven-time Mr. Olympia’s “secret” routine to maximizing muscle potential in eight weeks.

About the Creator – Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger became an unexpected household name at the ripe age of 23, snatching the Mr. Olympia title from returning champion Sergio Oliva in 1970 to become the youngest champion ever.

The Austrian Oak went on to win again in ‘71–’75 and ‘80. Filmmakers followed his historic sixth-consecutive Mr. Olympia victory in the 1975 documentary, Pumping Iron, which chronicled Schwarzengger’s ongoing rivalry with elite bodybuilder and future Hulk star Lou Ferrigno.

Schwarzenegger is still widely regarded as the G.O.A.T. in the bodybuilding world. His 57” chest, 520 lb. bench press, long-standing record for the most Mr. Olympia wins, and self-named “Arnold Press” exercise lands “Arnie” a spot in the unofficial bodybuilding Hall of Fame alongside other greats like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Blueprint to Mass Overview

Blueprint to Mass is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s eight-week plan for maximizing lean muscle mass through high-volume, high-intensity, and high-and-low rep training.

Similar to Von Moger’s routine, this 2020 Bodybuilding.com program digs deep into the roots of the “Golden Era” of bodybuilding to discover how the human body responds best to training, diet, and supplements.

Here’s a more detailed look at this advanced lifting program:

• Fitness level: Intermediate
• Duration: 8 weeks
• Workouts per week: 6
• Average workout duration: 90 minutes
• Equipment needed: Full gym
• Goal: Maximize muscle mass in eight weeks

Blueprint to Mass Schedule & Details

If you want to be a bodybuilding legend (at least at your local gym or on Instagram), you need to train like the Golden Age superstars. That means six 90-minute sessions per week, varying rep ranges (5–30 reps), pyramid training, unpredictable intensity, and compound lifts.

Let’s learn how to get swole by diving into week one of Blueprint to Mass!

Blueprint to Mass Training Techniques

Week one is tame (mostly because we’ve seen what weeks two through might look like). During this eight-week program, you’ll encounter out-of-the-ordinary intensity techniques like:

1. The 1–10 Method: Start with a single rep at a heavier weight, remove plates, and repeat until you reach set ten.
2. The Stripping Method: After completing your final working set, remove weight, perform another 5–10 reps, and repeat until your final set is only the bar.
3. The Max Effort Method: Gradually work your way down from 20 reps per set to 15, 10, 8, 5, and 3 until you perform three single-rep sets at your 1RM.

Now that we’ve cleared the air about that and ruined most of Arnie’s surprises, let’s move on to the actual Blueprint to Mass workouts.

Blueprint to Mass: Week One Workouts

The Austrian Oak sneaks in a few unexpected Easter eggs each week, like brand new exercises, dialed-up intensity, and some set variation.

This is week one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Blueprint to Mass:

Day 1 & 4 – Chest & Back Day

• (Warm-Up) Barbell Bench Press – 1 set x 30 reps
• Barbell Bench Press – 4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Barbell Incline Press – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Dumbbell Fly – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Chin-Up – 4 sets to failure (90 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Barbell Row – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Dumbbell Bent-Over Row – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Hanging Leg Raise – 5 sets x 25 reps (90 seconds rest)

Day 2 – Shoulder & Arm Day

• (Warm-Up) Clean & Press – 2 sets x 5–10 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Clean & Press – 5 sets x 5 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Alternating Dumbbell Front Raise – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps per side (60 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Dumbbell Lateral Raise – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Barbell Upright Row – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Barbell Curl – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Seated Band Incline Biceps Curl – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Concentration Curl (Right Side) – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Concentration Curl (Left Side) – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Close-Grip Bench Press – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • EZ Bar Skullcrusher – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Single-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension (Right Side) – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Single-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension (Left Side) – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Palms-Up Wrist Curl Over Bench – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Palms-Down Wrist Curl Over Bench – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Decline Crunch – 5 sets x 25 reps (90 seconds rest)

Day 3 – Leg Day

• (Warm-Up) Barbell Squat – 2 sets x 5–10 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Barbell Squat – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Barbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Good Morning – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Barbell Reverse Lunge (Right Side) – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (no rest)
  • Barbell Reverse Lunge (Left Side) – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Super Set
  • Leg Extension – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (no rest)
  • Seated Leg Curl – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Standing Calf Raise – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (no rest)
  • Seated Calf Raise – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Kneeling Cable Crunch – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (60 seconds rest)

Day 5 – Shoulder & Arm Day

• (Warm-Up) Arnold Press – 2 sets x 5–10 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Arnold Press – 5 sets x 5 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Smith Machine Overhead Press – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Overhead Dumbbell Front Raise – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Incline Dumbbell Reverse Fly – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Barbell Upright Row – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Barbell Curl – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Seated Band Incline Biceps Curl – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Concentration Curl (Right Side) – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Concentration Curl (Left Side) – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Close-Grip Bench Press – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Rope Pressdown – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Single-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension (Right Side) – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Single-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension (Left Side) – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Palms-Up Wrist Curl Over Bench – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (no rest)
  • Palms-Down Wrist Curl Over Bench – 5 sets x 30, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Decline Sit-Up – 5 sets x 25 reps (90 seconds rest)

Day 6 – Leg Day

• (Warm-Up) Barbell Front Squat – 2 sets x 5–10 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Barbell Front Squat – 3 sets x 12, 10, 8 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Barbell Deadlift – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Good Morning – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Barbell Reverse Lunge (Right Side) – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (no rest)
  • Barbell Reverse Lunge (Left Side) – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (90 seconds rest)
• Super Set
  • Leg Extension – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (no rest)
  • Seated Leg Curl – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Compound Set
  • Standing Calf Raise – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (no rest)
  • Seated Calf Raise – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (60 seconds rest)
• Kneeling Cable Crunch – 5 sets x 8–12 reps (60 seconds rest)

Schwarzenegger’s Blueprint to Mass Diet

Schwarzenegger (or “Contributing Writer”) rips the Band-Aid off fast — this isn’t a dirty bulk, and your macronutrient profile and timing will determine your success over the next eight weeks.

Blueprint to Mass recommends 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, 1–2 protein shakes per day (to keep up with that demand), and a goal of 1–2 pounds of weight gain per week. (Just plug your stats into the Bodybuilding.com calorie calculator and set that bad boy to “gainz.”)

Here’s a look at a sample day of meals on Blueprint to Mass:

• Meal 1: ¼ cup oats, 1 tbsp honey, 3–4 whole eggs, 2 strips bacon
• Post-Workout: Protein shake
• Meal 2: 10 oz. red meat or grilled fish, 1 cup vegetables (or large salad with olive oil, 2–3 oz. nuts, 1–2 sweet potatoes)
• Meal 3: Protein shake
• Meal 4: 12 oz. grilled lean meat, 1–2 cups vegetables (or large salad with olive oil, 1–2 cups brown rice)
• Meal 5: 2 cups full-fat cottage cheese, 2–3 oz. nuts

There’s also an optional cheat meal each week on Saturdays following leg day, which somewhat makes up for the fact that leg days suck a… lot.

Recommended Supplements

The unofficial, official supplement recommendations for Blueprint to Mass are:

• Protein powder (ideally whey) to hit those sky-high 1g/lb protein goals
• Creatine for size, strength, intensity, and recovery
• Pre-workout to fight fatigue and muster through those 90-minute workouts
• BCAAs maximize protein synthesis
• Test-booster to spend your money on something trendy that does next-to-nothing for you increase your natural testosterone levels and boost size and strength

(If you’re a BodyFit subscriber, every supplement recommended is — of course — the Bodybuilding.com “Signature” version.)

6 Blueprint to Mass Program Pros

1. If you buy into the concept of muscle confusion, the constant changes in exercises, set styles, and intensity is the answer to maximum size.
2. There’s a starter clean-bulk meal plan ready to go. (It’s only a single day of meals, but that’s already more than Blueprint to Cut offers.)
3. High and low rep ranges are scientifically proven to increase strength and size.
4. Most of the recommended supplements — aside from test-boosters — have decent scientific backing and can improve your training performance, strength, and size.
5. Some users report adding 100+ pounds to their lifts with Blueprint to Mass after a few rounds on the program.
6. Training variety — like high and low rep ranges and supersets — can help you roll through plateaus and ignite new gains (study).

4 Blueprint to Mass Cons

1. Short of it being the first thing that pops up when you Google “Blueprint to Mass” and a few subtle references to the legend, there are essentially zero references to Arnold Schwarzenegger anywhere in the program.
2. The volume is ridiculously high, and the average person can’t commit nine hours a week to lift weights at the gym. 10–20 sets per muscle group per week is generally regarded as the sweet spot for hypertrophy, according to a 2017 meta-analysis. Blueprint to Mass crosses that line not even halfway through the first arm and shoulder day of week one.
3. If you’re looking for a beginner routine, this ain’t it.
4. Arnold had … artificial help. While this routine probably did work for him, he admitted to steroid use, which makes a routine like this much more realistic. The recommended T-boosters — which studies show are only about 25% effective — are not the same testosterone boost Golden Era bodybuilders enjoyed!

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Blueprint to Mass Program Conclusion

Blueprint to Mass is the better of the two if you were torn between Arnold’s Mass and Cut programs. It’s high-volume, exciting, and will undoubtedly shock your muscles into growth.

But it’s still far from a beginner routine (even intermediate is a stretch). We also have to remember that Schwarzenegger admitted to steroid use, and this eight-week routine wasn’t really the secret to his 22” biceps or 33” waist.

It’s worth a try if you’re a die-hard Arnie fan caught in a relentless plateau. But it’s probably far too intense unless you have years of training experience and the mental drive to finish it out.

The post Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Blueprint to Mass (Full Review) appeared first on NOOB GAINS.

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