Arnold Schwarzenegger has never been shy about sharing with fans his own experiences, insights and expertise on how to eat and train to maintain a healthy physique at any age. In a recent Q&A, he answered questions about his approach to gaining or losing size for movie roles, given his aversion to tracking macronutrients.
“I call it turning the dial,” he wrote. “I just add a little bit or cut a little bit off, maybe cut bread or add bread…see how it goes, and then turn the knob again if needed.”
Schwarzenegger, who has previously said he tends to avoid counting calories, revealed he often has “no idea” what his average day’s calorie intake is and just goes on to say how he feels and what the physical results indicate, he said : “I really didn’t know anything but turned the knob.”
In the same Q&A, Schwarzenegger was asked about his approach to cutting back on competitive bodybuilding time and what else he did besides changing his diet. “After lifting weights in the morning, just run two miles on the beach,” the Mr. Olympia winner responded. “I didn’t lose weight like people do today. Three months before the competition, I was trying to stay lean while gaining weight. I was lighter in the offseason than I was during the season, which is the opposite of modern bodybuilders.”
Schwarzenegger’s diet has changed significantly from his so-called “garbage disposal” days, with a greater emphasis on green vegetables. He has also become an advocate of a meat-free lifestyle for environmental and personal health reasons, and believes you can get enough protein to build muscle from other sources.
“There’s a misconception that this is the only way you can get bigger and stronger,” he previously told men’s healthAdding that the less meat he eats as he gets older, the better he actually “feels.”
Philip Ellis is news editor men’s health, covering fitness, pop culture, sex and relationships, and LGBTQ+ issues.His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV, and he is Love and other scams.
