Arnold Schwarzenegger was a tank. He instinctively knew how to eat and how to train. His philosophy on whole food meals and snacks is accepted today as the best way to construct a weight gain diet, a fat loss diet, or even a regular healthy diet for a non-athlete. The famous Arnold Schwarzenegger protein shake will be sure to put muscle on anyone’s back.
The Importance of Protein
From the earliest reports on his nutritional theories, Arnold believed that the average person needs half of a gram of protein per pound of body weight per day and that a bodybuilder needs at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight each day. However, he did not recommend drinking 4 glasses of protein powder mixed with water to get all of that protein, and neither do I.
The Importance of Whole Foods
As early as the 1960’s, Arnold recommended animal protein sources such as meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs. These were considered the best whole-food protein sources for bodybuilders, and he thought it was important for bodybuilders to get more of their protein from whole foods.
Arnold also emphasized the importance of vitamins and minerals in his diet and he reportedly took vitamin and mineral supplements to fortify the nutritional content of his whole food diet. This was particularly important during growth phases or periods of intense training, when the body’s needs for nutrients are at their peak, at least for men.
The “Six Meal” Plan
The Oak must have been able to see into the future because he preached a diet consisting of six meals a day broken up into three large whole-food meals and three smaller whole-food snacks. I have been writing about the 3-meal, 3-snack meal plan for years now, but honestly, I didn’t learn the strategy from Arnold. In today’s fitness world that is now a widely accepted meal plan structure for gaining muscle and even for losing fat.
Arnie regularly consumed upwards of 5000 calories a day and over 300 grams of protein. So how did he get that much protein and that many calories into his daily diet using only whole foods?
I reveal to you now the highly anticipated Arnold Schwarzenegger Protein Shake!
Arnold Schwarzenegger Protein Shake Recipes
Easy instructions: combine all ingredients in a blender.
The Original Arnold Protein Shake:
The Arnold Fat Loss Shake (customized by Project Swole):
Final Thoughts
Blend the ingredients, pour into a cup, and consume. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
These whole food protein shakes were often used in place of snacks and you can use them in place of your snacks or even full meals too. The original recipe is a great substitute for a meal for those of you who enjoy protein shakes for breakfast or lunch.
Read more: 105 Protein Shake Recipes for Weight Loss, Muscle Gain, and Energy
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