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Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 30-30 Dumbbell Pump Challenge

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Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 30-30 Dumbbell Pump Challenge

Schwarzenegger’s workouts may make you think of old school grunting under heavy barbells at Muscle Beach, but this latest workout published in his Pump Club Newsletter takes influence from CrossFit AMRAPs to deliver an insane pump without all the equipment.

‘Ready to join the 30-30 club?’ asks Arnie. ‘While it might feel different, timed sets allow you to get in a lot of reps in a short period of time, making for an intense workout that gives you a great pump and cardio benefits.’

The workout will test your muscular endurance, and as you aim to beat your reps from the previous set, your cardio will be pushed to the limit. No equipment? No worries, as Arnie eliminates our ‘excuses’ by offering a bodyweight version and a dumbbell version.

If your workout goal is to get Schwarzenegger swole, then look no further.

The Workout

Schwarzenegger recommends: ‘Grab a stopwatch (or your phone), set a timer for 30 seconds, and do as many reps as possible. Then, rest for 30 seconds and move on to the next exercise. Two rounds of this workout will take you just 10 minutes. And if you’re more advanced, try to perform four rounds, which will only be 20 minutes.’

Bodyweight Version

Alternating Lunges

Stand tall. Keeping your chest up at all times, take a step backward with one leg, bending your front knee until the back knee touches the ground. Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg.

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Press-Ups

Hit a strong plank position, with your core tight and hands under your shoulders. Bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body as you push back up explosively.

inverted row

Pull-Ups, Inverted Rows or Supermans

Pull-up: Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip over shoulder-width apart, lift your feet from the floor, hanging freely with straight arms. Pull yourself up by flexing the elbows while pinching your shoulder blades together. When your chin passes the bar, pause before lowering to the starting position.

Inverted row: Grab a set of rings or a bar at hip height, walk your feet forward until you’re hanging with straight arms, keeping your elbows close to your body row yourself up towards the rings, pause here for a second, before lowering yourself under control back to a full hang, repeat.

Supermans: Begin lying on the floor, face down with your arms straight overhead. Squeeze the shoulder blades back and away from your ears, and use your back muscles to lift your upper body and legs off the floor. Hold here for a second before you release slowly back to the floor, ready to repeat.

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Squats

Standing tall, keep your chest up and sink your hips back, before bending your knees to drop your thighs until they are at least parallel to the floor. Drive up back to standing, ready to repeat.

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Mountain climbers

Start in the high plank position with your head in line and core engaged. Take one knee towards the opposite elbow. Replace the leg back to the starting position ready to begin on the opposite side. Complete at a fast tempo to push your cardio, or slow and sustained to improve your core strength.

Dumbbell Version

paul rudd muscle workout

Dumbbell Lunges

Stand tall with your dumbbells in each hand. Keeping your chest up at all times, take a step backward with one leg, bending your front knee until the back knee touches the ground. Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg.

dumbbell chest press

Dumbbell Chest Press

Lie on a flat bench with the dumbbells up above your chest with your arms straight and your palms facing away from you. Lower the dumbbells either side of your chest, at 45 degrees below your shoulders. Feel a stretch across your chest before pushing the dumbells away from you, ready to repeat.

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Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

Hinge at the hips with a flat back, your hips behind your heels, your dumbbells hanging by your thighs. Row the dumbbells up to your hips while squeezing the shoulder blades together and keeping them away from your ears. Slowly lower the dumbbells, ready to repeat.

dumbbell front squat

Dumbbell Front Squats

Hold the dumbbells at your collarbone with your palms facing inwards, elbows in tight to your waist. Send your hips back with your chest upright into a squat. Once you break parallel, push through the heels back to standing, ready to repeat.

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Dumbbell Weighted Crunch

Begin lying on you back with your legs bent and feet planted on the floor. Hold a dumbbell over your chest, or for more difficulty, above your head. Push your back into the floor and lift your upper body. Squeeze your abs, when your upper body is off the floor, slowly release back to your starting position.

Headshot of Kate Neudecker

Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.