How Much Protein Did Arnold Schwarzenegger Eat Daily to Build Muscle?

Arnold Schwarzenegger built the Greek god physique during his peak years. He transformed the bodybuilding industry with his tapered waist, 22 inch biceps, and a chiseled chest.

However, it wasn’t easy for him to build this physique, and neither did it happen overnight. He put in blood, sweat, and tears to build a physique that made him famous in the bodybuilding industry as 'The Oak'.

Apart from physical training, he had to be careful about his nutrition as well. To get the kind of muscles he packed, Arnold Schwarzenegger had to consume a large amount of protein. He says:

“There’s always a debate about how much protein the body actually needs. I always lived off the rule that for every pound of bodyweight, I needed one gram of protein.”

During his peak, Schwarzenegger was approximately 250 lbs. As a result, he consumed 250 grams of protein every day. The protein would come from natural sources and supplements.

The bodybuilder consumed five meals a day, all of which had some amount of protein. However, he always carried 30 grams of protein powder with him and used it before and after his workouts.

“So, two times per day, I would have protein drinks in order to get up to the 250 grams that I needed," says Schwarzenegger.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was always up for a good steak and often preferred a steak with vegetables for a late lunch after a workout session. He says:

“I felt like it worked best when I had five meals per day. Some people can work with three meals. For me, five meals were the answer because I never was a big eater. I always felt comfortable with a regular-sized steak. If you gave me a 10-ounce steak, even in my heyday, I was happy.”

Moreover, Schwarzenegger supplemented his nutrition with vitamins and minerals. He believes that not every essential nutrition can be acquired via natural sources, and supplementation is an important part of bodybuilding.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger's Bodybuilding Diet

Here is an insight into what “The Oak” consumed during his bodybuilding years.

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Breakfast

Scrambled eggs—3

Cooked oatmeal—1 cup

Orange juice—1 cup

Low-fat milk—1 cup

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Snacks

Mixed nuts—handful

Banana or apple—1

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Lunch

Whole wheat bread—2 slices

No-skin chicken breast—1

Apple—1

Low-fat milk—1 cup

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Snacks

Cheese—3 slices

Banana—1

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Post-workout shake

Milk protein—25 g

Egg protein—25 g

Low-fat milk—8-10 oz

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Dinner

Lean-cut grilled steak—8-10 oz

Large baked potato—1

Mixed green and vegetable salad—1 large

Salad dressing—1 tbsp

Cooked vegetables—1 cup

Low-fat milk—1 cup

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Takeaway

Arnold Schwarzenegger followed a diet that would cater to his bodybuilding needs. The golden era bodybuilders were chiseled all the time.

Therefore, they barely strayed away from their diets. Moreover, they would compete more often than the current bodybuilders and would barely bulk.

This constant diet ensured that bodybuilders never lost their physique or their muscles.

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Bottom Line

Arnold Schwarzenegger needed 250 grams of protein because of his muscles. It takes an incredible amount of protein to maintain those muscles.

However, if you decide to follow a similar diet, you don’t need that much protein, unless you have a physique like that of Schwarzenegger. Ideally, you can start with 0.8 grams of protein per lean bodyweight, and increase that amount as you add more muscle.