Arnold Schwarzenegger Shares His Favourite Interval Workout – Build a Bigger Engine with 10 Minutes of Work

Despite what you might see influencers doing, improving your conditioning isn't about redlining every single workout. While high-intensity efforts certainly have their place, it's equally important to learn how to hold your pace as fatigue builds and recover effectively between efforts.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest interval workout from his Pump Club newsletter is designed to do exactly that. Using a simple ladder format, it gradually increases your work intervals while forcing you to dial back the intensity as they get longer.

The ladder progresses from a one-minute all-out effort to four minutes at a moderate pace, training power, endurance and everything in between. Schwarzenegger describes it as 'a fun and challenging way to touch every gear you've trained', while the gradual progression keeps your pacing honest.

Choose one of the following:

• Rower
• SkiErg
• AirBike
• Kettlebell swings
• Sled push and pull
• Hill sprints

Warm-up: 10 minutes of easy movement to raise your heart rate without causing fatigue.

• 1 minute: All-out effort
• 1 minute: Rest
• 2 minutes: Very hard
• 2 minutes: Rest
• 3 minutes: Hard
• 3 minutes: Easy recovery
• 4 minutes: Moderate intensity (your 4x4 pace)

Cool-down: 4-5 minutes of easy movement.

If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.

Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.

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.