Don’t Skip The “Golden 6” Exercises

The Golden Six is a selection of exercises that everybody should have in their program. These selections are based off Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Golden Six exercises that he believed should be the foundation of any workout program. While my selections are a bit different than Arnold’s, I feel that they are the most important exercises that can be done. Not every workout needs to include all six exercises, but the program itself should feature each one of them at some point in their layout.

My Golden Six exercises include the following:

1. Weighted Chin-Up or Weighted Pullup – while either variation is a staple exercise in bodyweight training, adding weight to either of them allows you to progressively overload the exercise. This will not only help build strength in either selection, but it will also aid in muscle building efforts.

2. Bench Press – it doesn’t matter if you choose dumbbells or a barbell to perform this exercise, but it is essential for chest size and strength. Add in that it is a compound lift that involves the shoulders and triceps as well and you get one of the best bang for your buck exercises for your upper body.

3. Squat – this doesn’t have to be a barbell squat, simply because I know that many people out there have orthopedic issues and limitations that would prevent them from effectively performing a standard barbell squat. However, the movement pattern needs to be explored and if you can find any variation of the squat that allows you to perform the exercise without orthopedic concerns, then that is the squat you should be doing.

4. Deadlift – one of the most basic and functional exercises you can perform that involves the entirety of the posterior chain. The deadlift is an exercise you shouldn’t avoid if you are looking to build both muscle and strength as the deadlift is one of those exercises that involves the most muscle activation, especially across multiple muscle groups like the hamstrings, glutes, and the entirety of the back.

5. Overhead Press – another one of those exercises that doesn’t necessarily require a barbell to perform it. Any vertical pressing variation will do. This can include a dumbbell overhead press, single arm dumbbell overhead press, a z-press, or any number of variations. The vertical press is important for size and strength and also requires contribution from the triceps and upper chest, making it a solid compound option.

6. Barbell Curl – some might say that you get all the bicep stimulation you need from other compound exercises, however, I find that if you are looking to build maximum arm development, you need direct training. The barbell curl allows you to overload the biceps via tension, you can progressively overload it, and you can even focus on the eccentric stress by performing a cheat curl with a slow negative.

Remember, these Golden Six exercises should make up the foundation of your workout program and including them will lead to the most muscle growth and strength gains possible.

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Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).