Arnold Schwarzenegger has spent decades perfecting the art of training, but even in his late seventies, the seven-time Mr. Olympia champion is still learning how to make workouts more efficient.
At 78 years old, his focus has shifted toward longevity and overall health, which means he’s constantly searching for small tweaks that deliver better results.
And one mistake he’s determined to avoid these days is walking into a session dehydrated – a simple oversight that he says can be the difference between hitting new personal bests or starting your session already behind.
“The Pre-Workout Mistake 50% of People Make,” Arnie writes. “We’ve shared that water is enough for most people to improve hydration. But there’s a catch. If you exercise and sweat, your body needs more than just water.”
The Terminator star has state on multiple occasions that results come through consistency, and he’s clear about the first rule: never start a workout dehydrated. “If you show up to your workout already dehydrated, you’re starting at a disadvantage that’s hard to overcome,” he writes to his followers.
The solution, he says, doesn’t require complicated formulas or strict measurements — just smart hydration and a bit of common sense, as he says: “The good news? You don’t need a complicated protocol. Just pay attention to your thirst, which should be kept as low as possible during the last hours before exercise by drinking fluids as needed.
“A simple check: in the last two hours before exercise, drink enough to produce urine that’s pale yellow in color. That’s it. No precise ounce counting required. Just don’t ignore thirst before you train, check your urine color, and you’re set.”
Despite decades of new supplement trends, Schwarzenegger still believes hydration is king when it comes to performance and recovery.
“Your muscles and neurons need electrolytes — such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium. And sweating depletes your body of electrolytes, which can affect performance and recovery,” the bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-politician writes.
And he’s not wrong — research shows that dehydration can significantly reduce workout capacity, while maintaining proper hydration levels can improve endurance, lower fatigue, and speed up recovery time.
Per HumanKinetics.com, results from high-intensity exercise can be reduced by as much as “45%” by prior dehydration. The reason for such huge losses are down to:
- Reduction in blood volume
- Decreased skin blood flow
- Decreased sweat rate
- Decreased heat dissipation
- Increased core temperature
- Increased rate of muscle glycogen use
Per Arnie’s newsletter: “Research suggests that hydrating with electrolytes before or after your workout could boost performance, reduce fatigue, and improve recovery. And you might be under-fueling more than you think.”
The numbers back it up. Schwarzenegger pointed out one study suggesting that around 50% of people begin their workouts dehydrated — and that every percentage of water lost can cause noticeable drops in performance.
“Despite the popularity of pre-workout drinks and coffee, one study suggests that at least 50 percent of people begin their workouts dehydrated. And studies suggest that for each percent of water you lose, you’ll see increasing drops in performance,” the newsletter states (of course, I’m more of a ‘start your workout with a White Monster’ guy, myself).
“In other words, while most pre-workout drinks focus on stimulants to give you an extra boost, how hydrated you are before you start exercising matters more than most people realize,” Arnie adds.
Schwarzenegger has even reviewed common pre-workout ingredients like L-arginine and citrulline malate, finding that many offer little to no benefit for performance compared to simply managing hydration.
For him, it’s not about reinventing the wheel — it’s about getting the basics right. As he puts it, electrolytes are the unsung heroes of every solid training plan: “Electrolytes can boost performance, reduce fatigue, and improve recovery.”
So before you reach for another scoop of pre-workout powder, Schwarzenegger’s advice is simple: check your thirst, check your urine colour, and keep your hydration on point.
Featured image credit: Instagram/Schwarzenegger/SportManual
