“I stay away more from the meats and more from animal products, and animal proteins, because there was this misconception that that’s the only way you get big and strong, so now I back off that and I feel much better. Now I eat more oatmeal, and greens, and vegetables, and healthy foods.”

Those are shocking words coming from Arnold, during his interview with Men’s Health. Clearly, things have changed, he’s no longer consuming an excessive amount of protein; these days he’s focused on a plant-based diet filled with greens and fruits.

We’ll take a look at everything Arnold does these days to stay in remarkable shape, from his training to eating habits. Enjoy, folks!

Here are 12 things Arnold Schwarzenegger does to stay in shape at 72.

12 Staying Away From Meat

“You can get your protein many different ways.” Those are some surprising words we never thought we’d hear from Arnold.

He turned heads during the Game Changers documentary, claiming that he no longer eats meat and feels better about it. Arnold admitted that it must be gradual if you’re going to successfully make the change.

11 45-Minute Bike Ride

At the age of 72, Arnold puts a big focus on cardio. His daily routine includes a 45-minute bike ride. That’s the routine Arnold follows both pre and post gym – he’s always seen riding his bike to the gym in the early hours.

As one can imagine, he’s typically stopped by a mob of fans once he enters Gold’s Gym.

10 7 AM Training

Arnold’s training starts early in the morning. He’s usually at the gym by 7 AM, his focus early on is strictly bodybuilding based, he’ll hit his regular workouts focusing on different body parts every session.

Once the workout comes to an end, he’s back on the bike heading back home – he’s basically hitting his cardio at the same time. Not a bad strategy.

Related - An Inside Look At Chris Pratt And Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Relationship

9 Plant-Based Diet

Arnold explained his plant-based diet, and he would also make mention that a lot of the meat cravings come from propaganda put out by companies;

"As I got older and I started reading up on it, I recognized the fact that you really don't have to get your protein from meat - or from animals. So we started going more in a direction of a vegetarian kind of diet. "Now we're doing it the right way, with spices, and all of a sudden I love it much more than the meat."

8 Overload On Fruits

“So the key thing is not to rely on the supplements as much as you rely on good food. Natural food, a lot of greens, a lot of fruits, and a lot of really good proteins.”

A big part of Arnold’s diet includes a hefty amount of fruit – fans also took notice of that on Arnold’s IG stories.

7 Lots Of Machine Work

At this point in Arnold’s lifting career, isolation movements are key. They’re much easier on the joints.

When he’s training at Gold’s Gym, Arnold is usually using a machine-based exercise – so if it is chest day, his go-to movements usually consist of the pec deck machine along with the machine bench press. The days of heavy dumbbell and barbell movements are a thing of the past.

Related - 15 Lesser-Known Facts About Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son, Joseph Baena

6 Hypertrophy Goals

His goals aren’t to lift 200-pounds over his head – it is all about maintaining for Arnold these days and the best way to do so is by hypertrophy.

This means hitting moderate weights while hitting rep ranges between 8-12. That keeps the muscles full and well maintained – of course, the diet also factors in, as maintenance calories are required.

5 Splits Muscle Groups On Different Days

Full-body workouts seem to be the trend nowadays especially amongst celebs. Arnold maintains his old school approach of separating his days, hitting different muscle groups.

It’ll usually feature chest, shoulders and traps, arms, back and legs all on different days. This gives the body enough time to rest before hitting the body part again.

4 Using Lighter Weights

Fitness enthusiasts remember Arnold for his tremendous physique back in the day, matched with his strength.

Those days are a thing of the past, as Arnold puts his primary focus on proper form nowadays, matched with high rep ranges. Forget about sets of two or five on the deadlift.

Related - 20 Things About Arnold Schwarzenegger Fans Choose To Ignore

3 Almond Milk

Regular milk is no longer an option for Arnold, he has now decided to put that on the side using Almond milk as a replacement – especially for those protein shakes, although water can also do the trick.

Arnold made it very clear in recent interviews that he doesn’t plan on drinking cow milk ever again.

2 Two Workouts A Day

That’s right, at the age of 72, he’s hitting two workouts a day… what’s your excuse again?

He’ll usually split his days into weight training and a separate session directly dedicated to conditioning, it’ll usually feature some form of cardio later on in the day.

1 Post-Workout Fuel

It is imperative for old school bodybuilders to get a meal in following a workout – it is referred to as the "anabolic window."

Now some might claim that this is a myth, but Arnold still takes this rule seriously, opting for a big meal following his training session. Protein and carbs are the most important elements during this feeding phase.

Next –12 Things Ryan Reynolds Does To Stay In Shape

Sources – IG, Live Kindly & Plant Based News