Arnold Schwarzenegger is an inspiration to millions of men around the world, both in success and fitness. Even though times have changed -- today's bodybuilders are far bigger than in Arnold's time -- we can still learn a lot from the man that brought bodybuilding to the masses.

Because so many guys want to know how he did it, I've decided to recap his bodybuilding tips, principles and routines to help any aspiring or veteran bodybuilder learn from the best.

The secret is to make your mind work for you -- not against you."
  - Arnold's bodybuilding philosophy

Arnold's approach to bodybuilding was more mental than physical. For him, it was (and still is) all or nothing. While competing, he didn't go through the motions; he worked out to be larger than life.

on working out
Thinking there is a recipe to gaining mass was something Arnold Schwarzenegger frowned upon. He favored execution and the moment over strict routines.

He would mix things up -- sometimes he'd even work out twice a day. He did a lot of forced reps and pyramids by adding weight to each set. He preferred doing 6 to 10 reps per set and sometimes (to break though plateaus) did 20 sets per body part.

for beginners
Arnold always reminds beginners that they have to start somewhere and that it's better to start slowly rather than quit quickly. According to him, it is preferable to spend more time at the gym doing your sets and reps properly rather than rush through your routine, see no results and ultimately give up.

He warns that novice bodybuilders should not neglect any body parts and advises that they should always face obstacles instead of shy away from them.

When Arnold came to America, he had a huge upper body but twiggy legs and calves, and always wore long pants to hide this. To combat this weakness, he purposely started wearing shorts to expose what he was least proud of.

It worked The humiliation forced him to develop some of the biggest calves in the industry (some believe he has calf implants, but that's best left for another article). Too many men, according to him, cover up their weaknesses. By facing your flaws, you will gain the drive to conquer them.

He also warns against using exercises just because others do them. He believes that "in bodybuilding, you're essentially conducting a research experiment on yourself," so one shouldn't use an exercise because it is popular.