After undergoing emergency heart surgery last year, Arnold Schwarzenegger challenged himself to lose weight and get fitter in 2021 by doubling down on his workouts and revamping his diet. In the latest issue of his monthly newsletter, the actor provided an update on his gym progress, and expressed his gratitude at being able to return to his pre-established training routine now that he has been vaccinated, having improvised several workouts at his home during quarantine.

“Here is a video of me getting a pump at Gold’s Gym this past week,” he wrote in the latest issue of his monthly newsletter. “I love that I am vaccinated so I can be back in the gym – working out at home is just not the same.”

In the video, Schwarzenegger can be seen performing a pullover—a great exercise for working the lats and abs—on a machine. “It is a movement, especially on a machine, where you can go heavy, and that creates a lot of total-body growth stimulus,” says Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel C.S.C.S., although he advises that it is best implemented as a third or fourth exercise, rather than a prime back-building move in your workout.

Schwarzenegger also addressed his highly-motivated public image, and the preconceived notion that he is the kind of person who never takes a break, either in his career or his fitness. “While it is extremely important to work your ass off and get your reps in, sometimes the brain or the body needs a reset,” he said.

He went on to describe his experiences with mindfulness and meditation, among which he counts his training as an important component. “My time in the gym is meditation,” he added. “I don’t have a phone or anything. Each exercise is deliberate, and my mind is inside the muscle.”

That mind-muscle connection can actually be a beneficial consideration in your own workout, explains Samuel. “People tend to rush through their reps in 2021,” he says. “Slowing down and thinking about the muscle you’re working is tremendously useful.”

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