Arnold Schwarzenegger is not only the greatest bodybuilder of all time but also one of the biggest Hollywood stars ever known. Arnold is proof that anyone with a dream and a drive to succced can realize their own dreams. Arnold was born on July 30, 1947 in Thal, Austria. He grew up on the second floor of the 300-year-old home at 145 Thal-Linak with his parents Gustav and Aurelia and his older brother Meinhard.
Arnold’s first approach to bodybuilding was fairly atypical. At age 13, he played soccer, but felt very dissatisfied with a team sport. “I didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t be personally gratified” he declared. But only when his coach suggested he tried working with weights (to strengthen his legs), Arnold found his true vocation. Unfortuanetly the costs to join a gym were too high, so he equipped his own gym in the basement of his parent’s home. In 1961 Arnold meet Kurt Marnul (former Mr. Austria); Marnul was so impressed with Arnold’s body that he asked him to train in the Athletic Union in Graz. In 1965 Aronld enlisted in the Austrian army, however to compete in Stuttgart, Arnold had to go A.W.O.L and for that he was jailed when he came back. But he won the competition and was awarded the title of Jr. Mr. Europe. By the age of twenty he’s was named Mr. Europe and the youngest Mr. Universe in history. After winning many other titles Arnold decided it was time to go to Hollywood so he could have his shoot at Mr. Universe title. He arrived in America in 1968.
After a brief stint as a road worker in Santa Monica, California, he competed with his boyhood idol, Reg Park in 1970 and won the Mr. Universe title again. In 1970 he also wins his 1st Mr. Olympia title. But there’s more; he also stars in his first movie, Hercules in New York! And again in 1971 Arnold wins his 2nd Mr. Olympia title.
Unfortunately, 1971 was also the year when Arnold’s older brother Meinhard died in a car accident. 2 years later Arnold’s father, Gustav Schwarzenegger also passes away.
After winning his 6th Mr. Olympia title in 1975, Arnold retired from the sport of bodybuilding. 1977 brought Arnold a lot of success. He writes a bestseller (The Education of a Bodybuilder) and he wins a Golden Globe Award for his role in “Stay Hungry”.
When Arnold visits the annual Robert F. Kennedy Tennis Tournament in Forest Hills, New York on August 28, he meets Maria Owings Shriver. The two started dating and soon fell in love. In November 1979, Arnold graduates from the University of Wisconsin Superior. He gets the Bachelor of Arts Degree with an individualized major in international marketing of fitness and business administration. Arnold comes out of retirement in 1980 to win his 7th Mr. Olympia title. Three years later, on September 9, 1983 Arnold becomes an American citizen. In 1985 Arnold proposes to Maria, and one year later, in 1986, Arnold and Maria get married.
In 1989 The Arnold Classic is born, just like Arnold and Maria’s first child, Katherine Eunice Schwarzenegger (December 13, 1989). On June 16, 1991 is the birthday of Christina Maria Aurelia Schwarzenegger, Arnold and Maria’s 2nd child. And on September 18, 1993 Arnold and Maria’s third child, Patrick Arnold Schwarzenegger is born. On April 16, 1997 Arnold underwent elective heart surgery to repair a defective aortic heart valve. The surgery had no complications and Arnold made a complete recovery. Arnold and Maria’s fourth and final child Christopher Sergeant Schwarzenegger is born on September 27, 1997. Arnold’s Mother, Aurelia, passes away in 1998 after a heart attack.
Arnold’s Acting Career
Arnold’s massive size earned him several movie roles. His first film appearance in 1970 was as Hercules in Hercules in New York, credited under the name Arnold Strong, although his accent in the film was so thick that his lines were dubbed. Schwarzenegger came to the attention of more people in the documentary in 1977, Pumping Iron. In 1982 Schwarzenegger’s breakthrough film was Conan the Barbarian, and this was cemented by a sequel, in 1984 Conan the Destroyer. As an actor, he is most well-known for his role in James Cameron’s The Terminator (1984) where his wooden acting style was in-character, actually helping the film. Schwarzenegger’s acting ability (described by one critic as having an emotional range that “stretches from A almost to B”) has long been the butt of many jokes; he retains a strong Austrian accent in his speech even in roles which do not call for such an accent. He also made a mark with injecting his films with a droll, often self-deprecating sense of humor, setting him apart from the more serious action heroes such as those played by Sylvester Stallone.
Following his arrival as a Hollywood superstar, he made a number of commercially successful films: Commando (1985), Raw Deal (1986), The Running Man (1987), and Red Heat (1988). In 1987 Predator was release and was another commercially successful film, Schwarzenegger led a cast which included future Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura (Ventura also appears in Running Man) and future Kentucky Gubernatorial Candidate Sonny Landham. Twins, (1988) a comedy with Danny DeVito, was a change of pace. Total Recall (1990) got Schwarzenegger $10 millon and 15% of the gross, and hid a widely praised, thought-provoking science-fiction script behind his usual violent action. In 1990 another comedy was released Kindergarten Cop.
Schwarzenegger arguably hit his high-water mark with Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991. After the box-office failure of Last Action Hero in 1993, Schwarzenegger’s career never again achieved quite the same prominence. In 1994 True Lies was a sendup of spy films. It was followed by Eraser (1996), End of Days (1999), The 6th Day (2000) and Collateral Damage (2002). He starred in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003 and was slated to star in a possible True Lies 2, but his duties as California governor have likely put his movie career on hold until at least 2007.
Governorship
In his first few hours in office Schwarzenegger fulfilled his campaign promise to repeal a 200% increase in vehicle license fees undertaken by Gov. Davis’s administration. On his first full day in office, Schwarzenegger proposed a three point plan to fix the budget woes. First, Schwarzenegger proposed floating $15 billion in bonds. Second, he urged voters to pass a constitutional amendment to limit state spending. Third, he sought an overhaul of workers’ compensation. Schwarzenegger also called the state legislature into a special session and said that spending cuts would also be necessary. He initiated the cuts by agreeing to serve as governor with no salary, a savings of $175,000.
Training with Arnold
The following is a sample exercise routine he frequently used, as featured in Muscle Mag — October 1991:
Mon, Wed, Fri
Chest:
Bench press – 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Flat bench flies – 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Incline bench press – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Cable crossovers – 6 sets, 10-12 reps
Dips – 5 sets, to failure
Dumbbell pullovers – 5 sets, 10-12 reps
Back:
Front wide-grip chin-ups – 6 sets, to failure
T-bar rows – 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Seated pulley rows – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
One-arm dumbbell rows – 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Straight-leg deadlifts – 6 sets, 15 reps
Legs:
Squats – 6 sets, 8-12 reps
Leg presses – 6 sets, 8-12 reps
Leg extensions – 6 sets, 12-15 reps
Leg curls – 6 sets, 10-12 reps
Barbell lunges – 5 sets, 15 reps
Calves:
Standing calf raises -10 sets, 10 reps
Seated calf raises – 8 sets, 15 reps
One-legged calf raises (holding dumbbells) – 6 sets,12 reps
Forearms:
Wrist curls (forearms on knees) – 4 sets, 10 reps
Reverse barbell curls – 4 sets, 8 reps
Wright roller machine – to failure
Abs:
Nonstop instinct training for 30 minutes
Tues, Thurs, Sat
Biceps:
Barbell curls – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Seated dumbbell curls – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Dumbbell concentration curls – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Triceps:
Close-grip bench presses (for the all three heads) – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Pushdowns (exterior head) – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Barbell French presses (interior head) – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
One-arm dumbbell triceps extensions (exterior head) – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Shoulders:
Seated barbell presses – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Lateral raises (standing) – 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Rear-delt lateral raises – 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Cable lateral raises – 5 sets, 10-12 reps
Calves and Forearms:
Same as Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Abs:
Same as Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Arnold’s Advice on Eating and Resting
For those who have a hard time gaining weight, he advises that they should:
Eat 5-6 smaller meals a day
Eat carbs half an hour after exercising
Rest at least 3 days a week
Sleep 8 or more hours a day
Eat 30 to 50 grams of protein with each meal every 3 hours
Not avoid unsaturated fats because they raise hormone levels
Eat between 60 and 100 grams of carbs per day
Eat no more than 3 eggs a day
Substitute beef and pork with chicken and fish
Avoid sugar — it contains empty calories; eat fruits and vegetables for carbs instead
Use supplements and protein shakes to get the required daily amount of protein
Competition History of Arnold
1963 Contest in Graz, Austria, at Steirer Hof Hotel – 2nd place
1965 Junior Mr. Europe in Stoccarda, Germany – 1st place
1966 Mr. Europe – 1st amatorial
1966 Best Built Man in Europe – 1st place
1966 NABBA Mr. Universe in London – 2nd, tall class amatorial
1967 NABBA Mr. Universe in London – 1st, tall class amatorial and abs.
1968 NABBA Mr. Universe in London – 1st, tall class pro and absolute
1968 IFBB Mr. Universe in Miami, Florida – 1st place, tall class
1968 IFBB Mr. International in Tijuana, Mexico – 1st place, tall class & abs.)
1969 IFBB Mr. Universe in New York City – 1st place
1969 IFBB Mr. Olympia in New York City – 2nd place
1969 NABBA Mr. Universe in London – 1st place, tall class pro and absolute)
1969 Mr. Europe ad Essen, Germany – 1st place, tall class pro and absolute)
1970 NABBA Mr. Universe in London – 1st place, tall class pro and absolute)
1970 AAU Pro Mr. World in Columbus, Ohio – 1st place
1970 IFBB Mr. Olympia in New York City – 1st place
1971 IFBB Mr. Olympia in Parigi – 1st place
1972 IFBB Mr. Olympia in Essen – 1st place
1973 IFBB Mr. Olympia in New York City – 1st place
1974 IFBB Mr. Olympia in New York City – 1st place
1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia in Pretoria, South Africa – 1st place
1980 IFBB Mr. Olympia in Sidney, Australia – 1st place
Arnold’s Top Form Measurements
Arms: 22 inches
Chest: 57 inches
Waist: 34 inches
Thighs: 28.5 inches
Calves: 20 inches
Weight: 235 pounds
Height: 6 feet 2 inches