COVER STORY ARNOLD: THE FIRST 60 YEARS

THE FIRST 60 YEARS

ARNOLD

THE MOVIE “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.” — Mark Twain

As he prepares to celebrate his 60th birthday on July 30, we look back at the amazing life and times of Arnold Schwarzenegger iNCLUDES ARNOLD: THE MOVIE 1960–1970

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE 1970–1980

THE COMPLETE ARNOLD

The inspiration, the dedication and drive that fueled Arnold’s early years

The Oak becomes Mr. Olympia, and Hollywood begins to take notice of Arnold

The best of Arnold’s training advice featured in one amazing collection

The words of the competitors, mentors and training partners who knew the legend best

Page 166

Page 190

Page 214

Page 230

PLUS

QUOTABLE ARNOLD

THE COMPLETE M&F ARNOLD COVER COLLECTION AND AN EXCLUSIVE FREE POSTER

Lights, camera, Arnold!

By Joe Wuebben and Peter McGough 2007 Photos by Robert Reiff

Look at Arnold Schwarzenegger; look at everything he has done since growing up poor in a tiny Austrian village. See all the bodybuilding titles he won, all the movies he starred in, the hundreds of millions of dollars he made, the political office he now holds and the influential national figure he’ll be in the 2008 presidential election. See the enormous legend growing right there in front of you: One of the largest yet perhaps most improbable icons the world has ever seen — maybe even the most recognizable person on the planet. But for a better perspective you must look through the lens of a movie camera. The naked eye won’t work — it would never believe what it was seeing. No way, your eyes would tell you, that this man’s story actually occurred the way it did. Only in a movie would this happen, and only in the most unbelievable of fantasy tales. Through a camera lens it’s easier to understand, even if for only a couple of hours, that, sure, maybe it could’ve happened. That’s the only way you’ll be able to put Arnold’s story in context. In fact, he feels the same way. “I still look back today,” he remarks about his incredible life journey, “and say to myself, ‘How did it happen? How did that become a reality?’” Through a series of events that can be told only as if scripted for a movie, that’s our contention. So sit back, relax and enjoy the picture.

2007OLYMPIA.COM

165

ARNOLD: THE FIRST 60 YEARS

ACT ONE SCENE I Summer 1962. Fourteen-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger walks into a gym for the first time in his hometown of Graz, Austria. The place is very primitive, like some sort of torture chamber or dungeon. Weightlifters are doing clean and jerks and presses and squats on a weightlifting platform. You can hear the humming of quiet conversations, and every so often someone screams loudly in the middle of a set of squats or snatches. Outside of that, very little idle chitchat takes place. The walls of the gym are filled with chalk. In one small area, for instance, “Cleanand-Jerk 20 sets” is written on the wall. Underneath that, white chalk lines are drawn to tally how many sets have been performed. Other lifting stations have different colored chalk on the walls for different exercises, all serving as archaic training logs.

Before The Oak there was The Acorn

N E W P H O T O BY R O B E R T R E I F F W I T H O R I G I N A L I M A G E U S E D F O R C U T O U T C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

960-1970

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

Forty-five years later, those chalk lines stand out in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s mind more than anything else. And why not? Because, after all, you can more or less boil the story of Arnold Schwarzenegger down to chalk marks: setting goals, drawing up a plan to achieve those goals and then executing the plan successfully. Then setting further goals and planning and executing, and so on. No goal was off limits. No goal was too grand, too far beyond Arnold’s reach, whether it meant setting out to be the best bodybuilder in the world as a 150-pound 14-year-old or somehow parlaying that into a movie career, in

America of all places. What better way to set a goal than with some chalk on a wall? “I loved the idea of writing down your goal and then, in the next hour or two, turning it into reality,” Arnold says. “You knew that if you made 18 lines and the number 20 was there you were short, and you could not really follow through with your goal, and you better go and do the other two sets. That’s one thing I learned from bodybuilding: If you set a goal, you better follow through. You write it down, you tell everyone about it, so you make an official commitment. Then you have to go allout, otherwise you embarrass yourself.” 2007OLYMPIA.COM

167

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

SCENE II Later that summer, 1962. Arnold is looking up at the wall again; this time it’s the wall of a movie theater in Graz. He is watching Hercules vs. the Vampires. And there he is: Reg Park, the man Arnold had already seen and ired in muscle magazines. Reg is rugged, powerful and rough, more so than, say, Steve Reeves, another popular bodybuilder turned movie star, who Arnold finds too polished and elegant for his liking. Reg Park is Arnold’s new idol.

Arnold can still recall his hands sticking to the chinning bar while Arnold was born July 30, 1947, in Thal, Austria, a small village potential took him under their wings. Soon thereafter, Arnold quit playing all other sports. He of 1,200 people. He was the son of Gustav, a tall, solidly built was hooked on lifting weights. Three man, a former ice-curling champion who nights a week he would go to the gym in made a career in law enforcement as chief of Graz, 6 miles from his home. He either police for the area surrounding Graz (4 walked or rode his bike to get there, miles or so from Thal), and Aurelia which didn’t bother him, as he knew it Schwarzenegger. His older brother Meinwas helping strengthen his body, specifihard was physically gifted in his own right, cally his legs and lungs. The gym, housed maybe even more so than Arnold, though in Graz’s soccer stadium, was closed on he didn’t possess the same drive. (Meinhard weekends because of matches being died tragically in a car crash in 1971.) played there, which forced Arnold and With the encouragement of his father, his lifting partners to break the gym’s Arnold grew up immersed in sports: soccer windows to get in and lift. Other days he especially, but also ice-curling, running, trained at home in the gym he constructed swimming, boxing and throwing the out of basic equipment welded to suit javelin and shot put. The latter activities are his needs. evidence that he preferred individual This home gym wasn’t heated, of sports, where one person, and one person course. In the midst of an Austrian winter, only, would receive reward and praise for Arnold often trained in below-zero a victory. temperatures. The club where he lifted During the summer of 1962, just before he in Graz was similar in that it had just one turned 15, Arnold discovered bodybuilding primitive heater for the entire place. as a way to get stronger for soccer, and The early days: Arnold and his brother Meinhard and the Arnold can still recall his hands sticking immediately he knew that’s what he wanted older house they grew up in to the chinning bar while working out to do. At roughly 6 feet tall and only 150 pounds, Arnold, though thin, was athletic and muscular because the room and equipment were so cold, and ripping for his age, and older gym who saw his physical the skin off his fingers to remove them.

168

By Joe Roark

ARNOLD’S TIMELINE

1907

MUSCLE & FITNESS

1945

1947

F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F A R N O L D S C H W A R Z E N E G G E R / W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S , K E V I N H O R T O N . O P P O S I T E : C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

working out because it was so cold

And there it was, on the wall, another goal: to become the next Reg Park. Arnold became obsessed with the man. He learned everything he could about Reg — what he ate, how he trained — from programs published in muscle magazines. He studied every photo of Reg he could, read every German article on Reg he could, and even had a friend translate the ones written in English. The men Arnold trained with at the gym told him maybe, just maybe, he could achieve what Reg had in the next 10 years. But Arnold didn’t have 10 years. He wanted it sooner, so he stepped up his training, lifting six days a week, sometimes more than once a day. Workouts on top of workouts, and, more importantly, goals on top of goals: Arnold wouldn’t just be the next Reg Park. He would be the best-built man in Europe. And he would eventually be the best bodybuilder in the world. Then he would go to America where he, like Reg, would star in movies. The chalk was on the wall. But how? No one in those days ever traveled that far, from Nowhere, Austria, to America. No one could afford to. “The goal was to become another Reg Park,” Arnold says. “I had no idea at that point how to do it, but I was absolutely convinced that this was going to happen. I always felt that I was

1955

1962

going to get out of Austria and come to America. From the time I was something like 10 years old I felt this way. But I had no idea how I was going to make that happen, because there just seemed to be no way.” No way he would do all this — move to America, star in movies, become famous — all because of bodybuilding. It was a widely unaccepted sport at the time — most of his friends, not to mention his parents, found it a rather peculiar way to spend one’s time — but Arnold set a precedent of carving his own path rather than simply doing what was popular. He didn’t want to be a fireman, detective or sailor like the other kids. And, for that matter, he didn’t want to be just another bodybuilder. “With my desire and drive, I definitely wasn’t normal,” Arnold says. “Normal people can be happy with a regular life. I was different. I felt there was more to life than just plodding through an average existence. I’d always been impressed by stories of greatness and power. Caesar, Charlemagne, Napoleon were names I knew and ed. I wanted to do something special, to be recognized as the best. I saw bodybuilding as the vehicle that would take me to the top, and I put all my energy into it.”

1964

Aug. 1

Oct. 20

July 30

Nov. 6

July

February

Arnold’s father Gustav is born

Arnold’s parents marry in Mürsteg, Styria

Arnold is born at 4:10 a.m. in Thal, Austria

Maria Shriver, Arnold’s future wife, is born

1922

1946

1953

1962

Arnold wins the city and national curling championships, junior division

July 29

July 17

Arnold begins attending

February

A 14-year-old Arnold meets Kurt Marnul (future Mr. Austria), manager of the Athletic Union Graz in Graz, Austria

Arnold’s mother Aurelia is born

Arnold’s older brother Meinhard is born

the Hans Gross School

Arnold finishes sixth in an ice-curling competition

Arnold begins work as an apprentice carpenter in Graz

Arnold places third in Mr. Austria and Mr. Herkules, and fourth in Mr. Steiermark

Month July 2007 2005

in Thal

April 26

The odyssey begins

MUSCLE-FITNESS.COM 2007OLYMPIA.COM

» 169

O P P O S I T E , F R O M L E F T: N E W P H O T O BY R O B E R T R E I F F W I T H O R I G I N A L I M A G E U S E D F O R C U T O U T C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S . T H I S PA G E , F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F A R N O L D : T H E A M E R I C A N D R E A M / A M I ; © B U S E K / S C H W A R Z E N E G G E R

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

Ladies and gentlemen, the “Best Built Athlete in Europe” winner for 1966

SCENE III October 1965. Arnold is staring up at the wall of his army barracks in the middle of the night. He can’t sleep. He can’t decide what he should do: obey his orders and not leave the base, or sneak out of camp and cross over into to compete in the bodybuilding competition he so desperately wants to win. He finally makes his decision. He’ll leave. Not even stopping to pack a bag with extra clothes in it, he gets up and climbs over the wall, out of camp. He has scrounged barely enough money for a third-class train ticket. The train stops at every station along the way and one day later arrives in Stuttgart. Three years after first visiting that rundown gym and seeing Reg Park on the movie screen, Arnold was training as hard as ever. And now, at age 18, he had ed the Austrian Army, conveniently assigned to a camp near Graz and commissioned as a tank driver. “The army became a luxury,” Arnold says. “Before that, I only ate meat once a week or so because my family didn’t have the money. In the army, you could have meat every day. And then, if you screwed up, they would put you in the kitchen at night to peel potatoes and do preparation work for the chef the next day. That was no punishment to me; it was the ideal situation, to go and eat everything you wanted. There was always meat left over, and there were eggs that you could make right there. So I worked out, then did my duty for two hours, and then I’m eating. I was actually gaining the most weight during that period [up to around 225 pounds from 200]. Even though we were working hard and running every day, it was still the time to really get in there and gain weight. It was fantastic!”

1965

Photogra pher’s N ame MUSCLE & FITNESS

July 2007

1966

Spring

Aug. 1

Sept. 29

Arnold wins Mr. Steiermark

Arnold begins working at Putziger’s Gym in Munich; he buys the gym the next year

British magazine Health & Strength offers its first mention of Arnold: “This 20-year-old Austrian is typical of the huge improvement in European entries in our [Mr.] Universe.” Arnold is erroneously called Leopold Schwartzenegger

Oct. 1

170

In 1965 Arnold (center) was a tank driver in the Austrian Army

Arnold begins compulsory one-year service in Austrian Army as a tank driver

Sept. 24 At the NABBA Mr. Universe in London, Arnold places second in the amateur tall class

»

2007OLYMPIA.COM

171

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE 2

O P P O S I T E PA G E , C LO C K W I S E F R O M T O P R I G H T: A R A X C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , Z E L L E R / © F I T N E S S P U B L I C AT I O N S , I N C . / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ( 2 ) ; T H I S PA G E : C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

1

1) Arnold came in second at the 1966 Mr. Universe at age 20 2) Doing an impromptu posing routine after the 1966 Mr. Universe 3) Arnold and Chet Yorton (right) at the 1966 Mr. Universe 4) Developing the mind/muscle connection 5) Posing by the lake in Graz

Only one problem: The Junior Mr. Europe competition, in Stuttgart, , happened to fall in the six weeks of basic training when the soldiers weren’t allowed to leave the base for any other reason besides the death of a family member. Arnold bolted anyway. When he arrived at the competition, this being his first one, he was clueless. He had to borrow posing trunks and body oil from other competitors. For his posing routine, all he could do was try and mimic what he had seen Reg Park doing in the magazines. Somehow it all worked out — Arnold went through the preliminary rounds, then got called for the pose-off, and then became the new Junior Mr. Europe.

172

MUSCLE & FITNESS

July 2007

4

To truly understand the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is to realize that it’s as much due to his aptitude for social interaction — specifically that people have always been drawn to him and wanted to help him — as his physical prowess. This is one reason he moved to Munich in the first place, for in Stuttgart he had met Albert Busek, who by that time had a considerable presence in the German bodybuilding community as the co-founder and editor of the magazine Sport Revue, and soon would found the German Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation in 1966. (To this day, Albert is still involved with the sport as a photojournalist living in Munich, and remains close friends with Arnold. In 2005, he received the Artie Zeller award for photographic excellence at the Ironman Pro Invitational in Pasadena, California.) Albert, impressed both by Arnold’s physique and charisma, convinced him to move to Munich and work in the gym he managed.

“After the show [in Stuttgart] I took Arnold to a restaurant,” Albert says of his first encounter with the then 18-year-old. “I already knew that, physically, he had the greatest potential I’d ever seen. As we talked, his personality and sense of fun made a deep impression on me. He had a hunger for success and a drive for improvement I’d never experienced in anyone before or since. He told me he was looking to make the next step in his bodybuilding career. He told me his ambition was to eventually go to the United States, become the best bodybuilder in the world and be a movie star.” Indeed, the trip to Stuttgart proved in many ways to be a worthwhile, if not deviant, venture, as another individual Arnold met there was Franco Columbu, who was competing in the lightweight division of the Europe Powerlifting Championships at the same location. Arnold and Franco, who was from Sardinia and was now living in Munich, too,

5

When he returned to camp, he was caught climbing back over the wall and spent the next seven days in jail with very little food and only a cold, stone bench to sleep on and a blanket to keep warm with. But Arnold had his trophy, and by the time he was released from jail, word had spread around the base that he was the new Junior Mr. Europe. He became a local hero, even among his superiors, who granted him two days leave for bringing prestige to the Austrian Army. “You have to fight to achieve,” the drill sergeants said to the soldiers in the field. “You have to have courage. Look at what Schwarzenegger did just to win this title.”

Photogra pher’s N ame

3

SCENE IV Early 1966. Arnold is beginning to prosper. He now lives in Munich, , having moved there shortly after winning the Junior Mr. Europe competition and leaving the army. He trains at a gym alongside top-level bodybuilders. For work, he manages the gym where he trains, after spending just two weeks as a personal trainer. Arnold’s learning curve is steep, having hardly ventured outside of Austria and not being up to speed with the multitude of languages being spoken at the gym and around the city, such as Spanish, Turkish and English. But Arnold learns quickly — learning how to train, learning how to become a champion bodybuilder. He’s training to become Mr. Universe.

1966 (CONT.)

1967

Oct. 9

Jan. 28

April 4

Arnold wins Best Built Athlete of Europe, in Cologne,

Arnold gives a barbellcurling demonstration at the Mr. London contest, working up to doing cheat reps with 260 pounds

Arnold places second at a powerlifting contest in

Oct. 30 Arnold wins Best Built Athlete of Europe, in Stuttgart, and wins a heavyweight powerlifting title; Franco Columbu wins the middleweight division

March 2 & 16 Arnold gets his first and second covers of Health & Strength magazine

Even early in his career, Arnold attracted attention

Sept. 23 Arnold wins the amateur NABBA Mr. Universe in London, tall class and overall, becoming the youngest man ever to win a Mr. Universe title

» 2007OLYMPIA.COM

173

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

When Arnold turned 20, his weight had reached between 240 and 250

pounds, practically unheard of became training partners and friends right away. “Franco would invite me over to his apartment and cook,” Arnold says. “He was already a good cook. So we had a terrific time.” Arnold began training twice a day, six days a week, using a split routine that would one day become famous. He trained in the morning from 9–11 o’clock, and then came back at 7 p.m. for another two-hour lifting session. Fellow gym thought Arnold would surely overtrain himself and lose size, but he gained another 5 pounds of quality muscle in less than two months using the double-split routine. By the time he was to compete in his second competition, the Mr. Europe in early 1966, rumors were already spreading of the 19-year-old Austrian giant with the biggest arms in all of Europe, at 20 inches. Bodybuilding spectators were clamoring to see him in person, to touch his enormous physique. Arnold won the Mr. Europe, and soon thereafter won the title of Best Built Man in Europe in a separate competition. His next contest was the NABBA (National Amateur Body Builders Association) Mr. Universe in London, in September 1966. It was Arnold’s first time on an airplane. Luckily, he was seated next to two German businessmen who spoke English. They immediately were enamored of the young bodybuilder — so much so that they, too, like Albert Busek, felt compelled to help him. “In that hour-and-a-half flight,” Arnold says, “it became very clear that I didn’t know how to even reach my hotel [in London]. The businessmen guided me through the luggage department and port check in the airport. And they offered me a taxi ride, even though they were going to a different hotel.” As for the competition itself, being 230 pounds with 20-inch arms gave Arnold all the size he needed, but one look at his

Arnold would use his arm strength to do 12-ounce curls…

1968

Oct. 26 & Nov. 9

Feb. 2

Sept. 27

Arnold is on the cover of Health & Strength

Arnold’s nephew Patrick is born

Arnold arrives in Miami, Florida, brought to the United States by Joe Weider for the IFBB Mr. Universe. They meet for the first time the next day

December

Sept. 21

Arnold spends Christmas with Reg Park and his family in South Africa

Arnold wins the NABBA Pro Universe in London

Sept. 28 Arnold wins the IFBB Mr. Universe tall class, but he loses the overall title to Frank Zane in Miami

»

174

MUSCLE & FITNESS

July 2007 Month 2005

PPhotogra H O T O G R A Ppher’s H E R ’ S NNAame ME

1967 (CONT.)

American competition, namely Chet Yorton, told him he had a ways to go yet. Arnold was big, yes, but he wasn’t nearly where he needed to be as a bodybuilder. “The kind of thing I was seeing [in Chet and the other American bodybuilders] had very little to do with body size, which was what I had concentrated on,” he says. “That was mere foundation material. Now I had to work it down, to carve and shape it. I had to get the separation, the finish, the tan.” Regardless, Arnold placed second in the tall class to Chet. More important, people noticed him. After the show, American journalists wanted to interview and photograph Arnold. They wanted to know his training secrets, because surely to get that large he had to be doing something different. Spectators of the event were anointing Arnold the next Mr. Universe. But Arnold took nothing for granted. His hunger to become the best-built man in the world was only growing.

T H I S PA G E , F R O M T O P L E F T: N E W P H O T O BY R O B E R T R E I F F W I T H O R I G I N A L I M A G E U S E D F O R C U T O U T C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S . O P P O S I T E PA G E , F R O M T O P : C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , C A R U S O / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

for a bodybuilder in the late ’60s

…within a few years they measured 22 inches

He returned to Munich and began training even harder, determined to avenge his loss at the Mr. Universe. By the following summer, when Arnold turned 20, his bodyweight had reached between 240 and 250 pounds, a bodyweight practically unheard of for a bodybuilder in the late ’60s. He also became leaner and more defined, as he’d set out to do the previous year in London. To become an even more complete bodybuilder, Arnold honed his posing technique, this time with the help of Wag Bennett, an instrumental player in England bodybuilding circuits who’d been a judge at the Mr. Universe contest. Wag, in addition to inviting Arnold to do bodybuilding exhibitions in England, had him over to his home in London to work on posing routines. For the first time, Arnold posed to music. As he recalls the educational session with Wag: “‘Arnold, to what music do you pose?’ [Wag asked.] ‘Reg Park poses to Legend of the Glass Mountains.’ And I said, ‘I pose to no music. I would never know what music to pick.’ And he would say, ‘We’ve got to pick some music for you, because when I bring you over here for exhibitions, there has to be music.’” The music Wag selected for him was from the soundtrack to the movie Exodus. At first, flexing to music seemed silly to Arnold, but soon his poses were in sync with the rhythm. After receiving a strong ovation in his first London posing exhibition, Arnold’s confidence was at an all-time high. The amateur Mr. Universe competition was approaching once again, in September of 1967, and in Arnold’s mind, he had already won. He was right. Dennis Tinerino, who’d just won the Mr. America competition, was Arnold’s biggest threat, with

Chet Yorton not competing this time around. But just as had been predicted a year earlier, the outcome was clear. Leaner, more defined and now armed with a new posing routine, Arnold was the obvious winner, the youngest man ever to win the Mr. Universe title. And he soaked it all up. As photographers’ light bulbs flashed and fans screamed, Arnold thought to himself, over and over, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr. Universe 1967. “It was unlike anything else, the amount of help I got from so many people,” Arnold says in reference to, among others, Albert, Wag and even the lucky encounter with the German businessmen on the plane. “I think they saw I was sincere, that I wanted in the worst way to be a champion, that I appreciated any help I could get. It’s amazing how I’m a product of people helping me and pushing me along.”

Arnold and Franco Columbu, friends for more than 40 years

2007OLYMPIA.COM

175

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE 1

SCENE V December 1967. It’s 4:30 in the morning in South Africa and Arnold is sleeping. Reg Park: Come on, Arnold, we got to go training. Arnold: What? The two train together from 5 to 7 in the morning. After the workout they eat protein powder and corn flakes for breakfast. Arnold is staying at Reg’s house, located on a mountain called Mount Olympus. Reg has at least one dog named Hercules. This is total madness, Arnold thinks to himself. But where is he — at the theater again, watching another Reg Park movie, mistaking some other Austrian teenager for himself? No way that Arnold is actually working out with his idol and staying at his house. But it is happening. It isn’t a movie. Arnold may not be the next Reg Park just yet, but hell if he isn’t training with him!

4

around 9, 10 o’clock. With him, we always had to do calf raises at 6 o’clock with 1,000 pounds, and squatting with 500 pounds at 5:30 in the morning. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who could come close to those kinds of experiences. I mean, you come from Austria, from the farm, and then all of a sudden you step into this! You’re living and training with your idol, who you’d first seen in movies. “When I came back to Munich, I worked out not from 5–7, but from 7–9,” Arnold says. “And having my first workout early in the morning, I could actually put in three workouts a day — morning, a lunch workout and one in the evening. Experiences like that will change your way of thinking.”

Arnold couldn’t believe it;

working out with him, too 176

MUSCLE & FITNESS

July 2007 Month 2005

Photogra pher’s N ame

not only did he finally get to meet his idol, but he was now

3

1) Arnold’s first Mr. Universe win 2) At one of his many magazine photo shoots 3) Victorious in London at the ’67 Mr. Universe

C LO C K W I S E F R O M T O P R I G H T: C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , N E W P H O T O BY R O B E R T R E I F F W I T H O R I G I N A L I M A G E U S E D F O R C U T O U T C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , G E O R G E G R E E N W O O D / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ( 2 ) , C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ( 2 ) .

By the time Arnold won the Mr. Universe title, Reg had become very familiar with the enormous young Austrian and invited him to South Africa to train with him. Arnold couldn’t believe it; not only did he finally get to meet his idol, but he was now working out with him, too, learning the things from Reg he could never have gotten from the magazines. Every morning they trained together, from 5–7. Arnold was a sponge, soaking up every bit of advice Reg had to offer. “I was like a panting puppy dog,” he recalls, “lapping up all the tidbits my master tossed at me. Working out with Reg definitely changed my view on when to work out, because I always felt before that the body doesn’t get up to speed until

2

“How d’ya like the trunks?”

4) Arnold sizes up his idol Reg Park 5) In 1967, Reg Park (left) was Arnold’s mentor. Three years later, the pupil beat Reg for the 1970 Mr. Universe title

5 2007OLYMPIA.COM MUSCLE-FITNESS.COM

185

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

SCENE VI September 1968. Arnold is in America. Finally. In Miami. He’s seeing, for the first time, things he has only seen in movies and books and magazines: six-lane highways, concrete overes that seem to all spiral together to this freeway to that freeway. He senses an energy around him he has never felt before, what he would later describe as a “Cuban flavor.” He hears Latin music everywhere he goes. Where he’s from, it’s cold this time of year, but in Miami it’s hot and humid. All this newness going on around him leads to one simple conclusion: This is a totally different place. Arnold was fresh off winning his second NABBA Mr. Universe contest on Sept. 21. Immediately afterward, he was ed by Joe Weider and invited to come to America and compete in the IFBB Mr. Universe to be held in Miami one week later. Joe told him that they would then discuss Arnold coming out to California for a few months afterward to train. Arnold was confident heading into the contest. American onlookers were seeing him for the first time and were immediately taken aback by his size, especially for how young he was, still only 21 at this point. But Arnold learned yet another lesson in quality over quantity from one of America’s top bodybuilders, Frank Zane. Arnold outweighed Frank by at least 50 pounds, but his definition was no match for the American’s meticulously carved physique. Arnold won the tall class but ended up finishing second overall to Frank. Joe Weider was not deterred. He was fascinated by the gigantic young bodybuilder with the thick Austrian accent. Joe and Arnold worked out an agreement shortly thereafter:

1969 Arnold wins the Mr. International in Tijuana, Mexico Arnold begins writing under his own byline in Joe Weider’s MUSCLE BUILDER Franco arrives in America and becomes roommates with Arnold

186

MUSCLE & FITNESS

July 2007

Sept. 13

Sept. 20

Arnold wins the IFBB Mr. Universe in New York City, then places second to Sergio Oliva in the Mr. Olympia that same evening

Arnold wins the pro NABBA Mr. Universe in London

Sept. 28 Arnold wins the IFBB Mr. Europe in Essen, West

Photogra pher’s N ame

Arnold takes Miami by storm

Arnold would spend one year in America, training and divulging his techniques to Joe’s magazines. He would also compete in the following year’s Mr. Universe in New York. Arnold moved to Southern California and immediately resumed his training. Only this time, instead of aiming merely for size, definition and muscle quality held a higher priority, as he whittled his physique down to 230 pounds from 250 in preparation for the Mr. Universe. Arnold and Joe formed an immediate bond. Where once Arnold was like a sponge soaking up Reg Park’s every ounce of knowledge, now Joe was hungry for every detail of Arnold’s new life in America. At one point, in 1969, he sent Arnold to Chicago to train with the reigning Mr. Olympia and Cuban behemoth Sergio Oliva, who Arnold would compete against later that year. Joe wanted to know everything about their time together so he could write a story about it. “Tell me about your day and about working out with Sergio,” Joe said each night on the phone. “What did Sergio

T H I S PA G E , C LO C K W I S E F R O M T O P R I G H T: C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , C A R U S O / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , G E T T Y I M A G E S , Z E L L E R / © F I T N E S S P U B L I C AT I O N S , I N C . / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , C A R U S O / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ( 2 ) . O P P O S I T E PA G E : C A R U S O / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ,

3

1

4

2

5

1) This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship 2) Arnold and Franco soak up the California sun 3) Arnold offers congratulations to Sergio Oliva for winning the 1969 Mr. Olympia 4) One of Arnold’s favorite issues of MUSCLE BUILDER/POWER 5) Joe Weider congratulates Arnold on winning the 1969 Mr. Universe

say? How many protein drinks does he take?” Shortly after, Joe flew Arnold out to stay with him in his New York apartment (before Joe lived full time in California). During the stay, one story in particular paints a picture of Joe’s affinity for Arnold. As Arnold tells it, “It was just a regular-sized apartment, but it was really nice, with beautiful antiques and Tiffany lamps and paintings. And Joe says, ‘The only thing is these two chairs, don’t touch them, because they’re antiques. I’m really a fanatic about antiques.’ So it comes time to go to bed and I start taking off my pants. And you know how you take off your pants and you get stuck? I started falling straight over the antique chair, and I wiped it out into like 15 pieces lying on the ground. So I went to Joe and said, ‘Joe, I don’t know what happened.’ If anyone else would have done it, he would have killed them right there. But he just looked at it and said, ‘Ah, don’t worry about it. I’m gonna get it glued together tomorrow.’ That was really funny because he was probably freaking out inside over the whole thing.” This all leads up to Sept. 13, 1969, in New York. It was a momentous night for Arnold, a microcosm of his competition experience to this point — a victory and confidence-builder followed immediately by yet another humbling lesson. The victory: an easy win in the IFBB Mr. Universe. The lesson: a loss in the Mr. Olympia competition that same night to Sergio, who had won the title in 1967 and 1968. Most notable about the loss was how in awe of Sergio Arnold was. No sooner did the Cuban strip down to his posing trunks than did young Arnold concede victory to him. So sure of himself was Arnold just hours earlier at the Universe, he was now second place before he even stepped onto the Olympia stage. But the experience marked an end to two things: This was the last time he would be intimidated by an opponent. And it was the last time Arnold would lose.

Arnold quickly fell in love with Southern California

2007OLYMPIA.COM

187

ARNOLD: THE FIRST 60 YEARS

The Oak is now fully grown

T H I S PA G E : C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ; O P P O S I T E PA G E , F R O M L E F T: N E W P H O T O BY R O B E R T R E I F F W I T H O R I G I N A L I M A G E U S E D F O R C U T O U T: C A R U S O / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

ACT TWO

Photogra pher’s N ame

970-1980

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

SCENE I 1970. Arnold’s back in the gym, in America for good, and training as hard as ever. There’s no chalk on the walls in Southern California gyms. Doesn’t need to be. Arnold knows his goal: to become Mr. Olympia. Besides, he’s got Franco Columbu to train with now, having talked Joe Weider into bringing his friend over to America so Arnold would have a competent training partner. Arnold is taking no chances in his preparations. He’s spending hours in the gym every day, keeping strict with his diet, and even taking ballet lessons at UCLA to perfect his posing. Not that the extent of Arnold’s California in a 15-day span. The first one, the defense experience was training. Los Angeles, not sur- of his pro Mr. Universe title on Sept. 18 in prisingly, was a far cry from Graz, or even London, might have been his toughest, based Munich, and Arnold soaked it solely on one factor: Reg Park, all in. “I had some really great staging a comeback, competed experiences right away,” he in the show. Before the contest, says. “It was always a great Arnold weighed his options: time. Joe would always have Compete and likely beat his photo shoots on the beach with idol, or drop out and avoid the a bunch of girls, great-looking situation altogether. Arnold girls. And other bodybuilders stayed in the competition and were at the shoots, too, and they beat Reg, who finished an were always a lot of fun. After impressive second place 20 several months in California years after his bodybuilding I returned to Austria for a visit. Arnold and Franco hit the weights at debut. “We were both comAfter the second day there, Southern California’s Muscle Beach petitors, sportsmen, and there I was already homesick for America.” was a dignity in that,” Arnold said afterward. The Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia were “I didn’t look at it as beating Reg Park but as held back to back the year before, but in 1970 being able to step up beside him, to finally Arnold competed in three major competitions share an equal place with him.” 2007OLYMPIA.COM

191

1) A classic photo shoot on the beach with the Weider gang 2) Arnold and Betty Weider in an iconic ad from the early 1970s

The next show was the AAU Pro Mr. World a day later in Columbus, Ohio. It was here that Arnold first met promoter Jim Lorimer, who had arranged for Arnold to fly from London to New York and then hop on a private jet to Columbus in time for the contest. The two men immediately bonded and would later become business partners in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, today one of the two biggest bodybuilding competitions in the world. More memorable, however, was the surprising entry of Sergio Oliva, whom Arnold hadn’t expected to compete against until the Olympia two weeks later. As in the previous year, Sergio looked monstrous, but Arnold was better now than in ’69 — more defined, more separated and a more astute poser at 240 pounds. This time, Arnold was victorious, bringing the crowd to its feet in shouts of “Arnold! Arnold! Arnold!” The Mr. Olympia contest, in New York City on Oct. 3, was immedi-

ately billed as the ultimate heavyweight showdown. But the psychological edge was clearly in Arnold’s favor, for after the Columbus show he cleverly “advised” Sergio to add 15 more pounds to his frame before the Olympia, explaining that the extra size would improve his chances of winning. Sergio trusted Arnold’s advice and aimed to add the weight. “I told Sergio [at the Mr. World contest], ‘Everyone out there said that you were ripped, but you somehow had lost your size,’” Arnold says. “And he says, ‘Oh, man, I’m going to gain 15 pounds so quickly. In New York I’m going to be big again.’ And of course that backfired big time, because you cannot gain 15 pounds that quickly. You can gain maybe 3, 4 pounds in two weeks, but not 15.” Arnold went on to win his historic first Mr. Olympia title, becoming indisputably the best bodybuilder in the world, just as he’d set out to be less than 10 years earlier. And yet, his story was still in its infancy.

Z E L L E R / © F I T N E S S P U B L I C AT I O N S , I N C . / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ( 2 )

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

192

Sept. 18

Oct. 3

film Hercules in New York

Arnold wins the pro NABBA Mr. Universe in London, beating his idol Reg Park

Arnold wins his first Mr. Olympia title in New York City

Sept. 19

Arnold receives IFBB Certificate of Merit

under the stage name

Dec. 5

Arnold Strong

MUSCLE & FITNESS

Arnold wins Mr. World in Columbus, Ohio, beating reigning Mr. Olympia Sergio Oliva. Arnold meets Jim Lorimer at the same contest

Month July 2007 2005

»

Photogra pher’s N ame

(sometimes called

Hercules Goes Bananas),

By Joe Roark

ARNOLD’S TIMELINE

1970 Arnold stars in his first

SCENE II Early 1970s. Arnold is looking up again, this time through the skylight windows at Gold’s Gym. He’s going to college in Santa Monica, he and Franco have established their own bricklaying business, and he has started his own mail-order operation. And whether he knows it or not, he’s living in the Golden Age of bodybuilding, training practically every day at Gold’s with the Francos and Dave Drapers of the world. And how beautifully and organically it’s all coming together. Arnold and his friends train early in the morning, as does legendary photographer and friend of Arnold’s, Artie Zeller, before starting his shift as a postman — and he always brings his camera. Those skylight windows are perfect for photographing. So here are Arnold and Dave and Franco, lifting away, and Artie, clicking away, and morning sunlight shining down on the entire scene, helping to create the timeless, legendary photos you’re looking at now. Take away one of these factors — Arnold or Artie or the skylight windows — and there is no Golden Age, at least not on film. But amid all the serendipity, Arnold was as hungry as ever. It had always been his goal to beat the world’s best bodybuilders, and now that he was the best he still desired to take on any would-be champions. The 1971 Olympia had all the makings of the most competitive contest ever, particularly because of the top two challengers to Arnold’s title. “If there was ever a heavenly situation, it was [the Mr. Pro Universe in] London in 1971. Because there was Sergio and [reigning Mr. Universe] Bill Pearl,” Arnold says. “Sergio had gotten so big — he went up to 245 pounds or so — and he was scary. And Bill was the king of the conservative world of bodybuilding, the traditional NABBA Mr. Universe. I was big, too. I was training hard and I was around 246 pounds. I felt like this was it — there is no better place to go and just destroy these guys.” But Arnold didn’t get his wish. A few weeks before the contest the IFBB announced that anyone who had competed in a non-IFBB-sanctioned competition would be ineligible to compete in that year’s Olympia. Consequently, Arnold defended his Olympia title unopposed. Looking back at the Bill Pearl clash that never happened, Arnold says, “To me, taking on Sergio and Bill would have been pure heaven. It’s a challenge I would have relished.”

In 1972, he beat Sergio for the last time to claim his third straight Olympia win, in Essen, West . The victory, however, wasn’t without some controversy, as Sergio had improved significantly and came in as big and sculpted as ever, so much so that many bodybuilding insiders felt he had the decidedly superior physique. But here was the difference between having star power and simply having physical power, between being able to outsmart your opponent and being susceptible to being outsmarted. It was the difference between Arnold and Sergio. Had Sergio possessed the intangibles of his rival, maybe the Olympia outcomes in ’70 and ’72 would have been different. But, of course, this wasn’t the case — all the more fortuitous for Arnold. Arnold won the Olympia again in ’73 and ’74, minus the controversy that had surrounded wins in previous years. No one argued his victories anymore, what with Sergio having removed himself from IFBB contests after his defeat in ’72, Arnold continuing to improve his physique and his chief competition being Franco and Frenchman Serge Nubret, both quality bodybuilders but not quite in Arnold’s league. Running out of challenges on the bodybuilding stage, Arnold had his eye on the horizon.

MUSCLE-FITNESS.COM 2007OLYMPIA.COM

193

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE 4

1

4) In the Golden Age of bodybuilding, Gold’s Gym featured a who’s who in the sport. From left: Paul Grant, Ed Corney, Danny Padilla and Arnold 5) Arnold and Ed Corney 6) An off-camera moment from the movie Stay Hungry 7) Arnold and Frank Zane in Santa Monica

“To me, taking on Sergio and Bill would have been pure heaven. It’s a challenge I would have relished” 2

194

3

MUSCLE & FITNESS

July 2007

TPhotogra H I S PA G E , pher’s C LO C K WNI ame S E F R O M B O T T O M L E F T: Z E L L E R / © F I T N E S S P U B L I C AT I O N S , I N C . / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ( 2 ) , C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S . O P P O S I T E PA G E , F R O M T O P : Z E L L E R / © F I T N E S S P U B L I C AT I O N S , I N C . / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , M A X H E L LW E G / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ( 2 )

1) Arnold and Dave Draper going for broke 2) Front squats were an Arnold staple 3) Joe and Arnold shared an easy friendship

5

6

1971

1972

May 20

Arnold studies general courses at Santa Monica City College in California

Arnold’s brother Meinhard dies in a car crash. Arnold would later bring his nephew Patrick to the United States

Sept. 25 Arnold wins the Mr. Olympia for the second time (in Paris)

Sept. 16 Arnold meets George Butler for the first time, and George almost immediately decides that Arnold should be the main focus of an book and movie tentatively titled Pumping Iron

7

Sept. 24

Dec. 11

Arnold wins the Mr. Olympia for the third time in Essen, West , with his father in the audience

Arnold’s father Gustav dies of a stroke at age 65

November Arnold injures his knee when a platform collapses during a South African guest-posing appearance

» 2007OLYMPIA.COM

195

SCENE III October 1974. Arnold wants to retire from bodybuilding. What more is there he can do in the sport? He has just won his fifth Mr. Olympia title. It’s as if the chalk on the wall said, “Mr. Olympia 5 times,” and Arnold has drawn five lines underneath that. Time for a new goal. Time to advance his movie career. But wait. What if going for Olympia No. 6 will advance his movie career? One more go-round, then. He can’t miss the 1975 Mr. Olympia contest. George Butler will be there.

March 7 Arnold’s second movie, The Long Goodbye, premieres

Sept. 8 January Arnold has surgery on his left knee, which was injured in South Africa

196 202

MUSCLE MUSCLE&&FITNESS FITNESS

Arnold wins his fourth Mr. Olympia title (in New York City)

July 2007 05.10

Charles Gaines’ and George Butler’s book Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding is published and wellreceived

Arnold wins his fifth Mr. Olympia title (in New York City)

who knows what would have become of his Hollywood fate. In Pumping Iron, Arnold brought the metaphysical — what he calls “it” — into play. Franco didn’t have “it,” nor did Mike or Ken, and Lou, playing the role of the subordinate son to the domineering father, definitely didn’t have “it.” But what exactly is “it”? Maybe it’s Arnold so eloquently describing in a now-legendary segment of the movie how the muscle pump he achieves in the gym is like sex and how he achieves that orgasmic feeling all day, every day. Maybe it’s Arnold having breakfast with the Ferrigno family the morning before the contest, talking trash, telling the Ferrignos he’d just spoken to his mother on the telephone and told her he had already won the Mr. Olympia for a sixth time, even though the contest was still hours away, yet somehow managing to endear himself to Lou and his dad, the latter two laughing right along with Arnold. Maybe “it” is Arnold owning the spotlight throughout the film, concluding in the final

scene with his arm around “Big Louie” on the bus going back to the airport in Pretoria, even though he’d just beaten him (Lou finished third). Maybe that’s what “it” is. But who cares what “it” is? Arnold certainly doesn’t, so long as he has it. “I had the personality better than anyone else,” Arnold says. “And I had ‘it,’ whatever ‘it’ is. In of the personality, I think it’s a combination of a zest for life, curiosity and being entertaining, enjoying being on the stage and being in the spotlight. Lighting up the room when you walk in. This is what ‘it’ is. In movies, the camera guys always come up to me and say, ‘You can’t take any credit for this because the camera loves you.’ Certain people have it, and luckily only a few. It means you can go further, you can push the envelope much harder…you can get away with more,” Arnold says, smiling. Arnold, of course, won the 1975 Mr. Olympia competition easily, beating out Serge and Lou in the over-200-pound class,

1976

October

June 16

Nov. 8

Nov. 22–23

Feb. 25

Sports Illustrated features Arnold in “The Men and the Myth” by R.W. Johnson

People magazine features Arnold in “Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Name to in the BodyBuilding Business” by Andrea er

Arnold wins his sixth Mr. Olympia title (in Pretoria, South Africa), then announces his retirement from competitive bodybuilding. His preparation for the ’75 Olympia is the backdrop for the groundbreaking documentary Pumping Iron, produced by George Butler

Arnold begins a six-city seminar tour in Pittsburgh

With Frank Zane and Ed Corney, Arnold poses at the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City in an exhibition titled Articulate Muscle: The Male Body in Art

Nov. 19 Oct. 12

In the midst of filming the groundbreaking documentary Pumping Iron, which would introduce him to a worldwide audience

1975

1974

Arnold starts taking business courses while attending night school at the University of California, Los Angeles

Arnold appears on the TV show Happy Anniversary and Goodbye with Lucille Ball, playing the character of an Italian masseur

Photogra pher’s N ame

1973

T H I S PA G E : Z E L L E R / © F I T N E S S P U B L I C AT I O N S , I N C . / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ; O P P O S I T E PA G E : C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

Who? George Butler, the author, along with Charles bodybuilder Joe Santo alongside Jeff Bridges and Sally Field. Gaines, of the book Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of The role required Arnold to drop down to 210 pounds. This Bodybuilding, released in 1974, that delved into the subculture made for close timing, as filming concluded in July and of bodybuilding and profiled its major players, including Arnold had just three months before the Olympia to get his weight back up to 230–240 pounds. With Arnold. The book was well-received, cameras on him throughout his preconso now George wanted to turn it into test training, he managed to pull it off. a movie documentary. And he wanted, But the groundbreaking documentary no, needed, Arnold to be the star. No almost didn’t happen. If Charles and other bodybuilder had the résumé, presGeorge thought pulling off a book about ence and charisma of the Austrian. The bodybuilding was tough — the book’s plan was to shoot a number of bodyfirst publisher, Doubleday, pulled out builders preparing for the 1975 Mr. upon receiving the manuscript, reasonOlympia, to be held in Pretoria, South ing that no one would be interested in Africa, with the climax set for the finals this character named Arnold Schwarzonstage. Arnold couldn’t up the enegger — completing a movie project opportunity. The cast would include was a much more difficult (read: expenhim, his new “rival” and eventual star sive) challenge. George had raised of The Incredible Hulk series Lou Fer- Arnold wins his fourth Mr. Olympia title $400,000 for the filming but soon found rigno, Franco, Serge, and amateur comthat wasn’t enough. He resorted to fund-raisers, dipping into petitors Mike Katz and Ken Waller, among others. Not that this was Arnold’s first motion picture. He had his own pocket and incurring serious debt to finance the film, just filmed the movie Stay Hungry in the spring/summer of but it was eventually completed and sold. Once again, fate ’75, which found him playing a considerable role as Austrian was on Arnold’s side, for if the movie had never been made,

April 23 Stay Hungry is released. Arnold stars with Jeff Bridges and Sally Field

»

2007OLYMPIA.COM

197

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE 3

“So I did the meditation and it really helped me for about a year. And then I stopped, and I never needed it again” 2

1) Arnold endorsed a few products along the way 2) Winning his sixth Mr. Olympia in South Africa

198

MUSCLE & FITNESS

July 2007 Month 2005

Photogra pher’s N ame

1

C LO C K W I S E F R O M T O P : Z E L L E R / © F I T N E S S P U B L I C AT I O N S , I N C . / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , N E W P H O T O BY R O B E R T R E I F F W I T H O R I G I N A L I M A G E U S E D F O R C U T O U T: Z E L L E R / © F I T N E S S P U B L I C AT I O N S I N C . / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S ; O P P O S I T E PA G E , F R O M L E F T: C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , C A R U S O / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

then beating his best friend Franco, the under-200-pound class winner, in the pose-off. At the end of the contest, Arnold predictably announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding, adding, among other things, “This is the best sport in the world.” In a scene following that, he strutted around backstage wearing a T-shirt that read “ARNOLD IS NUMERO UNO.” “That year [1975] was the one time that I had to take transcendental meditation [to relieve stress],” Arnold says. “I had to bring myself down because I was so wired with bodybuilding, Stay Hungry and Pumping Iron — it was the only time I felt as though there was really a lot on my plate. Like with Pumping Iron, it was the experience of having a camera there 24 hours a day. The film crew just descended on the gym, you were filmed all the time, and it rattles you occasionally. So I did the meditation and it really helped me for about a year. And then I stopped, and I never needed it again. What it came down to was this: You have 24 hours in a day, and you have only so many years to reach your dreams. I utilized the 24 hours more than anyone I know. You snooze, you lose. So what are you gonna do?”

3) In the gym, no one worked harder than Arnold 4) Reflections of a Golden Age

Arnold believed in always moving forward, never standing still

4

2007OLYMPIA.COM MUSCLE-FITNESS.COM

199

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

Pumping Iron was finally released on Jan. 18, shortly after Arnold won the Golden Globe, and the documentary became an instant cult classic. Arnold went on a full media tour to promote the film, from CBS’s program Who’s Who to the Today show with Barbara Walters. Just like that, he was the hottest actor in America, at least temporarily. The little boy from Thal was standing 10 feet tall. And was this all brand-new to him? Of course. But he was right at home, even at the Cannes Film Festival following the releases of Stay Hungry and Pumping Iron. “Yes, I was at home,” Arnold says, articulating his innate ability to enter a new arena and play by its rules. “That’s exactly the way it ought to be every day, the whole year, with girls lying around on the beach, and playing soccer with Pelé, and talking with producers. But it was all crap. Ninetynine percent of the dialogue at Cannes is nonsense. This guy or that producer promises you three movies, so you go back to the press and say, ‘I have so many deals and now I’m going to make all these movies.’ But it

1976 (CONT.). In partnership with Jim Lorimer, Arnold promotes the Mr. Olympia contest in Columbus, Ohio

1977 Douglas Kent Hall’s Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder is published; Arnold wins a Golden Globe for Best Acting Debut for his role in Stay Hungry

January

Premiere of Pumping Iron

200

MUSCLE & FITNESS

was nothing, it was bogus.” And what did the two movies, Stay Hungry and Pumping Iron, have in common? In the latter, Arnold played himself, a champion bodybuilder from Austria; in the former, Arnold played the role of, um, a champion bodybuilder from Austria. A formula for success: Play yourself, Arnold, be yourself, and you’re set.

The world’s best-known bodybuilding movie to date, Pumping Iron, is released

July 2007

Jan. 24

Aug. 28

Newsweek magazine reviews the movie Pumping Iron

Arnold meets Maria Shriver at the Robert F. Kennedy Tennis Tournament in Forest Hills, New York

May 5 Arnold appears in an episode of TV’s The Streets of San Francisco called “Dead Lift”

Oct. 1 Arnold co-promotes the Mr. Olympia with Jim Lorimer in Columbus, Ohio. Frank Zane wins

»

Photogra pher’s N ame

Sept. 18

Arnold with fellow Stay Hungry cast Sally Field and Jeff Bridges

F R O M T O P : T H E G A R R E T T C O M PA N Y / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , © D O U G L A S K E N T H A L L / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

SCENE IV January 1977. Arnold is staring up at the stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. This is all new to him. Sure, he has been onstage many times before, he has even sat in the audience. But always in posing trunks or a sweatsuit, and always around bodybuilders. Never in a tuxedo. Never in the company of Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman and Sylvester Stallone. And then suddenly, his name is called, and he’s up onstage. Arnold has just been awarded the Golden Globe for Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture, Male, for his role in Stay Hungry, which was released in 1976.

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

1978

1979

The Pumping Iron calendar is published and sells for $3.95; Arnold declines a role in the Mae West movie Sextette

Arnold’s Bodyshaping for Women by Arnold and Douglas Kent Hall is published; Arnold and Bill Dobbins co-author Arnold’s Bodyshaping for Men; Arnold is named Special Olympics International Weight Training Coach (he currently serves as a Global Ambassador to the Special Olympics); CBS hires Arnold as an

Sept. 23 Arnold co-promotes the Mr. Olympia with Jim Lorimer in Columbus, Ohio. Frank Zane wins

202

MUSCLE & FITNESS

July 2007 Month 2005

2

1) Arnold and Maria in the late ’70s 2) As a color commentator for CBS

Oct. 7

expert commentator to assist in their coverage of the 1979 Mr. Olympia contest in Columbus, Ohio; Arnold stars in The Villain

Arnold co-promotes the Mr. Olympia with Jim Lorimer in Columbus, Ohio. Frank Zane wins

(also known as Cactus Jack) with Kirk Douglas and Ann-Margret; Arnold has a cameo appearance in the movie Scavenger Hunt with Richard Benjamin and James Coco

Arnold graduates from the University of Wisconsin, Superior, with a major in international marketing of fitness and business istration

Nov. 10

»

PPhotogra H O T O G R A Ppher’s H E R ’ S NNAame ME

Arnold wasn’t just a bodybuilder anymore. He was now a recognizable movie star, as well as a businessman, having begun promoting bodybuilding contests, his first major one being the 1976 Mr. Olympia in Columbus, Ohio, with Jim Lorimer. Naturally, Maria was impressed by the fact that Arnold was a self-made man with as much ion and ambition as one human being can possibly have. And the feelings were mutual. Although Maria obviously benefited from being a member of one of the country’s most famous families, she was extremely ambitious, a talented budding journalist who had just graduated from Georgetown University. The two were immediately attracted to each other and began dating. The remainder of the 1970s was, by Arnold’s standards, a bit mundane. Following great success in Stay Hungry and Pumping Iron, his most notable role was the part of “Handsome Stranger” in the movie The Villain, opposite Kirk Douglas and Ann-Margret. It wasn’t until 1982 that his film career picked up where Pumping Iron had left off. Before that, in 1979, CBS aired the Mr. Olympia and hired Arnold to be an expert commentator. He would have done it again in 1980 but instead opted for a more controversial role in that year’s contest. 1

F R O M L E F T: R O B I N P L AT Z E R / G E T T Y I M A G E S , C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

SCENE V August 1977. Look at Arnold now. He’s trying his hand at tennis. Is he playing? Well, not exactly. He’s mingling with American royalty, the Kennedys, attending the Robert F. Kennedy Tennis Tournament in Forest Hills, New York, on Aug. 28. He’s being himself, despite being in the presence of some of the most powerful people in the country. He’s a smashing success with the Kennedys, especially with the 21-year-old niece of JFK, Maria Shriver.

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

So why was Arnold training so hard? He had told some people that it was for the part of 1956 Mr. Universe Mickey Hargitay in the made-for-television movie The Jayne Mansfield Story. But he had already finished filming it. Leading up to the show, Frank asked Arnold if he was planning on competing. Arnold said no. But what was he supposed to say? That he was indeed competing, only to motivate Frank and others to train that much harder? Arnold would compete, but he would keep it a secret up until the morning of the competition. He’d psyched out Sergio Oliva 10 years earlier at the Olympia. Now he’d do the same to Frank and Mike with his surprise entry. Arnold won the competition in what is still considered the most controversial Olympia in history, with Frank finishing third and Mike fifth. Some called the win a gift, saying Arnold wasn’t in the shape he was in his prime and that his legs weren’t nearly big

enough to justify the victory. Either way, it was his seventh Olympia title, the most of all time at that point (two men, Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman, have since sured Arnold’s record with eight titles each). It only proved that, even when not at his best, Arnold still was the best. “It was maybe the wrong decision, the wrong motivation

With Loni Anderson and Russ Warner at the premiere of The Jayne Mansfield Story

C LO C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T: C O U R T E S Y O F D I R E C T S O U R C E , C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S , N E V E U X / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

SCENE VI October 1980. Arnold is looking out the window of an airplane en route to Sydney, Australia, for the 1980 Mr. Olympia contest. He’s a CBS employee, making the trip overseas to cover the competition as a TV analyst. But for some reason, he has been training hard leading up to the show. But why? Was it for a movie role? Or was he planning on making a comeback? Couldn’t be. He has been asked that question countless times recently, and every time he has said no. Frank Zane, Mike Mentzer — the top bodybuilders of the time — have nothing to worry about. Or do they?

1980 Oct. 4

The 1980 Arnold Schwarzenegger Calendar With Exercises is published by Simon & Schuster

As a last-minute entrant, Arnold wins his seventh Mr. Olympia title in Sydney, Australia

October

204

MUSCLE & FITNESS

Photogra pher’s N ame

Arnold appears with Loni Anderson in the TV movie The Jayne Mansfield Story, playing Mickey Hargitay

July 2007

ARNOLD: THE MOVIE

Check out our next issue for part 2 of “Arnold: The Movie.” He’ll be back!

206

MUSCLE & FITNESS

July 2007

In 1980 Arnold leaves competitive bodybuilding behind, but he carries all the lessons he learned into the next phases of his life

Photogra N E W P Hpher’s O T O BY NRame O B E R T R E I F F W I T H O R I G I N A L I M A G E U S E D F O R C U T O U T: C A R U S O / C O U R T E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H A N D F I T N E S S

[to compete],” Arnold said recently. “The fact of the matter was, I was an established bodybuilding champion. I was someone who switched over to entertainment. I was someone who was making money from the movies, so why would I take something like this, a title like this, away from the [other bodybuilders]? But I always had a big ego and that also came into play in the whole thing. And I barely won. I that. I barely won. It was really like a hairraising experience.” The 1980 Mr. Olympia would prove to be Arnold’s last bodybuilding contest. He left the competitive side of the sport as the greatest ever (many feel he still deserves that accolade), the king of his domain. For most, such accomplishment would have been enough — but come on, this was Arnold Schwarzenegger. There were new worlds to conquer. Hollywood beckoned, and as we’ll discover in Part 2 of his story in the next issue, he was merely scratching the surface of his legend. M&F