The golden era of bodybuilding had some of the iconic athletes set the standard for fitness enthusiasts across generations. Stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger may have moved on to Hollywood, but that doesn’t stop them from inspiring the younger generation. Recently, NFL icons and brothers Jason and Travis Kelce invited Schwarzenegger to their podcast ‘New Heights’ to talk about his experience as a bodybuilder.
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Across various subjects that the trio dived into, one of the intriguing segments was about Schwarzenegger’s prep during his prime. Winning seven Mr. Olympia titles was not an easy feat, and he had prepared day and night to curate a workout that suited him. Combined with his philosophy of nutrition, he was able to achieve his fitness goals.
Schwarzenegger began by talking about his history with weightlifting. Starting with a separate sport that purely dealt with his strength gave him an edge over fellow bodybuilders. At the time, his professional lifting training included exercises like clean and jerks, snatches, cheater curls, weighted squats, etc. But since he had been preparing for bodybuilding as well, he would follow up with chin-ups, bench presses, and pullovers.
His hard work paid off when he won the Mr. Universe title at 20. The secret to his near-perfect build was not only his added strength training routine but also his approach to bodybuilding. Schwarzenegger told the Kelce brothers how every part of the body had a dedicated exercise. All the bodybuilder needed to do was to chisel away to near-perfection after building a solid base structure.
“So when you know, ‘how do I go and create a little bit more of that rear delt’ to ‘how do I create a little bit more of the serratus…’ that’s what makes you then sculpt the perfect body.”
Apart from workouts, Schwarzenegger’s nutrition philosophy has also gotten him through intense training sessions. His idea has always been to never focus on the macros, and instead resort to a generally clean eating. He combined this technique with cardio to burn it off. Speaking to the Kelce brothers, he revealed how he cut down on most of his meat intake after actor Jim Cameron hooked him onto a vegan lifestyle.
“…when you get older, your doctors always tell you, especially if you have a heart condition…’look, cut down on your meat intake’…so I did. I started… eating mostly vegetables…having soup or some cucumber salad…but I still love my steak.”
Stressing the importance of maintaining a balance and custom preferences, Schwarzenegger admitted that such fitness tips weren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. But to be aware of one’s body and requirements was the key to figuring out what worked the best. Amidst other subjects he talked about, he also spoke about his struggles in Hollywood.
Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted frustration over performing his stunts
With the physique of a warrior god and dreams of being on the silver screen, Schwarzenegger’s life in Hollywood wasn’t as rosy. During his conversation with the Kelce brothers on their podcast, he recounted various incidents where filming for his blockbuster hits was anything but a piece of cake.
While his physique won him several trophies, it became the reason for his woes. Schwarzenegger had to perform his stunts at all times, especially for movies like Conan the Barbarian. Since no stunt double could build a body like his, he was forced to run with wild dogs, climb hilly terrains, and as a result, sustained severe injuries.
