When I was a high school kid, I must have read Arnold's autobiography, 'The Education of a Bodybuilder' several hundred times. It changed my attitude and my mind with regards to training hard, REALLY hard.
It changed my mind with regards to how I need to visualize and think about becoming a champion, and now, some 20 + years later I STILL remember Arnold's stories and lessons.
I would read and re-read this book over and over again, often times staying up til 1, 2 or 3 in the morning with my little night light on attached to my bed.
I would cut school to train in the morning, then my parents drove me to school that same night as they had no clue I would sneak my way to the gym.
Sometimes I rode my bike to the gym, barely able to push my bike back home after my legs could barely hold my body up.
Listen to Arnold speaking on how you need to THINK to become an ass kicker, a champion, a man who lives his own destiny and turns dreams into reality.
Question for You: Who was your childhood hero who taught you about becoming a champion? What about today? Is someone influencing you today to become a champion? Drop a comment and share with everyone so we can learn from one another! Looking forward!
In Strength,
--Z--
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14 Responses
Awesome!! Arnold is the man. I know times are changing and the popular thing is functional muscle and most things are like “oh bodybuilding is no good,” but I mean just looking at Arnold amazes me and part of me makes me wish that I could just workout endless and look like that.
As for who influences me now, my grandparents definitely influence me. I am 19 years old and my mother passed away a few years ago, and my grandparents are in their later 70’s and do a lot for my family and I, and they never seem to stop. Makes me realize that there is no slowing down and you always gotta keep moving and improving.
People always get onto arnold about steroid use and there is no denying he used them. But when you here the guy speak its pretty apparent that he also had a iron will to succeed. Great clip got me motivated. He looks like he is still in pretty good shape as well.
Wow! Thanks for the post Zach. That video was incredibly inspiring and motivating. I truly appreciate what Arnold had to say about failure and growth. I believe what he had to say there is true in every area of life. Blessings.
Arnold as Conan was the first time I ever saw a person with muscles. That amazed me! Seeing the black and white photos of Dorian Yates at 300# was my push to start lifting. But it was the wild eyed Bill Kazmier that motivated me to be more than just big, but strong!
As great as they all were my motivation still, and will always come from my grandfather. He was a prisoner of war during WWII in the Phillipines. As a prisoner of war for over 2 years he endured hell. Marching through a jungle with no water and a threat of being killed at ever corner. He survived! So when the workouts get tough or I don’t feel like I can go on I channel his spirit and say, “He never gave up, and neither will I.” No matter how hard I push myself it isn’t close to what he experienced.
i commend arnold for his focus and commitment to the task at hand. i am not familiar with his accomplishments in california but there is no doubt he focuses all his time on his political career. one wonders if he changed his training style to low rep, high intensity, full body compound movements with some proper nutritional counseling if he could get back to a respectable physique. this wouldn’t take much time away from his work. at 63, one doesn’t have to look like he does.
Great post,it helped me a lot. It helped me to think about why am I really training and what do I want. It was also a great motivation to see Arnold training, he was really the man.
Things are easier for some people (equipment, food, support) and they don’t really need a lot of motivation. But I need a lot of that magic thing called motivation. Since I’m training just with bodyweight it’s very difficult to reach my goals and since I come from a family of thin or fat, no athletetic people is more difficult. Plus the big struggle that I’m 15 years and my body doesn’t want to help. I just want to become amazingly strong and huge, a true champion, but sometimes I want to give up but posts like this make me want to go on. Is the first time I drop a comment, thanks for the motivation Zach. Got to keep training.
I can’t even deal with that image. Somehow I had forgotten that Arnold was out of control back in the day.
Callie? Sorry 2 offend you?
Arnold should write a book teaching us all how to focus and work hard. He seems to know the secret to pushing himself…
Awesome video Zach! Thanks for sharing. So many people are down on using the power of the mind and your thoughts to create your reality. They think is it psycho-babble or new-age hocus pocus. That’s why it’s so awesome when you find successful people like Arnold who talk about it and confirm that it works. He is living proof! Lead from the front.
Awesome stuff, Zach! Arnold was my hero and the reason I started training when I was a kid. He is a TRUE CHAMPION!
Thanks for the post – I’m sharing with my facebook group now!
Adam
“The people that rode the furthest are the people who really don’t care whether they make it, they’re gonna take that risk because that’s what you have to do”
Wow, superb blog layout! How lengthy have you been blogging for? you made running a blog look easy. The full look of your site is fantastic, as neatly as the content!
Stallone was someone who always motivated me all through my life. He always kept in top shape and who wasn’t motivated by Rocky and Rambo? Haha. To this day he still does being in his 60s and still shredded and tearin it up!