| Arnold Schwarzenegger and bodybuilding:
Arnold Schwarzenegger started his bodybuilding career at the age of 15. As he recalls in his autobiography, after his very first workout, I was so tired that I could not even lift a cup of tea. The main problem in the initial stages of his sports career, he recalls, was lack of experience and knowledge of bodybuilding, a relatively new sport during those times, "Looking back, I realize how little we knew then". Remembering his first victory in the bodybuilding competition, he says: "I did not have any trunks or body oils, no idea how to pose, only photographs of Regal Park”.
However, he achieved impressive progress, in the "Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” Arnold wrote that his hands grew by half an inch in two months of training and his total muscle mass - twenty pounds a year. It took 5 yrs for Arnold Schwarzenegger to win his first title of Mr. Olympia while for others it takea up to 10 years of training. He noted however that " judges in competitions, evaluating athletes, do not say - this participant has trained for a total of eight years, but the latter - better, because he has trained for only three years!". At the same time, Schwarzenegger did not deny that he used anabolic steroids during that period: "It was stupid, but in the late sixties we did not know anything better. But if you want to become a champion, then you will eat everything. Later on, I learnt that steroids cause serious harm to your health and immediately stopped taking them. I now explain to students: “do not use steroids, you'll become stronger only for a shorter period and then can easily become a disabled person".
In 1967, Arnold was the youngest to win the title in the history of "Mr. Universe" competitions. At that time, Schwarzenegger was 188 cm tall, bust - 145 cm, waist - 79 cm, biceps - 58 cm. By 1968, winning all the bodybuilding championships, conducted in Europe, Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided to pursue a bodybuilding career in the U.S. While leaving, he promised his Austrian friends: "I will gobble them, in America!"
After coming to America, his main task as a bodybuilder was to "teach the muscle mass from Europe and give it the required shape”. In the “Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” Arnold wrote: "I was an apt student. I approached the judges and asked what was incorrect, according to their opinion”. Arnold learnt many things from his "colleagues in the shop” including those from his idol, Yuri Vlasov.
Hard work earned him many victories and a special place in his career was winning the “Mr. Olympia” competition in 1980; the win was unexpected after a five yr break. Arnold noted that during this period, in his absence, due to the popularity of bodybuilding, the competition had increased significantly in the contests; Wendy Leigh in the "Unofficial biography of Arnold Schwarzenegger" noted that, if three or four bodybuilders reached the level of Arnold previously, in 1980, they were in the dozens. In addition, in 1980, Arnold was into his 30s, as he writes in "The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding", during the preparations, he had to more carefully monitor his diet than while preparing for previous contests.
After 1980, Schwarzenegger finally put an end to his bodybuilding career. However, he made a significant contribution for popularizing bodybuilding through spreading his vast experience in books and magazines on bodybuilding.
In 1988, Arnold started his own contest the “Arnold Classic”.
From 1970, Arnold Schwarzenegger began acting in films, as did many of his idols like Reg Park and Steve Reeves. Initially, his problem was a large muscle mass, looking unnatural for films and a strong German accent, because of which, he had to avoid lengthy, complex dialogues. For a number of films, Arnold had to reduce his weight considerably. He took acting classes and tried to get rid of his accent. John McTiernan , director of the film “Predator” said: "This guy is capable: I was told that it will require no less than twenty takes to make his work but he requires only three or four. He is a quick learner”. Subsequently, his most hated work was his first film, "Hercules in New York", recalls Arnold.
The audience accepted his first films modestly and success came after "Conan the Barbarian". For a long time, he didn't get paid much, but it considerably increased after the films "Total Recall" and "Terminator-2". For "Terminator-3 " (2003), he was paid 35 million dollars, which is a record in the industry.
The former bodybuilder won a number of prestigious awards, receiving 8 “Razzie Awards” in the “Worst Actor” category.
Critics argue that the acting of “Iron Arnie" leaves much to be desired and he avoids lengthy and complex dialogues; comedian Robin Williams notes that "fewer words, than Arnold Schwarzenegger, were murmured by the collie Lassie". |
First lady Michelle Obama, may have a fashion following after her frequent appearances in sleeveless outfits showing off her nicely toned arms. More and more women now want to wear sleeveless dresses, and gym instructors report that women clients are asking about getting “Obama arms.” We wish to pre-warn all these women not to over-exercise their arms - otherwise instead of Michelle Obama arms they'll get 
