Bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger started training at 15 and follows a gym routine even at 76. The 7x Mr. Olympia champion’s passion for fitness is reflected in his newsletter, Arnold Pump Club, where he enthusiastically motivates his tribe to walk on the path of wellness. Recently, Schwarzenegger reunited with one of his former bodybuilding competitors over FaceTime.

Arnie and his 1966 Mr. Universe competitor, Vic Downs, crossed paths after the former came across the 94-year-old’s viral video. In a candid conversation, the duo reflected on how exercising is crucial for the elderly.

Arnold Schwarzenegger emphasizes an active lifestyle in the later years of life

The 76-year-old never compromised on his gym routine, despite multiple heart surgeries and injuries. The Governator recently came across a viral video of a 94-year-old bodybuilder who still lifts weights. Schwarzenegger was fascinated by the video and realized that the old guy was his former rival, Vic Downs. So, he FaceTime with his friend Downs, and the two bodybuilding icons shared their thoughts on various aspects.

The reporter who has covered Vic Downs’s story joined the conversation and asked Schwarzenegger, “Why you think it’s so important for seniors to continue working out?” The 76-year-old crusader of the fitness movement has an elaborate answer. “There’s some people that want to live forever like me, so I think then it just is kind of like, it’s important then to work out and to recognize the fact that the body needs exercise.”

“Muscles deteriorate faster when you get older, so therefore you have to really kind of like exercise to keep them as long as possible in shape and strong. Just simple things when you get older like getting up from chair becomes much harder to do,” the Governator elaborates. He further emphasizes how exercise is crucial to strengthening the muscles. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier mentioned how he sometimes feels bad looking at his aging body.

Watch This Story | Years After Career-Ending Injury, Bodybuilding Veteran Recalls a Close Member Responsible for ‘Any Niggling Injuries’

The Austrian Oak’s sad confession 

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ripped body in the 1970s stunned the bodybuilding crowd at the Mr. Olympia events. His massive chest and “ostrich-egg biceps” are far from replication. Rookie bodybuilders revere 7x Mr. Olympia’s posing routine. The 76-year-old still strikes his electrifying poses but in private. 

When asked whether he still pursues his posing routine, the action superstar confessed, “Yes, but only in the bathroom because sometimes it makes me cry.” While Arnie fans miss the glory of his bodybuilding times, they enjoy the fitness mantras he offers through his fitness newsletter.

Arnold Schwarzenegger pursued bodybuilding to achieve big things in life, but now, at 76, he trains at the gym to keep his active life intact. Times have changed for sure! What do you think of this? Let us know in the comments below. 

Read More | 75-Year-Old Arnold Schwarzenegger Shares Basic Fundamental Workout to Fight Off “Premature Death” With 431,000 Village Members