Bodybuilding, action films, or politics, Arnold Schwarzenegger is an all-time trendsetter. The 76-year-old is known for his unconventional life decisions that brought him fame and respect from a wide section of the masses. From his early bodybuilding career to his recent fitness newsletter journey, Arnie focused on making his craft noticed and his voice heard by the public. 

When bodybuilding wasn’t a popular sport, and not so remunerative, Schwarzenegger revolutionized the arena with his golden ripped physique and publicity gimmicks. While Hollywood was stuck in the conventional romance genre, Arnie intrigued film lovers’ imaginations with his action stunts. So, it is safe to say there are no greater trendsetters than Arnold Schwarzenegger in the recent past.

Arnold Schwarzenegger- The Agatha Christie of 1970s Bodybuilding

Like Agathe Christie brought new life to detective fiction, Arnold Schwarzenegger changed the bodybuilding destiny in the 1970s. Inspired by a Reg Park poster, Austria’s young teenager started lifting weights at the gym. But Arnie would have not known that his fate was entangled with making bodybuilding popular in America. 

The 7x Mr. Olympia champion’s physique made the 1970s crowd mad as they would cheer “Arnie, Arnie” in the reverberating auditoriums. The Austrian Oak also hired a personal publicist, realizing Americans were unfamiliar with his sport. However, he became the trendsetter of ripped physique for a larger audience with his Pumping Iron documentary. 

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The bodybuilding documentary filmed the 1975 Mr. Olympia rivals’, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno, training routine for 100 days leading up to the elite events. It was released in 1977, bringing unparalleled fame to the sport and Arnie. His shredded avatar posters started embracing the walls of gyms and workout places. The Australian Thor Chris Hemsworth once confessed how he and his uncle would train in a garage gym with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s poster fixed on walls for motivation. Schwarzenegger then navigated to films to leave his Terminator mark forever.

Changing Hollywood’s course with abs and action stunts

When Arnold Schwarzenegger approached producers for film roles, they criticized his bodybuilding physique and thick Austrian accent and announced he would never see the heights of Hollywood. But the 76-year-old didn’t care about the negative chatter as he had a clear vision for himself. So, he focused on his craft and featured in the Conan series in the early 1980s, which brought him some success in the acting arena.

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James Cameron inducted Schwarzenegger as The Terminator in 1984, and the duo left a lasting impact on the action genre with this film. Arnie along with his cinema rival Sylvester Stallone, laid the foundation for ripped abs and action stunts in movies, which is now one of the most popular genres of cinema in Hollywood. Thus, Schwarzenegger once again proved that he doesn’t follow trends but set them. After filming Terminator 3, Arnie was ready to take another leap in his career, this time to everyone’s disbelief, including his then-wife, Maria Shriver.

An immigrant to the Governor of America’s biggest state

 Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilding physique and high-octane sequences in films popularized him for his unparalleled machismo. But that’s not what is required for governing California, but Arnie took a leap of faith and announced his candidacy for a recall election in 2003. Many, including his ex-wife Maria Shriver were not unsure about Arnie’s decision.

But The Terminator was elected as the Governor of California in October 2003. Apart from his political entry, Schwarzenegger’s policies were also unconventional and much ahead of time. He introduced laws like the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 to protect the environment when climate change wasn’t an impending problem for the world. In his fourth quarter, Schwarzenegger is a social media icon and fitness influencer. 

The Arnold Schwarzenegger of the social media era

Lifestyle has changed to a great extent from the 1970s to the 2020s, and Arnie still managed to be a trendsetter for the current generation. He is a social media celebrity with 25.8 M followers on Instagram and transformed into a fitness influencer with his Arnold’s Pump Club this year. 

Unlike the noise online about health and fitness fads, Schwarzenegger built his free fitness newsletter and podcast around providing evidence-based facts and great community involvement. It won’t be an exaggeration to say Arnold’s Pump Club is one of its kind, where the village shares its positive stories to inspire each other. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s focus was to be the best all his life, irrespective of the career paths he chose. His vision helped him to come up with unique strategies and choices to become the elite trendsetter of the 21st century.