76-year-old bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger recently launched his self-help book. The book is a culmination of the life lessons Arnie has learned throughout his eventful life. Schwarzenegger took one of his father’s rare but valuable pieces of advice and combined it with his learning in his book, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life. However, the seven-time Mr. Olympia also recounts events from his life to convey his seven golden rules.

While writing about chasing perfection in the second chapter of his book, the 76-year-old recounted one of his rare defeats. The bodybuilding icon remembered one of his rare losses on the bodybuilding stage. However, the 1968 defeat is arguably the most significant loss in Arnie’s career. While recounting his loss, the legendary bodybuilder revealed the “big” behind his loss.

Arnold Schwarzenegger neglected the little things

After winning the 1967 Mr. Universe contest in London, the Austrian Oak was confident he would win the 1968 Mr. Universe. Shortly after arriving in America in 1968, Schwarzenegger stepped on stage. Arnie was confident in his abilities. After glancing at the competition, the Austrian concluded that while his conditioning was slightly off, his muscle mass remained unmatched.

“There are four main judging criteria in every bodybuilding competition: mass, proportion, definition, and stage presence and posing,” the bodybuilding icon explained in Be Useful. While Schwarzenegger nailed every criterion, he wrote, “I fell short” in the definition department. However, American bodybuilder Frank Zane didn’t. On that night in 1968, Zane defeated Arnie in the final posedown.

Watch This Story | From Young Age to Becoming a Beast, Bodybuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Insane Transformation

“The winner, a smaller guy named Frank Zane, was much more cut than I was. I was far too smooth,” Arnie explained in his book. Schwarzenegger later realized he had faltered because he had neglected two little things, “my midsection and my calves.” Lagging in these two body parts was enough for Zane to pull ahead. However, it took the Austrian a while to reconcile his defeat.

The seven-time Mr. Olympia broke down in tears

While the five-time Mr. Univrse later looked back at his rare defeat and dissected it, he felt horrible when it happened. After toiling against his circumstances to come to America, Arnie felt terrible about losing his first competition. The young bodybuilder was in disbelief. “I just got beat by a chicken with 17-inch arms,” Arnie thought to himself.

However, Frank Zane was confident he would defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1968. The Chemist saw the shortcoming that the Austrian Oak would later realize. Zane described Schwarzenegger as “big and bulky with no legs.”

Read More | “Just Got Over-Trained Doing That”: Bodybuilding Legend, Who Taught Math to Arnold Schwarzenegger in College, Reveals His Workout Regimen Wasn’t Useful for Him

While Arnie felt devastated after Frank Zane defeated him in 1968, he soon shook it off and focused on his weaknesses and strengths in the gym.