“Neanderthal Who Would Be a Total Failure in Life”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals Unheard Reasons That Fueled His Countless Hours at the Gym

Seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in the small town of Thal in Austria. Despite his father being the police chief of the town, his family struggled to make ends meet. However, young Schwarzenegger was a dreamer who wished to live the American dream. At a young age, Arnie found bodybuilding and decided to pursue the sport with all his ambition. While the Austrian was determined, he would face multiple obstacles.

Arnold Schwarzenegger faced criticism at school, and even his father didn’t support his bodybuilding goals. However, in his latest newsletter, the 76-year-old revealed how he used his frustration as motivation. For Arnie, his frustrations would motivate him just as much as his dream to conquer bodybuilding.

Arnold Schwarzenegger strived to prove the naysayers wrong

Arnold Schwarzenegger made a bold statement in the Monday Motivation segment of his daily fitness newsletter. “I want you to know that it is completely normal if your motivation is something that you would never want to admit to the world,” the former Mr. Olympia told his readers. He admitted, sometimes dreams of bodybuilding glory weren’t enough for him either.

The former Mr. Universe said his dreams of winning Mr. Austria and Mr. Universe motivated him to prepare for a contest. However, for the rest of the year, Schwarzenegger had other goals for spending hours in the gym. For Schwarzenegger, bodybuilding was the way out of poverty and a chance to pursue success in America.

Schwarzenegger wrote he wanted to prove the teacher who said he “was a Neanderthal who would be a total failure in life,” wrong. “Every time I got on the tram to go to the stadium in Graz, I saw him telling me I’d never amount to anything,” wrote Arnie. He even wanted to impress the girls who hung out at the lakeside in Thal, where the boys, including him, worked out. The bodybuilding also conveyed a message through his story.

The same advice he gave to a friend long ago

Besides narrating the story behind his motivations, Arnie gave another example. He recounted a conversation between him and a friend who rode the exercise bike for hours. When Arnie asked him the reason behind his motivation, they said he wanted to become lean. However, Arnie probed a bit more, and the man admitted he wanted to look better “to women.” 

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However, instead of shaming his friend, the Austrian Oak told him to discard his shyness, to “admit it, and own it.” Schwarzenegger told his readers to embrace their motivation even if it feels “absurd.” He gave Michael Jordan’s example, who, like Arnie, strived to prove his coach wrong.

What did you think about Schwarzenegger’s story? What motivates you to push harder in the gym? Let us know in the comments.

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