“Bigger Than My Head”: ‘The Myth’ Who Defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger Once Made A Bold Claim About His Arm Size That Even 7 Time Mr. Olympia Winner Couldn’t Match In The Late 60s

Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for his tremendous physique. The legendary bodybuilder made the sport much more popular than it was before his arrival. Moreover, he set the standard physique for bodybuilders at that time. According to many, Arnold is the greatest bodybuilder of all time.

Arnold loved to train his arms and chest the most. Indeed, he had massive arms and chest gradually in his career’s prime. However, at the beginning of his career, he wasn’t the person with the biggest arm or physique. ‘The Myth’, Sergio Oliva, was the biggest and had the most precise set of muscles. 

Sergio Oliva had bigger arms than Arnold Schwarzenegger?

When Arnold Schwarzenegger began competing in bodybuilding competitions, in his first outing in Mr. Olympia, he had to compete with one of the greatest, ‘The Myth’. Sergio Oliva had an enormous built body that very few men in bodybuilding history could attain in their prime.

However, Arnold was the one who dethroned Sergio after his three consecutive Mr. Olympia victories. In 1970, Arnold got the better of Sergio and was declared the new Mr. Olympia. Although comparing their physique in the late 60s, Sergio once, made a comment based on their arm sizes.

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Sergio said, “You see in the magazines this guy has got a 21 (inch arm), this guy has got a 22 and this one has a 19-and-a-half. When they went to Florida, and everyone went to Florida, the only one who came close to me was Arnold and his was only 19. My arms were so big that they were bigger than my head. I was the only one, cold.”

Arnold didn’t stop there, he just began

It is true, Arnold wasn’t as big as Sergio Oliva or many others when he started. According to Oliva, he just had 19″ arms. However, this is where Arnold’s resilience and persistence come to work. Schwarzenegger’s desire to become the best made him the best version of himself as he went ahead in his bodybuilding career.

Schwarzenegger soon reached his prime in a few years. And not so surprisingly, he reached a level where his chest measured 57″ and his arms measured 22″. Moreover, after breaking Oliva’s streak, he made his streak of six back-to-back Mr. Olympia titles and one in 1980 when he made a comeback into the sport.

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Sergio Oliva left the world in 2012. However, he left his legacy in bodybuilding. He has been one of the biggest and most genetically gifted bodybuilders. It took a lot for legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger to beat him and his 3-year success streak in Mr. Olympia.