“My First Fitness Idols Has Passed Away”: Heartbroken Arnold Schwarzenegger Honors the Memory of the Man Who Taught Him How to Lift Weights

When Arnold Schwarzenegger was a teenager, he saw the picture of bodybuilder Reg Park. Since then, the young Austrian idolized Park and wanted to achieve a physique like him. However, Park wasn’t the only idol for Schwarzenegger. Among those who helped Schwarzenegger when he was a teenager “just learning to lift” was Kurt Marnul. Marnul inspired and molded the ‘Austrian Oak’ early in his bodybuilding journey. Earlier today, the seven-time Mr. Olympia took to Instagram to write a tribute to the man who taught him how to lift weights after his passing.

Schwarzenegger recounted how he felt when he first saw a picture of the former Mr. Austria in his caption. He also remembered how he felt after meeting Marnul for the first time.

Arnold Schwarzenegger writes a heartfelt tribute

According to Schwarzenegger, he first laid eyes on a picture of Kurt Marnul when his teacher “handed me the sports page and asked me to pick a story and write an essay. I saw this guy with glasses bench pressing a record.” wrote the former Mr. Universe. “I wrote about how someone who looked like a professor from the neck up bench pressed 190 kilos (418 lbs),” added Schwarzenegger.

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While his teacher laughed at the statement, Schwarzenegger wasn’t joking. The former Mr. Olympia also remembered their first meeting. “He (Kurt Marnul) was gracious with us even though we were little teenagers just learning to lift and he was Mr. Austria.” The bodybuilding legend wrote about his trainer. Schwarzenegger posted two pictures. In the first picture, the bodybuilding legend was posing beside Marnul, and in the second, he and his friends stood in a line, with former Mr. Austria at the center.

“He was the leader of our little lifting tribe, inspiring us and giving us a program,” wrote Schwarzenegger. “One of my first fitness idols, has passed away,” he wrote, “my thoughts are with his family.” According to the official WFF/WBBF website, “Kurt Marnul is famous not because of his contest winnings. He was the first trainer of Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

A brief history of Kurt Marnul’s bodybuilding career

According to the WFF/WBBF website, Kurt Marnul began bodybuilding in 1952. By 1958, he had opened a private gym and started training others. In 1961, Marnul competed in the F.I.H.C. Mr. Universe and F.I.H.C. Mr. Europe. However, he didn’t win either of the bodybuilding contests.

While he didn’t find success in 1961, the legendary bodybuilder became the Austrian National Bodybuilding Champion in 1962. Marnul defended his title two times, in 1963 and 1964. After recognizing Schwarzenegger’s talent, Marnul brought him to the 1966 F.I.H.C. Mr. Universe, where Schwarzenegger won his weight class. The ‘Austrian Oak’ went on to win the NABBA and IFBB Mr. Universe multiple times, where he also suffered a rare loss against Frank Zane.

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We at EssentiallySports mourn the passing of the legendary bodybuilder and trainer and send our condolences to Kurt Marnul’s friends and family.