Arnold Schwarzenegger shares lessons on fitness and staying active
In the 1977 film "Pumping Iron," Arnold Schwarzenegger famously described “the pump”—the feeling of blood rushing into your muscles during a workout—as “the greatest feeling.”
Now, at 78 years old, Schwarzenegger says he still stands by that description—but wants to add important context, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.
“There’s a scene in Pumping Iron where I talk about the pump and all those things,” he said during a Zoom call after a climate conference at the Vatican.
“What I was really saying is that working out makes you feel so good, not just physically… but also psychologically.”
Schwarzenegger is now involved in the campaign "You Will Be Back" as part of his role as Movement Director at Zimmer Biomet, raising awareness about joint health.
He shares that his hip replacement surgery in 2002 was frightening, and joint problems in general have been challenging. However, he says he has no regrets about the intense training he had to undergo to win Mr. Olympia seven times.
“When you compete, you have no other choice. It’s like a race car driver... the risk is you could die. How do you avoid that? If you want to compete, if you want to be number one, you have to take the risk. Just like downhill skiing, like UFC fights, boxing, all those things. There are risks involved,” he said.
For those looking to hit the gym for health and wellness, Schwarzenegger says they should follow tried-and-true principles.
“If you want to train for health and fitness, I would recommend warming up very well. And if something hurts, stop—don’t push harder. But when you're competing, you have to let go of those kinds of principles. You still warm up, but sometimes there’s pain that you just have to say, ‘Okay, no pain, no gain. I just have to push through.’ That’s what I did. I went through a lot of physical punishment, but I have no regrets.”
Above all, he says, keep moving, no matter your age.
“That’s the most important thing: stay active. What stops people from staying active is pain, injuries, wear and tear, arthritis, joint problems, joint damage... I’ve gone through all that, so I always try to tell people: Don’t ever stop moving because of pain. Go and get help.”
A few years after his hip replacement, Schwarzenegger says he no longer feels pain. He can't lift heavy weights anymore, but he’s still able to get a good workout in.
Throughout all the changes his body has undergone, one thing remains the same, he says—the ability of a workout to shift your entire outlook on life.
“Even today, when I ride my bike to the gym, I feel like I’m riding in black and white. But when I ride back, I feel like I’m riding in a color movie. The way you see the world—everything changes after a workout. Eventually people will learn that it’s about much more than just how your body and muscles look.”
