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A
100%.
B
There's two ways that you can move the weights. One of them is physically, and the other one is mentally. So in order to really get mentally ready for it, you have to do just many reps with 300. What are you supposed to do?
A
315.
B
15. Yeah. So you have to go and. Because you have to let the mind know not to go and have fear of the 315. So. So what I usually did was when I was training for powerlifting, was. I was, let's say, my max. Let's say, was at the competition, 5:15. And so I try to do as many times as I can. 500. Yeah. So I did 500, the gym. Then I waited a little bit, and then I did again one rep at 500, same day. Then they waited. Yeah. You know, just kind of like.
C
Like waiting around. Yeah.
B
Five minutes later, so schmoozing a little bit. And then. Okay. Then the guys were coming and say, okay, let's do another one. Let's do another one. And then we were just going. Doing it again. And so he. He gets us mentally used to the 500. So in a way, you feel like. And this is all happening subconsciously. It's not like consciously consciously, too. But I mean, the important thing is that you lie down eventually on the bench and you say, I have that nailed. Yeah. Yeah. Because as soon as you say, let me try, it's not quite cutting it to try. I mean, trying is good, but I mean, you got to do it because.
C
Then you feel the fear if you're not ready.
B
The fear. Fact is, that's why I say psychologically, it's. The important thing is to just do it, you know, just for your head, to do it as many times as possible. So you go. And we went, you know, once or twice a week, we went to the ultimate weight. Then we just stayed on that. Whatever that weight is that day, and then just stay on and do the heavy weight, the heavy weight, the heavyweight. Just one rep. Yeah. And when we normally train, we. You go or go up to three reps. So you go. Let's say in your case, you did 3 for 280, 85. So you do then 3 reps and keep doing 3 reps. And keep doing 3 reps. Then eventually the next week, you go to. Just for one rep. Yeah. So that's. That's what you do. It's just kind of doing the mind game, because our mind is really the thing that holds us back.
C
Sure.
A
Your mind is. Your mind is fascinating.
B
Well, it's Fascinating. But I try to work on it all the time because I figured it out on my own. I said, look, this is like really weird because I was, I was doing weightlifting competitions all the time as a kid because I joined a weightlifting club in Graz, so there was no bodybuilding club, so we had to weight lift. And then after we went through the weightlifting routine and the weightlifting training, then we could go into chin ups or do some incline presses or do some lateral raises or biceps curls and stuff like that. But first we had to do the weightlifting. So we were competing pretty much every second weekend, going from one town to another, kind of competing against. In the, the town weightlifting club. Yeah. And so there was. So you, you kind of eventually figured out, you know, that why is it that you get to the weight and you say, oh, I'm going to do that. This is going to be great. And you, you pound it out. You, you, you clean it up and you have it over in your chest and then boom, you, you pound it out and it's a winner. And then you put on five more pounds on it and all of a sudden it doesn't work. What happened? Yeah, you then you realize, wait a minute. Okay, I went down to the bar and I, that second as I grabbed the bar, I was wondering, can I do it or not? And that's what me. So I realized that the mind was the thing, not the body. The mind just says, he says, nah, maybe not. And I said, what the hell is that? So, okay, how do I now get the mind ready for that? So this is how you then work on it on yourself, and everyone operates differently. But I mean, that's what I did. I realized that the mind is so important to really lift the ultimate weight and also important to motivate you to get to the gym and also important to stay in there for more than two hours. Like we were competing in bodybuilding and then weightlifting and in powerlifting, so we had to train more than two hours. I mean, how do you make yourself do that? And that's when you then come up with all the various different principles that you need in order to carry you through.
C
But then your mind also, because you would, you're psychologically, you would do something in competition too, right? Because it seemed like you always had an upper hand on up on your competition. When you guys were leading up to it in backstage, you, you were doing something different.
B
Well, again, I think that when you compete, there is a competition, a psychological kind of a little warfare going on. Sure. You know, and we, we have seen that very well. I think in the 60s with Muhammad Ali in boxing.
C
Right.
B
You know, that boxing was not just boxing. You know, I think that Ali taught us all that there's another dimension to that, which was, you know, the psychological warfare that goes on or the. The selling of the sport itself that you can, you know, box as well as you can. But if you're not a really good salesman, and if you don't create a certain personality that people get, you know, kind of fall in love with, that you don't really have much, you know, that you will have your 10,000 people at the boxing arena and that's it. But, you know, Ali figured out how to get 25,000 and how to get 50,000 and how to fill a stadium, and it was all a psychological thing that he did. And so I did the same thing in bodybuilding. I just tried to figure out, okay, what are the vulnerabilities that those guys have? And then I would just, you know, use that.
C
And you would gas him up sometimes, because I've seen clips where you're like, wow, you look really good, man. I'm worried about you. And you could tell that that guy was like, wait, what about Lou?
A
You were Lou Frigno, and Lou Frigno's dad is gold.
B
Yeah, exactly. Now, I was trying to. Where there was a two, two prong agenda. There was. The one is to win, and the other one was, you know, to kind of be entertaining. Sure. For pumping iron.
C
Yeah.
B
And so I was trying to kind of show people how he can. Can kind of slowly talk an entire family into losing, you know. That's awesome. Started out early already, you know, by telling them, but, you know, it's just, you know, it's them as if you had drag them in by talking about my mother, because they're Italians. They love family.
A
Yeah.
B
You know, and. And the Feros, they loved family, and they always left talking about the family and the daughter and the son and the mother and the grandmother and the grandfather and the father and all of that stuff. So. So I said, yesterday I called my mother and I said, oh, we really looking forward, you know, seeing her one day and all this. I say, here she comes to America regularly. I said, but I told her, I said, have one, you know, and he said, but the competition is tonight. I said, I know. I said, but I mean, I just told her. I said, I don't know if I can reach it tonight after the competition, I told her I won. She says, congratulations, Alan. And then he said. He said it was like Kind of like made them all look at each other, kind of. Oh, Jesus. I don't know if he'll be able.
A
To reach her later.
B
So I just wanted her to know I won. Exactly. And so there was stuff like that. It was kind of all a mind kind of a thing, you know, and just to. To play with their mind a little bit and. And Lou got all confused and.
C
Yeah, that's what. That's.
B
But like I said, a lot of it was kind of show was. Was for the. For the pumping iron, for the cameras and all that stuff. And. And for some reason or the other, the funny thing about it is, is that the. Lou has never really trusted me ever again since that moment. Imagine of 50 years. This has been 50 years ago. I mean, next year, 50 years. Yeah. And see, always, you know, we are very good friends, and, you know, we play chess together and we hang out together and we schmooze together and have gossip sessions, go to the gym together. But every time I say something, I said, I said, you know, I. I know it's foggy today at Louis, but the sun is going to come out. I guarantee within the next two hours. He'll go like, we kind of look around. Is he putting me on here? Then he looks up. No, I don't think so. You know, kind of like, I don't think the sun is coming out. I think you're putting me on or something. Since he just. No matter what I say. Yeah. You know, he kind of like, it's always doubting it, and it's always kind of questioning it, you know, But, I mean, he's a great guy. And I really got to appreciate Lou because he was one of the very few bodybuilders that was willing to work to work his ass off, you know, not only in the gym, but I mean, also to the various different jobs he had. I mean, he was a sheep metal worker. He was a welder. He was playing football up in Canada. He was trying to join a football team up, then become a football. He went into professional wrestling, and he worked his ass off there and weightlifting. I mean, everything that he did. And then in the movies, you know, he played the Hulk, and he did really a great job there. And then after that, that gig was over. After years and years and years of the Hulk. He then became a personal trainer, and he was training celebrities here in Hollywood, and he was going, like, from house to house. He never shied away from working. Yeah. You know, not like, I'm a star now. I. I don't have to work for him. The most important thing was to provide for the family and to go and, and, and to do the work. And I really loved it because I would say, like, half of the bodybuilders are lazy bastards. You know, they just, I mean, the ones that I hung out with, they wanted to be on the beach and they wanted to just hang out and they just wanted to get a tan. And then when Franco and I started our construction business, I said, come on, guys, we need some work. I said, we just hit the earthquake here in Los Angeles. We need to rebuild some of the patios and the fireplaces and the chimneys. And they will come and they would just sit, stand, they would just work one direction, this direction, and then they will work. They put the bricks on it. And I said, guys, you got to turn around and do it the other way too. No, no. But the sun is coming from here. We want to get a tan.
C
I want to get tan.
B
They were just there to get a tan. Lazy bastards, right? And so, Frank, I've always. You lazy bastards, get out of here. You know, we always did the work, but I mean, it was so. It's great when you see a bodybuilder like Franco Colombo or like Lou Ferrigna that really were working hard. I love that because like I always say my book be used for. I always say, you know, that one of the principles, Work your ass off and be useful. Be useful, Exactly.
A
I got. Because you're talking about Franco. And Tom is my best friend. And Franco is your best friend.
B
Right.
A
And I, I. And I can tell stories about Tom that I. Of what I love about him and why he makes me, why he's my friend. And I was wondering. I read your letter you wrote when Franco passed away. Last night in bed, I was having a glass of wine and I got emotional. I went, oh, man, I'm gonna do that for Tom when he dies before me. And, and, But I would love for you to tell a story just about. Yes.
B
Jeez.
C
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A
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B
Well, Franco was basically half animal, half human, you know, so he, he was like no one could figure it out because he was like, he had this unusual strength and this unusual abilities, like who would just hang upside down on his toes, on the chin up bar. I could never hold myself with my toes. He did. It was like a, a gorilla. And then the way he was like going from bar to bar with his hands, he had this unbelievable power. It was like a monkey. Yeah. And so he was doing things and the kind of lifts, I mean, think about the guy lifted like 750 pounds deadlift. And he weighed like 180 pounds.
A
Yeah.
C
It's crazy.
B
It's ridiculous.
C
Crazy.
B
And doing like with £100 lateral races and stuff like that that I used for dumbbell presses. Barely could do that with £100. And he would do lateral races. I mean, it's just crazy. Crazy strength. And Franco came from Sardinia and the way he grew up was kind of like also very primitive out in the farm and he was like on a ranch and he had to go and take the sheep up to the mountains and he had to figure out himself how to go and feed himself while he's up there for a few days. So he had to kill animals and do all kinds of live like a really primitive kind of a thing. And so it was like all kind of very strange. But it made him kind of like a person that had no fear of anything. And so when he, when I brought him to America, I tried to, you know, Joe Wea brought me over to America first because I was like the big bodybuilder. I weigh 250 pounds. I just won Mr. Universe for the second time. I was 21 years old. I'm this new sensation, you know, this farm boy from Austria, let's call him the Austrian Oak, to create a little bit of drama type of thing. Right. And so it was all that. So. But then Franco was a little guy, but powerful and just thick and. And so I had to convince Joe Wheater, I said, you got to bring over Franco Doe. We're perfect team. It was like the original twins type of thing, right? Yeah. And that's a Franco. The Joe Wheeler would always say, nice, a little guy. Come on. Why do you want to bring him over? We have so many little guys around here. You know, this is Joe. The way he talked in a way this Canadian, Jewish accent. And. And so I said, no, you got to bring Frank over. He's like, there's no one here in America. I can guarantee you this. Like, Franco, I say he can outlift anybody. He can't outpose anyone. And he's going to win Mr. Universe. I guarantee you that. He's on his way to win everything. And then Joe Vita eventually brought him over. And so Franco and I, we then continued training together here. And within one year of being here, he won the Mr. Universe contest in the amateur category. The year after that, he wanted Mr. Universe Professional, then Mr. World, Mr. Eventually, Mr. Olympia and all that stuff. And so. And then it's. And Franco is the kind of a guy that. Because there was no money in bodybuilding. Yeah. So Frank and I, we were just saying, hey, we're from Europe. We're not one of those lazy, you know, they just want to hang around and do nothing. I said, let's get our act together and. And just let's educate ourselves. Let's go to college, educate ourselves to. Franco loved, of course, chiropractic and medical stuff. So he went to chiropractic college. I went to study business. And on the side, we started working. And Frank, of course, was a bricklayer and a masonry worker and cement worker and stone worker from Italy. So I said, frank, I said, we should start a business here. And then, of course, we put an ad in the LA Times, Italian and European masonry work experts. And off this, I didn't know anything about masonry. We put the ad in. The next day after the ad came out, we had the earthquake in Los Angeles. I mean, can you think about that? And then all of a sudden, everyone called us, and he said, oh, my God, you got to come over. You Got to rebuild our chimney. You got to rebuild our patio. The patio has a big crack here. The wall is a big crack. The. My wall around the. The house fell down and blah, blah, blah. So Franco and I, we were doing bits left and right and going around.
C
So there's all kinds of places in LA that you and Franco rebuilt?
B
Yeah, there's. As a matter of fact, there's a famous. There's a famous wall down in Venice, right not far from here that Franco was one of the first walls that we built that's still standing there exactly the way it was. And I mean, why don't you reopen that business 50 years ago that did. Well, more than 50 years ago, that wall was built and it's still standing there. Not moved an inch. Nothing changed. It's going to be there like the Roman walls, you know, it's going to be there for thousands of years. No one except someone tears it down. But I mean, I tell you so. Our workmanship was good, but I learned everything from Franco. Franco would go and he had a Mustang and he would pick up a wheelbarrow and he would pick up a cement mixer, one of those little machines, and he would just tow it to the construction side. And then I will be in charge of mixing the cement. He would show me how, what the combination is, how much water, how much sand, how much, you know, sand and water and all this stuff and concrete that we put in there and then mix it up and then, you know, help him with that. And then he taught me how to do the bricklaying and all those things. And so we made money. We made $5,000 together a week. Oh, wow. I mean, imagine, it's a lot of money in the 70s, $5,000. I mean, it was like a lot of money. So we put, you know, literally a thousand or fifteen hundred dollars aside, and I started saving up money like that. And that's how I eventually, in 1974, had enough money to put down $27,000 for an apartment building in Santa Monica. In Santa Monica? Yeah, a six unit apartment building on 19th street in Santa Monica.
C
Because I. I knew that you had done that. Did you. Was that from studying business or did you always go, I'm going to do real estate?
B
No, I think it was the kind of thing as an immigrant. Yeah, immigrant, yeah. That had its act together and he was willing to work and not live off the state or the country or something like that. We were kind of like. I had. I had a friend who was a Czechoslovakian immigrant, then another guy that was a Polish immigrant. Every one of them had a little kind of. One had kind of like a twin unit apartment building with just two units. Another one had like eight units, another one had six units. So they talked to me and they say ar don't buy a house, you got to buy apartment building because that gives you money and you can then pay it off with the rent that the people are paying and the value goes up much more than a house and blah blah, blah. And so then they got a real estate agent that all of them used, which was an. A Lebanese woman, Olga was her name. And she was like this little. It was like Danny DeVito Hyde and she will be. She also was an immigrant. So I think that she knew that we were hard working and that we wanted to invest our money and we want to make our money $1 turn into two. And so she helped us find us apartment buildings, they were available. And so she got this. So she found me one that cost $240,000. And so I had $27,000 to put down. Then he did 37,000 down. So Joe Weider gave me $10,000 for the third deed. So he put up that 10,000. So I paid him back within a year. So now I had. This was my building and he didn't have anything to do with it anymore. And then a year later sold it for almost $400,000. So I mean imagine by putting 27, $37,000 down altogether I went from 240 to $400,000, $160,000 profit a year. And in, in two years. Two years. And then they deduct the real estate fee and it was the best return that you can think. But I didn't take the money because I didn't want to pay the income tax at this point. So I did a trading up. Trading up exactly to a, a 12 unit apartment building, then eventually to a 36 unit apartment building and do a 48 unit apartment. So but then it started growing and then it started getting into build, buying office buildings, old office buildings on Main street here in Santa Monica that were decrepit and that had artists in it. And we then turned them into kind of like offices for banks and for real estate offices and stuff like that. Redid the space and started making a lot of money on that.
C
That's incredible.
B
Yeah.
C
I gotta ask you this because I was so fascinated by this when I was watching your doc series on Netflix. Is that, you know, growing up like we all were, we knew about your bodybuilding, but we all Became like, obviously super fans from the movies. And there's, you know, there's no social media at the time. You don't have access to information, so you see the story. And one of the things I was most fascinated by was the rivalry with Stallone, because when you're a kid, you go. You kind of go, you know, you. You imagine. I wonder what. What there was like, I. I wonder if they like each other. And this is, like, seeing. This was the first time you guys talked about verifiably that you guys had a real rivalry, right? And, like, how. How did it originate? Like, what made you guys. You know, was it just the fact that you're competing in the box office, or was it, like, deeper than that?
B
No, I think that it was kind of what the rivalry was there, but it was. I think the whole thing was my fault, really. Well, because I. I remember that I went and was really stupid and a journalist asked me some questions about Sly off the record. And I did not know that she had the tape recorder on the side of her purse running and then printed the whole thing. And so it was not meant to be like that. Then, of course, he was very angry, and that kind of flared up the competition. And so at that point, you know, the trust was gone and, okay, let's make this a open kind of a thing, and let's go all out. And so we did for years, we went just kind of like out, trying to outdo each other with movies. But I think, as he said in an interview, and I totally agree with him, that it was actually healthy, even though we went a little bit beyond what we should have done. But it was healthy because it did motivate me. And I felt kind of like, oh, yeah, I mean, the guy is really ripped. You know, in Rambo, too, I mean, Fergus Stallone kind of re. Defined definition because he was so disciplined with his diet. And so that motivated me. Then when I did my next movie, Commando, that, okay, I have to go and look like that, too. And so, you know, I mean, I always had, like, a body fat of around, you know, 8, 9%, but I. I went down to 7%. I'm sure that he was down to 5%. Really? I mean, I don't really know exactly.
C
You guys were really pushing each other.
B
So it was like I got pushed by him, and then I got really cut. And people didn't say after, wow, you're really cut. And then that pushed him for his next movie when he did Rocky. Oh, look at how much big honor it was than me, I gotta get bigger. And so we kind of motivated each other. And it was also, like I said, the competition was so stupid. That was like two little children.
C
Right.
B
It was like unbelievable for mature, supposedly grown up guys that they like. Who has a bigger knife.
C
Yeah.
B
In their movie.
C
Yeah, yeah.
B
So that was very important that we measured the length of the knife and how many teeth does it have on it. Right. And who kills more creatively with that knife. That was very important. Do you just slice someone's neck very quickly or do you stab him three times and then slice the neck? So all of this was very, very important.
A
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B
Then it was like analyzing each other's guns. Then we had to do the research which house did come out of that. What shows did this gunfire? What is this gun used for? Then someone said, well, slice gun is you normally used, you know, on a helicopter. And I said, well, I said, why don't we go, since I was a tank driver in the army, why don't we get a machine gun from a tank? I said, they are bigger than from a helicopter. I said, that's what I'm gonna have in Predator. And so he got a big gun that you normally can hold. And it's stupid stuff like that. And then, you know, I counted, he was like killing 46 people, so I had to kill 64 people. Just turned a number around. And. And it's. It's just. It's just crazy.
C
It's just dudes being dudes, basically.
B
Yeah, exactly. That's right. And. And. And, you know, out came, you know, this real great, great action movies that he did. Fantastic action movies. I was doing fantastic action movies. But I always felt like I was kind of like behind because, I mean, he was like, really crazy. Well, just think about it. I remember that was like I was getting a million dollars. Now for Conan number two, right? This was 1983.
C
Yeah.
B
And then I'm reading, I said, sly just made a deal to get $5 million for a movie. So I said, what the fuck? And then it's like, okay, I'm a fifth. This has to stop. So I worked my way up and I did everything I could. Eventually, the next movie I got 3 million. Then it was like always doubling. Then it was $6 million. And so this is how I got up. And then eventually, I remember I got $10 million, I think, which was for Total Recall. And it was in 1989, and Sly signed a deal for, in one of his movies in number three for $15 million. Here. He just always like, Jesus Christ, I can't catch up. What is going on here? There was always some number that was bigger than mine. And then eventually, I think we ended up both at $20 million as kind of like our standard salary.
C
Yeah.
B
And there we were together. Now, all of a sudden, this was like in the 90s. And then I did Batman and Robin where I got $30 million. They wanted me so bad for the movie because I didn't want to really play the villain. Yeah. Mr. Freeze. And so they know we give you $25 million. And they said, $25 million petty cash. What's the matter with you guys? You know, they said, okay. So then they called me back like a month later and we give you $30 million plus we give you points and back end and blah, blah, blah. So I say, okay, I do. It's like in this guy doesn't have $30 million. I said, this is kind of my way to pay back for all the tortures over the years that he got more than I did. So this is how the competition went.
A
It's interesting that you still remember all those numbers.
C
Yeah.
A
Like, because we. We could tell you what we made at clubs, what we made at theaters, what we made in arenas.
B
You don't forget.
C
I don't forget.
B
I still remember when I had a mail order business, you see. So I started out because everyone always, always asks me about how do you train, how do you do your biceps, how do you get the peak and your biceps and how do you do this with the separation on the real deltoid and the separation on your back and the traps and this and that. So everyone wanted to know kind of the inside scope. I couldn't sit there for everybody. I did seminars around the world, but I couldn't just answer everyone's questions. So I said myself, I'm going to come out like Charles Atlas did. You know, like way back when with this Charles Atlas courses, right? You know, where you kick sand in someone's face and the next year you come back and the he man and you pay back for that and you grab the girl and all that stuff. So anyway, so that was the idea. I just started doing these courses and how to get the peak that the bicep and how to get in a Chest Like a Fortress and all these kind of titles, right, that Joe Weider helped me with. That he was very generous. And so we started advertising those booklets. And I made. I remember now still the day that one weekend, I was like counting all the checks and everything like that. And we made that month $1600. We're talking about in the 70s, early 70s, huge money. $1600. So now, of course, it would take $400 out of 1600 to fill the orders because you have to print the booklets and you have to send it out and all that stuff. But the rest of us, it was profit. So this is the way I saved money. I mean, every dollar was important to me and to do the work. And I was doing it myself, stuffing the envelopes, bringing it to the post office and mailing it out and all of this kind of stuff. It was really good learning experience. How to get, you know, get a business license, how to pay the taxes, and how to make a deal with the irs. And they say, you know, what is your estimated income? You tell them, you know, this is what I think we'll make. Okay. This is what you pay on taxes and all this stuff. So it was fantastic. And I was always saying to Frank, I said, can you imagine how easy it is in America? You just go to the IRS and you say, this is the amount of money to make. And first of all, they believe you. It's not that we wanted to cheat because we had no idea. So we just said, I think with construction side, we maybe make $2,000 a week or so. I said, but if you make more, then we'll let you know. And so they said, okay. The estimated taxes is this. And it was like, you know, the business license we got immediately. No one asked us if we have a master's degree in masonry work or something like this, like they would do in Europe, you know, so the whole thing is just different. So we were just always so happy that America helped us. Give us the opportunities. Yeah, to be able to work and give it to us, the opportunities to be useful. Because this is the key thing. It was. Everyone always was positive here in America. No matter what we said, we would say. I would say, I'm going to win Mr. Olympia, you know, 10 times. They say, oh, that's fantastic. I mean, you really have a great goal. In Europe. They would say, you're crazy. I mean, you get the cruisen van Cynic, which means that you're kind of like, you know, crazy. You. You think you can do anything, right? But I mean, it's here. It's always the positive attitude. And so we adopted that. And since then I have become. Maybe I was once negative, I don't know. But I became positive. I said, that's such a great way because in my family everything was. My father says, where do you want to go build those muscles? This is the new Frenon. You know, only showing off. What are you going to do with that? Be useful. Come on, do something. I mean, go in there and shovel some, some coal or some snow in the window for some poor people or something like. It was always negative, you know, you're never going to make it and all this stuff. And here everything is positive. People build you up. They go to the football games with the, with the children and they go and say, oh, you're gonna make it. You're gonna score that day, you're gonna do this. And that, that was fantastic. And even me, when I went with my kids to the soccer games, I said, hey, don't worry about it. You didn't kick a goal, but you were really good. Next time you're gonna kick that goal is. It's just don't trip over young balls. It's just you gotta be good, you gotta be great. So I mean it's, it's just a much more positive kind of country. The way we look at things in the way people build each other up.
C
It's better to be also because like, especially in entertainment, you know, you can surround yourself here with negative people. There's a lot of negative people around. It's like you just try to embrace being around positive people.
B
Yeah, you don't want to hang out between the entertainers anyway. That's true, you know, that's true. I think let's just hang out with normal people. Yeah, I mean, I love coming to like to the goat gym. Right. There's a normal people. A guy comes to me and he says, oh, yesterday I was like, unbelievable. I put this new roof on this guy and blah, blah. I said, are you a roofer? Yeah, yeah, I've been a roofer for seven years now. I've now these two guys, 20 year old guys that make $200,000 a year just because they're ozena in the roofing and they're helping me with the roofing. So you get ordinary people talking about ordinary things and ordinary struggles. I love that, you know, woman coming over. Oh, I just was laid off. I was in the movie business and now, and now they made this deal, now they're making less movies and they blah, blah. And then you hear this. The problems that people have and how they can still Fit into workouts every morning. You know, sometimes I'm here at 6 in the morning, sometimes I come at 10 in the morning. I come at different times, but it's really interesting to listen to people, ordinary people. I, I don't like hanging out with show business people because. And sometimes they're a little lost, I think, you know, with, with their mind and where they think they're gonna go with the, with their careers and the hangups that they have and all of this stuff.
C
By the way, I wanted to add, because you were talking about your mail order business back then, that now you have the daily newsletter that goes out.
A
Well, his app. Your app, the pumpkin.
B
Yeah.
A
Is awesome.
B
Well, thank you.
A
Your workouts. I did your work. Your first workout. Of course I did Advanced weight muscle building.
B
I expect nothing less.
A
Thank you. Bench T bars, squats, flies. I mean, it's, it's a great workout. And you're the schmooze. The weekend schmooze is so great.
B
Well, I tell you, it doesn't surprise me that you like it because you and I, as you know, we worked out here.
A
Yeah.
B
And we had a great workout together. And yes, we try to have fun. And I mean, you're a comedian, so of course you have to do the schmooze and the funny lines and all of that stuff and. But I mean, it was so great to see you actually working out and to have the strength and to have the energy and to do the reps and to be interested in doing the reps the full way, you know, because we all know, we talked about that, how every rep in bodybuilding and in weight training has a flexing motion and a stretching motion. So if you do a chin up, so coming all the way down is the stretch of the lats, but then going all the way up is the flex of the back. So there's always the biceps the same when you curl up, that's the flex. When you let the weight down, that's the stretch of the bicep. And so you were fascinated with that whole principle and all this stuff and got right away into it. So I could tell that you will be interested in it and you will continue on with the workout.
A
Oh, the workouts are amazing. My dad's 70. My dad's your age. 77.
B
Yeah.
A
And he just got into working out because of getting out of a chair.
B
Right.
A
And I was like, dad, you got to get the pump. You got to get the pump. It's just, it's such a great. Can I tell you what's fascinating about you. Your book is amazing. Your book is amazing. I want, I'm saying this, if you have a high school child getting ready to go to college, buy them this book. This book is a guideline of how you should live your life. But I couldn't stop thinking that it's so rooted. All of your philosophies about life are so rooted in working out. Like the way you look at everything is you got to have struggle to have growth. You've got everything the way you look at the world with just optimism and or selling withhold some stuff first. It's really amazing. Working out informed all of you, I think.
B
Well, it helped me in learning about life because like you just said, there's so many kind of similarities when it comes to the actual body and to the muscles versus your brain. I mean, you know, if you, if you learn quickly, and hopefully one learns quickly that the more you struggle with resistance, the more weights you use, the more you go through the pain period. After you do like eight reps and you can't do any more, then you just do the forced reps, which are the most painful ones. And that really differentiates you from the guy that is going to make it to the guy that's going to lose. And so then you cut to the mind. And I said, well, wait a minute, isn't it weird that the mind is exactly the same way, that the mind also needs suffering, the mind needs also struggle setbacks and that you have to climb back up again. That's what makes you strong. It's like Nietzsche said that what does not kill you will make you stronger. And this is exactly what it is. It's, it's all about, you know, that people should look forward to the struggle because the struggle makes you tougher. And so don't shy away from that. It's part of life and it will make you grow. It's that simple. It makes the muscle grow the more you have resistance and it will make your mind grow and the psychologically will become stronger if you, the more you struggle.
A
What, what exercise. I've, I'm, I'm going to be all exercise questions because, because you look great, by the way. You look fantastic.
B
Well, thank you, thank you.
C
I mean, it's because I think you're, you've always been like the walking advocate for health and fitness for years and years. But I think, you know, one of the things is like as people age, so many people go, you know, stay away from training. Like, you just see it all the time. But you're somebody who, obviously you're like the standard for lifting, but you still train. And it's like something where I feel like somebody who's. Who is getting into their 50s or 60s and 70s, like, you keep training and you're like, you look great, man.
B
But I cannot even take credit for it because, you know, the people always say you're a discipline. I have no discipline.
C
It's just who you are.
B
No, I'm addicted.
C
Oh, you're addicted.
B
It's an addiction. It's kind of like I cannot even imagine the mornings without riding down to the gym with the bike and then working out this part. It's just. So if. If I don't have it, like, sometimes it doesn't work out because there's a morning schedule right away or something, then I miss it all day and I'm kind of lost in the way. So it's like, it's an addiction. So I think that for my entire life, the 60 years that I've been working out now, it's all because it's an addiction. It's kind of like I have to. I have to go to the gym in order to feel good. And because it's. I always tell people, I said the difference is, like, when I come down with my bike, it's like going through a black and white movie. Then as soon as I work out and I ride back my bike to the, to the hotel and I have some breakfast, it becomes a colorful movie, becomes colored. Everything is more beautiful, everything is brighter. I look at life differently. Everything is massive different. Everything like this. So it's just that workout and having done now something for yourself and having pumped up and having struggled a little bit, it makes you feel good for the rest of the day. Yeah, this is what I needed. What?
A
You were at the precipice of bodybuilding and working out what exercises showed up in your career that you were like. You're like, wait, what do they. I heard you talk about tricep extensions one time. I think they might have been in your book.
B
And.
A
And I was like, well, you. All the exercises showed up. Like, all the stuff we just know, as I still do Arnold presses. And you created that. But, like, what other exercises showed up when you were working out? And you're like, oh, this is brand new and I love it.
B
Well, first of all, let me tell you, I was so fortunate that I worked out and began my workouts in a weightlifting club. Why? Because I learned quickly that the basic exercises are extremely important. You know, like deadlift, the Curl the barbell, curl, bench press, incline press, dumbbell press, deadlift. All of this stuff is basic stuff that has nothing with machines, but it's just with basic weight that if you build that and if you really use that, that you really can build the body. Everything from ground up. Those are the basic exercises, or cleaning the weight and pressing it, snatching the weight up in one motion. All of this stuff is just so good, you know? So that, to me, was always the key thing. I always tell people, you know, you always. You learn how to do everything the perfect way for the rest of your life with the other machines because you know the basic exercises. So to me, the basics are the most important thing. Then the other thing is when you talk about. What I found out was I said as if I was looking at my bicep, and I said, well, when. If I go like that, it flexes, I turn the wrist and the bicep flexes. I said, so therefore, the motion is not just up and down, but it's also to turn the wrist. So now I put on the inside of the dumbbell an extra 2 to 5 pounds. So now when I curl up like that, I struggle turning the wrist, and therefore I get more of a cut and more of a height in my bicep. So this was something that no one could see because no one counts the blades and says, why is Arnold using on the left side only four blades? And then on the right side there's five plates or something. They don't do that, right? So you can do that in a very, very subtle way. And then eventually I started explaining it. I said, look, I figured this out a long time ago and I looked at the anatomy book and even talked about it, that one of the jobs that the bicep says is to turn the wrist. And I said. I said, well, here we are. I mean, we got to go and load up on the inside and do the turning of the dumbbell. So there's certain things that you can't do with just having a barbell because you don't turn. So people that are using a barbell and using a bridge, a bench can only get a certain size bicep, but never can really get the height. So the height and the peak, you only can get if you turn the wrist with dumbbells. If you use dumbbells. Exactly. Wow. That's right. These are the little things that you learn. And the key thing is also when, eventually when you get into competition, that you really figure out your own body, because there is no routine that is exactly the same for everybody. You know, this is like buying gloves or buying shoes. There's different sizes and the different colors and all that stuff. And the same is with the working out that, you know, your brother, like, for instance, Franco, he had shorter thighs, so therefore he never had to do as much squats as I had to do. I had long legs, so I had to do twice as much leg work than Franco did. So we, even though we trained together, we sometimes split, and Franco was working more on calves or working on his kind of like biceps problems that he had that I didn't have, and I had leg problems that he didn't have and stuff like that. So you have to kind of realize that everybody is built differently and everyone has different needs. And this is exactly the same with, again, with everything. You cannot go and have one way of teaching someone a language. Yeah, there's some people that are doing much better when you give them pictures and show them, you know, what the words are. Sometimes when you have them watch tv, sometimes when you have conversations, everyone operates differently. And so this is what you have to realize, that everyone is somewhat different. There are some common rules, but don't get stuck on those. Just figure out yourself what works for you.
A
Wow.
C
I wanted to ask you this because I've always been fascinated. Everybody who's ever trained, played sports experiences cramps at some point. Right. Like you've had. And there's, you know, it's usually that you're depleted from. Of sodium. You need electrolytes in your system. Do you. Would you guys cramp in bodybuilding shows because you're flexing so hard? I always wondered.
B
Well, there was this problem at the day of the competition, and the reason was because you're trying to get rid of the fluid right in your body. So doing exactly that, what you shouldn't do. I mean, you should do it in order to win, but now you shouldn't do it because of health reasons. It's not really good.
C
And then you're gonna cramps.
B
So there's guys that actually have huge cramps on stage. I've seen that. And this is also the time when you tell people, you know, to kind of lay off water so that they do cramp up and you win.
C
How would you not have them? Like, what. What's the way that you.
B
Well, I. I just never went that extreme with the whole thing. So I said to myself, you know, if I lose because I have too much fluid, I rather have keep a little bit of fluid. And because I know I have to do the pre charging sometimes takes three hours. So that means that you're posing for three hours, you know, legs and calves, and. Show me your back. And then these idiots ask you the same thing again. Oh, number seven. At number nine. Number two. Number one. You come together, Stand together closely. And now do a back pose. Okay, didn't we just do a back pose? You know, it's like for the 15th time. Yeah. And he says, okay, turn around. Now we want to see a side chest pose. And then. Okay, now let's see the vacuum. And it's sucking your stomach, you know, and so you do this over and over and over because they want to compare with the different guys. Right. And not just always the same. Yeah. And so you stand out there for hours, and now you go back at night when there's the final round, and you. You get judged by your posing and by a total performance. So now you have to do it again so you can get cramped up.
C
So the key, though is like, don't be so dramatic with.
B
Don't be so dramatic. I, for instance, I remember in 1980 at the Mr. Olympia, I came third in the pre judging because I still had too much fluid. And the judges came to me and says, ar, I'm sorry to tell you, but you're not going to win tonight. And I said, oh. I said, what? What's wrong? I says, you're not as sharp as you were the last time we saw you. This, of course, now five years later, in order, we understand that, but I just want you to know it's not gonna. It's not gonna happen. So I went literally into a sauna. When I went back after the pre charging, I went in a sauna at the hotel and I posed for an hour to sweat out more fluid. And then I went back at night and I was sharper. And then I did my best job with the posing routine, and I ended up winning. Wow. Yeah, so, but I mean, so this is. So you have to really find that the right level so you don't kind of, like, cramp up and you can't pose anymore and lose but still have, you know, kind of be sharp enough.
A
Yeah. Who are your. I feel like I know this a little bit, but if you had to have your top five heroes, that gave us the guy we got today. Because when I got the Encyclopedia of bodybuilding, I'm gonna be very honest, I was like, maybe I'm gay because I couldn't stop looking at your body. And I was like, this is like. I mean, this is Why? I mean, I. And I. When I work out, I watch. I put the documentary. Your documentary on Netflix. I put it on. It inspires me. And so. But there's. You draw inspiration from men like I do, and I know you did.
B
So who.
A
Your top five hall of Fame dudes that gave us the guy we got today?
B
Well, I mean, I think that the first one was Reg Park. Reg park and Steve Reeves. These were guys that did Hercules movies. Yeah. And that inspired me to get a body like that, but also inspired me to have a vision beyond my career, which was to get into movies. So to me, that's fucking fascinating.
A
I never realized that.
B
Yeah, to me, that was very, very important. That I said to myself, when I started reading about the Rage Pocket, about Steve Reeves in the magazines, it was very clear that this guy's won Mr. Universe. Not only once, but, I mean, like, Reg park won it three times. Mr. Universe, you know, and then Chinny Chitta in Rome, which was the town where they did the movies, they discovered him and they brought him down to Rome and they had him do Hercules movies. And he made several Hercules movies. And I said to myself, that's what I have to do. I have to get that good. I have to win Mr. Universe so many times so that they would notice me also and blah, blah, blah. It gave me a vision. So Reg park and Steve Reeves was the number one. The guys that were very important. Muhammad Ali was very important because when he came. When I came to the United States, I hung out with him. And he was a very generous guy. And. And he loved. He was fascinated with bodybuilding, even though he didn't want to work out with weights, but he was fascinated by that whole thing. He always had me push him around. He loved. And he said to his guys, he says, watch this. Watch what Arnold does. He says, push me against the wall. Then I would grab him and then push him against the wall. And then he would say, see, guys? See what I'm saying? How strong he is? Can you believe that? And he just loved it. And he also, you know, just loved, Call Me Schwarzenegger. He always. He. I mean, he was like. As a matter of fact, we just saw a playback on one of the interview shows where the interviewer said, next coming out is Arch, what's Nager? And he says, yes, what's a. What's a nigger? And he said, I didn't say that. Interviewer said, I didn't say that. I didn't say that. He says, we're coming out. Schwarzenegger. And he mumbled it, and he did it with me also. He would say, this, guys, he's one of us, guys. He said, just look at his name. Unbelievable, you know, and he said, it's one of us, you know, and he just. And he just loved me. And he was. So I watched him all the time. And I. I went one time. I mean, I. People always talk about, you know, he gives away money, but I saw him one time on the airport giving $100 to some guy that was begging for money. He didn't even look how much money he had in the hand. He just gave it to him, you know, and he says, this doesn't mean anything. He says, I'm not into money. You know, he was never into that. So he was like a very, very kind of generous person. And I realized that how generous he was. But he started his foundations, then started giving money away, and he was always thinking about a bigger cause than boxing was. Yeah. And he would then also learn from him how he sells boxing through his personality. And so I wanted to do the same thing. So the purse went up, you know, from, you know, $2 million for a fight to $5 million for a fight, $10 million of fight notice. It was all because of personalities and who draw the most. And so I wanted to do the same thing in bodybuilding. So he was a kind of an example for me for generosity and being smart and being beyond just the sport and really not just beating up, like you always said, you know, there's a time where you beat up on guys and put them down, but there's a time where you lift up the whole sport and this is the most important thing. And I want to do the same thing, okay? I want to pump up and I want to go and win and, you know, destroy my competition. But then it was the time, was it to build the whole sport up and to make it actually a bigger sport, offer more cash prizes and all this. So they were very important. But then when I got more and more into a kind of life and global thinking, I think people like, for instance, when I met my father in law, Sergeant Shriver, he taught me a lot about, you know, generosity, about this service and giving back to the community, giving back to your town and to your state and to your country in some way. And he was, of course, the president of Special Olympics, and his wife, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, started Special Olympics. So I got involved with Special Olympics. So he told me about service and all of that stuff. So he became kind of a mentor. Ronald Reagan became A mentor. Because to me, I was always a Republican, right? And so when. When Nixon was campaigning in 1968 against Humphrey, and he talked about, you know, get government off your back and less taxes and a strong military, strong law enforcement, I said, this is me. I. I love this guy. And then Humphrey talked more like a socialist in Austria, right? So I didn't like that. So I was. I was. I said, what party does he belong to? He said, republican. I said, well, then I'm a Republican, you know, until I followed Reagan, of course. And I was campaigning for Reagan, and he became one of my heroes. And then Gorbachev became one of my heroes, you know, because he was able to recognize that Communism doesn't work. And to have the balls to do that, to be president of Russia and to say, communism doesn't work, let's dismantle this whole thing. That doesn't work. I mean, it's like, unheard of. I've never heard of anything like that. And he had the boss to do that, says to himself, that's courage. And I admire that, you know. And so I became a big fan of his, met him many times, went to Moscow, had meetings with him. We always talked to him about international policies and also movies he just loved. For instance, he wanted me always to do the Crusade, a movie that I wanted to do in the 90s. And when I met him in the 90s, he always said to me, he says, you must do the Bruce Crusade. Must do the Crusade. You know, it's very important. It's an important message today, you know, about, you know, coming together, religions coming together and all this stuff and not always fighting against each other. And so he was what, Mantella? I mean, when I went down to South Africa and promoted Special Olympics in South Africa, Mandela was there, and he was greeting me at Robben island at his prison cell, right? Until we went in this prison cell and we lit a torch. We did a little torch that we then took out from his prison cell where he was in prison for 27 years. And then we took it out to the courtyard of the prison where there was 150 Special Olympians standing out there. And I was lighting the Torch of Hope with the Special Nambians and with Mandela. And Mandela was one of the guys that I admired so much because he taught us about forgiveness. I mean, here's a guy that became president and could have kind of turned everything around and had the blacks pay back the whites in South Africa for the misery that they went through for so many years. And no, he didn't do that. He says, that will make me, make me feel better. Yes, he says, but it wouldn't be better for the country. He says, we need to do what's best for the country. We got to come together. And I said, oh my God, this guy is like magic. I mean, I've never even heard of anyone talk that much about forgiveness like that and being able to do that. So just to mention some of my heroes, because quite a lot. But those are the people that inspired me to be who I am, you know, and when people say to me, it says, well, what's the most, you know, what's the thing that. What job? The movie business or the bodybuilding or the, or the governorship? What is the thing that they're most proud of? I always tell people, I said none of them. I said, what I'm most proud of is that I'm me, that I was able to mold myself into a person that I am today, a person that is generous, a person that has a vision, a person that is not shying away from working hard. And all this stuff, and all of this kind of stuff is. That's what I brought. Because that is what made me win Mr. Olympia seven times and Mr. Universe five times. That's what made me win the governorship. That's what made me go and do all of these great movies and be able to reach out and do a kind of give something back to the community and all of this stuff and have the interest in doing, for instance, the Pump app. And to do all this, to give something back and to really inspire people. I said myself, if I have been inspired by so many people, that's why I always say I'm not a self made man, that I am a creation by all of those people I just mentioned and so many others. I said, then I have the responsibility to make, to inspire other people. And we all have to do that. You know, like you guys, you have your podcast, a fantastic podcast that everyone knows internationally. And so. But you have to take some responsibility, right? The bigger your podcast gets, the bigger the responsibility because you got to go always and pump people. You have to entertain them, obviously, which is of course why people tune in, because you guys are really fucking funny, you know, and you make me laugh when I hear you, and you make everyone else laugh. And so. But you have the responsibility to encourage people to pump them up and to go and give something back and to be useful and all of that stuff at the same time. That's our responsibility. You know, we got turned on by somebody to sit here today and now we have to do the same thing to pump other people up and say, you can do it too.
C
You got me fired. The.
B
I know, I know.
A
I'm gonna go bench 315.
C
Yeah. Right to go.
A
Dude, you, you really are. You really are awesome.
B
Well, thank you.
A
Like, like in the halfway through I was. I almost go, will you be our mentor?
C
Well, it's funny, it's so true that. And it's funny because that it goes back to physique because I think, you know, you alluded, you alluded to it earlier about being young men. But like when you're a grown kid growing up and you honestly see your physique first, you kind of. It kind of looks like like make believe. It's kind of like a cartoon, you know, it's like a drawing. You're like this a real guy.
A
You're sure.
C
And I mean all of it. And so you just kind of go like. I remember the, the first, the first. I have such a vivid memory. I did a father son trip when I was nine years old.
A
His father was a power of competitive power.
C
He was an Olympic lifter. Olympic lifter. He was a three time state champion Olympic lifter.
A
Wow.
B
So we know when they talk about Olympic lifting.
C
Oh yeah.
B
Olympic lifting was. Yeah.
C
He doesn't like, you know, if you.
A
Before Ozempic, he was really strong.
B
Shut the fuck up.
C
You know, actually I didn't ever do. He did Ozempic when he was pre diabetic. But when I, when the. The person who helped me lose weight recently was Phil Goglia. The, you know, the Mr. He was Mr. California West. And he changed my diet and workout routine. He was absolutely. He was fantastic with it. But he. What I was going to was when I did a father son trip, I was nine years old and I still remember we were in a hotel, I think we were in Orlando. And he goes, it was just me and him. He goes, don't tell your mother, but I'm gonna let you watch a rated R movie tonight. And I was like, oh great, this is in the hotel. And we. And he puts on Predator. And so I'm nine years old and I'd never seen a rated R movie. And I was like, this is the shit. He was like, do not tell your mom. And, and I see you in that. But you become like, you know, that's who I basically kind of learning who you are. But then we just follow you first. Like I said physically, you're just like, is this a realistic attainable thing. And you realize probably not, but all the things that you've done become inspiring. And I do think it's. It is kind of like, of course anybody can choose to, but I think as a young man, you. You follow a great man and you go, this is an inspiration. First physically, and then through all your philanthropy and then your great career. So it's. It's just a huge inspiration who, who you are, you know.
B
Thank yourself. Thank you. So let me ask you about your father. Yeah. How old is he now?
C
He died.
B
How old was he?
C
He died at 74 a couple years ago.
B
So he must have lived during the Bob Hoffman era. Right. Bob Hoffman was kind of the. The Joe Weed of weightlifting. So there was Joe Wheaton bodybuilding, and then there was Bob Hoffman from York, Pennsylvania. So all the original barbell blades said York.
C
That's right.
B
York on it. And so they come from Bob Hoffman. So he was like the guy. Because I remember that he was like the. The king of the weightlifting kind of thing, all the weightlifting stuff. Or had York on it in the old days.
C
Yeah, he. He was really into the Olympic stuff. So he started at. He started competition at 14 and was the Kentucky state champion at.
B
Yeah. So he must have known all of those guys, John Grimmick and all those guys that, that, that were the editors of Health and Strength and the muscle magazines that they had back there in New York and for the weightlifters. Yeah, it was an interesting period. I studied all of that.
C
Really?
B
Yeah, that, that. Because it was this war between Hoffman and Joe Weider way back between bodybuilding and weightlifting. And one was supposed to be legitimate. The weightlifting and bodybuilding was not. And then they tried to get bodybuilding into the Olympics and, you know, to become an official sport, which they then in 1970, were able to do that. Then bodybuilding became an official sport. So there was always this competition going on. But it was interesting the old days.
C
Yeah, yeah, he was. I mean, he loved weightlifting.
B
That's good.
C
It was a big part of our growing up.
A
Will you tell him about Milton Burl? When we were working out, you. You had so many great stories about Milton Burrow.
B
Oh, yeah, yeah.
A
And I would just love for you to share them.
B
You know, Milton.
C
Of course.
B
Of course. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So Milton Burrow, by total coincidence, his. There was an organization called share, and it was Hollywood women that had husbands that were powerful. So that the women were powerful because of that. But they were wives of, like, Sammy Davis Jr. Wife of Dean Martin, the wife of Johnny Carson, the wife of Milton Berle, the wife of so and so. All this kind of like mishmash of different people. And so my then girlfriend, then future, became my wife, Maria. She was kind of like hanging out with all these girls because she belonged to share. She was part of it. And. And so Maria, when we had our engagement party, she says, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to have Ruthie come also. I say, you mean Milton Pearl's wife? Yeah, and then so. But we did not idea if this meant also Milton Pearl. So, sure enough, Milton Berle came also, and he did a little standup routine. I remember it so well because I was, like, appalled, you know, because you don't know if you don't know, really, humor and comedy, what are the rules and all that stuff. I had no idea, right? So, I mean, I was like sitting there and he says, oh, it's so great to have, you know, Ruth in there. Look at my beautiful wife here. When last time I saw lips like that, it had a hook through it, you know. And I mean, I said, oh, my God. Oh, my God. Did he just say this about his wife? And she just casually looked over to Maria, just, oh, I heard this every day. I said, jesus, you know, So, I mean, it was like the beating, it was like unbelievable. He said, look at Schwarzenegger. He had bigger tits than his girlfriend. And all this kind of stuff was, like, relentless, this stuff, right? And so anyway, so Milton and I became very good friends. And he says, you know something? Let me tell you something. He says, you're a great actor. He says, but I want to teach you about comedy. And because as you grow in your profession, you will be asked to speak. And there's no speech without starting out with a joke you got to be ready for, no matter what the occasion is. And so he was kind of like teaching me. Yeah. All of this stuff. And I said, I didn't quite get it yet what he was talking about then. But then as time went on, he was telling me, I said, look. He says, you go. He says, you asked me to go and give you some. Something about the speech that you're doing in Vegas. You're getting an award. And he says, so here it is, you know. And so he was telling me this thing. He says, well, that was really fantastic. Thank you so much. I said, you know, being a bodybuilder and having been around the movie business, you get, of course, a lot of trophies and a lot of medals and awards, but this one is, without any doubt, the most recent. And so then he says, okay, say the joke, and then I will be going. And he says, okay. And this is the most recent. This is stupid. Nazi. What the is the matter with you? What did I say? Did you see my paws? I said, you have to look at it. And you say, you know, I've gotten a lot of medals, but this, without any doubt, is the most. You have to kind of get emotional.
C
Yeah.
B
And give that moment. And people go, oh, isn't that nice? And then you say, recent. I said, and then you throw out the reasons. I said. You don't go and say recent right away. You have to have the timing. I say, so don't be stupid now. Listen to me. Careful. And so he was always, like, kind of like screaming at everything like this. So this is how I kind of, like, learned from him.
C
That's a great lesson, how to.
B
How to kind of do comedy and how important it is to do the timing and all of that stuff, you know. And then I said, well, I said, like, you know, they may call you down to give. To give a speech at the. At some medical convention. And they said, no, I would never do that. He said, I've known nothing about that. And they says, no, no, no, no, no, no. He says. He says, what's wrong with just starting out and just saying? He says, hey, what a coincidence it is. I had a physical this morning. I went in there. Doctor says, okay, take off your clothes. And I said, okay, where should I put it? And he says, right there in the corner where mine is. And he says, this gets people laughing. He says, now you win them over. Then you go and says, you know, something is really funny. I am getting asked all the time of all these stupid questions about, you know, how is your blood pressure, how is this, how is that? And one of them is that the other day was also, how is his stool? And I said, the doctor said, stuart is fine. I have to go every morning at 6. He says, well, that's great. And I said, it's easy for you to say. I said, I don't wake up until seven. So he says, you see? He said, now. Now we are talking. He said, you get people to laugh and you win them over. It says, you maybe follow up. And it says, you know, that's the stupid thing is. First thing is, it's always the same thing is into the blood sample, a urine sample and this and. And. And a stool sample. So I just said, take my underwear, you know, so you see, I just gave you three jokes for the medical thing. And this is how it goes with everything. Yeah. You know, if you. If a guy gets divorced or something like that, you just say, well, my problem started already when with my wife said to me. He says, I like to have sex in the backseat of the car. And then he said. I said, me too. He says, no, no, I want you to do the driving. You know, so. Like that. So he had. So he showed me, basically, kind of like for every category. If you go to a Plummer's convention, here's a joke. If you go to this convention, here's a joke. If you go to do this for politicians, here's a joke. So this is what he was trying to do. He's trying to teach me how to have a certain sense of humor and how to use the jokes and how important it is to do the timing and all of that stuff. And he hung out with me all the time. He, of course, was a big cigar smoker. Yeah. So we smoked cigars at Coffee Roma in Beverly Hills. He always would come by, or we'll go over to his house and smoke, or he comes over to my house and smoked. And he would come to the set. I remember when I was doing, like, twins or kindergarten copy would come to the set as the inspector general kind of to check out if I'm doing okay with the humor. Otherwise he has to kick my ass, you know, he will come. Ivan Reitman was directing. Yeah, Right. And so then he would come to the set and he would say, how is the kid doing? And then I was interesting. Okay. I said, okay, good. You know, in those days, he was smoking right there in the classroom in the. In the. In the movie, you know, the kids around. Yeah. He says, okay, good. He says, okay. Director said, you're doing well. Keep on working. You know? And he would just. He would do this whole routine, like coming to the set to check me out to see if I can do my comedy and a comedic movie, you know, so we had a wonderful routine. And even, you know, he. They wanted me to. Or maybe he wrote it in his will, I don't know. But someone. They said, melody wants you to do the A eulogy. So. So I said, okay. So I went out there and I said myself in Milton Pro eulogy, what are you gonna do is gonna be funny, Right? Yeah, maybe it was a bit over the top. It's a son of a. And say, I just close the casket. I said, took us 15 minutes because he still had big boner. You know, he was always known for his long schwant. Right. So, you know, he always saying. People always say, have a long sh. He says, but, you know, this is all. What is that? Kitchen help is jerking me off right now. You know, and he would always have things like that. So of course I did that joke. Oh, we put the. We put the casket, the top of the casket. That was really hard as it. Because he had. People were laughing. You worked.
C
You worked with, like, you mentioned Ivan Wright. You worked with, like, a lot of great directors.
B
Yeah.
C
Do you have favorites that you just love?
B
No, because it depends what the movie is, but they can tell you one thing. Yeah. That the director is the answer. Don't ever think that you can pull off a movie without a really great director. I've had shitty directors. Then the movie came out shitty and he went in the toilet. And then the same actor, me, was doing a movie with the. With a great director like Jim Cameron or Paul Verhoeven or Ivan Reitman. All of those movies went through the. Went through the roof.
C
Yeah.
B
I mean, because. Not because of me necessarily, but it was them understanding me and figuring out what I can do well. And they had me do it that. That way.
C
Right.
B
And so I really thank the world of great directors. And of course, what is not on the page is not on the stage. Right. I mean, it's like you got to have it on a page. You got to have a good script and a good. With a good script and a good director. You. You have home free. Yeah. God, yeah.
A
You're. You're just. I mean, I feel like I could talk to you for an hour, another hour, and I know you have stuff to do, but you're just so, like. I'm like dying to one day to get the call and go, bert, you and Tom would have a cigar with me, and we just out there smoking. What. What does your cigar regimen look like these days? When's your first cigar?
B
I smoke one a day.
A
Just one.
B
Just one a day? Yeah, exactly.
C
Same time.
B
I sometimes know. I sometimes start after lunch with one, just smoke a half one and then finish it off at night. Or sometimes just smoke one right after lunch or smoke one just at night. I mean, it really depends. But I would say most of the cases it is kind of like once a day and sometimes none actually, you know, if I fly or if I travel around or if I'm inside, I never smoke when I'm inside. So sometimes it just doesn't. You know, the thing is, when you're used to smoking and having a great time smoking a cigar, you don't want to spoil it, which is smoking it anywhere.
A
Yeah.
B
You know, I did certain moments where you feel like, this is what I need to smoke a great cigar. Yeah. You know, I got to go. Like, I love, for instance, when I go into a new town and I light up a cigar in a car and tell the guy to drive me around for half an hour and show me the town. You know, just. Have. Just have the window open and just look at the city and just smokey stogie. And hopefully you have a buddy in there with you that also smokes one, so then you have a good time. But I love smoking over at my house with a fireplace outside and favorite.
C
Beverage with a cigar. Do you have a favorite beverage?
B
No, no, no. It could be coffee. Yeah. It could be water. It could be anything.
A
Do you drink.
B
It could be prune juice.
A
Do you drink much?
B
I don't drink much now. I think that, like, the first time I have had a glass of wine in a long time was just on Saturday when I had a Christmas party, and it was Glu wine. Do you know what is Gluhein? Gluwine is like hot wine with cinnamon in it. Oh, I think. And so there's an Austrian kind of a thing that.
A
Like ski chalets.
B
That's right. Yeah. Yeah. I've had it in Austin. And so it fools you because. Because it's hot and because it's cinnamon in it, it doesn't taste like wine wine. Right. It just tastes extra. Kind of like almost like a dessert drink until you drink more. Oh, man, I got a nice buzz from that one. I needed. I needed a stogie just for that one to stay awake. That was wild. So that was really good. So. But I very rarely. Just this much wine or this much knobs or something like that. In the old days, we would start playing pool, and after every pool game, we would have a Stumbled schnapps. So after 10 games, there were 10 stumbled schnapps. Right. And there were the loser who always pay. But, I mean, eventually I got to the point where I just. After my heart surgery and stuff like that, I couldn't really handle the alcohol anymore that much. So now I do it in moderation. Yeah.
A
Do you think about death at all?
B
About what?
A
Death.
B
I try not to, because, I mean, it sucks, right?
A
Yeah, I think about it every morning.
B
Oh, you do?
C
He's obsessed with death.
B
Yeah. Yeah. No, I can. I understand it. Because the funny thing about it is, is that I think that the better off we are and the more fun you have in life, the more pissed off you get that eventually this is going to be taken from you.
C
Yeah.
B
Yeah. And of course we don't know that it has been taken from you because it's over. But I mean, that also pisses me off. Yeah. So since everything pisses me off about the whole thing.
A
Yeah.
B
I mean, there's just nothing good about it.
A
I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world and then I. That death will be the one unlucky thing.
B
I know, I know, it sucks. It's like who was asked me to catch a. About what is it? What did I think about how it's. How it's turned. He asked me, governor. I suppose being governor that makes you an expert in death. He says, tell me what happens to us when we die. I said, the only thing I can come up with is we go six feet out and we rout. And he said, oh my God, what a welcome to Los Angeles. He was doing his show in la. I said, it's the only thing that I know.
A
Well, I, I mean, I will simply say your docu series on Netflix is outrageous.
C
It's so good. It is really great.
A
Your book is phenomenal. I can't, I can't reiterate this enough, especially if you have a young boy. And I just coming from my perspective, if you have an 18 year old boy, you buy him this book. It is so good. And if you are looking to get in shape, this New Year's coming up. Get the pump. The pump is awesome and the schmooze is you. You are writing the schmooze. It is very personal and the comment section is wildly positive.
B
Yeah.
A
It is just people pumping each other up.
B
Yeah.
C
That daily newsletter too has so much information, has different perspective on what's going on in the country. Fitness, everything. It's, it's all great information, man.
A
You said when you were a child that you, you never felt Austrian, you felt like you were American, you felt like you belonged here. And I would just simply say, like, as an American kid, you are like my favorite American.
B
Yeah. Well, thank you.
C
You're an American hero now.
A
Yeah, you're an American hero.
B
I really, you're so right about this because I always, as soon as I saw documentaries about America, I said to myself, man, I belong over there. I mean, the skyscrapers in New York, the Golden Gate Bridge, the highways in California, you know, the beaches and the whole thing, Hollywood. I said, you know, maybe my mother had something going with an American soldier. I literally checked into it. I said, mister, there's something of why I feel like I belong there and not here. And it's just that somehow didn't pencil out because the Americans never were down in Graz. It was the British soldiers that were in grazing.
C
Thank God you didn't go there. We're glad you're here, man.
B
Hey. But I tell you, it is. It was the most wonderful thing to eventually come over here with the age of 21 and to have someone like Joe Weider that was generous enough to bring me over here and to set me up with an apartment and with a car when I came out here to Los Angeles and to be able to train on Muscle beach and to see Hollywood and to be in the Mecca of bodybuilding in a Mecca of show business, I mean, it was, like, unbelievable. It was like I was so happy. So it was. I tell you, I would not switch my life with anyone's. That's all I can tell you.
A
No, I always say no one should cry at my funeral because I have done it like, I have done it. But when I look at your life, I'm like, jesus, I still have work to do.
B
Yeah. So you don't want anyone to cry at your funeral?
A
No, I want everyone to cry really bad.
B
Everyone to cry?
A
Yeah.
B
People to suffer. How do we not go. Move forward without schnitzel? This is impossible.
A
How are we going to move forward without schnitzel?
B
He said this is impossible.
C
He would be okay with the world ending if at his athlete's funeral.
B
Exactly. It's funny. Yeah.
A
Arnold, thank you so much. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much.
B
No, it's always great. I mean, we should do this on a regular basis. You know, it works great. Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
A
Get that down.
C
It's great to see you. Thank you.
B
Good luck with the 315 bench press.
A
315?
B
You would do it?
A
I will do it.
B
Well, you would do it?
A
I would.
B
I would.
A
I would wish you could be there if I was. I was trying to organize it here at Golds.
B
Okay.
A
And get the boys out here. But I.
B
Let's organize it.
A
I'll see if I can.
B
All right. Just wanted to show you how he's got.
A
He's got. Good.
B
Father will be proud of you.
C
Thank you.
B
Bicep. Like that. Yeah.
C
Come on.
B
I mean, look at his.
A
You ready for this? This is the size your arm was when you were 16. I went through your measurements. Your arm at as big as 22 inches. This is 17 and a half chest right now. You are five inches bigger than me. At your biggest. Your waist and my waist. Nine inches difference.
C
Well, also, you have twins coming in.
A
The new year, so that's exciting.
B
Below the belt? Yeah. I mean, what kind of a partner is that? It's unbelievable.
C
You're the best.
B
Thank you so much. Thank you. Bert and Tom. Tom and Bert.
A
One goes topless while the other wears a shirt. Tom tells stories and Bert's the machine. There's not a chance in hell that.
B
They'Ll keep it clean.
A
Here's what we call two bears, one cave.
Podcast Summary: "Arnold Schwarzenegger PUMPS UP The Bears | 2 Bears, 1 Cave"
Introduction
In the December 23, 2024 episode of 2 Bears, 1 Cave hosted by comedian best friends Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer, special guest Arnold Schwarzenegger joins the duo in the iconic bear cave at YMH Studios. The episode delves deep into Arnold's illustrious career, his insights on weightlifting and mental preparation, personal anecdotes, business ventures, and his enduring philosophy on life and success. Through engaging conversations and humorous exchanges, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of Arnold's journey from bodybuilding champion to Hollywood icon and philanthropist.
1. Mental Preparation and Overcoming Fear in Weightlifting
The episode opens with a discussion between Arnold (B) and Tom (A) about the dual aspects of moving weights—physical and mental. Arnold emphasizes the importance of mental readiness to conquer heavy lifts.
Arnold on Mental Training:
"One of them is physically, and the other one is mentally. So in order to really get mentally ready for it, you have to do just many reps with 300." ([00:05])
Arnold on Facing Fear:
"The mind just says, nah, maybe not. And I said, what the hell is that? So, okay, how do I now get the mind ready for that?" ([01:04])
Arnold shares his personal strategy of repeatedly lifting near-maximum weights to condition his mind, thereby reducing fear and enhancing performance during competitions.
2. Competition Psychology and Muhammad Ali’s Influence
Bert (C) inquires about Arnold's approach to competition, highlighting his psychological tactics reminiscent of Muhammad Ali's boxing strategies.
Arnold draws parallels between Ali's ability to engage in psychological tactics to promote the sport and his own methods in bodybuilding. He discusses how creating a compelling personality and understanding competitors' vulnerabilities gave him an edge in competitions.
3. Friendship with Lou Ferrigno and Construction Business Ventures
The conversation shifts to Arnold's friendship with fellow bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno and their joint ventures outside the gym.
Arnold fondly recounts building a construction business with Lou, highlighting their dedication and contrasting it with others who were less committed. Their construction work not only strengthened their bond but also laid the foundation for future business successes, including real estate investments.
4. Real Estate Success and Business Acumen
Arnold elaborates on his transition from bodybuilding and construction to real estate, showcasing his keen business sense.
He details his first investment, the challenges faced, and the strategies employed to scale his real estate portfolio. Arnold emphasizes the importance of hard work, smart investments, and leveraging opportunities, such as leveraging a real estate agent’s expertise and capitalizing on events like the Los Angeles earthquake to boost his business.
5. Rivalry with Sylvester Stallone and Career Growth
Tom (A) brings up Arnold's well-known rivalry with Sylvester Stallone, seeking insights into its origins and impact on their careers.
Arnold explains that a misunderstanding with a journalist led to a strained relationship with Stallone, fueling a competitive spirit that pushed both actors to excel in their respective film careers. This rivalry, while intense, was mutually beneficial, driving both to achieve greater heights and redefine their personas in Hollywood.
6. Importance of Basic Weightlifting Techniques
Exploring his training philosophy, Arnold underscores the significance of mastering fundamental weightlifting exercises.
He advocates for a solid foundation in basic lifts, arguing that they are essential for building a strong and balanced physique. Arnold also shares innovative techniques, such as adjusting dumbbell weights to enhance muscle definition, demonstrating his continual pursuit of optimization in training.
7. Mentorship from Milton Berle and Comedy Integration
Arnold shares a humorous yet insightful story about his mentorship under Milton Berle, blending bodybuilding with comedy.
Milton Berle taught Arnold the art of timing and humor, which Arnold integrated into his public persona. This mentorship not only enriched Arnold’s performances but also provided him with tools to engage and entertain audiences effectively, bridging the gap between bodybuilding and acting.
8. Personal Reflections and Philosophies on Life and Success
Throughout the episode, Arnold reflects on his personal philosophies, emphasizing resilience, positivity, and the importance of giving back.
He draws parallels between physical training and personal development, advocating for embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. Arnold credits his positive mindset and relentless work ethic as key factors in his multifaceted success across bodybuilding, acting, business, and philanthropy.
Acknowledging his mentors and heroes, Arnold emphasizes the importance of community and mentorship in shaping one's path to success.
Notable Quotes
Mental Preparation:
"The mind just says, nah, maybe not. And I said, what the hell is that?" ([01:04]) – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Competition Psychology:
"There's another dimension to that, which was the psychological warfare that goes on." ([05:19]) – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Friendship and Work Ethic:
"We always did the work...they were just there to get a tan. Lazy bastards, right?" ([11:07]) – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Real Estate Success:
"I went from $240K to $400K profit in two years." ([22:11]) – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Rivalry with Stallone:
"It's like two little children...they like who has a bigger knife in their movie." ([28:11]) – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Basic Training Principles:
"If you build that and you really use that, then you can build the body from ground up." ([47:35]) – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Lesson from Milton Berle:
"You have to be ready for a joke no matter what the occasion is." ([70:05]) – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Philosophy on Struggle:
"What does not kill you will make you stronger." ([43:29]) – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Conclusion
This episode of 2 Bears, 1 Cave provides an in-depth look into Arnold Schwarzenegger's life, highlighting his multifaceted journey encompassing bodybuilding, acting, business, and philanthropy. Through candid conversations and shared experiences, Arnold imparts valuable lessons on mental resilience, the significance of foundational practices, the impact of mentorship, and the power of a positive mindset. His stories not only entertain but also inspire listeners to pursue their ambitions with determination and integrity. Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer adeptly complement Arnold's narratives with humor and camaraderie, making this episode a compelling blend of wisdom and laughter.
Final Thoughts
Whether you're a fitness enthusiast, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger, this episode offers rich insights and heartfelt stories that resonate beyond the gym and the silver screen. It's a testament to the enduring spirit of a man who continues to inspire generations with his relentless pursuit of excellence and his commitment to uplifting others.