While bodybuilders today weigh close to 300 lbs, in the 70s, Arnold Schwarzenegger was among the biggest bodybuilders in the world. Standing 6’2 FT tall and weighing around 240 lbs, the Austrian Oak carried too much muscle to play the lead in his 1982 breakout film. Director John Milius told the seven-time, Mr. Olympia, he needed to lose weight and muscle mass. In a recent interview with Men’s Health, the bodybuilding legend opened up about how despite losing his hard-earned gains, fans praised him.

According to a Reddit post by the Governator himself, Milius said Arnie was “way too ripped,” for the $20 million film. So Schwarzenegger got off his bodybuilder diet and let his body fat get to 12%. However, despite the downgrade, Arnie told Men’s Health how fans of the comic book series felt after watching him on screen.

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan – a comic book character come to life 

The seven-time Mr. Olympia brought a physique never seen on the silver screen. Before the Austrian stepped into the shoes of Conan, the superhero physique didn’t exist. While Christopher Reeve worked with a champion weightlifter to put on muscle to play Superman, his muscularity couldn’t hold a candle to Schwarzenegger.

When Conan the Barbarian came out in 1982, it instantly grabbed the eyeballs of comic book lovers. While The Terminator actor might have lost muscle mass, he looked shredded. “People were going crazy,” Schwarzenegger told Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. of Men’s Health. Fans couldn’t believe “that there was a guy that actually looked like Conan the way Frank Frazetta painted it,” he said.

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While the superhero physique has become a standard today, the MCU didn’t exist in the 80s. However, Schwarzenegger’s action-hero physique would rival even the most ripped leading men today. It’s safe to say the five-five Mr. Universe set a physique standard long before it became prevalent. However, besides diet, the bodybuilding champion also trained differently for the $20 million film.

Learning a unique skill for three years

As Conan the Barbarian, Arnold Schwarzenegger needed to be proficient with a sword. In the same credit post, the bodybuilding icon explained he learned swordplay for three years. Even while training to participate in the 1980, Mr. Olympia, Arnie learned how to wield a sword. He trained under “Sensei (Kiyoshi) Yamazaki for three years,” before filming a single scene.

Arnie had to swing a heavy sword and look like an expert swordsman. However, the dedicated bodybuilder overcame the challenge with flying colors. In Fact, Schwarzenegger had become so good with the sword, actor James Earl Jones let Arnie hit him. “Right in the neck on the blood bag,” wrote Arnold.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger lost muscle and mastered new skills like swordplay, kendo, and horseback riding. However, all his hard work paid off because Conan the Barbarian opened the doors of Hollywood stardom. In 1984, Arnie starred in The Terminator, and the rest is history.