The year 1975 marked a historic battle between two friends: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno. Schwarzenegger was on the edge of making history by winning the coveted Mr. Olympia title sixth time in a row. However, in addition to his physical abilities and skill set, the Austrian Oak also mastered psychological warfare to secure his victory, especially considering The Hulk’s incredible physical Prowess.

Ferrigno standing tall, 6 feet five inches, and weighing 260 pounds, was not just a formidable competitor but also faced challenges since childhood like a fatal infection that had resulted in hearing loss in one ear. So Ferrigno was already hard as nails even before he started lifting weights.  So Schwarzenegger really had his task cut out for him.

The Terminator as Cerebral Assassin

A short clip from the documentary “Pumping Iron” is now circulating all over the internet, where he revealed his secret weapon for winning the Sandow trophy. Surprisingly, it’s not only his super-jacked physique but also his strategic mindset.

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In a YouTube short video shared by OOFAFitness, the bodybuilding legend confessed to manipulating his adversary. He said, “I will mix him up. He will be ready to lose. I mean, I would just talk him into that.” This revelation showcases his willingness to go to any lengths to secure victory. He engaged in conversation aiming to plant seeds of doubts in Ferrigno’s mind, subtly suggesting that retirement might be a wiser choice.

In the snippet, Schwarzenegger asked Ferrigno about his chances if he were to retire that year and never participate in the Mr. Olympia again. “What do you think your chances are today?” asked the Terminator. Ferrigno,  responded, “I’m going to lose. Arnold. You’re the best.” Their exchange highlighted Schwarzenegger’s ability to use words as a powerful weapon in his triumphant. Of course, this was not the only rivalry Arnie came out on top of.

Terminator VS Rambo

Schwarzenegger is also known for his rivalries, and not just in the gym. The Terminator had a famous axe to grind with Rambo himself during the 80s, where the duo would compete with each other for the most inane of things.

Growing up in Thal he was taught, and believed that to be best, he had to defeat everyone. This led to a famous rivalry with action-packed hero Sylvester Stallone, who started acting around the same time. They competed not just for box office success and awards but also for things like who killed more people on screen.

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To be fair to Stallone, he’s one of the most popular actors of all time. But Arnie’s mind games got him once as well. Sometimes when Arnie didn’t like a script, he would just say he liked it so Stallone would jump at the chance to take it! Howver, the two have come a long way since the 80s and more often than not have credited each other for their respective success stories.

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Do you think his mind games played a crucial role in his success? Share your thoughts in the comments below.