Before Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived in America, his perception of bodybuilders‘ lives was shaped by media portrayals and limited exposure to the world beyond his home in Austria. Like many aspiring bodybuilders, he believed that the industry was filled with fame, luxury, and extravagance. However, his perception underwent a drastic transformation upon setting foot on American soil with nothing but a gym bag and ambitions.

His journey began with a humble start, defying the grand image he once held for the sport. Revealing this during an event at the Academy Museum, Schwarzenegger opened up about his initial experience when he came to America.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s humbling realization

Stripped of any luxurious trappings, Schwarzenegger had to navigate the complexities of daily life, finding work to sustain himself while pursuing his love for bodybuilding. Contrary to his perceived notion, he realized that bodybuilding is not entirely an American sport, and neither does a jacked physique lead to sports cars and bikini models as depicted in movies. “When I came to America, I thought bodybuilding is very popular in America, it’s an American sport, but in fact, it was not,” Arnold stated.

Schwarzenegger continued by revealing, “What I read in the magazines that it’s huge, guys getting into movies with bodybuilding, become businessman, successful, and making millions of dollars, none of it was really true.”

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As he dove deeper into the sport, he realized that success did not come effortlessly. He was quick to recognize that the glamour he had once imagined was just a result of media exaggeration. With this realization, Schwarzenegger looked for ways to make a name for himself.

Schwarzenegger’s master plan that helped him flip the cards

Further in the event, while conversing with the host, Schwarzenegger revealed that there is a strict need to educate the media as well as the public about the sport. According to ‘Arnie,’ the media was acting stupid not because they were vicious but because they had no knowledge about it. “When I walked around in America, people always came up to me and said you must be a wrestler, a football player, lifter or something like that. They did not guess bodybuilding,” Arnie mentioned.

“I realized very quickly I had to put my know-how about selling and marketing. I started hiring publicists…I got on all these shows and talked about what bodybuilding’s all about,” Arnold admitted.

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What are your views on Schwarzenegger’s journey to the top of the sport? Let us know in the comments.