Arnold Schwarzenegger is an idol of millions around the world. He has a massive following, and he tries to guide them in his newsletter by sharing his experiences and how people can apply them in their life. In his latest newsletter edition, the Austrian Oak tells about the illusion that failure creates in our minds. Moreover, how one can overcome the illusion and move toward success? To explain this, Schwarzenegger took one of his most unexpected defeats for him against Frank Zane in 1968 as an example.

What happened to Arnold after the defeat in 1968? How did he explain the process of the human brain after one faces failure? Moreover, what did he intend to tell his followers of this story? Let’s find out.

Arnold’s brain could only think, ‘How did that little guy beat me?’

As an example of getting above failure and marching to victory, Schwarzenegger reveals his state of mind before and after the defeat. Before he arrived to compete in his first Mr. Universe (America), he just won his second Mr. Universe (London). Moreover, he didn’t even take a break and directly went to Miami by accepting Joe Weider’s invitation. However, things didn’t go as planned for him. Frank Zane defeated him and won the title.

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In his newsletter, Schwarzenegger explained his state of mind after that defeat. He wrote, “Frank Zane beat me. I was shocked, I was depressed, and I was all alone. I had just left everyone I knew and everything I had in Europe for this. All of the thoughts you can imagine went through my head. First, the denial: how did that little guy beat me? Then the mental beating and the worst-case scenarios: ‘I’m a loser, why did I ever think this was a good idea? Weider won’t want to work with a loser. I’m going to end up back in Austria yodeling by next week.'”

“Got Beat by a Chicken With 17-Inch Arms”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Was Left in Disbelief After Facing Defeat by 5 Inches Shorter Frank Zane Back in 1968

7x Mr. Olympia continued, “I cried all night. And in the morning, I woke up a little more clear-headed. Now, instead of denial and worst-case scenarios, I saw that Frank won because he was more cut than me and he had better definition. That meant I needed to work on my definition.”

How to get back on the winning track, according to Arnold Schwarzenegger

The defeat did break him. It made him feel worthless for a bit, but as the storm inside him calmed down, his mind gained more clarity. Schwarzenegger evaluated his weak points and Frank Zane’s strong points. Moreover, he even decided to train with Zane to fulfill his weaknesses. Schwarzenegger wrote, “And just like that, I went from misery to a mission.”

Moreover, from this example, Schwarzenegger explained that failures are the specific areas one needs to work on. In addition, he advised whenever the mind gets extremely complex with negativity. “Take a step back, see where you can do better, and keep moving forward.” 

Watch This Story: 75 Years Old Bodybuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger Hitting the Gym Like a Beast

The massive Arnold Schwarzenegger never expected to get defeated by a physique, as Frank Zane had. And that surprised him the most. But as time passed, he realized why Zane was better than him that day. How many bodybuilders have defeated Arnold in pro-bodybuilding events? If you know, name them in the comments section.