Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder

Arnold Schwarzenegger · Douglas Kent Hall

Jul 2012 · Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

New York Times Bestseller: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s classic candid memoir of his extraordinary bodybuilding career and the secrets behind his success.

I still remember that first visit to the bodybuilding gym. I had never seen anyone lifting weights before. Those guys were huge and brutal. . . . The weight lifters shone with sweat; they were powerful looking, Herculean. And there it was before me—my life, the answer I’d been seeking. It clicked. It was something I suddenly just seemed to reach out and find, as if I’d been crossing a suspended bridge and finally stepped off onto solid ground.

Five-time Mr. Universe, seven-time Mr. Olympia, and Mr. World—all before he became a major movie star and then governor of California—Arnold Schwarzenegger, nicknamed the “Austrian Oak,” is the most famous name in bodybuilding. This is his classic bestselling account of his experiences in bodybuilding—his discovery of the sport as a teenager; his parents’ pressure to give up on it; his obsessive determination and ambition; and his rise to international celebrity.

In addition, Arnold shares his fitness and training secrets—demonstrating with a comprehensive step-by-step program and dietary hints how to use bodybuilding for better health. His program includes a special four-day regimen of specific exercises to develop individual muscle groups—each exercise illustrated with photos of Arnold in action.

Ratings and reviews

Great book, it gives the motivation that moves you towards your goals. This book helps you start small with a strong foundation then it shows you how to build from there. This book is also to the point. There are no short cuts to being the best.... YOU HAVE TO WORK! Your own personal trainer in the price of a book!

Amazing book for the real fans. Love how it tells him starting out, and goes into some real great details for his life. ☆☆☆☆☆

One of the best books out there. This is how Arnold conquered all of his competition.

About the author

Arnold Schwarzenegger served as governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Before that, he had a long career, starring in such films as the Terminator series; Stay Hungry; Twins; Predator; and Junior. His first book, Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder, was a bestseller when published in 1977 and, along with his Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, has never been out of print. He is the author of Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life and Arnold, a limited docuseries about his life, is currently streaming on Netflix.