When I write articles for this magazine, I always try to keep certain things in mind:

• You’re all looking for something that will make you better athletes or coaches.
• Most of you (hopefully) have a sense of humor.
• Most of you (hopefully) understand the idea that good weightlifting advice doesn’t have to be entirely about technique or training programs.
• This magazine is the only good thing many of you have in your lives.

Just kidding about that last one (hopefully).

So this month’s article is going to be something I’ve never done before…a book recommendation. You’re clearly a literate audience because you’re…you know, reading this magazine. That means you’re probably on a constant lookout for new stuff. Okay, great. I’m going to tell you a few things about one of the most important books I’ve ever read, for both weightlifting and real life. And I’m pretty sure some of you are going to chuckle and shake your heads when I tell you about it.

The book is Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Douglas Kent Hall. I know we’re not supposed to make too many assumptions in life, but I’m going to assume you know who Arnold is. If you don’t, jump over to Wikipedia and read about him. In a nutshell, he’s a global celebrity. The Terminator, movie star and the former Governor of California, probably one of the most recognizable people in the world.

However, that stuff happened after he completed his legendary career in the iron game. Arnold wrote the book I’m talking about in 1977, when he was finishing up his run as a seven-time Mr. Olympia, making him the greatest bodybuilder in history. The first half of the book is basically his life story up to the mid 70s, and the second half is a training manual for basic weight training, bodybuilding, nutrition, and mental attitude.

My earliest exposure to barbells and weight training was through my father because he converted one of the bedrooms of our house to a weight room when I was a little kid. He wasn’t a competitive athlete or anything, but he loved working out and getting strong, and I used to rummage around in there and look for cool stuff to play with. He had a copy of Arnold’s book, and it’s one of the first things I ever read seriously.

I honestly think Arnold had some measure of influence on almost everybody who lifted weights in my generation. His presence cast a shadow over the entire barbell world, whether you were an Olympic lifter, powerlifter, bodybuilder, or whatever. He started his life in a little forest village in Austria where becoming a famous champion in something wasn’t even in the realm of imagination. Because of his unstoppable will and hunger for success, he gradually crushed every obstacle that stood in the way of achieving the life he wanted. I can honestly say I’ve never read anything as inspirational as Arnold’s story. He came from nothing, and he rose to world domination because of his work ethic, willingness to take risks, and unrelenting determination.

Let me openly acknowledge that bodybuilding is a universe away from Olympic weightlifting and the kind of strength training most of you do. Because of this, I’m willing to bet many of you have a bit of an attitude towards bodybuilding. You see it as silly, vain, or something like that. I get it, but that’s not going to stop us from having a great experience in this book. Trust me folks, I’m a full-blooded thoroughbred Olympic lifter and bodybuilding isn’t my cup of tea either, but that’s not really what Arnold’s book is about. The story of how he built his life is the ultimate blueprint for all of us, regardless of which discipline or career field we choose. I’m going to give you some highlights from the book, and then I’m going to connect them to your lives. Just give this a shot, okay?

Beginnings…

Him: Arnold was born in 1947 in a little Austrian village called Thal. And when I say village, I mean it. His parents were ordinary people who wanted their son to grow up and lead a nice, comfortable, stable life just like theirs. But by the time he was 15, he discovered the barbell and it literally transformed his entire personality. His parents didn’t understand his love for lifting weights, and they thought he was crazy for being so obsessive about working out in a gym. Among his peers, reactions were mixed. Everybody treated him differently, but some of it was positive and some of it was negative. Certain people supported him, and others tried to tear him down with disrespect and snide comments. He knew he was different from everybody, but he also understood the difference was something special. There was a fire burning inside him to excel, to break out of the normal life that was expected of village folk like him. When he told his parents he wanted to go to America and become famous, he might as well have told them he wanted to be a unicorn.

You: Anybody here come from a small town, or maybe a ghetto upbringing? If so, you know what it’s like to live in a cycle. As Bruce Springsteen once said, “They bring you up to do just like your daddy done.” When you grow up in this kind of atmosphere, it’s considered abnormal to want to break the cycle. If you develop dreams and goals that are bigger than where you came from, most of the people around you will think you’re stupid. Many of them will try to hold you back in some way. Arnold experienced this, and I’m betting he’s not alone. How many of you have had to deal with naysayers in your life? If you’re a woman, maybe we’re talking about people who tell you to stop lifting weights and become Suzie Homemaker. If you’re a man, it’s a little different because people usually celebrate it when you lift weights and grow big muscles. However, there are a thousand other ways people can try to drag you down when you start wanting to climb up a ladder in your life. Arnold understood this, and he didn’t let any of it stop him. There’s a lesson in that for all of us. Personally, it always makes me feel better when I know the best athletes in the world have had to battle the same crap as me.

Risks…

Him: Arnold joined the army when he was eighteen. By this time, he was already built like a diesel. Not too long after he was inducted, he got an invitation to compete in his first bodybuilding contest, Mr. Europe Junior in Stuttgart, Germany (several hours away from where he was stationed). He was in the middle of boot camp at the time and the army flatly denied any requests to leave the base for any reason. So Arnold snuck out of his barracks one night, crawled over the wall (going AWOL), took a train to Stuttgart with only the clothes on his back and the little money he had, and competed in the contest…which he won. He had to borrow somebody’s posing trunks to compete, and then he had to bum money from his competitors to buy the train ticket back to his base. When he got back, the military police was waiting for him. They threw him in jail for a week, sleeping on a concrete bench with a blanket and almost no food. But he didn’t care, because he had his first place Mr. Europe Junior trophy with him.

You: I love this story, and so do you. Know why? Because we all love guts. Arnold knew he was going to get busted for what he did, but he didn’t care. For him, a week in jail was worth it if he got a chance to compete and win that contest. So that brings us to you. Ever had to roll the dice in your life, or your weightlifting career? Think about times when you’ve had to take a chance, knowing there were potential disastrous consequences waiting for you. Scary, huh? You worry about your job, your public reputation, or maybe your physical safety. Personally, I think we all have moments when we’re confronted with this. You probably have something on your mind right now, a big chance you’re thinking about taking. As we grow to be adults, these chances get scarier because we know we’re not kids anymore and we’ve got real things we can lose. Taking the safe route is always an option. Sometimes it’s even the smart move. But I don’t think many great empires have been built by people who always played by the rules. Arnold’s life story is one long series of gambles, just like us. His courage was the deciding factor in his choices. What will yours be?

Setbacks…

Him: Just because Arnold’s life is a dazzling success story, don’t think for one second that he hasn’t dealt with obstacles and defeats. After winning that first contest, he went on a rampage of victories that continued until he ran into Cuba’s Sergio Oliva, who kicked his ass at the 1970 Mr. Olympia. Getting owned by Sergio was humiliating, and it took some wind out of Arnold’s sails. He came back the next year to win Mr. Olympia, which he continued to do for years afterwards. But there were other hitches he had to deal with outside the competitive platform. His early efforts in business were frustrating, especially when he was managing a gym in Austria and doing almost all the work himself around the clock just to pay his bills. On top of that, it’s interesting to look at Arnold now because he wrote this book in 1977, as I said. But over the last few decades, his story has unfolded in several other ways. He’s experienced record-breaking box office success as an actor, and he’s also lived through movies that flopped as his star progressively dwindled on the big screen. He became the Governor of California, and then later endured public scandal when his wife divorced him after he had an affair. In short, he’s had major peaks and major valleys.

You: Jeez, does this stuff sound familiar or what? Being defeated, struggling in career and business, relationship troubles, divorce, huge successes followed by agonizing blows, every bit of it. If you’re an adult, you’ve felt some of these. Some of you have felt all of them. Sometimes, I think we look at the great “winners” in the world and think they’ve always been winners. We’re not adjusted to the idea that they’ve had their teeth kicked in, just like the rest of us. They project an image of success, so that’s how we perceive them. As I mentioned before, I love it when I read about great champions who have had to deal with the same problems as me. It’s not because I like the idea of other people being torn down. It’s because I like the idea that maybe I can survive and conquer just like they did, know what I mean? Arnold, despite his larger-than-life status, has had his nuts kicked a few times (excuse the expression, ladies). And that brings me to our last point…

Self-Perception…

Arnold openly states that he’s been able to make it through these setbacks because of the inner change that he experienced from lifting weights. Becoming a lifter made him feel different, special, and stronger. He had insecurities when he was a kid, just like all of us. In his case, he had an older brother who had always received more praise and love from his parents. Arnold felt insignificant, which was one of the fundamental driving forces behind his need for accomplishment. How about it, folks? Anything like that in your childhood? He also added several times that his accomplishments have simply been a byproduct of time, patience, and hard work.

Once you’ve been a serious strength athlete, you understand these things. You could relate his ideas to your own goals…like a 200-pound clean and jerk or 500-pound deadlift. Hell, you could relate it to something like finishing your master’s degree, building your business, raising a family, or working your way up in your career. Just plug in your own personal target, and his words give you a perfect reminder of a lesson we all need to go back to sometimes. Time, patience, and hard work… Greatness doesn’t come for free, and building a legacy is a lifetime pursuit.

I read this book when I was around 12 or 13. Now I’m 42. And when I go back and read it again, I’m stunned at how closely my own career mirrors his. I haven’t made millions of dollars or achieved world fame like he did, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the things that really matter. He had circumstances that stood in his way, and he had to think outside the box to climb over them. He had to take chances. He had a lot of people in his life who helped him, and some who tried to hold him back. He experienced defeats. He got discouraged and thought about quitting once or twice. He got frustrated when the progress didn’t happen as fast as he wanted. He matured from a dumb crazy kid to a mature responsible adult. He learned. He endured. And he conquered.

His story is my story. It’s your story, and that’s why I wanted to use this month’s article to tell you about this book. Sure, we all need training programs. We all need technique. But take it from somebody who’s been battling this sport for a very long time…we all need encouragement too. We need inspiration. Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever heard of, so do yourself a favor and read this book. It’ll be good for you. I promise.