The Austrian Oak

**SPIKE1257** · 05-02-2005, 08:51 AM

Some history on Arnold, I'm sure everyone already knows, but here goes........ Arnold Schwarzenegger, "The Austrian Oak", was a bodybuilding prodigy who won the 1967 NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe title at the age of 20.

He went on to take the professional version of that championship in 1968, 1969 and 1970. Under the guidance and sponsorship of Joe Weider, he relocated to Santa Monica, California, in 1968 and within a year, became the most popular and charismatic bodybuilder in the sport. Arnold won the 1969 IFBB Mr. Universe and, in his IFBB Mr. Olympia debut that same year, placed second to Sergio Oliva, but Arnold never lost again.

He proceeded to dominate the IFBB Mr. Olympia with six consecutive wins, 1970 to 1975, before briefly retiring to pursue a film career. He was the focus of attention in the ground-breaking movie Pumping Iron, which documented the 1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia.

The film was released in 1977 and became a cult hit. In 1980, he returned to the contest stage to controversially win that year's IFBB Mr. Olympia in Sydney, Australia. After finally retiring, Arnold had other fields to plow, including movies, restaurants, investments, books, and heading the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sport.

He became an America citizen in 1983 and, in 1986, married Maria Shriver, niece of slain president John F. Kennedy. In the early '90s, his film career took him to the heights of Hollywood, but Arnold also busied himself with charitable undertakings, such as the Special Olympics and many inner-city projects.

His umbilical link with bodybuilding remains through his Arnold Fitness Expo, held annually the first week of March in Columbus, Ohio. It is true to say that no other bodybuilder took the sport to a wider audience that the seven-time IFBB Mr. Olympia. Arnold is without a doubt the most famous bodybuilder ever. Nickname: The Austrian Oak

Born: July 30, 1947
Birthplace: Tahl, Graz, AUSTRIA
Residence: California, USA
Height: 6' 2"
Arms: 22"
Chest: 57"
Waist: 34"
Thighs: 28,5"
Calves: 20"
Off Season Weight: 235 lbs
Competition Weight: 260 lbs TITLES WON

1966 Mr. Europe
1967 NABBA Mr. Universe
1968 IFBB Mr. Universe (Tall)
1968 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe
1969 IFBB Mr. Europe
1969 IFBB Mr. International
1969 IFBB Mr. Universe
1969 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe
1970 AAU Mr. World
1970 NABBA Pro Mr. Universe
1970 IFBB Mr. Olympia
1971 IFBB Mr. Olympia
1972 IFBB Mr. Olympia
1973 IFBB Mr. Olympia
1974 IFBB Mr. Olympia
1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia
1980 IFBB Mr. Olympia

Some Photos

**BigDyl** · 05-02-2005, 11:38 AM

Nice job on the Arnold peice.

**musclepump** · 05-02-2005, 12:11 PM

What's with all these history lessons and biographies, Spike?

**SPIKE1257** · 05-02-2005, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by musclepump

What's with all these history lessons and biographies, Spike?

I don't know, just thought it would be cool to see some of the old stuff.

**musclepump** · 05-02-2005, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by SPIKE1257

I don't know, just thought it would be cool to see some of the old stuff.

It is. Just didn't know if you were doing some sort of project

**BigDyl** · 05-02-2005, 02:07 PM

I'll give it an E for effort.

**MaxiumPump** · 05-03-2005, 08:39 AM

arnold was alright but had no leg size

**Doublebase** · 05-03-2005, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by MaxiumPump

arnold was alright but had no leg size

I disagree.

**WilliamB** · 05-03-2005, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by MaxiumPump

arnold was alright but had no leg size

Did the repeated wins in Mr. Olympia give you this notion?

He was alright lol.

**JoeR.** · 05-03-2005, 10:56 AM

Interesting how his off season weight was 25lbs lower than his competition weight......

**MaxiumPump** · 05-03-2005, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by WilliamB

Did the repeated wins in Mr. Olympia give you this notion?

He was alright lol.

yeah wilder wanted a white man, also arnolds personality helped him, hes alright, but sergio was better and mentzer should of beat him on arnolds comeback in 1980, but then the mind wanders with thinking of what is drumed into you by the media.

**musclepump** · 05-03-2005, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by MaxiumPump

yeah wilder wanted a white man, also arnolds personality helped him, hes alright, but sergio was better and mentzer should of beat him on arnolds comeback in 1980, but then the mind wanders with thinking of what is drumed into you by the media.

It had nothing to do with race. Arnold was confident, poised, and huge. Yes, politics came into play and Oliva got screwed, but it was because of his stance on things--not his skin color.

**Duncans Donuts** · 05-03-2005, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by MaxiumPump

yeah wilder wanted a white man, also arnolds personality helped him, hes alright, but sergio was better and mentzer should of beat him on arnolds comeback in 1980, but then the mind wanders with thinking of what is drumed into you by the media.

Amen!

**BigDyl** · 05-03-2005, 01:18 PM

I've never seen a pic of Menzter. Isn't mentzer the leg guy?

**musclepump** · 05-03-2005, 01:34 PM

the leg guy?

**DOMS** · 05-03-2005, 02:07 PM

The guys who wrote the Heavy Duty methodology and an old school monster:

**musclepump** · 05-03-2005, 02:40 PM

Hoo Rah!

**MaxiumPump** · 05-03-2005, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by musclepump

but it was because of his stance on things--not his skin color.

Can you prove that

**DOMS** · 05-03-2005, 02:57 PM

It had to do with Olivia not being a part of the Weider stable.

**MaxiumPump** · 05-03-2005, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by cfs3

It had to do with Olivia not being a part of the Weider stable.

and why wasn`t he part of that?

**DOMS** · 05-03-2005, 03:15 PM

I don't really know, but it's not because he was black. There were plenty of Weider bodybuilders who were black. I recently read an interview with Olivia and he never really came out and said why, but he did blame losing to Arnold on not being a Weider boy.

**DOMS** · 05-03-2005, 03:16 PM

On a related note, are you black and looking to find the "Man" in all this?

**Prince** · 05-03-2005, 03:23 PM

My humble opinion on this...

Whether it was political or not having Arnold as the Mr. O 7 times was probably the best thing that could have happened to bodybuilding. Arnold brought bodybuilding to the public and he had more charisma and star potential than anyone else in bodybuilding history. So, if Weider saw that and capitalized he made a great business decision that propelled the sport to a new level, and now we have the Arnold Classic, the second biggest bodybuilding/fitness expo of the year.

Is that right? Probably not, the best athlete should win, but politics play a role in all sports.

**MaxiumPump** · 05-03-2005, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by Robert DiMaggio

My humble opinion on this...

Whether it was political or not having Arnold as the Mr. O 7 times was probably the best thing that could have happened to bodybuilding. Arnold brought bodybuilding to the public and he had more charisma and star potential than anyone else in bodybuilding history. So, if Weider saw that and capitalized he made a great business decision that propelled the sport to a new level, and now we have the Arnold Classic, the second biggest bodybuilding/fitness expo of the year.

Is that right? Probably not, the best athlete should win, but politics play a role in all sports.

^^^^ thats why bodybuilding will never be a reconised "sport"

1 obvious steriod abuse, that wont change, wielder wants freaks to help sell his magazines and supplement companys will mostly pic the biggest guy.

2 if they did stop steriods then guys that jucie like cazy in local gyms will be bigger then the Mr O, that wont be much good.

3 politics and the finding of steriods IMO have put a huge brick wall up that will never let bodybuilding become a proper sport, olymipcs or whatever you want to call it.

**MaxiumPump** · 05-03-2005, 03:36 PM

To bring bb to the next level, kick wilder out, make a competition that is idependant from selling/buisness give higer prize money, drug tests and bans for all steriods/diarettics and gh etc..... soon i belive things are going to change with particually america getting bad ass on steriod issues.

**Prince** · 05-03-2005, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by MaxiumPump

^^^^ thats why bodybuilding will never be a reconised "sport"

bodybuilding is a subculture that the general public is just not interested in.

and due to its inherent subjectivity it cannot gain credibility and Olympic recognition, and yes of course the "obvious" drug abuse plays a role too.

**DOMS** · 05-03-2005, 03:41 PM

True. Not everyone wants bodybuilding to go mainstream. Hell, look what that did to porn...

**min0 lee** · 05-03-2005, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by cfs3

It had to do with Olivia not being a part of the Weider stable.

I agree, Mentzer was also not part of his stable.

**min0 lee** · 05-03-2005, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by Robert DiMaggio

My humble opinion on this...

Whether it was political or not having Arnold as the Mr. O 7 times was probably the best thing that could have happened to bodybuilding. Arnold brought bodybuilding to the public and he had more charisma and star potential than anyone else in bodybuilding history. So, if Weider saw that and capitalized he made a great business decision that propelled the sport to a new level, and now we have the Arnold Classic, the second biggest bodybuilding/fitness expo of the year.

Is that right? Probably not, the best athlete should win, but politics play a role in all sports.

Well said.

**musclepump** · 05-03-2005, 08:11 PM

Bodybuilding is, has been, and will be a niche thing. It's good that way, but I do think the guys are just too big these days.

Thread: The Austrian Oak

Thread Tools

Display

The Austrian Oak

Mike Mentzer

Similar Threads

Arnold Schwarzenegger as next Austrian president?

Austrian Legislation Will Criminalize the Possession of Anabolic Steroids

Posting Permissions