October 23, 2023

It's difficult for Arnold Schwarzenegger to get old, because he was was in perfect shape, but...

"... most of the people never have been in shape. So what does it mean — 'getting out of shape'? They've always looked at a shitty body, so therefore it gets shittier as time goes on." You can't know what it's like for Arnold, who looked in the mirror and saw "the supreme body."

A TikTok embed:
@howardsternshow Arnold Schwarzenegger on Aging and Being Out of Shape (2023) #howardstern #SternShow #thehowardsternshow #howardsternshow #fyp #ArnoldSchwarzenegger #Schwarzenegger #aging @Arnold @Howard Stern ♬ original sound - The Howard Stern Show

60 comments:

Joe Smith said...

He may have thought his body was perfect.

It was not an 'ideal' body as it took too much work to get it and maintain it, and both of those required drugs.

Besides, that much muscle mass would be very inefficient in a world without modern conveniences.

He'd be the first one to get eaten by the saber-tooth tiger...

Rocco said...

What Homer Simpson sees when looking in a mirror: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxJo6QKNV-g

chuck said...

Jack LaLanne, "I Can't Die; it'll Ruin my Image."

Kate said...

Aging sucks for everybody, buddy. Your challenges aren't unique or more important than mine.

tim maguire said...

Some people stay very fit deep into old age. They stay active, of course. But they also control their weight--you have to lose pounds as you lose muscle.

Yancey Ward said...

I know how he feels- I was lean and ripped the day I graduated from high school and, two years later, I had put on 100+ pounds. It took me another two years to get rid of the gained weight and reclaim that body I had at the end of high school. I maintained that body until the mid to late 40s, but I see it slipping away every day as I am now 57. I am still in much better shape than 98% of the men my age, but miss the me of even just 10 years ago.

Amexpat said...

I admire his frankness and confidence, but his body wasn't perfect by most people's standards. His muscles were freakishly out of porportion and not practical for everyday living.

Lilly, a dog said...

I guess his new housekeeper keeps turning him down for a quickie.

Freeman Hunt said...

Aging attractive women can relate.

The Crack Emcee said...

The ghost of Stephen Hawking laughs at him AND thinks he's stupid.

Old and slow said...

He used to be a circus freak, now he is only a clown.

Iman said...

“…get enuf exacise and dose things…”

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Saw a great Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs show in L.A. on Friday night. They have a song about people like Arnold. "Fuck That Guy!" Great riff, a cowbell in the caesura and the song is a fun singalong complete with hand gestures. Three hour show, mostly because half was dedicated to Mike's songwriting partner and old band's leader Tom Petty (Friday would have been his 73rd birthday). Heartbreaker drummer Steve Ferrone sat in on the set.

Link to official video: youtube.com/watch?v=-nG6Q7MqVCo

Tina Trent said...

The toughest people on earth are those who have long-time disabilities, will never achieve much beyond surviving, often in horrific ways, yet persist, lying on cold gurneys in forgotten hallways between CAT scans and dreadful treatments, and fear complaining lest they alienate the careless among those who maintain their fragile existence.

The rest of us are relative pussies and should be grateful for being ignorant enough to be so.

Humility is the ultimate muscle.

Oligonicella said...

"You can't know what it's like for Arnold, who looked in the mirror and saw "the supreme body."

That is true, I never suffered from that extreme narcissism.

Pompous horseshit. Am I supposed to feel some sort of sympathy for Schwarzenegger? A man so muscle-bound he moves like a desert tortoise. A man who riddled his earlier life with 'roids?

I have no more empathy for him than I do for anyone else my age.

Oh, yeah, Schwarzenegger re COVID: "Screw your freedom."

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Body building does not promote athleticism. It is focused solely towards making your muscles grow larger. There is more to being healthy than having large muscles. In fact, you can be healthy without having large muscles. There is a reason why boxers and other athletes jump rope and run, to build endurance and stamina.

Endurance:
The act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship or stress.
"A marathon tests a runner's endurance."

Stamina:
The energy and strength for continuing to do something over a long period of time; power of sustained exertion, or resistance to hardship, illness etc.

Joe Bar said...

Sorry. Can't stand either of those douche nozzles.

Arashi said...

Yeah, you get older and your body changes. Things hurt that never did. Vital systems age and do not work as well anymore. So, if you are smart, you make some dietary changes, commit to a reasonable workout routine and make the best of it.

TreeJoe said...

My Dad raised me on Arnold and others as the way to diet, exercise, and measure of being "in shape."

This gave me alot of good and alot of bad in my life. However, for years I studied it closely. I even developed a personal relationship with one of Arnold's training partners, Dave Draper, when Dave and his wife owned a gym in CA and put out advice and a great protein powder.

I can understand what Arnold is saying. He focused his immense will and intellect into winning, building a globally known persona, dieting and exercising to extremes, and then catapulting that into a successful business and ultimately political career. He's conservatively worth half a billion dollars.

He's now at the nadir of his life in terms of physical prowess, business, politics, etc.

Seems normal to me he'd be talking this way. Whether it's fitness or other things, there's a huge difference for an individual when they reach a pinnacle and come down vs. someone who just gracefully ages in place without much changing.

Koot Katmandu said...

What an asshole. His body was built on steroids.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

This is as close to SNL Hans and Frans I’ve ever heard Arnold sound. “They’ve always looked at a 💩 body”

link


Aggie said...

"You all just don't know how difficult it is, to be me"

Oh, Ahnoad. Don't be such a girly man.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Upon hearing the Governator, I read the next post in his voice, for some reason, and it sounds more authoritative; "The sheer mass of these shelves stops the ice on land from flowing more quickly into the open sea."

What is it about that accent?

n.n said...

A shitty body by choice, mandate, chaos, and progress.

Rabel said...

And speaking of old men keeping themselves in good shape, has any story ever been buried as fast and deep as the Frank Biden dic pic?

Dude is definitely toned.

The Crack Emcee said...

I haven't liked Arnold Schwarzenegger since the movie "Pumping Iron," which was two hours of him torturing the deaf Lou Ferrigno. I've also never liked what it said, about the country, that that was his star vehicle.

By the way, the news is that Suzanne Somers chose to die like Steve Jobs, arrogantly going the "alternative" medicine and "holistic" rout when it wasn't necessary. She and her ThighMaster, like Arnold Schwarzenegger's ruthless pursuit of fame, were part of the coarsening of America, and our descent into the new world of fraud, still haunting us today.

The Godfather said...

Many years ago (early 1990's?) my wife and I, and my brother and sister-in-law, were walking through Central Park in NYC, and a jogger ran past us. One of us (not me) said, Hey, that was Arnold Schwarzenegger! And it was. He was wearing running shorts and a t-shirt, and he looked like any other fit, athletic guy jogging in Central Park. Perhaps he had BIG MUSCLES under the t-shirt, but they didn't show.

For build and personal appearance, the jogger that I saw could have played any movie role of a fit young(ish) man. But only in the way that a pretty blond could have played a Marilyn Monroe role.

Arnold was not a good actor, and not a good politician, but he was a GREAT muscleman. Think of the effort he had to put into getting into shape for each of his muscleman movies.

Give credit where credit is due. And don't be jealous.

Freeman Hunt said...

All this Arnold hate. Love Arnold. He's brought so much joy to the big screen. His life has been extraordinary.

Fandor said...

Who cares?

lonejustice said...

From the comments section here, I gather that most people identify with Homer Simpson and not Arnold. Go ahead and have another Duff Beer. Then look in a mirror.

traditionalguy said...

As Glen Reynolds points out, lifting weights is an extremely healthy activity as we age. It helps keep weight down and strengthens bones as septuagenarians try to stay strong.

Arnold was into body building which is to weight lifting as professional wrestling is to real wrestling. Body building is only a theatrical performance. And all actors must face retirement age.

Narr said...

What a wuss. Difficult to get old?

Ha! To me it's as easy and natural as breathing.

rcocean said...

I'm sketpical of "Male Beauty" being applied to Arnold. He got into body building and turned into a muscle bound freak. Later, he eased off the steroids and went into acting and aquired a more natural look.

Facially, he's no beauty. Sort of a brute, who only needs a club and a bearskin.

Redford or say, James garner are "male beauty". not Arnold. And if you're going to give him a male beauty tag, then Lee Marvin and George C. Scott get one.

Random movie star free association: Y'know who was a male beauty when he was young? Bogart. Go look at pictures of him when he was 20 or 25.

The Crack Emcee said...

Freeman Hunt said...

"His life has been extraordinary."

I've heard that but really? He tortured a deaf guy for months - on camera. He used steroids, while telling the nation's kids he was getting those results from hard work, contributing to the proliferation of steroids (a crime) and lying in sports, tons of injuries, and the diminishing of our nation's ideals.

He married a Kennedy and then screwed, and got pregnant, the poor, exploitable ugly maid from Mexico. His wife and kids are now publicly disgusted by the maid's kid, refusing to be seen with or interact with him, and none of them - including Arnold - interacts with the maid any longer. And oh, he also coupled the Kennedy connection he destroyed to his fraudulently earned star power to wreck a fellow political party member, and the last solid Republican Governor of California, only to find himself doing no more and no less than his predecessor was, under the circumstances.

Sure, I'll admit he made some good movies, but - just like with Tom Cruise and the ugly, under-reported things I know people suffer under Scientology - I don't think good movies are enough for that level of praise. If it's true that, in every dream home a heartache, he sounds pretty ordinary to me.

Unknown said...

Round is a shape.

Robt C said...

I was a gymnast in high school and college so I was in great shape. I continued to be fit, just not competitive-level fit for the rest of my life. I was very active, both cardio and weights. That all stopped early last year when I was diagnosed with cancer at 75. I've been in chemo for something like 20 months and the change in my body is very disheartening. Between the chemo and the resultant lack of energy my muscles have atrophied and my gut went from a six-pack to a keg. You guys can rag on Arnold but I can empathize with him.

On the plus side, I'm still alive, so there's that.

Lexington Green said...

Faded greatness is sad.

The Terminator is a great movie.

Rich said...

In the 80s, action heroes were far larger than today's Marvel leads (Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Lundgren et al). Yet today we actually have way fewer "fit" young men than back then. Obesity is on the rise in all age groups.

What we have today is a far more obsessive, and less social and broad, sports and fitness culture. For those who do choose to be physically active, we are seeing increasing intensity and competitiveness. This can be seen both in much more interest in bodybuilding, but also the huge rise in marathon runners, triathletes, etc.

On top of that, dating apps increase the focus on presenting oneself as physically attractive at first look. This, far more than Instagram, means that in a competitive dating market there is major pressure on men to keep up with more attractive peers.

Joe Smith said...

'James garner...'

: )

Amexpat said...

Arnold Schwarzenegger's ruthless pursuit of fame, were part of the coarsening of America, and our descent into the new world of fraud, still haunting us today.

I wouldn't blame Arnold for that - America has always been a "coarse" country and a country where guys like P.T. Barnum could make a good living.

What I blame Arnold for is the changing of the ideal male aesthetic in the 1980's. Leading male actors were either lean and athletic, like a Paul Newman or Steven Mcqueen, or a gruff, tough as nails guy like Lee Marvin. After Arnold and Stallone, guys roided up and pumped iron trying to get doll like cartoonish muscles. Not healthy nor functional for real life activities.

Fortuneately fads change and it seems the majority of hard core gym rats are now into doing cross fit, boot camp training to have bodies that can function as well as they can.

Rusty said...

Pfft! It's real easy to get old. I did it with almost no effort.

Oligonicella said...

Most people see Schwarzenegger as Conan and such, misted or oiled for the camera, perfectly framed and dialog provided.

Not that his delivery helped the text.

I was into D&D and such when Conan came out. I'd been reading R.E.Howard's work for years so I went to see it. My impression was "pretty but agonizingly slow". His shots are all cut so he looks a helluva lot quicker than he is. Reminded me of another lifter I knew who literally couldn't touch his ear and shared with Arnold the reflexes of a sloth on Red Bull.

That ain't 'in shape'.

I agree with Crack, the worst attribute to me was his outright lying about his 'roid use. Not not talking about it, saying he didn't use them.

Oligonicella said...

@Joe Smith:

Garner was always one of my favorites. Great range. Loved the TV show Maverick and the movie was a perfect add on.

Another is Tom Selleck. Admired that both men could act without unnecessary blustering and preening.

Eva Marie said...

I’m not a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger but the film Pumping Iron was scripted to a large extent. “The scene where Arnold decides against attending his dad's funeral because it would mess with his training regimen? Completely fake.”
As for Lou Ferrigno, Pumping Iron was a major reason for him to continue with bodybuilding. The sport had not been providing him a lot of money at the time and he was prepared to call it quits. When he was presented with being in Pumping Iron, he saw it as one last opportunity to find success. “Much of what was shown of Ferrigno training with his father was fabricated for the film. It was to help give a different atmosphere and further promote Ferrigno’s underdog persona in the documentary.“ “But the film is a big part of the reason he eventually landed the role of The Incredible Hulk. The rest after that is history. His name was forever cemented in pop culture and bodybuilding.”
I’ve also read that the mechanics of the rivalry between Lou and Arnold was also scripted - but, couldn’t find a quote for that.
However the film did portray the emotional reality of body building accurately. Which is why it became such a hit.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The way Arnold talks about it, makes it sound like... hamartia.

john mosby said...

Crack, thanks for the Bryan Ferry reference!

JSM

meep said...

One of the most interesting transformations to watch is sumo wrestlers after they retire. Many aren't the huge, fat guys of stereotype, but it does take a lot of work (and the calorie-rich sumo stew, called chankonabe, plus rice and rice and rice) to maintain all the muscle and bulk. They usually retire from wrestling in their 30s and then become a coach or other career in the sumo world, or do something similar.

One of the biggest transformations we've been watching in the sumo fan community is of the ex-wrestler Yutakayama, who retired in November 2022, and opened a gym after retiring.

You can see what he looked like as a wrestler on his wiki page here: [stereotypical look]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yutakayama_Ry%C5%8Dta

He recently ran a half marathon:
https://youtu.be/xcz7rxSuCvI?si=hLYWFyh-zeQKdyST&t=204

He looks fabulous. Many of the ex-wrestlers lose a lot of that weight, and become almost unrecognizable as normal-sized Japanese men. All of the top sumo association officials used to be top wrestlers.

The Crack Emcee said...

"America has always been a "coarse" country and a country where guys like P.T. Barnum could make a good living."

Y'all are waaaaaaaaay too comfortable with that fact.

The Crack Emcee said...

"P.T. Barnum could make a good living."

Because this is a nation of suckers - as he famously said.

Saint Croix said...

My favorite Arnold story is when he had dinner with Andre the Giant.

Andre was never in shape and drank tremendous amounts of alcohol all of his life. Super-strong, freak of nature, never worked out.

Humility!

Saint Croix said...

Oh, Ahnoad. Don't be such a girly man.

His attitude reminds me of what beautiful women go through. You're young and beautiful, and as you age you lose that sexual power. Diane Rigg -- who was the "it" girl when she was Emma Peel -- once talked about reaching an age when she felt invisible on a street.

Age is a great equalizer, making everybody uglier. It's a democratic force, aging, as it happens to everybody. (See also: death).

Saint Croix said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Saint Croix said...

The people who are bemoaning "steroids" should be saying a lot of shit about what doctors are prescribing to girls today.

You should be very vocal and embarrass the shit out of them.

Saint Croix said...

Birth control pills are steroids, too.

Our feminist media loves some steroids and hates other steroids.

Steroids have no feelings, and if they cause cancer, they cause cancer.

Early pills were laced with estrogen and some people suspect they might be linked to a notable rise in breast cancer.

When I was a kid, we all loved the result in Griswold v. Connecticut. Because we were all young and sex is fun! Some of the dishonesty in the opinion might have annoyed us, but not the result.

Today I'm like, "it's kind of crazy to suggest that our authorities can't regulate the drug industry."

The Crack Emcee said...

If you are disabled in anyway, this national obsession with fake "health," and looking like you popped out of a comic book, is just outrageously narcissistic, silly, and insulting, because - just like with religion - people can obviously live just fine without all that. But especially all the constant fucking preening and self-glorification over nothing that goes along with it. These are your "selfie" people you just can't seem to leave the rest of us alone. Who today crowd out things like art and music, for the glorification of meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Fuck you.

Amexpat said...

Y'all are waaaaaaaaay too comfortable with that fact.

Not sure how I fit into your "Y'all" category. I feel like an outsider here because, despite their many faults, I support Globalism and Liberal Democracy, which is out synch with the most vocal herd here.

And how should one react to all the shit the US has done after you acknowledge the hard, cold facts? Hand-wringing liberal guilt isn't going to solve anything. And trying to paint the US as some sort of exceptionally evil empire shows a lack of knowledge of world history and, fundamentally, human nature. The shit the US done has happened in every continent except Antarctica. The fault is not in our countries but in ourselves.

Narr said...

We're all "y'all" to Crack.

Just accept it.

The Crack Emcee said...

Narr said...
We're all "y'all" to Crack.

Just accept it.

If I haven't seen you complaining about it, yep. You're all adults here and you've had enough time.

Narr said...

I'll try to increase my complaint output, Crack Emceeyore.

The Crack Emcee said...

Narr said...

I'll try to increase my complaint output, Crack Emceeyore.

OK, you finally made me laugh - good job.