about the world of bodybuilding, focusing on the 1975 IFBB Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia
competitions and the 100 days leading up to them. The film was inspired by a book of the same name, written by Charles Gaines
and George Butler. The film focuses nominally on the competition between Arnold Schwarzenegger
and his primary competitor for the title of Mr. Olympia, Lou Ferrigno
. The film also features brief segments focusing on bodybuilders Franco Columbu
and Mike Katz
, in addition to appearances by Ken Waller
, Ed Corney
, Serge Nubret
, and other famous bodybuilders of the era.
Although the filmmakers ran out of funds to finish production, when the film was ultimately released in 1977 it became a box office success, making Schwarzenegger a household name.
The good bodybuilders have the same mind...that a sculptor has. If you analyze it, you look in the mirror and you say, okay, I need a bit more deltoids...so that the proportion's right, and...you exercise and put those deltoids on, whereas an artist would just slap on some clay on each side.
I always felt my place was in America, and when I was ten years old I only dreamed of coming to America and being the greatest and being different from anybody else.
I've thrown up many times working out, but it's all worth it.
Franco is pretty smart, but Franco's a child, and when it comes to the day of the contest, I am his father. He comes to me for advices. So it's not that hard for me to give him the wrong advices.
I don't have any weak points. I had weak points three years ago, but my main thing in mind is, my goal always was, to even out everything to the point... that everything is perfect. Which means if I want to increase one muscle a half inch, the rest of the body has to increase. I would never make one muscle increase or decrease, because everything fits together now, and all I have to do is get my posing routine down more perfect, which is almost impossible to do, you know. It's perfect already.
["Do you visualize yourself as a living sculpture?"] Yes, definitely. Good bodybuilders have the same mind when it comes to sculpting, than a sculptor has.
Milk is for babies, when you get older you drink beer.
The greatest feeling you can get in a gym, or the most satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is... The Pump. Let's say you train your biceps. Blood is rushing into your muscles and that's what we call The Pump. You muscles get a really tight feeling, like your skin is going to explode any minute, and it's really tight - it's like somebody blowing air into it, into your muscle. It just blows up, and it feels really different. It feels fantastic.
[walks up to the counter of Gold's Gym] Can I sign up? I want to start gaining some muscles.
I was always dreaming about very powerful people - dictators and things like that. I was just always impressed by people who could be remembered for hundreds of years, or even, like Jesus, be for thousands of years remembered.