Arnold Schwarzenegger Psychology

Arnold Schwarzenegger Psychological Tricks

Arnold tells Mike Mentzer his waist is too big at the 1980 Mr. Olympia

We see Arnold's psychological tricks everywhere in interviews and the many movies that he has made. From a bodybuilding point of view we first saw Arnold psych-out his opposition on camera in 1975 when he was having breakfast with Lou Ferrigno and his family.

Arnold looked across at Lou who had already placed second to him at last years Mr. Olympia competition previously and said: "I'm going to win Mr. Olympia for the 6th time, don't you think that's incredible?" But that is just one of the countless and unpredictable psychological tricks Arnold had up his sleeve.

During a normal bodybuilding competition the pre-judging happens before the main evening show. Arnold would use these moments to secure his many wins that he had in his bodybuilding career as well as his successful movie career.

For example, if he was pumping iron backstage during the days pre-judging session, he would walk up to a fellow competitor and ask "Do you have some knee injury that you've been dealing with?" The competitor would look at him and say "No, no injury my knees are fine."

Arnold would then walk away saying "Well it certainly looks like it because your legs are a lot slimmer than when we competed last time." The effectiveness of Arnold's way of psyching out his enemy before they actually stood onstage was later explained by him in an interview years later.

Arnold explains that he has watched bodybuilding shows and usually at any professional show the first top 5 bodybuilders have very little difference between them. Arnold explains that the bodybuilder that wins is the one who stands onstage and convinces the judges, without saying a word.

It's attitude, plus confidence in your presentation but it's also a psyche that the judges cannot help to pick up on and judge accordingly. Arnold has won many bodybuilding shows, but his "attitude" was also captured by the many movies that he made which is what put him on the world map.

Some reporters claim that it's the same bodybuilding psychological tricks that got him to be Governor of California. From a competitive point of view every sports person can learn from Arnold's psychological tricks, it needs to be factored in with a bit of reality however, otherwise you just come across as being delusional.

Editor's note: I feel, it shows lack of confidence on Arnold's part that he felt he needed to play tricks on his competition in order to win. Or is it that Arnold just enjoys putting people down and unsetting them? I personally admire Arnold as a bodybuilder, but not as a person. I think he is way too egotistic and cut throat. Lou Ferrigno's father Matt told Arnold during the filming of Pumping Iron "I wouldn't turn my back on you Arnold within a hundred yards" basically calling him a backstabber. In all the years since Arnold has done nothing to prove he's not and a lot to prove he is. So what do you think is Arnold an asshole or is he just a rascal?

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