These Arnold Schwarzenegger Throwback Photos Will Get You Pumped
The Austrian Oak has a long history of inspiring the public with his work ethic and physique. We take a look at some awesome vintage shots of the bodybuilder-turned-celebrity.
Few men have influenced pop culture in America like Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Austrian-born superstar may have planted his roots in the U.S. through bodybuilding, but seven Mr. Olympia wins didn’t even leave him satisfied.
As he transformed from bodybuilder to Hollywood star, and even after he served as governor of California, Schwarzenegger remained a fitness icon for the body he sculpted in the 1970s. To this day, his aesthetic physique—with the pronounced pecs, formidable shoulders, bulging arms and legs, and tapered waist—is easily one of the most iconic of all time. When an average person thinks “bodybuilder,” it’s safe to say The Austrian Oak’s silhouette pops into their head.
These days, Schwarzenegger still stays fit and stars in movies. But fortunately for bodybuilders everywhere, he was photographed constantly over the course of his peak bodybuilding years. We rounded up some of our favorite shots of Schwarzenegger, both bodybuilding and otherwise, for your enjoyment.
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Hulton Archive / Stringer / Getty
The poses Schwarzenegger struck on the beach in Santa Monica back in the ’60s and ’70s have become some of the most iconic of all time.
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Hulton Archive / Getty
Schwarzenegger’s musculature earned him plenty of endorsements, including supp companies. In this throwback to 1967, he poses for a shoot with a German protein product company.
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Michael Ochs Archives / Getty
The Austrian Oak became an American citizen on September 17, 1983, in Los Angeles. Of course, it was a big deal for the paparazzi.
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Michael Ochs Archives / Getty
In this 1966 shot taken in Austria, Schwarzenegger’s muscles seem to match the mountains in the background.
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Hulton Archive / Getty
Schwarzenegger rocks some floral trunks in this shot taken near Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, CA.
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Michael Ochs Archives / Getty
By the late ’70s, Schwarzenegger was a well-known figure in the bodybuilding community. In this photo from Muscle Beach, the crowd watches him knock out some curls.
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Jack Mitchell / Getty
Schwarzenegger’s upper body was on another level in the mid-1970s, and there were plenty of photoshoots to document it.
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Eric Robert / Getty
At the Cannes Film Festival in 1990, Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone joked around with a quick dance, featuring an epic Hawaiian shirt on Arnold.
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Jack Mitchell / Getty
Schwarzenegger’s tapered waist and insanely wide lats are accentuated in this iconic shot from the mid-’70s. His posing went down in history, and for good reason. These days, you’ll find countless bodybuilders—including the Oak’s own son—copying his moves.
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Aaron Rapoport / Getty
In a promo shot for 1993’s Last Action Hero, Schwarzenegger looks every inch the action movie badass.
