How Strong was Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Prime? The Muscle Legacy!

In the world of bodybuilding, the name Arnold Schwarzenegger has cemented itself in perpetual glory. Every fitness enthusiast with an ambition to have a well-built physique is inspired by him.

He held the Mr. Olympia title seven times throughout his career, second only to the legendary Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney, who won the competition eight times in a row to create history.

But it was Arnold who brought the bodybuilding sport under the spotlight. And that is why he might perhaps be the most famous name in the industry today.

However, it wasn’t always about having the perfect, shredded body for him. Before his entry into the bodybuilding world, Arnie was more dedicated to professional powerlifting and Olympic-style weightlifting competitions. He participated in many meets and events as a teenager and young adult.

It was during these years that Arnold established that he was as strong as he was shredded. In his subsequent years, he set out on the journey to build the perfect physique. And that is when he gained most of his fame.

But did his strength keep up with his muscles? Let’s find out.

How Strong was Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Prime?

In most cases, bodybuilders are not known for their raw strength ^[1]. Instead, they put most of the focus on hypertrophy and achieving muscular symmetry. But Arnold the “Austrian Oak” Schwarzenegger is a different gravy.

Before he got shredded and huge like a Greek god, he was crushing it in powerlifting and weightlifting competitions. His early years in the fitness community demonstrate just how incredibly strong he was at that time.

Arnie started his career as a weightlifter, building raw strength early on. According to his autobiography, he competed professionally for the first time in 1963, when he was just 15 years old ^[2].

In that meet, he lifted 150 pounds while performing the two-arm press. In the next rep, motivated by the surge of the crowd, he managed to record 185 pounds. It’s important to remember that the three most popular lifts at that time were the overhead press, the snatch, and the clean & jerk. Arnold was a pro at all of them.

To give you some perspective, here’s his best-recorded lift in all these three exercises:

• Overhead Press: 264 pounds
• Snatch: 243 pounds
• Clean & Jerk: 298 pounds

Following his impressive performance, Arnold won the Austrian Olympic Lifting Championship in 1965. Although his title is confirmed, the total amount of weight he lifted during that event is still unknown.

After that, Arnold quit weightlifting to enter an entirely different arena – powerlifting. One reason for the switch might be his concern about his body type. Because of his large torso and somewhat bulky figure, he was more suited to perform heavy compound movements like squats, bench presses, and deadlifts ^[3].

According to QA International, professional powerlifting had just been introduced in the early 1960s ^[4]. Arnold’s emergence as a rising star in this competition also gave prominence to this new type of strength-based competition.

Apart from his body type, there’s another reason why the Austrian Oak wanted to try his hands at powerlifting. He was inspired by another athlete in this area – Reg Park.

In his book titled, ‘Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder’, he claimed that he adopted powerlifting after seeing Park bench 500 pounds and deadlift 700 pounds ^[5]. It’s natural, therefore, that he wanted to be just as strong and capable of lifting heavy weights as his then-idol.

As Park was a bodybuilder, Arnold also adopted a diverse training program. While he strived to lift as heavy as possible, he also wanted to build a physique worth showing off. So, his training as a powerlifter and a bodybuilder initially went hand-in-hand.

In 1966, Arnold made his powerlifting Debut. His results were a little more than impressive. His 1RM records were as follows:

• Bench Press: 363 pounds
• Deadlift: 551 pounds
• Squat: 375 pounds
• Powerlifting Total: 1,290 pounds

With such an impressive tally of points, the Austrian Oak stood in first place in his debut competition. But the raw strength he demonstrated came with a backdrop – he had put on a lot of weight.

After that point, he decided to diet and go into the cutting phase to get a shredded and ripped body. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why Arnold only managed a runner-up position in the 1967 German Powerlifting Championship.

Fortunately, his last competition as a powerlifter was a huge success. It came in 1968, when he prominently managed to record a 683-pounder deadlift. At that time, he was only 20 years old, competing against some of the strongest men in the country.

After this meet, Arnold put his entire focus on bodybuilding. Two years from that point, Arnold would win his first-ever Mr. Olympia title in 1970.

But before his triumphs as a shredded bodybuilder, Arnold demonstrated just how strong he was, or even before when he was just a teenager rearing to make a name for himself.

How Heavy was Arnold Schwarzenegger in his Prime?

Arnold weighed the heaviest during his powerlifting phase. During his competitive debut in 1966, he weighed around 250 pounds. His sheer size gave him the raw strength that he needed to win the first prize, but he decided that he would need to trim down his weight.

As such, Arnie was always lighter than that from that point onwards.

Specifically, at his peak, during the summit of his bodybuilding career, Arnold had an average weight of around 225-235 pounds, which is not that heavy for a man as big as he was at that time.

It’s important to note that this weight was recorded during his stage performance and not during the off-season.

How Does Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Strength Compare to Other Powerlifters?

Arnold Schwarzenegger started his career as a weightlifter and a powerlifter. But comparing him to other seasoned professionals of the sport would be unfair.

That’s because the Austrian Oak never really competed when he had hit his prime. It was only during his teen years and early 20s that he was lifting heavy weights and leading that strength-focused lifestyle.

However, if we are to pit him against other powerlifters, the best way to do that is to consider his best 1RM performance and compare it with that of the others.

We know that his best performance was in the 1968 German Powerlifting Championship. Unfortunately, no information is available on the amount of weight he lifted. So, we will go with his second-best performance in 1966.

• Bench Press: 363 pounds
• Deadlift: 551 pounds
• Squat: 375 pounds
• Powerlifting Total: 1,290 pounds

Let’s compare this record with the powerlifters of today. In the 2023 IPF World Classic Championship, Delaney Wallace from the United States bagged the first prize with a powerlifting total of 1796 pounds.

Compared to that, Arnold’s 1290 pounds are looking meager. But there are some other factors at play. For example, Delaney was 29 when he competed and won the competition. Arnold, during his debut performance, was just 19 years of age.

Similarly, modern-day athletes have robust equipment to assist their lifts and improve their functionality. Arnold used to show up for competitions and meets in simple trousers and tee shirts.

So, we cannot say that Arnold is stronger than professional powerlifters. But his early years of heavy lifting definitely indicated that he had the potential to become one of the strongest ever if he had dedicated his career to just powerlifting and strength training.

How Does Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Strength Compare to Other Bodybuilders?

Arnold is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. He is also arguably the most iconic of them all.

He has cemented his legacy by becoming a brand, an international star, and a fitness legend on the global stage.

With what he has achieved, it’s only fair that we compare the Austrian Oak’s strength to the strongest bodybuilder of all time – Ronnie Coleman.

Let’s put them head-to-head:

• Bench Press: According to our 1RM calculator, Coleman’s heaviest bench press is around 567 pounds. In an official newsletter posted by Schwarzenegger himself, he said that he had recorded a max bench press of 525 pounds ^[6]. There is not a significant difference between the two. In fact, Coleman’s 567 pounds is only an estimate, while Arnold’s is a fact.
• Squat:  Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s estimated heaviest squat is 841.5 pounds. On the other hand, Arnold’s maximum in the same category is 550 pounds. There is a huge difference between the two, so Coleman is clearly stronger in this category.
• Deadlift: Coleman’s estimated heaviest deadlift is also 841.5 pounds. On the other hand, Arnold’s best is 710 pounds. Although there is a difference of around 100 pounds between the two, the figure is pretty close, considering that Arnold managed this feat in a competition while Coleman’s measure is only an estimate from a training session.

In all honesty, Arnold Schwarzenegger performed pretty well against the strongest Mr. Olympia of all time. Although Ronnie definitely beat Arnie in each of the three compound lifts, this could be because The King always strived to lift heavier. The Austrian Oak, on the other hand, shifted his focus to hypertrophy after a few years into powerlifting-oriented training.

When the Austrian Oak Lifted a Stone

In 1967, Arnold participated in a stone-lifting contest. Much to the shock of the spectators, the stone to be lifted weighed around 560 pounds.

The winner of the competition would be titled the strongest man in the region. The rules were simple – lift the stone up higher than the opponents.

Another strange fact? Participants weren’t even allowed to warm up!

And so, Arnold lifted the stone on the go, won the competition, and set up a new record. All in a day’s work.

Arnold and Bodybuilding: Beyond Aesthetics

Arnold Schwarzenegger, in many ways, formed the pinnacle of bodybuilding. He made the sport mainstream and gave it the commercial success that it was lacking.

Some people might even say that he started the golden years of bodybuilding.

And at that time, the sport was about more than just the beauty of it. Getting ripped, shredded, and perfectly symmetrical was desirable, but not the absolutes.

Following in Arnold’s footsteps, bodybuilders of the golden generation strived to maximize their athletic performance while building the perfect body.

That is one of the reasons why Arnold continued to develop ‘unconventional’ and effective ways to improve his performance through training.

Don’t miss:

Tallest Bodybuilders Ever
How Strong was Ronnie Coleman in his Prime
Powerlifting vs Bodybuilding
Why Do Bodybuilders Eat Raw Eggs

Winding Up

Arnold Schwarzenegger has gained acclaim in a lot of arenas – bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting, acting, and even politics!

It all started with a small dream and finished with a titanic legacy.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is iconic because he was always about more than just aesthetics. Combined with his shredded and bulky body, his raw strength is what made him more formidable than any other competitor.

References

1. Chappell, A., Simper, T., & Barker, M. E. (2018). Nutritional strategies of high level natural bodybuilders during competition preparation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0209-z
2. Google Books. (n.d.). https://www.google.com/books/edition/Total_Recall/u9PMRsSaqQQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Arnold+schwarzenegger+%22beer+hall%22+weightlifting&pg=PT40&printsec=frontcover
3. Google Books. (n.d.). https://www.google.com/books/edition/Total_Recall/u9PMRsSaqQQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Arnold+schwarzenegger+%22beer+hall%22+weightlifting&pg=PT40&printsec=frontcover
4. Google Books. (n.d.-b). https://www.google.com/books/edition/Sports_The_Complete_Visual_Reference/j-QI04Vh-LAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=powerlifting+created+1960s&pg=PA72&printsec=frontcover
5. Arnold. (n.d.). Google Books. https://books.google.co.in/books?id=UgzrogOX_gcC&dq=education+of+a+bodybuilder&q=reg+park&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=true
6. It’s my birthday! (n.d.). Schwarzenegger.com. http://www.schwarzenegger.com/newsletter/post/its-my-birthday