How to Work, Play, and Get Ripped Like Arnold Schwarzenegger
Plus: the Austrian Oak reveals his favorite Schwarzenegger movie.
A bodybuilder. An actor. A Governator. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s accomplished more in his 68 years on the planet than most people can dream of and shaped the face of popular culture in the process. But you don’t achieve such success in work and life — and look like a brick shithouse in the process — without a particular regimen.
To wit, Maxim sat down with the Austrian Oak to learn exactly how the legendary actor and body builder works (and plays) hard on a daily basis — and the tools he uses to win whatever he sets his mind to.
Office must-have: “A humidor. Stogies make meetings more relaxed and intimate. It’s not always easy to get a deal done in the stuffiness of a conference room, because people tend to see each other as adversaries. But when everyone takes off their jacket and lights up and has a whiskey or a schnapps, the conversation starts to flow.”
Car: “My military Hummer fueled by biodiesel. It is a great way to show people that we can go green and still drive ballsy cars. It also smells like french fries.”
Workout partner: “Franco Columbu has always been and will always be my favorite training partner. When he isn’t available, I train with all my friends.”
Gym: “I love Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach. But my favorite gym is every hotel gym all over
the world. The first thing I do when I land anywhere—Moscow, Tokyo, Rio, you name it—is go
to the hotel gym.”
Fitness equipment: “Either a T-bar row or a calf-raise machine. I still love to train my back and my calves.”
Post-workout meal: “Oatmeal with berries, and sometimes a protein shake.”
Austrian meal: “Schnitzel with kaiserschmarrn as dessert. I have to train quite a bit more when I go to Austria, because with Austrian food, you can pack on 10 pounds in no time.”
Cologne: “The only one I use is Brut aftershave. I started buying it when
I moved to America and haven’t stopped.”
Watch: “I love so many, from lower-priced ones like Invictas to the higher-priced ones like the big Panerai.”
Shopping place: “I go to Walmart when I’m on location for a movie and buy everything, from jeans to camouflage robes.”
Beer: “In Austria, I will have a radler after a hike. Mix the beer with lemonade—
it’s really refreshing.”
App: “Penultimate. I write all my e-mails by hand on my iPad, so it is a lifesaver.”
Musician: “The Irish tenor Ronan Tynan. When he sings ‘Amazing Grace,’ just wow.”
Book: “Free to Choose, by Milton and Rose Friedman. It was the first
really serious policy book that articulated
why I loved America.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger movie: “Now that’s just too hard. How do you choose between Hercules in New York and True Lies?”