Arnold Schwarzenegger shares career changing advice from Reg Park.
Arnold Schwarzenegger shares the advice given to him by Reg Park that really changed his life and career. The legendary bodybuilder shared what his idol had to tell him in his most recent newsletter.
It’s great that we still have legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger around to talk about the good old days of the sport. There’s nothing quite like getting quality advice from a legend from a different era of the game. Schwarzenegger provides that and more as he is able to pass on teaching from those even older than him who showed him the ropes. Now the legend of the Golden Era is passing on the lessons his idol Reg Park gave him that helped shape his career.
Sage Advice
In a recent newsletter Arnold Schwarzenegger shared the piece of advice given to him by Reg Park that changed his life. Schwarzenegger spoke on the reality that he needed to put his pride to one side and allow Park’s criticisms to sink in.
“I actually love hearing criticism, because that’s how we improve. I told one of the redditors this story, and I thought it might be a good lesson for all of you.
“When I went to train with my hero, Reg Park, he pulled out a tape measure and measured my calves and my biceps.
“He said, “Arnold, your calves are 19 inches and your biceps are 21 inches. You might win Mr. Universe like this, but you’ll never go all the way. You need to build up your calves. Every step you take is a 250 pound calf raise. So to grow, you are going to have to go as heavy as possible, and you’re going to need to do 10-15 sets every single day.”
Putting Aside Ego
Arnold Schwarzenegger addressed how putting his ego aside and listening to Park pushed him to another level. By mastering his ego Schwarzenegger was able to take his physique to new heights.
“It rattled my cage so much because I was young and at first I thought, “I’m a Mr. Universe, why is he giving me a beating?” But I put aside my pride and I listened to him. I trained the hell out of my calves. I was loading the calf raise machine up to 700 pounds, doing 15 sets every day. I was hitting them with donkey raises with half the bodybuilders in the gym on my back. I left no stone unturned. I was relentless.
“I trained like Reg Park told me to, and the results were exactly what he said they would be: My calves were 21 inches and because of that, my body was much more symmetrical. Naturally, I thanked Reg for his advice. Even though it was painful to hear at first, it made me better, and I learned to turn off my ego and be grateful for criticism.”
Always Seeking to Improve
Arnold Schwarzenegger continued to discuss how he always looked for criticism to self improve.
“After every competition, I went to the judges and asked them to point out my flaws. Even when I won. I never wanted to hear about my strengths. I wanted to hear everything they thought was wrong so that I could continue to improve. I needed to hear my weak spots.
“Bodybuilders (hell, everyone) love to focus on their strong points, when we grow the most by doing the opposite. So when I criticize stomachs or calves, I’m hoping to be what Reg Park was for me. Honest criticism is how I grew.”
What do you think about Arnold Schwarzenegger and his advice to put the ego aside to achieve the best version of yourself?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News and Editorial Writer at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.