Arnold Schwarzenegger’s realisation about his calf muscles is deeper than you’d think-Danni Scott-Entertainment – Metro

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s workout mentality changed his whole workout mood (Picture: Getty/Rex)

King of gym lovers and one time Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger takes his muscles very seriously – especially his calves.

The 76-year-old has discussed feeling like ‘damaged goods’ in his ageing body after rising to fame in the 80s.

His action-packed roles in the likes of The Terminator, Predator, and Conan The Barbarian where fans could commonly see the Austrian hero saving the day.

Thanks to his background as a professional bodybuilder, Arnold is known for his ripped muscles and toned figure.

Arnold is still really big into his workouts but had a realisation about his calves that is surprisingly deep, which he shared in his new book Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life.

‘Calves are basically the biceps of the legs,’ he told The Times of his push to keep his whole body toned.

The Austrian bodybuilder began working on his calves daily (Picture: Ian Cook/Getty Images)

He went to extreme lengths to reach his goal (Picture: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

He revealed he had 24-inch biceps but did not have the calves to match, which the True Lies actor thought threw his ‘body out of proportion’.

This ‘jeopardised’ his chances of winning Mr Olympia, which in Arnold’s eyes would stop him ‘officially becoming the greatest bodybuilder in the world’.

‘I wasn’t going to be the kind of person who let that happen,’ he continued, revealing how his calves could change his whole mentality.

Arnold added: ‘I wasn’t going to let a small thing slide and risk it derailing my bigger vision. I came to America to be the best in the world.

‘If I was going to do this, I was going to do it.’

He went to extreme measures to make sure he stuck to his goal, even cutting off the legs of all his joggers so he couldn’t avoid seeing his calves.

Arnold believed his calves were throwing his body out of balance (Picture: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

He won Mr Olympia the next year, possibly thanks to his calves (Picture: Harry Langdon/Getty Images)

While working on other muscle groups he made time daily for the ‘biceps of the legs’, making them a priority.

Arnold said: ‘It used to be the last thing I did before I left the gym, now it was the first thing I did when I came in. A thousand pounds on the calf raise machine for dozens of reps. Seven days a week.

‘Not only could I not avoid looking at my calves as I walked around the gym, now my competitors couldn’t avoid seeing them either as they started to grow.’

A year later the bodybuilder won the title, possibly thanks to his new-found respect for his calves.

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