How old was Arnold Schwarzenegger when he retired from bodybuilding?

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a legend, whether it is bodybuilding, acting, or even politics. Arnold has excelled in every field he has tried his hands at. Over the course of his bodybuilding career, he won seven Mr. Olympia titles and four Mr. Universe titles, establishing his fantastic reputation in the profession that will last forever.

The Total Recall star retired from bodybuilding twice. He retired in 1975 after that year's Mr. Olympia at the age of 28. He made a comeback from retirement in 1980 and participated in that year's Mr. Olympia. Arnold Schwarzenegger eventually won the competition. He retired from professional bodybuilding again after winning the Mr. Olympia title at the age of 33.

Arnold Schwarzenegger worked out regularly until 2020 even after retiring from professional bodybuilding, but not at the same intensity with which he used to workout during his days as a pro. He now does cardiovascular training every day.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger's last competition before retiring

Arnold Schwarzenegger competed in Mr. Olympia in 1980 before retiring from professional bodybuilding. It was his last competition as a pro. The Terminator star retired from professional bodybuilding after winning his sixth Mr. Olympia title in 1975. After that, he concentrated on acting in movies.

While training for his movie Conan the Barbarian, Arnold practiced running, horseback riding, and sword training. These activities resulted in the star getting into extremely good shape.

Schwarzenegger was appointed as an expert commentator during the 1980 Mr. Olympia for the television network. But just 24 hours before the competition in Sydney, he announced he would be competing in it instead.

Several critics said that Arnold should've registered at least a month ago for the competition. Other competitors such as Frank Zane and Boyer Coe commented that Arnold would return to competition, lose, and would eventually tarnish his legacy.

A few other competitors were even more furious that one of the favorites to win the competition, Mike Mentzer, tried to attack the Governator at a pre-contest press conference. A meeting was conducted with all the contestants and a decision was made to allow Arnold to compete in Mr. Olympia. The judging for the competition was late because of the meeting.

New rules were in place for this edition of Mr. Olympia. This is because during the 1975 to 1979 editions of Mr. Olympia, there were two weight divisions: One was above 200 lbs and the other was below 200 lbs. For the 1980 Mr. Olympia, there were no weight divisions. Hence, the small and large bodybuilders competed against each other directly.

Everyone in the audience looked excited as all 16 bodybuilders walked on to the stage. Arnold was back on stage competing for his seventh Mr. Olympia title. The Conan star lacked in size in some of his body parts.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's low muscle mass, especially in his thighs and his conditioning, was criticized by some competitors. But his height, posing, and smile made him look better than the others. This was enough for Arnold to attain the attention of judges and audience.

Arnold earned a total score of 300 points and successfully clinched his seventh Mr. Olympia title. Chris Dickerson and Frank Zane finished in second and third positions, respectively, with a score of 292 and 291 points. One of the favorites, Mike Mentzer, finished fifth and withdrew from bodybuilding after the competition.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's last competition before retirement was filled with controversies, but he was still able to win his seventh Mr. Olympia title.