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Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has accomplished much in the film industry and during his time as a professional bodybuilder. But although Schwarzenegger felt great pride in his compliments, he began to feel shame for his aging body.

Arnold Schwarzenegger couldn’t stand looking in the mirror because of his aging body

Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Chinese theater.
Arnold Schwarzenegger | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Some might agree that Arnold Schwarzenegger may still be in tip top shape even during old age. But despite his physique still being chiseled, Schwarzenegger once admitted that he grew a little self conscious when it came to his body. In a 2011 interview with Newsweek, Schwarzenegger explained how difficult it was for him to accept his changing physique over the years.

“I feel terrific about where I am in my life, when I look back at what I’ve accomplished,” Schwarzenegger said. “But I feel s***ty when I look at myself in the mirror.”

Even though Schwarzenegger was no longer required to be an athlete in peak physical condition, his body still bothered him.

“I’m not competing, I’m not ripping off my shirt and trying to sell the body,” he added. “But when I stand in front of the mirror and really look, I wonder: What the f*** happened here? Jesus Christ. What a beating!”

Schwarzenegger dealing with his old age could be even more difficult when remembering his physical stats in his prime.

“Old age sucks. Maybe I feel like that more than anyone else because I was Mr. Universe, Mr. Olympia and at any given time could bench-press 500 pounds or do squats with 500 pounds and lift 700, and then all of a sudden you see your body no longer in shape even though you may be in better shape than anyone else at 71,” Schwarzenegger once told The Hollywood Reporter (via Open).

How Arnold Schwarzenegger changed his lifestyle to fit his age

Schwarzenegger has had to modify his eating habits and how he trains. This is because working out is riskier in his older years than it was when he was younger. So occasionally Schwarzenegger incorporates cardio into his early workouts.

“You get injuries easily. Then all of a sudden everyone has their little health problems. My vulnerability has always been my heart, so I have to watch that very carefully. I enjoy bicycling down to Gold’s Gym every morning and working out,” he said.

Schwarzenegger also focuses more on maintaining a fitter, more balanced physique nowadays with his workouts.

“I’ve chosen to adapt to my age, make my workouts a little bit different and focused on staying lean, and avoiding injury,” he once told Men’s Health. “This is why I’ve moved away from free weights and stick to the workout machines.”

Despite not being able to perform like he used to, Schwarzenegger still hits the gym frequently out of habit.

“I’m addicted to training, and I have to start my day in the gym,” Schwarzenegger continued. “So today, even though my body won’t react the way it did 50 years ago, I can maintain as much as I can and it brings me great joy.”

How old is Arnold Schwarzenegger

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Schwarzenegger may have shared that he doesn’t enjoy the way he looked in his 70s. But the former governor doesn’t feel close to being that age. Speaking to Access in 2019, he contributed his disciplined training regimen for still feeling youthful.

“I really don’t feel my age. I think it’s because I train all the time,” he said.

He believed his constant training helped better prepare him for his work in movies like Terminator: Dark Fate.

According to IMDb, Schwarzenegger was born on July 1947. Which means the actor is currently 75 years old.