Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger has watched the sport evolve from era to era. In his latest interview, shared via YouTube on June 5, 2025, he discussed how the sport shifted away from prejudice, which was rampant in the 1950s and 60s. He also talked about raising the Arnold Classic prize money.
Throughout his career, Arnold Schwarzenegger proved himself to be one of the greatest competitors to ever wear a pair of posing trunks. He managed to achieve seven Mr. Olympia titles, and in the process, defeated icons of the sport like former titleholders Frank Zane and Sergio Oliva.
Schwarzenegger has hosted the annual Arnold Classic competition since 1989, and the event has thrived under the IFBB Pro League banner. The event has grown alongside the popularity of bodybuilding. Schwarzenegger recently announced that the winner of the 2026 Arnold Classic will take home a staggering $750,000.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Talks Growing Arnold Classic Prize Money & Transforming Prejudice in Bodybuilding
In the YouTube video, Schwarzenegger revealed that while prejudice existed during his days of bodybuilding, the Weider family helped phase it out.
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“That’s the great thing about bodybuilding, bodybuilding there was no prejudice. There were some people in bodybuilding that were prejudiced, but in general, especially under the Weiders, the Weiders, I think, because they were Jewish, I think it had something to do with the fact that they were that kind of open-minded about it.”
He explained that some federations, like the AAU, only allowed white competitors to win the competition, leaving contenders like Sergio Oliva out of the winner’s circle despite his dominance.
“There was no prejudice there at all. There was a guy by the name of Bob Hoffman, he always made sure that when they had the AAU when they had the Mr. America competition, only whites could win. No blacks could win there so that was really embarrassing. There were guys like Sergio Oliva that would be competing in 1966 or 1965 in the Mr. America and he would get beaten by white guys and it was totally unfair.”
He explained that federations were also reluctant to include women, though that eventually changed, too.
“We loved women coming in there [Gold’s Gym] but he figured I don’t have enough room for another bathroom here. I have 3,000 square feet and I only have for the men, the shower and the bathroom.
We had women coming in and they’d watch us work out but they couldn’t train there until they got a bigger space and then women were included in the whole thing. The federation was a little reluctant to do that.”
In bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger emphasized that graceful presentation is key. He also shared that judges are looking to see if athletes have improved upon previous looks they’ve brought to the stage.
“It has to be all very gracefully and no shaking, so the game you’re saying to the judges is I’m so ready for this, unlike maybe the others. That’s what it is. It’s all about the seven Ps. Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance. In the Marines, they have that.”
“You come prepared. Everyone has weak points. You have to make sure you work as much on your weak points so that the judges see that you’re not lying so that you noticed it last year maybe you had no so defined legs, yes, maybe you won, but legs were so-so. Then, the next year when you come back you have to have ripped legs.”
Lastly, he reflected on the historic prize money increase for the 2026 Arnold Classic, which will see the Open winner secure the largest purse in the sport’s history at $750,000.
“Where do we get this money from? Ah, sponsors. So, now I have to go out and hassle the sponsors. Now, of course, we have the biggest fitness and bodybuilding convention is Columbus, Ohio in the world, we have 200,000 people coming through there in three days,” he shared.
“Now we’ve raised enough money where we can give away, as a matter of fact, this coming year we’re going to up it to a million and a half dollars. All kinds of great things are happening.”
Schwarzenegger has been in a prize money war with the Mr. Olympia for a few years now. In 2024, Schwarzenegger awarded $500,000 to Hadi Choopan, who prevailed against Samson Dauda in Columbus, Ohio. The Mr. Olympia answered the call and also raised their purse to $600,000. Now, with Schwarzenegger upping the ante again, fans are curious if the Mr. Olympia could approach a $1 million payday on the horizon.
Schwarzenegger admits the sport has undergone vast changes since his time under the bright lights. He believes the sport continues to grow and become more inclusive, which will only lead to more lucrative opportunities for its athletes.
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Watch the full video from the Theo Von YouTube channel below:
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