20 Motivational Arnold Schwarzenegger Quotes On Life And Creating Success

Arnold Schwarzenegger is known around the world for being a powerful figure — and not just for his body. Besides being a dedicated bodybuilder, Arnold’s life and career is one of motivation and achieving success. Whether you’re a bodybuilding enthusiast or just need a little more motivation with your goals, dreams and targets, anyone can benefit from some of his wisdom. Here are 20 of the most inspiring quotes from Arnold himself.

“Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body.”

Training isn’t just about achieving an ideal physique, it really is good for you. Arnold understood that exercise helped work out stress and kept his mind focused. Even if you’re not looking to develop pure muscle, there are plenty of reasons to stay in shape.

“The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.”

This quote is a fantastic way to remind ourselves that nothing is beyond reach, so long as we give believe in it. Rather than give up before even starting, as people often do with new regimes, work careers or diets, a more positive attitude will bring positive results. Coming from a man that wanted to be recognized for his physique, it’s clear this method works!

“For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.”

Arnold’s quote here represents his main goals in a nutshell. Life should be a constant state of moving forward, hitting goal after goal. As such, there should always be a target or aim in your life, so that you never settle for things as they are now.

“The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that.”

Sometimes it helps to be a little different. Try being the person that thinks of alternative solutions or tries new things. You may discover a new diet, for instance, works well for your goals and brings you success all the more quickly. Do what everybody else does, however, and you will never know.

“Start wide, expand further and never look back.”

Short and simple, this quote suggests we need to take a wider look at things. By looking at everything, from training and dieting to our goals, we can then begin to improve all of it, with no regrets.

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”

Hardships are a common occurrence in life but it’s how we handle them that often defines who we are. Rather than be ashamed, it’s better to work through tough times and soldier on to success. Sometimes true strength isn’t just deadlifting 600lbs – although that certainly counts, too!

“My body is like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don’t think about it; I just have it.”

Another short and simple quote, again reflecting Arnold’s motivational attitude. This ability to get up and go is what helps people sculpt their physique. By accepting it as part of themselves, it’s easier to realize, rather than thinking about it as a hypothetical potential.

“It’s simple, if it jiggles, it’s fat.”

While entertaining, this quote cuts straight to the point. This mind-set enables you to identify when your body is overweight. If you want to lose it, then anything that jiggles can’t stay. This can also can also be considered from a different perspective since that extra baggage might be what’s holding you down from achieving your life goals.

“Just remember, you can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.”


Arnold very much believes that you are responsible for your own success and quotes like this sum that up perfectly. Only you have the ability to move up the ladder, so you need to take constant action to do. Making excuses and doing nothing will not help you in any way.

“The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character.”

This quote really captures Arnold’s great views of life. Challenges are everywhere, whether it’s down the gym or in your own life. In any case, you should get up and train yourself each day. Only then will you push through to success.

“You have to remember something: Everybody pities the weak; jealousy you have to earn.”

When you achieve success, you often earn the respect of your peers. But it is always earned, nobody is ever respected for doing nothing. Arnold accepts other people’s views as a sign of his success, helping to drive him on.

“What we face may look insurmountable. But I learned something from all those years of training and competing. I learned something from all those sets and reps when I didn’t think I could lift another ounce of weight. What I learned is that we are always stronger than we know.”

It’s safe to say Arnold is a very powerful individual. He achieved his goals through the widely-used Arnold Schwarzenegger workouts, using constant sets and reps to sculpt the ideal physique he wanted. When you have such a strong desire to get what you want, it will often carry over into over areas of your life. It’s not impossible to get what you want from life, but you have to be willing to fight for it.

“Positive thinking can be contagious. Being surrounded by winners helps you develop into a winner.”

A good attitude can go a long way. Having like-minded people around you, whether it’s your friends, family or companions in the gym, can be a real source of motivation. This is especially true when you use each other’s successes as motivation.

“Learned helplessness is the giving-up reaction, the quitting response that follows from the belief that whatever you do doesn’t matter.”

This quite is short and simple. Never believe that you are helpless, as it causes you to give up and not try. If you feel your actions have no impact, then it’s better to find a new area of focus and start allowing good things to happen to you.

“Just like in bodybuilding, failure is also a necessary experience for growth in our own lives, for if we’re never tested to our limits, how will we know how strong we really are? How will we ever grow?”

Everyone faces hurdles now and then, but its testing yourself that truly shows what you’ve accomplished so far. Whether it’s simply lifting more and having more willpower, sometimes a challenge is a good way to demonstrate how you’ve improved.

“The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That’s what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they’ll go through the pain no matter what happens.”

As previously mentioned, it’s the last few sets and reps in your training program that build up your true strength. This quote focuses on the mental side of this and how you need to do something to achieve your goals, even if it’s painful.

“There are no shortcuts—everything is reps, reps, reps.”

You need to put the effort in to get what you want. Rather than look for quick ways around this, spend that time doing the repetitions to get what you want till you achieve success.

“I do the same exercises I did 50 years ago and they still work. I eat the same food I ate 50 years ago and it still works.”

This quote can offer plenty of inspiration to anyone looking to change their lifestyle. Forget all the new diets and programs that are constantly being released, as the old methods still work just as great as they always have. When it comes down to it, proper eating and a good amount of training is all you need.

“I didn’t mind basic training. It taught me that something that seems impossible at the start can be achieved.”

Everybody has to start somewhere, and Arnold’s quote here is a great way of reminding ourselves to appreciate those first steps. They put people on the road to success, turning what may have once seemed impossible to into a future goal.

“We all have great inner power. The power is self-faith. There’s really an attitude to winning. You have to see yourself winning before you win. And you have to be hungry. You have to want to conquer.”

It’s one of Arnold’s core beliefs that you need the ability to belief in both yourself and what you’re doing if you are going to win. Others can provide support, of course, but you’re the one that has to make the dedicated effort (as well as time commitments) to realize these goals.