Arnold Schwarzenegger Gets Real About Starting Workouts From Scratch After His Open Heart Surgery, And How It Got Him Ready For Terminator 6

As part of the opening to his daily newsletter, actor and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger tells his readers, “Welcome to the positive corner of the internet.” Looking to inspire his fans into their own wellness journeys, the legendary star of some of the best action movies shares stories that most might not expect. In one of his most recent issues, this much was true, as Schwarzenegger shared how an unexpected surgery laid out a more difficult path to clear in order to film Terminator: Dark Fate.

This week saw Arnold’s Pump Club telling another personal story about how the actor who helped put the Terminator brand on the map was prepping to return for the most recent entry. What was supposed to be a non-invasive procedure turned into Schwarzenegger’s third open-heart surgery, which complicated his life in a way that put him back to “zero.”

As he told the story, Arnold Schwarzenegger described just what starting from scratch meant to him in this instance. What you’re about to read is an excerpt from that tale, which shows the normally buff and active actor in a more vulnerable light:

Since I was starting from zero, my daily exercises became the breathing exercises that would keep me from getting pneumonia, the big danger for patients after open-heart surgery. Then, there were walks around the nursing station. Eventually, I went home and walked around my property. The key was, even though I wasn’t doing my normal training, I was training. I was keeping track of my reps — instead of 5 sets of 10 reps of barbell rows, I was doing reps of breathing exercises. I was doing reps of walking. And eventually, I was doing reps of exercises without any weights, just going through the motions. Eventually, my doctors cleared me to add weight, and I was ready to film Terminator 6 three and a half months later with no limitations.

You have to remember, this is Arnold Scharzenegger we’re talking about here. A former Mr. Olympia, the man hasn’t looked out of shape for any extended stretch of time, at least in the public eye. Just recently, a Schwarzenegger workout video with friend and fellow trainer Ronnie Coleman showed off the Austrian legend’s exercise habits, reinforcing the image that skyrocketed after Pumping Iron’s 1977 debut.

And yet, despite more recent stories about how Arnold’s long days shooting Netflix’s FUBAR gave his family some concerns, it’s only more recently that we’ve read stories like what you’ve seen above. What’s more, Arnold Schwarzenegger actually shared a video with footage of that recovery process he mentioned above. Take a look at “Starting from Scratch: Coming Back from Heart Surgery,” presented as follows:

It’s clear that the Conan the Barbarian star isn’t doing this to look for sympathy. Rather, as explained in this particular issue of his newsletter, Arnold admitted he shared this story to inspire his followers that it’s never too late to get back to the gym. Fitting with his passion for keeping people in shape by terminating excuses, this Schwarzenegger story is an effective lesson in keeping oneself fit.

While Arnold Schwarzenegger won’t be returning to the Terminator franchise, you can bet he’ll always be back to give people the boost in confidence they need to work towards a better physical future. If you want to get in on these affirming lessons, you’re in luck. Arnold’s Pump Club is a free newsletter you can sign up for at your convenience. Also, Schwarzenegger’s new book, Be Useful: Seven Tools For Life, is available for pre-order wherever you purchase your reading materials, including the audio book read by the author.