The real reason Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to work out at the gym

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a man of many talents — not only has he appeared in classic movies including The Terminator, Total Recall, and Predator, but he also served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Not to mention, he’s a professional bodybuilder, who previously won “13 world championship titles in bodybuilding — 7 times Mr. Olympia, 5 times Mr. Universe,” according to Men’s Health.

Clearly, the Hollywood star — who, as of this writing, is in his 70s — cares about his body, since he is frequently photographed going on bike rides around Los Angeles or posting photos of his workout routine on Instagram. Despite his age, Schwarzenegger’s career is still thriving, and he continuously gives it his all while filming. “It gets a little bit harder the older you get. The body is not as forgiving as it used to be,” he told The Sun in 2019. “But you just have to train more, you have to do more reps. That’s what it’s all about.”

But Schwarzenegger’s routine was thrown for a loop after the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States in February 2020 and reached all 50 states by the middle of March, per the CDC. Today, the disease is still prevalent in the United States (and around the world) — something Schwarzenegger is very aware of. So much so, he wouldn’t even work out at his favorite gym in Venice, Calif. in mid-June 2020 after they re-opened.

So, what happened? Keep reading to find out.

Arnold Schwarzenegger won't go to the gym until he feels safe

On June 16, 2020, Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Gold’s Gym in Venice, Calif. for the first time since the facility shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic in March. However, the Austria native didn’t stay long when he was informed that people didn’t need to wear masks while working out — only “when they entered” the building and “were in certain common areas,” TMZ reported.

Adam Zeitsiff, President and CEO of Gold’s Gym, wrote there would be “physical distancing between equipment” and “club capacity guidelines,” but the law doesn’t require people to wear masks when they are doing any sort of physical activity at the gym. As a result, the actor will “stay clear of Gold’s until people start wearing masks on the floor — or when there’s a vaccine,” according to TMZ. 

It makes sense as to why Schwarzenegger doesn’t want to risk being around others since he underwent emergency heart surgery in 2018. “It was supposed to be a minor procedure and it ended up being major. It’s not welcome, but it happened,” he told Men’s Health that same year.

Clearly, Gold’s Gym is important to the Hollywood star as he used to go in every day at 7 a.m., as he told Men’s Health in September 2019. “If you want to work out, come on down,” he added. Well, it’s likely Schwarzenegger will be back… at the gym as soon as it’s safe.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken out about coronavirus concerns before

When the coronavirus pandemic first started gaining traction around the United States in March 2020, celebrities and public figures encouraged everyone to stay home to stop the spread. Soon after, Arnold Schwarzenegger posted Instagram videos from his house in California with his pet donkey and his mini horse, writing, “Stay at home. Stay at home as much as possible. Listen to the experts, ignore the morons (foreheads). We will get through this together.”

Since Schwarzenegger was previously the governor of California, he wanted to support the American people during this uncertain time. “All I’m caring about is: What can I do to help people?” he told The Atlantic in March 2020.

“There’s people still living in denial,” he added. “And I think that there’s also some people that, you know, they even see a crisis like this through a political lens. That’s what holds us back. I mean, for anyone to say, ‘This is not dangerous; it’s just another virus, and other viruses kill much more people than this virus does’ and all this stuff — this is nonsense dialogue. It doesn’t help anybody.”

Inside Arnold Schwarzenegger's workout routine amid the pandemic

Arnold Schwarzenegger might not be working out at a public gym at the moment, but the Total Recall star explained how anyone can get physically fit in their own home right now. “Even without a gym, we can also control our physical fitness during this pandemic,” he posted on Reddit in March 2020. “Body weight, or freehand, training is the oldest method in the world. Gladiators and Vikings didn’t have gymnasiums. I started my own fitness journey with chin-ups on a tree branch by a lake in Austria.”

“And once, when I found myself in New York to promote fitness, but ironically I couldn’t find a gym, I still found a way to train,” he added. “I ran up the steps of the Park Lane Hotel, where I was staying, all 46 stories, and by the end, I was completely schvitzy and my legs got an incredible pump.”

So, what does Schwarzenegger’s workout routine entail? Push-ups, sit-ups, dips between chairs, rows between chairs, bent-leg raises, bent-over twists, squats, calf raises, and chin-ups — 25 reps if you’re a beginner or 50 reps if you’re advanced. “I’m not training heavy anymore,” he told Men’s Health in September 2019. “After my heart surgery, I was advised not to train heavy. So now I do lighter weights and more reps.”

Well, what are you waiting for? Get to it! Schwarzenegger would be proud, right?

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