“I always felt that people are kind of vulnerable in certain areas”- Arnold Schwarzenegger admits using psychology to outmaneuver rivals

The bodybuilding and fitness industry is no stranger to the unmatched success of bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former Mr. Olympia. He has dominated the stage in the golden age of bodybuilding in his prime.

However, this wasn't made possible only because of his intense workouts and strict diet. Schwarzenegger implemented psychology correctly to the point of making all of this happen. In the recent podcast, The Tim Ferris Show, he said (Timestamp - 9:56):

"I think that it came about when I trained in the gym. I always felt that people are kind of really vulnerable in certain areas."

Schwarzenegger analyzed the fact that people are often intimated by the thoughts of others. After experiencing this fact in the gym, he learned about human psychology and how strengths and weaknesses affect you. He primarily focuses on discovering the weakness and then working on it.

The Austrian Oak recalled the time when he started competing in America and said (12:07):

"It was very clear that when I said to someone let me ask you something, do you have any knee injuries or something like that, and then they would look at me and say, No, no knee injury at all, no, my knee feels great, and I said, Why are you asking? I said well because your thighs look a little slimmer to me."

Continuing further, he highlighted that the guy checked out his thighs in front of the mirror for two hours. The Austrian Oak mentioned that this 'throws people off in an unbelievable way.'

He added:

"This is you know people are vulnerable about those things, so naturally, when you now have a competition, you use all this."

Even the legend himself used psychological warfare to win the 1975 Mr. Olympia competition from his greatest competitor, Lou Ferrigno. In Schwarzenegger's documentary "Pumping Iron," he explained the whole scenario vividly.

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How psychological warfare helped Schwarzenegger win his sixth Olympia title

The Austrian Oak went down to Ferrigno's house while the family was having breakfast the day before the most anticipated battle. Arnie implemented psychological warfare and messed up with his competitor and his family's brain. Schwarzenegger said some facts that threw Ferrigno off track.

The bodybuilding legend highlighted that Ferrigno needed one more month of training to get in the perfect shape to beat him. He convinced the two-time Mr. Universe's parents that he would be winning his sixth title at the 1975 Mr. Olympia. This tactic helped him win his sixth title and defeat Ferrigno at that time.

Psychology plays an important role in winning, and Schwarzenegger knows how to use it to the fullest. He used psychological warfare throughout his career to mess up his competitors's brains.