Introduction
Arnold Schwarzenegger is famous for a lot of different things, including being an actor, a politician, a filmmaker, and even a professional bodybuilder in his younger years. He’s got fans and followers around the world, and many of them are curious about him.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is around 6 foot 1 ½ inches (1.87 meters), meaning he’s a pretty tall individual! Indeed, many people know him for his imposing height, which has probably been a contributing factor to his success in some of his fields, including things like bodybuilding.
We’re going to use this article to find out all you might want to know about Arnold Schwarzenegger, including some fascinating facts and trivia. Let’s get started!
How Tall Is Arnold Schwarzenegger?
At just under 6 foot 2 inches (1.88 meters) tall, Arnold Schwarzenegger is certainly up there as one of the tallest actors, although by no means the tallest. The average height for an American man is about 5 foot 8 inches (1.73 meters), so Arnold Schwarzenegger is about 8 inches taller. That’s more than half a foot!
He’s also tall for an actor, as the average height for an actor is about 5 foot 10 inches (1.78 meters). Bodybuilding attracts men of all heights (there have been giants and dwarfs) but being over 6 feet puts him at pretty tall for this field too.
You’ll notice this if you look at photographs of him from his time as a bodybuilder; he often towers over the other competitors.
However, some fans have called his height into question, and lots of people have thrown around claims that he’s much shorter than he says. Some have insisted he’s “under six foot” and others have estimated he’s around 5 foot 11 inches (1.80 meters), or even as short as 5 foot 6 inches (1.68 meters).
Back in 1999, Men’s Health magazine listed his height as 5 foot 10 (1.78 meters), and there was much speculation surrounding it while he was in office, too.
He’s personally dismissed these claims as ridiculous, and records from bodybuilding competitions he participated in demonstrate that he’s 6 foot 1 ½. Of course, people do tend to shrink a little as they get older. The actor himself has said that now he’s in his 60s, he’s closer to 6 foot and ½ an inch (1.84 meters).
Even so, that’s an impressive height, and since pretty much everyone loses a bit of height as they age, it supports the idea that he was close to 6 foot 2 when he was in his prime.
How Old Is Arnold Schwarzenegger?
It might surprise you to learn that Arnold Schwarzenegger is now 76 years old. He was born in 1947, in Austria, and has had a long, productive, and very varied life, turning his talents to different fields and areas of interest.
He is an internationally recognized figure, known for all sorts of things, including his stint as the Governor of California, his philanthropy, his environmentalism, his business work, his bodybuilding, and his acting.
When Did Arnold Schwarzenegger Start Bodybuilding?
Arnold Schwarzenegger got into bodybuilding when he was in his mid-teens, and he was just 20 years old when he won the Mr. Universe title – the youngest person ever to win it. That was followed by him winning the Mr. Olympia title 7 times. He has written books on bodybuilding, and is regarded as one of the best bodybuilders ever.
He also had an extremely important bodybuilding event, the Arnold Sports Festival, named after him, and this is considered second only to the Mr. Olympia event in terms of importance.
His dedication to bodybuilding was extreme. He used to break into his local gym at the weekends to ensure he could still train, and he went to military prison for a week as a result of going AWOL so he could be part of a competition. He saw his success as a bodybuilder as a ticket to America, which it eventually was.
When Did Arnold Schwarzenegger Start Acting?
Arnold Schwarzenegger was keen to make the transition from bodybuilding into acting, and he managed this when he was given the starring role in Hercules in New York in 1970. Shortly after, in 1976, he appeared in Stay Hungry, and won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor.
In spite of this, he faced some serious struggles, and was told he needed to change his name, his accent, his appearance, and more. His breakthrough film was in Conan the Barbarian in 1982, and throughout the ‘80s, he was in numerous successful action movies.
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and is very well recognized by fans across the world. He mostly retired from acting when he became the Governor of California, but returned to acting almost as soon as he left office.
He’s been in things like Predator, Red Heat, Total Recall, The Terminator, Batman & Robin, The Expendables, Sabotage, Killing Gunther, and more. He’s most famous for his role in The Terminator, but he’s a familiar face to many movie fans and is still acting even now he’s well into his 70s.
How Much Does Arnold Schwarzenegger Weigh?
It’s thought that Arnold Schwarzenegger weighed around 235 lb (107 kg) while he was bodybuilding. How much he weighs now is hard to say, as it will be significantly lower as a result of loss of muscle.
Interestingly, it’s said that during the offseason, Arnold Schwarzenegger used to bulk up to around 250 lb (113 kg) or possibly even more. During his prime, he undoubtedly worked out almost fanatically, and it’s said that he ate 5 to 6 meals each day to sustain his energy output.
Conclusion
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a well-known figure, and although the subject of his height has attracted a lot of speculation and curiosity, there’s not really any question that he was a tall and immensely powerful individual. His interesting career has made him famous in many fields, and he’s a very intriguing character.
