Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947 in Thal, Styria, Austria) is an Austrian-American actor, Republican politician, bodybuilder, and businessman, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. He was elected on October 7, 2003 in a special recall election which removed sitting Governor Gray Davis from office. Schwarzenegger was sworn in on November 17, 2003 to serve the remainder of Davis' term, which lasts until January 2007.

Bodybuilding career

Schwarzenegger first gained fame as a bodybuilder. His well-developed physique earned him the moniker "The Austrian Oak" (or "The Styrian Oak") and won him the titles of Junior Mr. Europe, Mr. World, IFBB Mr. Universe, NABBA Mr. Universe (four times), and Mr. Olympia (seven times). The seven wins at Mr. Olympia was a record set in 1980, cementing him as a legend of the sport. The record would remain until Lee Haney won his eighth straight Olympia in 1991. Schwarzenegger is considered among the most important figures in the history of bodybuilding, and his legacy is commemorated in the Arnold Classic annual bodybuilding competition.

Related Topics:
Bodybuilder - Moniker - IFBB Mr. Universe - NABBA Mr. Universe - Mr. Olympia - Lee Haney - Arnold Classic

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Schwarzenegger has admitted to using performance-enhancing anabolic steroids, writing in 1977 that " were helpful to me in maintaining muscle size while on a strict diet in preparation for a contest. I did not use them for muscle growth, but rather for muscle maintenance when cutting up." However, some bodybuilders who used the same steroid cocktails as Schwarzenegger in the 1970s dispute the notion that they were used merely for "muscle maintenance." Even Schwarzenegger has called the drugs "tissue building." http://hjem.get2net.dk/JamesBond/www/artikler/steroidemisbrug/arnoldandsteroids.htm In 1999, Schwarzenegger sued Willi Heepe, a German doctor who publicly predicted an early death for the bodybuilder based on a link between steroid use and later heart problems. Because the doctor had never examined him personally, Schwarzenegger collected a DM 20,000 ($12,000 USD) libel judgment against him in a German court. In 1999 Schwarzenegger also sued and settled with Globe Magazine, a U.S. tabloid which had made similar predictions about the bodybuilder's future health. As late as 1996, a year before open heart surgery to replace an aortic valve, Schwarzenegger publicly defended his use of anabolic steroids during his bodybuilding career.http://espn.go.com/columns/farrey_tom/1655597.html (Schwarzenegger was born with a bicuspid aortic valve; a normal aortic valve is tricuspid.) According to a spokesman, Schwarzenegger has not used anabolic steroids since 1990 when they were made illegal.http://hjem.get2net.dk/JamesBond/www/artikler/steroidemisbrug/arnoldandsteroids.htm In bodybuilder slang, steroids are sometimes called "Arnolds".http://www.streetdrugs.org/dgsa.htm

Related Topics:
Anabolic steroid - 1977 - 1970s - 1999 - DM - Globe Magazine - 1996 - Bicuspid aortic valve - Aortic valve - Tricuspid - 1990

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Schwarzenegger has remained a prominent face in the bodybuilding sport long after his retirement, in part due to his ownership of gyms and fitness magazines. He has presided over numerous contests and awards shows. For many years he wrote a monthly column for the bodybuilding magazines Muscle & Fitness and Flex. Shortly after being elected Governor, he was appointed executive editor of both magazines in a largely symbolic capacity. The magazines agreed to donate $250,000 a year to the Governor's various physical fitness initiatives. The magazine MuscleMag International has a monthly two page article on him and refers to him as "The King".

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Schwarzenegger's first political appointment was to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, on which he served from 1990 to 1993. He was nominated by George H. W. Bush, who called him "Conan the Republican".

Related Topics:
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports - George H. W. Bush

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In 2003 two African-American bodybuilders came forward claiming that Schwarzenegger has a history of making racist comments. Schwarzenegger has allegedly said ."If you gave these blacks a country to run, they would run it down the tubes."http://www.drudgereport.com/ar1.htm

Related Topics:
2003 - African-American - Racist

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