Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for more than just bodybuilding today, but he still has an important place in Mr. Olympia history after all of these years.
Schwarzenegger held the record for most Mr. Olympia titles for more than a decade and became the world's most famous bodybuilder during an incredible stretch of success in the 1970s. Some of his success, however, didn't come without controversy.
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Ahead of the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition, the Sporting News takes a closer look at the Mr. Olympia career of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
How many times did Arnold Schwarzenegger win Mr. Olympia?
Schwarzenegger is the most well-known bodybuilder in Mr. Olympia history, and he also ranks among the most successful.
Schwarzenegger won seven Mr. Olympia competitions in his esteemed career, including six consecutive titles from 1970-1975. He would win a controversial seventh Mr. Olympia in 1980 after coming out of retirement, padding his record.
Schwarzenegger's record was tied by Lee Haney in 1990 and broken the next year. Ronnie Coleman would later surpass Schwarzenegger's mark and tie Haney, while Phil Heath tied Schwarzenegger in 2017 with his seventh title.
Schwarzenegger is now known globally for his acting career, which he later turned into a political career as the governor of California, but he remains involved in bodybuilding as the sponsor and namesake of the annual Arnold Sports Festival.
Did Arnold Schwarzenegger ever lose a Mr. Olympia?
Schwarzenegger lost only one Mr. Olympia competition, and it was his very first one. Three-time champion Sergio Oliva defeated Schwarzenegger and the rest of the field in 1969, when Schwarzenegger was 22 years old.
Schwarzenegger would rattle off six consecutive wins beginning in 1970, and he won a seventh Mr. Olympia after he came out of retirement in 1980.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger Mr. Olympia age
Schwarzenegger was 22 years old when he won his first Mr. Olympia title in 1970. He would retire after his sixth consecutive Mr. Olympia win in 1975, when he was 27 years old, but he returned at age 32 to win Mr. Olympia again in 1980 after a last-minute decision.
Schwarzenegger's win in 1980 sparked controversy, as many competitors believed he had lost muscle mass and wasn't deserving of the title. One competitor, Mike Mentzler, actually retired from competitive bodybuilding altogether because he felt cheated out of a win.
Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Lou Ferrigno
Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno had a rivalry well before their acting careers took off, but the rivalry was lopsided at the Mr. Olympia competition.
Ferrigno, who trained with Schwarzenegger at the beginning of his bodybuilding career, won Mr. Universe in 1973. He made a run at Schwarzenegger's Mr. Olympia title in 1974 but finished in second.
Ferrigno attempted to knock off an older Schwarzenegger again in 1975 but came up short. His attempt, which had some credibility given he was larger than Schwarzenegger, was famously chronicled in the 1977 documentary "Pumping Iron."
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Ferrigno ultimately never won a Mr. Olympia competition.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Mr. Olympia results by year
Schwarzenegger's only finish outside of first place came in his first Mr. Olympia competition.
When Schwarzenegger returned to the Mr. Olympia stage in 1980, the prize money for the winner was 25 times what it was when he first won. The increase was, of course, due partly to his success bringing attention to the competition.
| Year | Finish | Prize Money |
| 1969 | 2nd | None |
| 1970 | 1st | $1,000 |
| 1971 | 1st | $1,000 |
| 1972 | 1st | $2,000 |
| 1973 | 1st | $750 |
| 1974 | 1st | $1,000 |
| 1975 | 1st | $2,500 |
| 1980 | 1st | $25,0000 |
