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Arnold Schwarzenegger will always be a bodybuilder

Mar 16, 2013, 17:01 GMT

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger 'was born a bodybuilder and will die a bodybuilder'.

The 65-year-old actor and former Governor of California - who is a seven-time Mr. Olympia bodybuilding champion - has reclaimed his positions as executive editor at both Muscle & Fitness and Flex magazines and Muscle & Fitness' editor-in-chief Shawn Perine insists despite his other successes, the sport is his main passion.

He told the New York Daily News' Confidenti@l: 'Him being a bodybuilder, him being a politician, they were great and were part of his life arc. But to me, he was born a bodybuilder and he'll die a bodybuilder. That's the one constant throughout his life, and I'm glad to have him back.'

Arnold has previously credited the sport for his successful career.

He said: 'When I started lifting I got compliments right away - 'Wow! You've been lifting for a month? This is incredible. Look at your muscles popping out!' It was the perfect storm. Bodybuilding got me into the movies, then movies got me into political office - because politics is all about name recognition. So it all goes back to bodybuilding. Without that I wouldn't have achieved any of the things that happened after.'

The 'Terminator' star also revealed he always knew he wanted to leave his native Austria for Hollywood so had to work hard on his body to achieve his dream.

He added: 'I'd felt from the time I was 10 years old that I was destined for something bigger than staying in Austria, even though at the time I didn't quite know what I was going to be. I remember buying this magazine and reading about a young kid in a factory town who trained hard, became Mr. Universe and went to America. Then all of a sudden he was offered 'Hercules' movies!

'I thought, 'Well, this is exactly what I would like to do.' He trained five hours a day, so I started training five hours a day. Whatever he did, I did. I basically had the blueprint for what I had always dreamed about.'