Arnold Schwarzenegger is getting ready to celebrate the 36th edition of the Arnold Classic. The contest that started as a one-day bodybuilding competition in 1989 has evolved into the Arnold Sports Festival. Similarly, the 76-year-old bodybuilding legend paid homage to the pioneers who shaped bodybuilding into what it is today in his Arnold Classic promo.

The Austrian Oak dropped the epic promo earlier, which condensed a century of bodybuilding history. Arnie narrated how the Arnold Classic stands on the shoulders of legends. Schwarzenegger also explained how it fosters future legends of the sport.

Arnold Schwarzenegger inspires and builds anticipation

The promo starts with the father of modern bodybuilding, Eugen Sandow, the man who laid the foundation. It then showed pioneers like Goerge Hackenschmidt, who invented the hack squat, followed by bodybuilder and strongman Charles Atlas and IFBB co-founder Joe Weider. Meanwhile, Arnold said, “Legends aren’t born; they are built.”

The men who put bodybuilding on the map did so because they were exceptionally talented. As the video continued to show silver-era legends like Steve Reeves, John Grimek, and Reg Park and moves into his era, Arnold Schwarzenegger explained that legends are made with relentless drive and a work ethic in the gym.

“Legends are made from iron and sweat, mind and muscle, blood and vision, and victory,” said Arnie. As the video progressed, paying homage to the 90s and 2000s and finally to the present, Schwarzenegger drove home the point that the Arnold Classic rewards those who honor the legacy of hard work and sacrifice.

However, the epic promo didn’t just inspire fans but also built hype around the impending and prestigious bodybuilding contest. This year’s Arnold Classic promises to be the grandest edition of the competition.

The best Arnold Classic roster?

This year, the Arnold Classic has set up high-stakes clashes in the open and classic divisions. Smason Dauda and Hadi Choopan are favorites in the open division. While Samson Dauda is the defending champion, Hadi Choopan is looking to win his first Arnold Classic title. The fact that Duada has never defeated Choopan makes things even harder.

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All eyes will be on defending champion Ramon Dino and rival Urs Kalecinski in the Classic Physique division. While Kalecinski is gunning to earn his first Arnold Classic Physique title, other challengers are waiting in the wings. Former champion Breon Ansley and underdogs Wesley Visser and Michael Dabould are hoping to make their mark.

Thankfully, after Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped the epic promo, fans won’t have to wait long before witnessing their favorite bodybuilders battle for supremacy in Ohio.

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