Arnold Schwarzenegger Admits It 'Sucks' To See His 'Supreme' Body Getting Old

In a candid interview, Arnold Schwarzenegger shared his thoughts on the challenges of aging, expressing dissatisfaction with his changing body. The 76-year-old humorously acknowledged the physical differences, stating, "Yep, you suck" whenever he looks in the mirror.

Schwarzenegger also discussed his close friendship with Sylvester Stallone, highlighting their different emotional responses. He credited fellow actors like Jeff Bridges, Sally Field, and Clint Eastwood for influencing his acting. 

In a recent interview on "The Howard Stern Show," legendary action star Arnold Schwarzenegger opened up about the challenges of aging and his dissatisfaction with his body's changes.

He admitted to Stern: "I kind of smile because every day I look in a mirror and say, 'Yeah, you suck.' Look at this body. Look at those pectoral muscles that used to be firm, perky, and really powerful with a striation. Now they're just hanging there. I mean, what the hell is going on here?"

He continued on the radio, "It's sad also because, as I said to people, it's one thing to see yourself get older and more and more out of shape, but most of the people have never been in shape, so what does it mean getting out of shape? They've always looked at the s----- body, so therefore, it gets s----- as time goes on."

The 76-year-old bodybuilding legend first mentioned his dissatisfaction with his body in his upcoming book, "Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life," where he expressed a mix of humor and sadness about aging. 

Schwarzenegger elaborated on how he never anticipated seeing his body as it is now, noting that although it is "better than a majority of bodies," it "sucks" to see how much it has changed.

He said, "It's just when you have been hailed for years as this supreme body, and you have the definition, and you see the veins coming down your abs, and you see veins on top of your chest — you see all this stuff, and then now you cut, and you roll the clock forward 50 years, and now you're standing there, and you don't see that anymore."

"So that's kind of like, wow, I never, ever thought about that when I was like 30 or 40 years old, that this is going to happen, that one time we're going to look at this body, and it still looks better than a majority of bodies, but I mean, it just sucks," the "Junior" actor expressed.

During his chat with Stern, Schwarzenegger reflected on a significant moment in his life, his heart surgery 1997, which made him realize his vulnerability. "This is the first time where I felt kind of vulnerable," he admitted.

The surgery changed his perspective on exercise, with doctors advising him to be cautious about lifting heavy weights and mindful of his breathing during exercises.

However, despite these challenges, the "Commando" star conveys a positive outlook, embracing life's changes. 

"I just feel like as those challenges come my way, I take them on because it's the only choice we have. The bottom line is I'm 76 years old, I'm full of energy, I'm full of enthusiasm. I am as enthusiastic and as excited as I was when I was 30 years old," he said.

The movie star continued, "I just always see mountains in front of me to be climbed. And so, as long as I see those mountains, I keep my enthusiasm and excitement and that fire in the belly to keep climbing and climbing and climbing. And that's what it's all about."

In an interview with People magazine, Schwarzenegger discussed his close relationship with "Rambo" star Sylvester Stallone. Schwarzenegger playfully mentioned how Stallone often tries to match his actions, jokingly stating that Stallone "always has to do everything I do."

The former California governor expressed deep admiration and affection for Stallone, stating: "I love him. He's just a different person than me. He's much more raw and much more vulnerable and in touch with his emotions."

Schwarzenegger noted that when Stallone "gets mad, he just gets mad." Adding, "It's like when you light a fuse — he goes right away. 'Boom!"

In contrast, he described his anger as having a slower buildup: "Mine goes, 'Shhh.' It takes two days to get to the actual boom. It makes him good at acting because he feels things immediately."

Schwarzenegger acknowledged the valuable advice he received from fellow actors, often through observation. He mentioned Jeff Bridges and Sally Field, recalling their performances in the 1976 film "Stay Hungry" as a source of inspiration.

"[it] was absolute heaven to me to watch them perform, how smooth they were and how much I had to grow," he said. "[I learned] to be natural, not to act. It made Sally Field start falling into tears, crying, and throwing fits. It was really her."

He also admired Clint Eastwood, sharing that he considered him an idol "because he was kind of Mr. Cool."

Schwarzenegger appreciated Eastwood's approach of not being overly noisy: "His approach of not being noisy, that he was able to listen, I always loved that. Because I always thought there's something to say about listening."

Schwarzenegger's upcoming book, "Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life," is set to be released on October 10 and is currently available for preorder on Amazon.com.