Pumping Iron

Chapter 1 - Graceful Moves
Ballerina: Now come back onto this leg, weight on this leg. Pull your weight back onto this... [uhp] off that leg. Onto this leg. Weight back, there you go. Okay, just take with your arm. You want to slide forward and reach with your arm and slide back, step back.
Franco: Arnold, do it behind me.
Ballerina: And reach back with your arm. And forward. I'll do this twice and then I'll come back and look at you and correct you. And back, and what you want is mobility. So you want a, you want a pass-through position that will keep showing the body, right?
Arnold: Right.
Ballerina: So where are your arms?
Arnold: Like this.
Ballerina: Start, I would think, with the focus up.
Arnold: Looking up?
Ballerina: Looking up. Looking... that would...
Franco: To the head?
Ballerina: That will put... Yeah that will make a nice... if you line... If your eye line goes up there.
Arnold: Right.
Ballerina: Yeah... that's the idea. What you have to realize,... okay, take it a little bit slower.
Franco: [sounds German]
Ballerina: What you have to realize is that people are watching you all the time.
Arnold: All the time.
Ballerina: They're not just watching there and there.
Arnold: Yeah. Okay.
Ballerina: Keep it up. And....
[Opening credits, and opening flexing with "Pumping Iron" by Michael Small playing in the background.]

Chapter 2 - Sculptor of Flesh
Narrator: Gold's Gym, Venice, California. Where many of the best bodybuilders in the world come to train.
Arnold: Hello everybody.
Eddie: Jesus Christ! [laughter]
Arnold: [laughter] That's a sick guy.
Eddie: You're back.
Arnold: How are you doing?
Eddie: Alright.
Arnold: Big Mike...
Mike: How are you?
Arnold: Alright.
Mike: Good... good, good, good, good, good. You remember Joey?
Arnold: Hey, Joey, sure.
Joey: How you doing?
Arnold: How you doing? Paul?
Paul: I thought you'd forgotten all about me. I thought you like me as well... thought you'd forgotten all about me.
Arnold: I'm sorry.
Paul: No, no, you're the greatest.
Arnold: Hey Big Tony...
Big Tony: [laughter]
Arnold: How you doing?
Big Tony: [laughter]
Arnold: This is for me?
Big Tony: Yeah. [laughter]
Arnold: Hey Kenny.
Ken: Oh hi Arnold, how have your been?
Arnold: Alright.
Ken: Just got back, huh?
Arnold: Can I sign up here? I want to start gaining some muscles.
[musical break with heavy iron pumping and grunting]
Arnold: That's nice. Pumped up, you know.
Narrator: Arnold Schwarzenegger, 28 years old, 6'2", 240 pounds. Mr. Olympia for the past 5 years. He is preparing to defend his title this year for the last time.
Arnold: All Mr. Universes from the past 5 years or so come get together in one contest in order to find out who is the best of all the Mr. Universes. So they created the Mr. Olympia contest, which is then the top contest. And then whoever wins that is the top bodybuilder.
Unknown: And you are the top bodybuilder?
Arnold: Right, yeah.
Unknown: How long have you been the top bodybuilder?
Arnold: Well, I have not been beaten in the last 7 years. And, uh, I won the Mr. Olympia contest the last, uh, 5 years now. This is now the sixth year.
Unknown: And they score on points?
Arnold: Yeah, on points, yeah. It's like judging the body by muscularity, and by proportion, symmetry, the whole thing, you know?
Unknown: Do you visualize yourself as a piece of sculpture?
Arnold: Yeah, definitely. Good bodybuilders have the same mind when it comes to sculpting that a sculptor has. You have to analyze it, you look in the mirror and you say, 'Okay, I need a little more deltoids, a little bit more shoulders." So you get the proportions right. So what you do is you exercise and put those deltoids on. Whereas an artist would just slap on some clay on each side, you know, and does it, maybe, the easier way. We go through a harder way because you have to do it on a human body, you know?
Unknown: [brief grunt, possible 'Yeah.']
Arnold: I mean, obviously a lot of people look at you and think it's kind of strange, what you're doing, you know? But those are the people who don't know much about it, you know? So as soon as you find out about what the whole thing is about, then it's just like another thing. I mean, it's not any stranger as, uh, going into a car and trying to go in a quarter mile 5 seconds. I mean that's for me strange.

Chapter 3 - The Pump
[Arnold does dumbell curls and flexes.]
***Quote Alert***
Arnold: The greatest feeling you can get in the gym, or the most satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is the pump. Let's say you train your biceps. Blood is rushing into your muscles, and that's what we call the pump. Your muscles get a really tight feeling, like your skin is going to explode any minute, you know it's really tight. It's like someone's blowing air into your... into your muscle. It just blows up and it feels different... if feels fantastic. It's as satisfying to me as cumming is, as, uh, having sex with a woman and cumming. And so can you believe how much I am in heaven? I'm like, uh, getting the feeling of cumming in the gym; I'm getting the feeling of cumming at home; I'm getting the feeling of cumming backstage when I pump up; when I pose in front of 5000 people, I get the same feeling. So I'm cumming day and night. I mean it's terrific, right? [laughs] So, you know, I'm in heaven.
***Scene Alert***
Inmates: [ohs, yeahs, and whistles] Get it baby, get it baby, oh, get it baby.
Arnold: [laughs] Oh, right, hey you gotta do that. Hey, this girl maybe didn't have a kiss for years... I might as well give her a break.
Narrator: Terminal island, California, a federal prison for men and women.
Arnold: [laughs, then flexes]
Inmate: I want to get me a kiss.
[laughter erupts]
Arnold: Hey... Hey... I... I heard about those guys in here.
Inmate: Yeah, we got a few of them.
Arnold: Come over here and I give you a kiss.
[laughter, then Arnold flexes, followed by applause]
Arnold: Also I like this pose.
Inmate1: He's got a beautiful body, man.
Inmate2: Big dude.
Inmate1: First time I every see somebody with arms 23 inches.
Inmate2: He's a big dude, all the way big dude.

Chapter 4 - Amateur Circuit
[funky music plays]
Little Guy: I started reading about gaining weight and, uh, weightlifting in some magazines. And, uh, I saw Arnold's picture, and when I saw him from all those angles, every angle those shots were taken from he looked good. And I said, "Well that's... that's the way I want to look." My father's real tall and I'm short, so I wanted to at least... if I can't get as tall as he is, I want to be as wide as he was.
Arnold: Make one line. Try to make one line straight through. Always remember that you have to have a line. Yeah, so now there's your line. And look where you point... yeah. Great.
Little Guy: I want... I like... what you had in "Ironman."
Arnold: Oh yeah... yeah... that's good. Yeah. Again.
Little Guy: Yeah.
Arnold: Raise up the hand. Remember one thing, when you pose... a lot of little guys, they have one habit and they hide away when they pose. When they do a arm pose, they do like... like this, and a big guy will come right up with his arm. So never do that, never hide away. Like right now, you did like this. You know, show them. Show them the whole thing. Make the move, open up the whole body. Do the same thing again. Yeah, great. See, and look confident. Good.
[carnival music plays, various little guys flex, other little guys pump up backstage, a black guy poses all jerky]
Woman: Yeah, do it! Yeah whoo!
[little guys pump up]
Mike's friend: Good. Just pose slowly, they'll go nuts. The crowd's good tonight.
Mike: Is it?
Mike's friend: Close that arm more... good.
Narrator: Mike Katz, 31 years old, 6'1", 240 pounds. One of the top amateur bodybuilders in the world. Mike lives in North Branford, Connecticut, and is a junior high school teacher.
Mike: Do... show them the back, turn around for the back. Good girl. How about a "most muscular" in the front, like this Michelle? Like this, hands down. Michael, show her the most muscular. Good girl.
[young Michael flexes awkwardly; Michelle also flexes awkwardly]
Mike: That's a girl. Can you do that?
Michael: I can do that one, dad.
Mike: Alright, you do that one. Go ahead, one arm. That's a boy... ooo it's hard. Feel his muscle, how hard that is, Michelle.
[Michelle feels Michael's elbow]
Mike: Feel up here, right here.
[Michelle feels Michael's bicep]
Mike: Isn't that hard? Yeah.
Michelle: Feel mine.
Mike: Feel yours? She wants you to feel yours. Don't jump on me now, come on. Feel yours.
[Michael squeezes Michelle's bicep and makes the sound of an opening 40]
Michael: Nothing.
Mike: Nothing?
Michael: No muscle.
Mike: How about daddy's? Huh?
[Michael hangs on Mike's arm and grunts]
Mike: Huh? Daddy got a big muscle?
Michael: Yeah.
[soft, mildly inspirational music plays while Mike does military presses]
Mike's friend: Come on Mike, ripped. Come on, get up. Come on. Come on. Come on, Mike, come on. Good. Good. Get up.
Mike's older friend: Up. Come on, up. Come on, up.
***Sad moment alert***
Mike: I... I can remember, you know, back in my life when, uh, I would be picked on quite often. I'm sure every kid's gone through it, but it just affected me more than I think it would affect other people. You know, "Hey four eyes. Hey, cross-eyes. Hey, uh, you know, uh, you got rusty fenders on your bicycle." You know, and "Your bike isn't as good as our bike" And "Hey Jew boy," or "Hey, you're not, you know, Catholic, so you're no good." I, uh, can remember times when kids would be going to dances, and I... and I would leave a dance at like 11 o'clock at nigh. I'd leave a dance for no reason and say, "I'll show them." You and, uh, go, uh, run on a track for two or three hours. You know, and just go or go home and lift weights. Uh... I got involved in all the peewee sports most kids play, hockey and so forth. And then when I got into high school, and I made all-state and all-American in football. I was doing very, very well with the Jets until I got injured. That was my biggest thing, you know, to go on a football field and be so feared I want to be put in a cage, you know, and rolled out, like in a in a circus, with big bars, you know, and with chains and everything and the just hope like hell that everyone would run off the field when they saw me coming.
Announcer: Let's give him a big welcome, Mike Katz.
[crowd applauds; Mike flexes]
Mike: In every contest I ever... I ever won I uh, or ever lost... I always got the most applause and the people were most, uh, for me. When I went to the Mr. Universe contest in '72, and in '73, and in '74, I knew even though I didn't win the contest, and when I go to South Africa this year I'm sure the same thing is gonna happen, the crowd is gonna be for me.
[Mike flexes like a big spider and some weird guy likes it too much]
Mike: Well, the contests in South Africa in Pertoria are the, thje most important or prestigious amateur contest in the world... the IFBB amateur contest, which is amateur, open to amateur athletes. Sort of along the guidelines of the Olympics. And the other contest is a professional contest open to... professionals because there's money prizes involved and that's called the Mr. Olympia. So I'll be competing in the Mr. Universe, since I am an amateur. And, uh, as I see it from all the people who I I know who are gonna be there, and the best in the world will be there... I feel it's, uh, it's gonna be between, uh, me and Ken Waller for the, uh, overall championship.

Chapter 5 - World Championship
***Great scene alert***
[upbeat funky music plays; Ken and his friends throw a football]
Ken: I told you boys, I'm the quarterback.
[laughter]
Ken: You know I don't worry about Mike Katz any ways. There's only one guy I worry about and that's Robbie. Nah. You know, he's, he's good but he lacks too many things. His arms aren't big enough to match his chest.
Robbie: Right
Ken: His thighs are too big for his calves.
Robbie: Right.
Ken: You know he hits one pose, and in that he looks like a big spider. Hey you know what I'm gonna do when I get to Africa, I'm gonna take Katz's shirt, I'm gonna hide it. [Ken's friends laugh] I'm gonna take everything of his I can find and hide it.
Robbie: Steal it?
Ken: Yeah... mess his mind up a little bit.
[they all laugh and through the football while funky music continues, a musical break occurs as the movie changes to South Africa]
Official: It's going to be according to countries in alphabetical order, countries in alphabetical order. Australia! Australia! We need Australia. Will you get your clan together, please? Baghdad. Bahamas!
Older Official: Tall Man Class, Mike Katz, USA. I don't think there's much doubt, Mike. Alright. Pick up your number, MIke.
[Ken looks from behind the door frame in a diabolical way; cut to Mike posing, soon afterward Ken comes and takes over Mike's posing area; cut to Ken flexing]
Announcer: Ken Waller, USA.
[applause]
Mike: You didn't see a blue, blue t-shirt around? Huh. Paul, you see a blue t-shirt around with my crusher?
Paul: Um... Waller.
Mike: Waller had it?
Paul: Yeah.
Mike: Do you know where he put it?
Paul: No I don't know where he put it, uh, Mike.
[Ken finishes flexing to much applause]
Announcer: Number 89, from United States of America, Mike Katz.
[Mike goes through his posing routine]
Mike: It took me five years to win Mr. Connecticut. It took me four years to win Mr. America. This is my fifth year that I've been trying to win Mr. Universe. You know, I'm not a quitter. It's like a dog, you know. You can kick a dog so long and it'll two things. It's either gonna roll over and die, or it's gonna bite you and attack. And I'm the kind of a person, who is the type of a dog who would bite back. I wasn't gonna roll over and quit.
[applause as Mike finishes; Ken looks on with a scowl and ominous music in the background]
Older Official: 19, 16, 17, 16, 17...
Totaller: That's 85.
Older Official: 85. Next one, 18, 18, 17, 18, 18...
Totaller: That's 83.
Older Official: 83? That can't be right. It's a nine, yes. 17, 13, 16, 14, 11.
Totaller: And this is a 4?
Older Official: That's a 4, yes.
Totaller: It is?
Older Official: Yes, 13, 16, 14, 11. Total?
Totaller: It is 62.
Older Official: 62.
[applause]
Announcer: Will the following gentlemen step forward? They are the 3 finalists, not necessarily in order. Ken Waller, USA. [applause] Paul Grant, Wales. [applause] Roger Walker, Australia. [applause] And for your information... the fourth place winner was in fact, Mike Katz. Can you believe the tension will these fellas? It's bad enough for you, imagine how must it be for them? So far, and have they made it? Have they made the big one? Have they won the 1975 IFBB Mr. Universe?
Mike: [exhales] I wonder what time it is back in the states. Do you know? Maybe I've gotta call my wife.
Man: It's about 5:00.
Mike: Good. Kids ought to be playing, driving her crazy. [laughs unnaturally]
Announcer: 3rd place in the Tall Man category... IFBB Mr. Universe... from Wales, Paul Grant. [Paul waves dismissively] Second place... from Australia, Roger Walker. [applause with a look of anger on Roger] And the winner of the 1975 Tall Man category, from the United States of America, Ken Waller. [applause]
Mike: Kenny won. [Mike claps] Great. Terrific. How about that? Boy, that's fantastic. Fantastic. Huh. Can (you) image how he must feel? Incredible. It's probably like I did when I was 16 and won my first trophy. In it's own way it's probably just as satisfying. I gotta go shake his hand, this is fantastic. And get my t-shirt.
Announcer: ... Suffice to say that the other two gentlemen won their height categories made the finals and our overall winner for 1975, Ken Waller... United States of America.
[zooms to the back of Mikes head]

Chapter 6 – The Formative Years

[Arnold posing for female photographer.]

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Want another pose?
Photographer: Yeah, just keep going. (inaudible utterances). Wait a second.
Cut to photos of young Arnold (instrumental Everybody Wants to Live Forever).
Arnold: My parents, in the beginning, when I started bodybuilding, they didn’t really know what it is until I introduced my father to bodybuilding. And I took him to all the gymnasiums, and he then started picking up weights and making his arms strong and so on. And, uh, then they started liking [it] what I did, especially after I won the first international competition, which was the first contest I ever entered was the Junior Mr. Europe in Stuttgart, Germany. So when I came home with my trophy, obviously, my parents were very proud of me, and they said, “[Well] my son he’s… that’s my son.” My father was, uh, a police chief in Austria in a town called Graz. We had a very strict upbringing because of him being, um, with the police force. You know, we had to be the perfect example. We couldn’t do anything bad, and it was kind of an uptight feeling at home because of it. I always felt like my place is America, and when I was 10 years old, I only dreamed of coming to America and being the greatest, and just, uh, being different than everybody else.
Arnold posing with bikini-clad girls surrounding him.
Model on Arnold’s back: Whoa! (giggles and yells playfully)
Photographer: Come on! [Is that so hard?]
(Someone else says something here)
Photographer: [Jeez that’s a hard one?]
Arnold: (Laughs) I never experienced anything like.
Photographer: (laughs) Open your legs wide, Arnold.
Arnold: Open my… open…
Photographer: Get a little more power, Arnold. Open your legs a little more.
Model on Arnold’s back: Little bit to the right.
A guy in the background (probably cameraman): Okay, Arnold.
Photographer: Don’t strain looking up at him. Just put your face, just hug him, kind of sexy. Alright, okay. Crush it, Arnold. Bend the exerciser. [You know put it (trails off here)].
Model on Arnold’s back: [says something here] I thought you were strong.
Arnold: (Chops the exerciser). Don’t worry.
Photographer: Put your legs behind his back a bit, could you? Play with his hair a little [like that].
Photographer 2: Sandy, why don’t you get down lower so that you’re down, so that your head is down closer to the floor. That’s it, right. That’s it.
Arnold: Okay, here we go. (laughs)
Photographer: Good, hold.
A large portrait of Arnold is carried through a crowd of autograph seeking fans.
Male voice: You drink skim milk don’t you?
Arnold: No, I drink no milk.
Male voice: You don’t drink any milk at all?
Arnold: No milk, no. Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer. I was always dreaming about very powerful people. Dictators and things like that. I was just always impressed by people who could, uh, be remembered for hundreds of years, or you know, even like Jesus, you know, being for thousands of years remembered.
Arnold posing on a mountain. (a rendition of Everybody Wants to Live Forever plays).
Ferrigno family eating dinner
Matty: I dreamt about Arnold last night.
Lou: Really?
Matty: I told him, “Arnold, you’re making a big mistake going to Africa.” He says, “Why do you say that, Mr. Ferrigno?” I said, “Louie is waiting for you, in the shadows.”

Chapter 7 - Training in the Shadows
[shot of a portrait of Lou flexing; Lou takes some pills]
Narrator: Lou Ferrigno, 24 years old, a former sheet metal worker, Mr. America and twice Mr. Universe. He's turned professional this year and is a contender for the Mr. Olympia title. Lou lives with this parents in Brooklyn, NY.
[slow, guitar driven 50's style music plays as Lou and Matty get out of Matty's car]
Narrator: At 6'5" and 275 pounds, Lou is the largest bodybuilder ever, and he thinks he can take the title from Arnold this year. So does his father Matty, who retired from the New York City Police Department to oversee Lou's training.
Matty: The first time Arnold came to America, and I took Louie backstage, and, and when Arnold went by us I'll never forget. I looked at Louie's face, and he just looked at Arnold with awe. I thought God just passed us. And I looked at Louie, I said, uh, "What do you think Louie?" And he looked at me, he said, "Gee Dad, he's big." And I would say that from that moment on, when he first saw Arnold, he wanted to be Mr. Olympia. It was in his eye, in his heart, and in his mind, and it became part of his entire body.
Lou: Okay... full rep.
Matty: Two?
Lou: Right, let me complete a full rep.
Matty: Okay.
Lou: [breathing] One...
Matty: Right.
Lou: Two...
Matty: Right.
Lou: Up! Alright. [Lou pumps heavy iron.] Uh! Uh! Uh! Aigh! Six! (S)even! Eight!
Matty: Eight. Nine.
Lou: Ahh! Ahh! Okay Dad.
Matty: Okay, come on. Up, up, up, come on.
Lou: Make it harder.
Matty: Alright. Come on.
Lou: Uh! Uh!
Matty: Come on, come on. All the way. Alright, alright, alright.
[Lou bends over holding his forearms, then stretches]
Matty: That was easy.
Lou: Easy? You do one.
[slow, guitar driven 50's style music plays again; pictures of young Louie are shown]
Matty: Louie was only an infant in the crib, and he developed this ear infection. And we didn't know it at the time, until Louie was about 3 years old, we found out that he was hard of hearing. I guess that's why Louie would never take an interest in things other kids would take an interest in, like television. He was late in learning to speak and everything. Louie would become a lip reader. Louie was a real skinny kid. I remember he couldn't even make the football team because he was too skinny. Then he started to buy muscle magazines. I remember I would take him to a book store, and he would buy up all the old muscle books and he would read for hours. I remember, two or three o'clock in the morning I would find his light on and he would be reading the muscle books. So, Louie decided to do a little bodybuilding. I had an old weightlifting set in the cellar; I used to do a little bit of it myself, never knowing at that time some day, Louie would be on stage against Arnold in Pretoria, South Africa.
[cut to the dinner table]
Matty: We just keep after him. Wherever he goes, you pose down with him, right next to him. Let the judges make a comparison. You're 6'5", you're gonna be the biggest thing that ever went out on that platform, at 275 pounds, Louie. They know that, and he knows it. This is for the big baby, Louie. This is for all the marbles, and we're gonna go after it. Right? One year of training, all wrapped up in one night, Louie. Remember that, when you step out there, boy, remember all those grueling nights and mornings in the gym. And this is it, this is the reward, and we want it. We want it so bad that we can taste it. Remember that when we get on that stage.
Lou: Right.
Matty: We gotta get so excited, Louie, that when we get out there we have only one thought in mind, that's the Olympia. We're gonna win.

Chapter 8 – Keeping On Top

Arnold running amidst crashing waves.
Arnold sunbathing with lesser bodybuilders.

Eddie: Hey, how long is Arnold been sleeping?
Another bodybuilder: He’s been here for a couple of days now.
Eddie: Yeah? A couple of days? Arnold the reason why I woke you up was because I am going to go to New York tonight, and I did want to say goodbye. And I’m gonna see Ferrigno there, and we’re gonna train for two, three weeks, and, uh, everything that, uh… that I learned from you that you stole from me, I’m gonna give him. So I figure the combination’s gonna be very hard to beat, Arnold, very hard.
Arnold: I’ll see you when you get back. (Arnold lays his head down again as if to go to sleep.)
Eddie: No, Arnold, no really. What should I tell Louie when I get to New York? I mean, I am gonna train with him for a few days.
Arnold: Tell Louie that I… said hi.
Eddie: Yeah?
Arnold: Say to his father that I said hi.
Eddie: Mm hmm
Arnold: And I’m looking forward to seeing him in South Africa. Okay?
Eddie: Alright. So, in other words, you want me to be very nice?
Arnold: Be very nice to him.
Eddie: Okay.
Arnold: Because he needs a lot of help.
Eddie: Uh huh. See, the king of the hill can only go down.
Arnold: That’s right.
Eddie: The king of the hill can only go down.
Arnold: Or stay up.
Ed: Or stay on that hill.
Eddie: Right.
Ed: That’s the other possibility.
Eddie: Stay on the hill.
Arnold: Stay up.
Eddie: But the… but the wolf on the hill
Serge Nubret: The wolf on the hill?
Eddie: But look: the wolf on the hill, right? Is not as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill. See?
Arnold: That’s true. He’s not as hungry, but when he wants the food, it’s there. (Arnold winks)

Louie walking with Matty and others on the corner of E 26th St and Ave U

Matty: …show your arms
Louie: [You know] biceps, the back, trapezius another thing. Also, in fact, this evening I’m gonna jog about a mile and a half, two miles.
[Matty: Good]
Louie: I think that’s a good idea.
Matty: Here we go.
Louie: Work out should take about an hour and a half.

Inside R&J Health Studio Inc.

Louie: You think we need more weight, Hank?
Hank: Yeah, [a few more pounds]
Louie: Alright, good. (Show little man wearing white v-neck t-shirt doing dumbbell curls with about 10 lbs). Here, we got 10 right here. [says something else here]. Thank you.
Hank: Come on, let’s do 10 good reps, Lou. 10 good reps, come on.
Lou: (Grunts as he lifts barbell)
Hank: Come on, Lou.
Matty: Come on, Louie.
Hank: Come on!
Matty: (continues to yell at Lou)
Lou: No more.
Hank: Come on, more! Yeah!
Matty: Alright, good boy.
Hank: That’s the boy, Lou.
[Lou]: Not enough.
Hank: One more.
Matty: Same weight, Hank?
Lou: I’m not satisfied. I’ll put more weight on.
Matty: Let’s go.
Lou: I wanna beat him! I need 10 pounds.
Hank: Ten pounds on each side?
Lou: Yeah. How many, Hank?
Hank: Come on, I wanna see 10.
Lou: Ten!
Hank: You’re gonna do them, too. You’re gonna wipe ‘em out!
Lou: I’ll do it.
Hank: Come on. Come on, Lou, push. Drive ‘em up.
Matty: [Say ‘em out]
Hank: [Come on] man
(Lou pauses and grunts in pain)
Hank: Come on, you can do it. Come on.
Lou: (resumes lifting) Arnold! Arnold! Arnold!

Chapter 9 - Beyond the Pain
[cut to Arnold doing standing flies; some guy sniffs his fingers in the background]
Arnold: Ahh. Ahh. Ahh. Ahh. Ahh. Ahhhhhhh. [heavy breathing]
Ken: Looks like a roadmap back there, with fingers all over it.
Arnold: Yeah?
[funky, slightly diabolical music plays, while Arnold and Ken check out Arnold's body in the mirror]
Arnold: Yeah, that's getting closer.
[Ed and Arnold do squats]
Man: Four. Five. Six. Seven.
Ed: Yahh. Yahh. Full ones. Come on.
Arnold: Ahh.
Ed: Two more.
Arnold: One.
Ed: Uhh.
Arnold: Two.
Ed: Gahh.
Arnold: Three.
Ed: Rrray.
Arnold: Four. Keep going. Five.
Ed: Guhh.
Arnold: Keep going.
Ed: Gaah.
Arnold: Six. Keep going.
Ed: Daah!
Arnold: Seven.
Ed: Ahh.
Arnold: Eight.
Ed: Ugh.
Arnold: Come on. Let's get serious.
Ed: Ahh!
Arnold: Two more. I want to see two more no matter what. Come on.
Ed: Dayahhh!
Arnold: One more Eddy, and you flex when you come up.
Ed: Goddamn.
Arnold: Yeah.
Ed: Dahhh!
Arnold: Alright, that's good. That's good.
[Ed lays down while Arnold fixes the weights for his next set. Arnold helps Ed up.]
[Arnold and Ed share a shower together and flex their muscles.]
Arnold: The body, it isn't used to, uh, maybe the, uh, ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth rep with a certain weight. So that makes the body grow, then. Going through this pain barrier. Experiencing, uh, pain in your muscles, and aching, and just then go on an go on and then go on and those last two or three or four repetitions that's then what makes actually the muscle then grow. And that's, uh, the, divides then one from a champion and one from not being a champion. If you can go through this pain barrier, you may get to be a champion. If you can't go through, forget it. And that's what most people lack, is then this, having the guts... the guts to go in and just say "I go through and I don't care what happens." You know, it aches, and if I fall down, I have, I have to fear of fainting in the gym. Because I know its, it, it could happen. I threw up many times while I was working out, but it doesn't matter, because it's all worth it.

Chapter 10 – The Italian Way

Franco training with heavy bag and jump rope in front of a small crowd.
Narrator: Franco Colombu, the premier bodybuilder in the world under 200 pounds. Five times a contender for the Mr. Olympia title, he plans to win it this year from Arnold. Once the featherweight boxing champion of Italy, Franco comes from a small village in Sardinia.
Franco: Here when you want to say, “Where are you going?” Somebody says, “Go to hell” when they get upset. There they say, “Go to California.” It’s like a place where you never get there. And then finally I came to California really. And now when I go back there, and they ask me, “Where you live?” I say, “In California.” They’re not sure if I mean it or if I’m joking.
Franco greeting admirers.
Franco: When I first started doing a sport, my mother used to scream at me, she used to say, “You don’t want to work, you’re just trying to punch people, trying to make a living without working.” And she was very much against that. But right now, after everything went so good, and I won in sports, and I [also had] made money, they are very proud about that.
Franco moving a parallel-parked car.
Franco blowing up hot water bottle in front of large crowd.
Franco: I am the strongest bodybuilder that ever lived, I think.
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, the strongest man in the world is blowing up a hot water bottle. That takes 600 pounds of pressure.
Crowd member: It’s gonna pop.
Franco hanging upside down, training with Arnold.
Arnold: Okay, Franco, lazy bastard. Look. (eins, zwei, drei, vier, fumf, sechs, sieben, aucht, [neun]) [says something in German that makes Franco laugh]
Franco: I missed it.
Arnold: Come. Okay.
Franco: I met Arnold in Germany. He came to United States. I came to United States, also. We went through many things together. And now I will be competing in the Mr. Olympia with Arnold. Of course, I think I’m gonna win. I have more, um, definition, and I’m more muscular. But Arnold taller than me, and that can be one advantage for him. I think I can show the best out there. The only problem is now a matter of the judges’ opinion, too. You never really know what’s going to happen.

Chapter 11 - Winning Mindset
[Lou and Matty are in what looks like the basement of a gym; Lou drinks from a water fountain]
Matty: Okay, Louie. [Lou flexes.] No, no. No, no, listen. When you're, when you, when you come out here, and you're out here, right? Now they're all waiting for you Louie. They want to see what you got, they've never seen you before. Alright, you tense your legs, right? Then you look at the crowd, Louie. They're all looking at you, flashbulbs are gonna go off and everything, then you put your arms like this. [Matty puts his arms out.] You looks at your arms, like you're admiring, right? You're admiring what your gonna show them, and then you go "Boom!" like you're saying "Take a look at this hunk of man." Something like that, okay? You try it now. [Lou comes over and puts his arms out.] Look up, that's right. That's it. No, no, down here Louie. I told you look at your arms.
Lou: Oh.
Matty: Down here. Look at both arms.
Lou: Both arms?
Matty: Right. That's it. Atta boy. Good, now hold that pose, because remember your arms are bigger than Arnold, and they want to see them, right? These people have never seen your arms, they've seen Arnold's. So hold that pose a while, and I say in this pose, just tilt your body a little because there's people on this side of the theater and there's people on this side of the theater and they want to see you. So just tilt your body just slightly like this, right? Try that Lou. Atta Boy.
[Lou continues to flex as the movie transitions to an interview with Arnold.]
Arnold: You have to do everything possible to win.
Matty: Good, that's good. Now this way, now swing it.
Arnold: You know, no matter what.
Matty: That's it.
Arnold: At the day of the contest if he comes in his best shape, and he's equally as good as I am, or let's say if he's a few percent better as I am, I spend with him... one night. I go downstairs and book us together in in a room, you know, to help him for tomorrow's contest. And, uh, and that night, he will never forget. [Arnold smiles.] I will, I will mix him up. [laughter] He will come so ready to South Africa, so strong. But the, by the time the night is over the next morning he will be ready to lose. I mean, I will just talk him in to that; that's no problem to do, you know? And, uh, so all those things, you know, uh, are available, and so if they're available you might as well use them. So that's why it doesn't matter if he comes in shape or out of shape. If he comes out of shape then at least he's less, less hassle for me, you know? And, uh, if he's in shape, fine... I hope he is.
Interviewer: But you couldn't pull this with Franco, could you? Franco's pretty smart.
Arnold: Franco's pretty smart, but Franco's a child, and... when it comes to the day of the contest, I am his father. He comes to me for advices. So, it's not that hard for me to give him... the wrong advices.

Chapter 12 - Tricking the Opponent

At a Hotel in Pretoria.
Narrator: Pretoria, South Africa.
Arnold: Probably in an hour or two we have a chance to see our room. Yeah…
Hotel Employee: 10 minutes
Another employee: Get your key here.
Hotel Employee: I promise.
Blonde interviewer: Can I just ask you one question? The usual we ask. Um, what must, must your, um, um, special woman look like?
Arnold: Um, it really doesn’t matter. You know, I like them with black hair, with brown hair, with red hair. With big breasts, with little breasts, with big ass, with a little ass. You know that if, uh, if their personality is great and if they’re charming and, uh…
A man to Matty: Wonder, nothing to do, just lay out there in the sunshine.
Matty: Oh we can’t wait to get into the sun. Look at that sun out there.
A man to Matty: We ordered it for you.
Lou with leopards.
[someone]: Watch out now, Lou.
[Matty]: This is good.
[Photographer]: Get ready.
[Someone]: Holy Cow.
[Photographer or Matty]: He likes the oil. Hold it up, that a boy, Lou. Tense your muscles, Louie.
[someone]: [inaudible] your arms a little.
[Photographer]: Pull in your stomach.
Arnold being interviewed.
Interviewer: You had, uh, sometimes people ask you advice, uh, if you think they’re being arrogant or misusing the sport of bodybuilding, you give them kind of pranksterish advice, and that once happened in a Mr. Munich contest, I believe.
Arnold: I think it was eight years ago when some fella came to me in the gym and said, “I want to win Mr. Munich, you know, and I am perfect poser, and, um, I have a fantastic body. And, uh, I just want to learn a new posing routine, a new style. You know, something way out, which nobody expects.” So I said, “Let me see your posing routine you have right now.” Well, when the guy took his clothes off and posed for me, he, uh, he looked like nothing, number one; and his posing was bad. So, I mean, he was just… I think he was crazy. So I thought, I thought, “Okay, if he’s the best poser, I’m gonna pull a little trick on him.” And so that’s what I did. I told him, I said, “Listen, I have a new posing routine from America.” I said, “I’m in correspondence with all the top athletes in America.” And so on. And I told him that the new thing is that he has to scream while he’s posing. And he looked at me, and he said, “Wow, that’s a new idea.” He says, you know, “That will really come out impressive when you go out on stage and scream, people can’t miss you. They’ll all look at you screaming, and that’s it.” So I taught him how to scream. First of all, I oiled him up. His body, you know, with really heavy oil and everything. So we’re standing there in the shower room, and I taught him to how to do it. You know, I mean, the higher your arms go up, the higher you make a screaming noise, and the lower your arms come down while you’re posing, you know, the lower the noise. You know like “Ahhh! Ohhhh.” You know, this kind of a thing. Well, I practiced with him for around two hours. Spent a lot of time on developing his new posing routine. And, um, he mastered it very well. He was screaming really loud. [inaudible] you know, high and low. And he went to the Mr. Munich contest. And I told him when he walks out, he has to scream loud, you know, run out: “Ahhhh!” And so he did, and obviously people weren’t ready for that at all. You know so, he went out there, he screamed loudly. Went through three or four poses with the loud screaming, and they carried him off the stage and threw him out! They thought the guy was totally nuts.
Arnold and Franco in a Hotel room
Arnold: [speaking German?]
Franco: [inaudible] I am shaking really
Arnold: Ha. Shaking.
Franco: But when I get there I’ll think I forget about it.
Arnold: Forget about it?
Franco: Yeah.
Arnold: When I get there, I am even more nervous.
Arnold eats breakfast with the Ferrignos.
Arnold: I’m not nervous at all. Thank you. Jesus Christ.
Matty: Take it easy, Arnold.
Arnold: What can I say? You guys are psyching me out here early in the morning.
Matty: Easy, easy [the bus ride will calm you down.]
Lou: The only way to do it.
Matty: Lay down in the bus in the back.
Arnold: Hey, Lou. Is this the master plan here this morning?
Lou: Right.
Arnold: Huh?
Lou: Be on guard.
Arnold: I’m here now for six days, and nobody invited me for breakfast. This morning they say, “Come for breakfast with us, Arnold. Come have a nice breakfast.” He’s talking about pumping up, he’s talking about psyching me out, she’s talking about my mother.
Matty: You’re the king of king’s Arnold.
Arnold: [holy] shit. He’s rubbing it in.
Mrs. Ferrigno: I think [inaudible]
Arnold: How are you doing, Lou? How you doing?
Lou: Good.
Arnold:Look a little worried today.
Lou: Just a little tired. Gotta wake up.
Matty: They don’t come nicer than you, Arnold.
Arnold: I’m a nice guy.
Matty: I wouldn’t turn my back on you, Arnold, within 500 yards.
Arnold: You don’t trust me. Why’s that?
Mrs. Ferrigno: They should the Olympia early on so we could relax [and] enjoy the country.
Arnold: They should have it in a month for him. He isn’t even in shape yet. I mean, gee, he didn’t get the timing right. I’m telling you. A month from now would have been perfect for you. But then I’d get bigger, too, again so it doesn’t matter, what the hell. Let’s get it over with.
Lou: [inaudible]
Arnold: And, uh, if you retire this year, you just never had the Olympia, but you had twice the Universe, what the hell. That’s not too bad either.
Lou: You could go on [and win] the next 5 years.
Arnold: It’s amazing. Can you imagine the feeling I have? Six times Mr. Olympia. Six times [now]. It’s incredible.
Matty: I told you you’ve found the fountain of youth. You could go on forever, Arnold.
Arnold: It blows my mind when I think about it.
Matty: People are gonna get so tired…
Arnold: I called my mother yesterday already, and I said, “I won.” She says, “Congratulations, Arnold.” You know. Anyway, listen, guys, why don’t we go? You go and help him pump up. Calm him down.
Matty: I will.
Arnold: Help him, okay?
Matty: I will.
Arnold: No screwing up this time.
Matty: I don’t want you in our pumping room.
Arnold: Okay?

Chapter 13 - Pre-Judging
Official: Judges. Final attention. You all understand our strict code and rule: no talking while adjuricating. And that also means photographers, please do not speak to the judges. I'll, juh, will simply have to remove you.
Narrator: Most of the judging at an international competition takes place during the day before the crowds and distractions of the nighttime show. This is called the "prejudging."
Man: Double biceps, rear. Straight.
Narrator: The judges look for three things: symmetry, proportion, and the size and clarity of each muscle group. Olympia contestants are judged in two classes: those over 200 pounds, and those under. At night, the two class winners will pose off for the overall title. Each classes poses first as a group for comparison judging. Then they come on one at a time to perform the 6 compulsory poses that show every part of the body.
Arnold: Look at the lat spread.
Matt: He's... what a monster. Oh my god.
Arnold: Those guys are like animals, man. I can't believe it, look at this one now Matt. See, this is the hard part right here, look at that.
[ Franco does a rear double bicep and shows off his back. Someone clears their throat.]
Official: And your lats from the rear.
Matt: Yuck. What he got? Let's see. Uhh guk [laughter]
Unknown: You can call him "The Bat" from now on... "Franco the Bat."
Matt: He could fly with that.
Arnold: Look at this one.
Matt: Oh my god.
[Franco does a left side chest pose.]
Official: Finish with a left side chest.
[Someone grunts.]
Official: Then your optional routine.
[Ed does some smooth posing.]
Arnold: Hey, nice shot. Goddamn it.
Matt: This guy is just, it gives you chills when you watch that guy.
Arnold: I know. Isn't it unbelievable. Look here, look, look.
[Ed continues his amazing posing routine.]
Narrator: Ed Corney, a 44-year-old nightclub owner originally from Hawaii. He is Franco's chief competition in the under 200 pound class.
[Ed throws up his hand.]
Arnold: Can you believe that? I mean that... that's what I call posing.
[cuts to a close-up of Serge's abs]
Official: Okay, turn to your right, Serge. Face that way.
[Serge clears his throat.]
Official: Turn right on, look straight ahead of you. Yes, that's it. That's it, that's the position we want.
Narrator: An unexpected entry in the tall class of the Olympia contest: Serge Nubret, 41-years-old, 6 feet, 200 pounds, Mr. France, and a movie and television star in Europe.
Official: Compulsory... 1, 2, 3.
[Matty walks up to Lou.]
Official: I'll call on him.
Lou: Okay, I'll do that then you'll call me. I got those lines.
Matty: Don't lean back too much, you get wrinkles in the back.
Lou: From the suntan.
Matty: Yeah, don't go back too much.
Lou: Alright.
Matty: You're in.
[slow, sentimental music plays]
Judge: Okay, come to me now.
[Lou poses.]
Judge: Okay, thank you.
Matty: Your back was out of sight. Your back, fantastic.
Lou: Yeah?
[Matty does a dance and mouths something about Lou's back.]
Lou: Do I need more oil?
Matty: Lou, you should've did this one for your arms.
Lou: They didn't call it. I didn't want to look small. You mean this one.
Matty: No, no, no. For your abs.
Lou: No, no, no, no you're wrong.
Matty: Okay.
Lou: Look, it goes to nothing now.
Matty: The arms are important. You got arms, and he's got spaghetti arms, Louie.
[Arnold comes on stage to pose.]
Judge: Just relax.
[Arnold starts laughing.]
Arnold: I don't have any weak points. I had weak points a few years ago, but the, my main, uh, thing in my mind is, my goal always was, to even out everything, to the point that everything is perfect. Which means if I want to increase one muscle a half inch, the rest of the body has to increase. I would never just make one muscle increase or decrease, because everything fits together now, and I have to do now is get my posing routine now down more perfect, which is almost impossible to do, you know? It's perfect already. Oh yeah, it's down to a point. Wait when you see it. [laughter]
[Funky music plays and Arnold poses.]
Judge: Relax. Thank you Arnold.
[Arnold leaves the stage and the movie cuts to an interview with him.]
Arnold: If you want to be a champion, you cannot have any kind of an outside negative force coming in and affect you. Okay, let's say before a contest if I get emotionally involved with a girl, that can have a negative effect on my mind and therefore destroy my workouts. So, therefore, I have to cut my emotions off and be kind of cold, in a way, when before a competition. And so that's what you do then with the rest of the things. If somebody steals my car rights, right outside of my, my door right now, I don't care, you know? I can't be bothered with that. The only thing I will do is have my secretary call the insurance agency and then laugh about it, you know? Because I cannot be bothered with it, so I trained myself for that, to be totally cold and not have the things go into my mind. And, uh, it was in a way a sad story when my father died. Because my mother called me on the phone and she said, uh, you know, your dad died. And this was exactly 2 months before a contest. She says, "Do you come home to the funeral?" I said, "No. It's too late, you know? He's dead and there's nothing to be done." And, uh, "I'm sorry, I can't come, you know?" And I didn't explain to her really the reasons why, you know? I had other excuses to her because how do you explain a mother who, uh, whose husband just died, you know, your trip? I didn't bother with it, and, uh, that actually caused one of the greatest conflicts with, uh, with my girlfriend. Because she just looked at me and she said, "It doesn't bother you? I mean, you know, your father died." And, and I never talk about it again.

Chapter 14 – The Finals

Narrator: The finals of the Mr. Olympia contest. First to be judged is the under 200 pound class.
Arnold: Uh, he said [no] 20 minutes from now. Right.
Matty: Take your time, you got a lot of time.
Lou: Yeah.
Judge: 2nd place in the under 200 pound category, from the United States of America: Ed Corney. And the winner of the 1975 Mr. Olympia under 200 pounds, from the United States via Italy, Franco Columbo.
Arnold: What did you say, Lou?
Lou: Hmm?
Arnold: What did you say?
Lou: I’m training, Arnold. Gotta get a good pump.
Arnold: You make too much noise. Supposed to be very quiet here, like in a church.
Lou resumes lifting and grunting.
Arnold: Tell him. [Tell him.]
Serge: The battle of the giants. [inaudible] I can take you.
Arnold: Oh yeah. Keep looking.
Ed Corney whispers something to Arnold
Arnold: Thanks a lot.
Ed: You’ve got a better neck.
Arnold: I know.
Arnold laughs when Lou grunts again, then both laugh together.
Arnold: I’m watch you.
Lou: I’m watch you, too.
Arnold: Oooh… there’s a barbell above my head, I better watch it here. Okay. We don’t want no accidents here, you know?
Matty: What symmetry you’ve got, Louie. You know you look like something Michelangelo cut out.
Lou: More oil, more. That’s not good oil, uh.
Arnold: Lou, relax.
Serge: Would you?
Arnold: Tell them that we are ready.
[Franco]: We are ready.
Judge: And now we come to the heavyweights, over 200 pounds. We have three contestants. From the United States of America, Lou Ferrigno. From France, Serge Nubret. From the United States via Austria, the one and only, Arnold Schwarzenegger. And now we’ll call on all three contestants, Lou Ferrigno, Serge Nubret, and Arnold Schwarzenegger for a pose down for the final decision from the judges.
Matty: Louie goes through his posing, and you watch every pose. You sort of help him out, easy now. Each pose he goes through, you’re living it with him. I mean, you just have to try to understand what I’m trying to tell you, that you’re actually out there with your son because you trained with him and you’re posing with him, and you, the only thing you’re doing with him, you’re not, you’re not getting the reward of the applause. He’s the one. He’s the one that’s getting that, and he deserves it. And you just hope the audience gives him more, and you wanna shout out, “It’s my son out there. Give him just a few more handshakes, a few more applause.” And you just hope that just hope that he’s the winner, that’s all.
Judge: Third place, from the United States of America, Lou Ferrigno. Second place, from France, Serge Nubret. And the winner, the one and only, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Chapter 15 - Mr. Olympia
Judge: Ladies and gentlemen, the two [inaudible] bodyweight winners, Franco and Arnold.
Arnold: [Right now.]
Fan: Come on, Franco, give him hell.
Arnold: Too much noise again. This little guy he’s talking about.
Franco: Where is he?
Matty: Turn around.
Lou: [Okay.]
Matty: Let’s go.
[Someone]: [These are the napkins…]
Judge: The winner of the 1975 overall Mr. Olympia, the one and only, the greatest, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Matty: Louie, you’re a baby, Lou. These guys are all veterans. You’re just growing. This takes years and years.
Lou: [incomprehensible]
Matty: In two years from now, Louie, they’ll never seen anything like you. They’ll think you were carved out of stone.
Lou: Just give me the motivation to train harder.
Matty: Your day’ll come, Louie. Someday, you’ll have a back, Louie, nobody every seen.
Arnold: So it’s no more because it was my last year of competition, and I would like to announce officially that I am retiring from bodybuilding competition. I would like to thank you all for supporting me. I would like to thank the judges. Bodybuilding has been a beautiful experience for me, and I will continue it for the rest of my life. I only stop competing, but I am not stopping bodybuilding. It’s the greatest sport. Thank you.


Chapter 16 - After the Show
[Backstage, people laugh and Arnold smokes a joint while drinking white wine, eating fried chicken, and wearing a shirt with "ARNOLD IS NUMERO UNO" on it.]
Unknown: I led him to the cake.
Arnold: Where's Lou? I want to, I want to have everybody sing "Happy Birthday" to Lou because it's his birthday today.
Someone: Lou!
Ken: It's Lou's birthday today?
Arnold: It's Lou's birthday today.
Someone: Aww.
[All (excluding Mike Katz) sing "Happy Birthday" to Lou while he conducts them.]
Arnold: Alright all!
Someone (Lou's mother?): Love you. Speech.
Arnold: Speech. Speech!
Someone: Speech Louie.
Arnold: Hey, speech.
Lou: I have nothing to say, I just wanna eat my cake.
[Everyone laughs, then to movie cuts to the final scene on a bus ride with Arnold and the Ferrignos.]
Victoria: It's nice having them pay for this and pay for that.
Arnold: I know.
Victoria: That's your work, that's pretty good.
Arnold: Right, right. I'm gonna come over and have a nice meal over at your house. Some good cheesecake.
Lou: You're gonna come over?
Arnold: Yeah, I will, when I come back from Austria. I'm gonna call you, and she's gonna fix a nice spaghettis, meatballs, cheesecake, apple strudel, the whole business.
Matty: Okay.
Arnold: Yeah, she says that she's gonna bulk me up to 280 pounds.
[Everyone laughs.]
Arnold: Yeah, and then she's gonna fix me up with your, uh, sister.
[Everyone laughs.]
Matty: Oh, that's a little.
Lou: Talk to him for her. (not sure)
Arnold: Hey, I'll talk to him later on.
[Everyone laughs. Lou takes off his coat, and Arnold gets out of him way.]
Victoria: Louie, he moved over for you movie.
[Arnold grunts.]
Victoria: Let's put him out Louie.
Lou: That'll do the trick.
[Arnold and Lou both move higher in their seats to make room for themselves and each other. Everyone laughs.]
Arnold: Oh man, uh. Big Louie.
[Credits roll and "Pumping Iron" plays. On the 25th Anniversary Special Edition, Arnold tells the viewer to stay tuned for the Raw Iron, the making of Pumping Iron, up next.]