It is always a treat for bodybuilding fans to see Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno together, on or off screen. A recently resurfaced video from Schwarzenegger’s Pumping Iron has caught fans’ attention once again, bringing back memories of one of bodybuilding's greatest rivalries.

A recent Instagram clip posted by @arnoldsports highlights a tense moment from Pumping Iron where Schwarzenegger, Ferrigno, and Ferrigno’s father were eating breakfast right before their highly anticipated showdown. Initially, Ferrigno and his father try to joke with Schwarzenegger and undermine his confidence, but Schwarzenegger doesn’t seem to be affected by it in the least.

“Hey Lou, is this a master plan here this morning?” Schwarzenegger asked Ferrigno with an all-knowing smile.

The duo shared a friendly relationship and it is evident from the banter.

“He’s talking about pumping up; he’s talking about psyching me out, she’s talking about my mother,” Schwarzenegger pointed out.

Of course, Schwarzenegger didn’t hold back on his rally.

“You should have it in a month for him; he isn’t even in shape yet,” referring to Ferrigno’s physique at the time.

The sly comment was enough to make everyone at the table understand just how high Schwarzenegger’s self-confidence levels were.

“I mean, jeez, he didn’t get the timing right. I’m telling you, a month from now would have been perfect for you,” he said to a glum-faced Ferrigno. “But then I get bigger too again, so, you know, doesn’t matter.”

The conversation at the table, although superficially light-hearted, presented a deep understanding of the mind games and psychological warfare being played on each other.

Fans react to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno’s verbal rally

Schwarzenegger always arrived on the Olympia stage completely ready to win. This applied to both his body and his mind. Fans clearly enjoyed the humorous exchange between the two, filling up the comments section with their thoughts.

One fan correctly commented, “Arnold was the perfect troll, a mind games expert 😂,” referring to the subtle way in which Schwarzenegger played with Ferrigno’s confidence.

Similarly, another fan commented, “Arnold was born to be a star, he just had the confidence and the main character energy around him 😍.”

That comment rings true. Schwarzenegger went from a young kid in Austria to a bodybuilding legend and a US Governor. Clearly, fans recognize and appreciate Schwarzenegger’s intelligence.

“‘He’s not even in shape yet’ this guyyy 🤣🤣🤣,’” one commentator said, understanding the innuendo Schwarzenegger implied.

An observant fan also said, “See Lou's face twitch when Arnold asked him how he was? King of kings mind game at work. He saw he wasn’t 100% there and went for it 👏😂”

“Sitting with your rival and their parents for breakfast while throwing small jabs is beyond legendary,” a commentator said, referring to Schwarzenegger’s confidence.

What did you think of the psychological games Schwarzenegger and Ferrigno engaged in?

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Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi