Charles Gaines, the author of the book and documentary Pumping Iron, died at the age of 84. He was a legendary writer, and through Pumping Iron he brought professional bodybuilding into mainstream media and introduced the legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger to the world.

According to Greta Gaines, the author's daughter, Gaines died on Tuesday. However, she did not disclose the cause of his death.

After hearing the news, Schwarzenegger, who shared a lifelong bond with Gaines, could not hold back his emotions. Schwarzenegger immediately went to his X account and mourned Gaines's death, saying emotionally, “I can still hear his voice.”

So, what exactly does the bodybuilding legend say? Let's explore. In his July 22 X post, Schwarzenegger said,

“There was no adventure too big for Charles Gaines.

He climbed mountains, trekked across ice, fished, and hunted on almost every continent, writing about every adventure in a way that captured people’s hearts and minds. He was interested in everything - and his interest was contagious.”

Arnold also admitted that, due to Gaines's nature of exploring new frontiers, he found the Austrian Oak and bodybuilding.

In this part, he discusses the legendary film Pumping Iron, written and directed by Gaines. In this documentary, he launched Arnold alongside Lou Ferrigno into the mainstream media, which finally helped the bodybuilder enter Hollywood through the movie Stay Hungry.

Interestingly, Gaines also wrote the movie.

That's why Arnold said, “Most importantly, it’s how I became lifelong friends with Charles. You hear me say it over and over: I’m not a self-made man”.

Schwarzenegger added, “Today, I honor the amazing life of one of the people who helped make me who I am. Charles left us today, but he’s not gone. I can still hear his voice. “Hey Oak!” - always followed by some unbelievable insight or philosophy, always giving us the greatest gift: making us think.

No, he isn’t gone. He lives on in his unbelievable family, and in all of the lives he touched. He’s just off on his next adventure.”

Now, remembering Gains, let's look at some parts of his life journey.

Some life moments of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s friend Charles Gains

Gains was born on January 6, 1942, in Jacksonville, Florida, and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. In his teens, he began bodybuilding and later turned to writing after school. He earned a BA from Birmingham-Southern College and an MFA in writing from the University of Iowa.

According to DEADLINE and as reported by Yahoo! Entertainment, he wrote more than 25 books throughout his career and also worked for various magazines, including Harper's, Town & Country, Playboy, Outdoor Life, Sports Illustrated, and GEO.

Gains became famous for his 1974 nonfiction work “Pumping Iron,” which was even documented in 1977.

Along with writing, he also invented the team sport of paintball in the early 1980s with his Wall Street trader friend Hayes Noel.

However, Gaines left the world, but his lovely memories will always stay with his loved ones.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil