For generations of bodybuilders, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the ultimate benchmark. But for Kai Greene, admiration came with ambition.

Greene recently opened up about his goal, as posted by the Generation Iron podcast in January, 2026. On his podcast, the 3-time Arnold Classic champion talked about his ambitious target.

"I said I wanted to be bigger than Arnold Schwarzenegger," he said. "Arnold Schwarzenegger's top competitive bodybuilding weight at the Olympia was probably somewhere in the 250s, certainly not higher than 260 because that didn't happen until Dorian [Andrew Mientjez Yates] came to the table."

Widely regarded as one of bodybuilding's greatest talents without a Mr. Olympia victory, he has remained absent from competition since 2016. However, he had not made an official retirement announcement.

During the podcast, he mentioned that bodybuilders competing above 260 pounds on the Olympia stage were rare during Schwarzenegger's era. But he broke the standards.

“At the end of the day, to be a professional bodybuilder on the Olympia stage, somewhere 272 pounds at 5’8”, people would have said it was impossible. Until I did it," he said.

What’s surprising is how he managed to achieve his goal. While Schwarzenegger weighed around 225 to 235 pounds during his peak, Greene managed to step onstage at 260 to 290 pounds.

Greene has often talked about how bodybuilding was not just a sport, but a medium of growth and self-transformation for him. His early ambition of becoming bigger than the seven-time Mr. Olympia was a measuring stick for him.

Ultimately, it was this personal goal that shaped his entire career, enabling him to get bigger and stronger.

Inside Kai Greene’s Pursuit Of Muscle and Mass

Undoubtedly, Greene’s bodybuilding career is a remarkable story in the bodybuilding world. His relentless dedication and one-pointedness helped him build an incredible career in the sport, winning multiple professional titles.

As per Fitness Volt, Greene’s mind-muscle connection had a major impact on his transformation journey. He built his massive back using medium weights with moderate to high reps. His typical sessions included-

• Hammer strength pullovers
• T-bar rows
• Back extensions
• Deadlifts
• Barbell rows
• Hammer strength pulldowns
• Front pulldowns
• One-arm dumbbell rows

According to Greene, weights were merely a tool to help him achieve his ultimate goal.

“The weight is just a tool," he says in an interview with Muscle and Fitness. "If you’re trying to hammer a nail, do you focus on the hammer or the nail? You better focus on the thing you’re trying to hit—the nail. It’s the same with bodybuilding training. Focus on the thing you’re trying to hit, your muscle, and not the tool for hitting that thing, the weight.”

Greene’s dedication and focus helped him achieve his long-time goals, proving once again that you can succeed at anything you put your mind to.

What do you think of Kai Greene’s ambition to put Arnold Schwarzenegger behind? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.  

Read more at Bodybuilding Bros.

Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar