The 38th Arnold Classic will be held from March 5-8, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. However, Arnold Schwarzenegger has once again put the Mr. Olympia on notice with a prize money decision.

On March 15, 2025, the 7-time Mr. Olympia winner announced on Instagram, “The Arnold Classic is raising the bar. I’m raising the prize money again because our athletes deserve it”.

"We are going to up the cash prize from $500,000 to $750,000, and the total cash prize from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000 because I am sick and tired of all of this waiting," said Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Arnold Schwarzenegger also said, “I want bodybuilders to train all year long really hard and to be able to make $750,000 for first prize and then go to the Arnold Classic in England, the European Arnold Classic, and make another $250,000 to make $1,000,000.”

This is the fourth time the former Mr. Olympia has increased the prize money since 2020, and jumps have been significant. Arnie first increased the prize money from $130,000 to $ 200,000. Then he did it again in 2023, taking it to $300,000, and once again to $500,000 last year.

In fact, Arnie's present prize money bumps may have forced Mr. Olympia to raise the bar. In 2024, Olympia raised the purse to $600,000 for the Men's Open winner. However, the 2026 Arnold Classic is going to exceed the Mr. Olympia once again.

What the Arnold Classic's $750,000 payout means for the future of bodybuilding

On episode 233 of The Menace podcast, veteran bodybuilders like Milos Sarcev discussed the implications of the bump in prize money for the 2026 Arnold Classic.

Dennis James asked whether prestige will now go after the biggest prize money, questioning whether an event becomes more valuable because it pays more, or if Mr. Olympia will remain the ultimate destination for bodybuilders.

Co-host and bodybuilding icon Milos Sarcev said, “It’s exciting times to be a bodybuilder. Dennis, when you and I started, if there was prize money, it was just like a little bonus”.

The panel also predicted that Mr. Olympia could soon raise thier purse to $1 million as a response. So what do you think about the Arnold Classic raising the bar for the fourth time in six years? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi