Arnold Schwarzenegger proposes new fitness challenge following his assistance in shaping up presidents and US military.

Arnold Schwarzenegger began the new year by inviting fans to workout with him in person for a chance to achieve their ideal physique.

On January 1, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 77-year-old actor and bodybuilding icon, introduced a new challenge for users of his fitness app, The Pump.

"In his Pump Club newsletter, Schwarzenegger announced the "Iron Ticket," which is similar to the Golden Ticket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but instead of providing a lifetime supply of chocolate and a tour of a candy factory, it will make you fit."

"He stated that every three months, he would request success stories from the app and select three individuals with remarkable achievements to travel and train with him. This way, he could ensure that everyone had an opportunity to learn and grow."

Unlike other fitness challenges, Schwarzenegger clarified that the "Iron Ticket" is not intended to merely reward those who are already fit.

"Regardless of your starting point, everyone is welcome to participate in the program, as long as they strive for improvement daily, whether it's through their first chair squats or 500-pound squats."

The fitness icon disclosed that he intends to perpetually carry out the Iron Ticket challenge.

"True fitness is not a short-term challenge, but rather a lifelong commitment. The Iron Ticket program is designed to help you make fitness a permanent part of your life."

Schwarzenegger's mission in life is to inspire others to prioritize their physical health and fitness.

For over five decades, the action star, who maintains a daily workout routine, has inspired millions worldwide, including military personnel and a former U.S. President, to improve their physical fitness.

Here's a look back at Schwarzenegger's history of fitness inspiration.

Bodybuilding champion

As a teenager, Schwarzengger began his passion for fitness through weight training and eventually decided to pursue a career in bodybuilding. At the age of 16, he entered his first bodybuilding competition and won his first major title at 17 with the 1965 Junior Mr. Europe contest. The following year, he became the Mr. Europe champion in Germany.

At the age of 20, Schwarzengger emerged victorious in the 1967 Mr. Universe competition, setting a new record as the youngest champion in the contest's history.

In 1970, he won the Mr. Olympia competition and was named the world's best professional bodybuilder. He continued to win Mr. Olympia for five consecutive years until 1975.

Schwarzenegger, a seven-time Mr. Olympia champion, returned to the competition after a four-year break and won the title again, holding the record for the most wins until Lee Haney's eighth consecutive title in 1991.

Hollywood trailblazer

Despite his success in bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger initially struggled in Hollywood due to his foreign accent and body type, which was not considered standard for a leading man at the time.

In 1970, Schwarzenegger began his acting career by portraying the lead role in "Hercules in New York." Following this, he appeared as a guest on TV shows and assumed minor roles in films.

In 1977, Schwarzenegger starred in the bodybuilding docudrama "Pumping Iron," which became a box office hit and helped the bodybuilding industry enter mainstream culture. As a result, Schwarzenegger gained international fame.

In 1982, Schwarzenegger made his acting debut with "Conan the Barbarian," and he gained fame with his iconic role in "The Terminator" in 1984, which resulted in five sequels.

The 1980s action movie craze, fueled by the rivalry between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, also contributed to the growth of the fitness industry.

On his website, Schwarzenegger pondered about the challenges he faced early in his career and how he overcame them in a 2000 post.

In the beginning, I faced challenges because agents and casting people deemed my body "too weird," my accent "funny," and my name "too long," advising me to change it.

Despite being told that I had no chance, I became more determined and worked harder. I took acting and voice classes and never gave up.

"I learned that to be successful, you must establish yourself in a unique area and create a demand for yourself, as I did in the action film genre with Conan and the Terminator films. Once you achieve this, others will eventually seek you out."

After leaving office in 2011, Schwarzenegger resumed his career in the entertainment industry, having retired from acting after becoming the Governor of California in 2003.

In addition to his roles in "The Expendables" and the latest "Terminator" films, Schwarzenegger has also appeared in other blockbuster franchises.

In 2024, Schwarzenegger announced his return to the big screen after a five-year hiatus, playing Santa Claus in the holiday movie "The Man With The Bag."

Chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness

Schwarzenegger and President George H.W. Bush formed a lasting friendship during the height of Schwarzenegger's acting career, which continued until the President's death in 2018 at the age of 94.

Schwarzenegger and Bush formed a gym partnership, training together at the White House and Camp David.

In a 2018 interview with CNN, Schwarzenegger disclosed that Bush would invite him to Camp David monthly, and the two would engage in intense physical activities together.

"Schwarzenegger described Bush as exhausting after a day of non-stop sports and physical activities. They engaged in skeet and trap shooting, horseshoe-throwing, weightlifting, wallyball, and bowling. Schwarzenegger was so tired by the end of the day that he went to bed immediately."

In 1990, George H. W. Bush appointed Arnold Schwarzenegger as the head of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Regular exercise programs are crucial for the physical health of all Americans, as individuals can influence their health, fitness, and productive prime of life through an active pursuit of these programs, according to Bush's statement.

I have appointed Arnold to lead the Council because I am confident that he possesses the necessary qualifications to tackle and impact national health and fitness concerns, particularly among our young population," he stated. "Throughout his career, Arnold has focused on promoting physical fitness and has achieved numerous accomplishments in sports, acting, and entrepreneurship.

"I urge him to raise the awareness of all Americans about the significance of good health through physical fitness."

Last year, on the "Jocko Podcast," Schwarzenegger discussed his role as council chair and how he played a key part in providing workout equipment to military personnel stationed abroad.

The actor recalled a conversation with Bush where he mentioned an article in the New York Times about Iraqi soldiers using sandbags for exercise.

Schwarzenegger recounted telling Bush, "I said, 'Do you know why they're working out with sandbags? Firstly, because resistance training is beneficial. However, the other reason is that you haven't sent them any barbells and dumbbells yet. Do you think they wouldn't rather lift with dumbbells and barbells?'"

Schwarzenegger remembered Bush asking him, "Can you organize that?"

"I replied, 'You're speaking to the appropriate individual.'"

Schwarzenegger said that he solicited donations from every manufacturer of weight equipment.

He remembered how he gathered 40 tons of weight equipment and placed them in a crate.

The then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell, intervened when he discovered that Schwarzenegger intended to export the equipment abroad.

"Arnold says, 'I'm not going to be that dumb and send it over on a ship, but you've never heard that,'" Schwarzenegger told Jocko. "'I'm going to fly the f---ing thing over there. It'll be there in two days.'"

Three weeks after sending weights to the front lines, Arnold Schwarzenegger received letters from soldiers thanking him for his help. The soldiers were now working out at the barracks with dumbbells and barbells, but they still needed more weights due to the large number of soldiers interested in weight training. Despite this, they were grateful for the beginning of their weight training program.

In 2003, Schwarzenegger visited the troops in Iraq to promote his film "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."

He emphasized the importance of the men and women serving in Iraq being the first to view the information before any critic or anyone else saw it. He was extremely passionate about this.

"In 2009, I returned to the places I had visited and was astonished to see gymnasiums that were larger than any gym in the world."

"It was insane," he said. "At that moment, I realized that every station, whether it's a fire, police, or military one, now has weights."

"In the '70s to '90s, there was an explosion in all directions, he stated. This was my way of being useful, he added. He strongly believes in this and feels passionate about it."

"The larger the sport, the healthier the population will become."