Greatness isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build. And few people show that better than “The Austrian Oak” himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Here at AdmiGram.com, we’re bringing back one of Schwarzenegger’s most famous motivational speeches — a powerful reminder that if you really want to reach your goals, you have to be willing to put in the work.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Legendary Motivational Speech
Not a Single Minute Was Wasted
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When I was in college, I trained for five hours a day. I also worked construction, because in those days, bodybuilding didn’t pay — I didn’t even have money for food.
So I worked construction, went to college, and trained. And four nights a week, from 8 p.m. to midnight, I took acting classes.
I didn’t waste a single minute. And that’s why I’m standing here today.
When I was 20, I went to London and won the Mr. Universe title — the youngest Mr. Universe ever. And I did it because I had a goal.
If you don’t know where you’re going, if you don’t have a goal in front of you, you drift. And if you keep drifting, you never end up anywhere.
You Need a Goal
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74% of people in America hate their jobs.
Most people don’t enjoy what they do — because they never set a goal in the first place. They just drift through life, and when a job opens up, they take it because, well, you have to work.
But that kind of work is a chore. It’s not fun.
Only about a quarter of people truly enjoy what they do with their lives.
People always asked me — when they saw me training five, six hours a day — why I always had a smile on my face, while everyone else working just as hard looked miserable.
Here’s why: I was working toward a goal. Mr. Universe was right in front of me. Every rep, every set, every weight I lifted brought me one step closer to turning that vision into reality.
Learn to Love the Work
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I couldn’t wait to do another 500-pound (227 kg) squat. I couldn’t wait for my next 500-pound (227 kg) bench press. I couldn’t wait to knock out another 2,000 sit-ups.
I looked forward to every single workout.
Visualize your goal and go after it — that’s what makes the work fun. Whatever you do in life, you need a purpose. You simply have to have one.
Muhammad Ali Didn’t Count Until It Hurt
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Muhammad Ali worked incredibly hard — I saw it firsthand.
I remember a sports reporter at the gym while Ali was training. Ali was doing sit-ups, and the reporter asked him how many he’d done.
Ali said: “I don’t start counting until it hurts.”
Think about that. He doesn’t start counting until it hurts. That’s what hard work looks like.
There Is No Magic Pill
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It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from — anyone can work hard.
Work your tail off. There’s no magic pill, no secret formula, no shortcut.
Work. Work. Work. That’s where the magic is.
And it drives me crazy when people say they don’t have 45 minutes a day to work out. We have 24 hours in a day. Sleep eight of them, and you’ve still got 16 left.
You don’t need magic. You need a goal — and the discipline to keep moving toward it.
image on top: Arnold Schwarzenegger via Instagram
