Arnold Schwarzenegger has strived to cultivate a wholesome and inclusive fitness space for people to feel motivated to work out and develop healthy habits. Hence, the Pump Club a.k.a. his newsletter, was born, where he and two of his closest associates, Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell would often share fitness tips and tricks. Recently, they celebrated the first anniversary of their workout app, ‘The Pump’, and Schwarzenegger wanted to celebrate in a wholesome way.
He decided to let his users talk and discuss if they saw any changes since they began using the application to guide their fitness journey. And the responses have not only been overwhelmingly positive but also made Schwarzenegger emotional about his successful project.
The star has often maintained how fitness has a lot to do with one’s mindset. Training the brain to be able to cross a physical milestone and trudge forth has been a lesson that many yesteryear bodybuilders, from Reg Park to Mike Mentzer, have taught the masses. That seemed to be the common theme amongst users, as many of them admitted rising from the depths of mental illnesses to work out and stay healthy. Needless to say, Schwarzenegger was proud of every ‘village’ member.
“These heroes are battling depression and anxiety and getting through unbelievable tragedies, and I’m so proud of them for sharing and lifting each other up.”
Speaking of tragedies, a user shared their heartbreaking tale of how they lost their partner and son to an accident, and the only ray of hope came from the community itself. Regular workouts and interactions with other users about purpose gave them a new lease of life.
Similarly, another user reported commendable changes in weight and illnesses after joining ‘The Pump’. They managed to lose 40 lbs, eliminated the risk of prediabetes, and shockingly reversed their chances of liver cirrhosis after reducing cholesterol. Schwarzenegger often shared tips on effective weight loss with the help of consistency in his newsletter. It’s no surprise that his village members have been pulling off impressive feats and transforming their lives.
“If you’re going through a hard time right now or aren’t sure if you’re ready to start exercising, I hope my friends here can inspire you.”
For Schwarzenegger’s Pump Club, fitness and the power of the community went hand-in-hand to create something beautiful within a year. The app’s USP was to lock users in a chosen program and document their daily progress. And while they’ve rolled out new updates to this feature, it did play a crucial role in empowering fitness enthusiasts.
Arnold Schwarzenegger emphasized on seeing the bigger picture for progress
Just like how everyone gathered and shared their stories about going from struggling to succeeding in their fitness journeys, Schwarzenegger knew he got exactly what he wanted from his community. A few editions ago, ‘The Pump’ had introduced an oft-requested feature that he was against. While he didn’t have the power to oppose, he explained his take on why he felt locking people in a program was important.
Schwarzenegger wanted people to accept and move on from the red marks they’d see upon failing a workout session. He believed that as long as they made the effort to get up and exercise, that’s what mattered the most. Life might not offer flexible choices, and failures are bound to occur in many situations. But he wanted his community to know that only failure could help them know the worth of small victories.
