Arnold Schwarzenegger was a bodybuilder.
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger ( [ ˈʃwɔːrtsənˌɛɡər ] [ ˈaɐ̯nɔlt ˈalɔʏs ˈʃvaɐ̯tsn̩ˌɛɡɐ ] ; born July 30 , 1947 ) is an Austrian-American actor , producer , businessman , investor , author , philanthropist , activist , politician and former professional bodybuilder . Schwarzenegger has remained a prominent presence in bodybuilding and has written many books and articles on the sport . He is widely considered to be among the greatest bodybuilders of all time as well as bodybuilding 's biggest icon . Schwarzenegger was nicknamed `` the Austrian Oak '' in his bodybuilding days , `` Arnie '' during his acting career , and `` The Governator '' ( a portmanteau of `` Governor '' and `` The Terminator '' ) during his political career .