Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Arnold Classic Australia 2015 (Image via Getty)

How many times was Arnold Schwarzenegger Mr. Universe? Total wins explored

Modified Mar 13, 2024 12:33 GMT

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the, if not the, best bodybuilders in history. Schwarzenegger has four Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia titles to his name, making him as one of the most successful competitors in history.

The bodybuilder shot up to become the biggest name in bodybuilding during the 1970s. He became a star thanks to his successive Mr. Olympia wins. However, not many remember that the Hollywood star began dominating the bodybuilding scene as an amateur Mr. Universe winner in the 60s.

Nicknamed the Austrian Oak, Schwarzenegger started off by winning the Junior Mr. Europe title in 1965 at 18.

He went on to compete at the NABBA Mr. Universe amateur competition in 1966. He finished second, losing the title to American bodybuilder Chet Yorton.

The former Governor of California returned the following year and won his first amateur Mr. Universe title in 1967. He dwarfed his competition in the event which took place in London.

Following this, Schwarzenegger continued his run and won the NABBA Mr. Universe professional title in 1968. By this time, he had moved to California in 1968 to train.

The Terminator actor competed in bigger events in the United States like Mr. Olympia. However, he did compete and win a few more Mr. Universe titles before this. Schwarzenegger won the IFBB Mr. Universe Amateur in New York in 1969 and NABBA Mr. Universe Professional in London in 1970.

The Mr. Universe competition London, which Schwarzenegger won by defeating his idol Reg Park, was the last time he competed in the competition. The bodybuilder went on to win the professional Mr. Olympia title in 1970.

With this title, he became the youngest ever Mr. Olympia at 23. He would then continue the glory run and win the title five more times from 1971–75. The bodybuilder-turned-superstar announced his retirement post his 1975 Mr. Olympia title win in South Africa.

The four-time Mr. Universe winner went on to surprise his fans by coming out of retirement in 1980. Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to compete one last time and won the Mr. Olympia title before hanging up his boots for good.

It is pertinent to note that Schwarzenegger has also won other competitions like the 'Show of Strength', International Bodybuilding Contest in Germany (1966), and IFBB Mr. International in Mexico (1968).

Arnold Schwarzenegger's illustrious career

Arnold Schwarzenegger had an incredible career in bodybuilding. However, this is not the only field he would dominate. After bidding goodbye to bodybuilding in 1975, he first stepped into the acting field with Stay Hungry.

Schwarzenegger’s debut performance landed him the Golden Globe award for Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture - Male.

His career in Hollywood touched new heights after his role in The Terminator. Schwarzenegger went on to star in movies like Predator, Terminator 2, Last Action Hero, and others. He went on to become the world’s highest paid actor.

Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t stop there. The bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-producer ventured into politics, becoming the 38th governor of California. He earned his name as one of the few Republican governors to serve that state for a long time.

The megastar was also named in the Time magazine’s ‘100 most influential people in the world’ list twice (2004 and 2007).