Arnold Schwarzenegger’s unpublished photo from 1966 and history with a former bodybuilder rival

“Last week’s newsletter challenge was to reconnect with an old friend. I practice what I preach. I had an approach with an old competitor who I hadn’t heard anything in 50 years, Vic Downs. And it was fantastic.” And that’s how, with a never-before-seen 1966 photo, Arnold Schwarzenegger He tells us about one of his great rivals in the world of bodybuilding.

you already know that has launched a web guide with tips to know how to train in the gym. And he is telling us about the highlights on his social networks, such as a training plan that surely must be taken into account before entering the gym, and he told us about the limits of training, the appropriate number of repetitions in the exercises or if he took a day off in the gym–, but he also continues to leave good pearls like these.

Because in this case the best of all is that Downs is still training at 94 years old.

Yes. Vic Downs continues to defy the laws of the physical by training three times a dayproving that age is not an obstacle to pursuing a passion for fitness and health.

The emotional reunion came about thanks to the efforts of CityNews, whose coverage of Vic Downs’ incredible career in the world of fitness caught the attention of Schwarzenegger’s team, which has since been carried over to his newsletter. The former Mr. Olympia was delighted to learn of Downs’ extraordinary dedication to staying in shape despite the passage of time.

In his youth, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vic Downs were local rivals and were pushed to the limit in bodybuilding competitions. Both shared a mutual respect for dedication and discipline, and their friendly competition fueled them to be better. However, life took its course, their paths separated and they lost contact. Schwarzenegger continued his successful career in Hollywood and eventually ventured into politics, while Vic Downs continued his commitment to fitness and bodybuilding.

“It’s always nice to talk to someone you haven’t talked to in a long time. I was so happy when I found out that…he’s alive and wellthat he’s in top shape and that he continues to exercise religiously,” Schwarzenegger said.

With the help of CityNews, Schwarzenegger’s team reached out to Vic Downs to reconnect, keen to celebrate the indomitable spirit of a fellow bodybuilder who continued to follow his passion well into his golden age. “I think it’s a perfect example to motivate other people. Get to that age. It is never too late. That you can always start, you can always take shape. When people see Vic’s story, he’ll be inspired.”

Joaquín Gasca is an expert in competition, technology and motor sports. Some time ago he hung up his stud boots to focus on paddle tennis and running… old things, he complains. But he’s also up for whatever blitz he has to do with pushing his body to the limit, whether it’s behind the wheel of an Aston Martin or skateboarding to the office.

He is very much from Atlético de Madrid, so when footballers like Marcos Llorente or Álvaro Morata have starred on the cover of Men’s Health, he was there to write them. He just ran his first marathon for Runner’s World, and as he passes in this universe, he’s already looking for the next one to go under 3 hours. If you have to test any type of paddle tennis racket, vehicle or watch, it’s no problem. Even slippers. Whatever is needed in sports equipment.

Joaquín graduated in journalism from USP-CEU in 2013, but since 2009, when he joined the University newspaper, he began to work as a 360 “journalist” in digital and print. The next steps in his almost 15-year career were taken by doing culture and sports in Shanghai magazine, until he joined Hearst a week before the start of the pandemic in 2020. He is also a professor of social networks and new technologies at Universitas Senioribvs CEU and is part of Hearst’s Innovation HUB to investigate new trends.