Arnold The Early Years DVD from GMV.COM.AU
Friday, August 8th, 2008
Arnold The Early Years DVD
7 x Mr. Olympia 6 x Mr. Universe
Available from www.gmv.com.au
From 1970 to 1975, Arnold Schwarzenegger ruled the world of competitive bodybuilding and won the Mr. Olympia title every year before retiring to pursue a movie career. He returned to bodybuilding in 1980 to compete one last time, winning the Mr. Olympia title for the seventh time. Arnold then went on to become one of the most popular and successful movie stars of all time, a household name the world over.
Arnold The Early Years provides a unique look at Arnold Schwarzenegger, the bodybuilder, with a mix of contest, guest posing, and candid footage. The DVD showcases the development of his physique from a promising 19 year old bodybuilder in Europe to a 32 year old ex-champion making a one-time comeback on the bodybuilding stage. This is a must-have video for bodybuilding enthusiasts and is also recommended to any fan in general of Arnold.
The video journey begins with black and white footage of a 19 year old Arnold at a curling contest in Europe, where, even at this young age, his raw potential is evident. As the video progresses through his career, we see footage of him from many competitions, including his greatest victories such as the 1972 Mr. Olympia where he defeated Sergio Olivia and the 1975 Mr. Olympia where he defeated Serge Nubret and Lou Ferrigno (the same victory showcased in the famous documentary, Pumping Iron).
The highlights of Arnold The Early Years are two candid pumping and posing sessions performed outdoors. The natural light exquisitely highlights every physical attribute of Arnold’s muscles. The first session features Arnold at age 20. He performs a variety of exercises with dumbbells to pump his muscles and then presents a series of poses, showing the evolving combination of mass and detail that would lead him to Olympia championships in a few short years. The footage has a very intimate feel as videographer Wayne Gallasch shoots only a few feet away from Arnold. On several occasions, Gallasch zooms in on a flexed bicep, before pulling back to show Arnold’s entire physique in all its pumped glory, skillfully highlighting Arnold’s muscular frame at all times. There’s a natural, casual feel to the footage, as Arnold poses exclusively for the camera, the sunlight bathing his body; with each pose, his muscles appear to grow even larger.
The second pumping and posing session was shot in 1972 and features Arnold, then a three-time Mr. Olympia, along with his training partner Franco Columbu. They pump-up through a mix of exercises, including each first grasping an end of a towel and taking turns between pulling and resisting. Arnold also does lateral raises with Franco providing the resistance by pushing down on Arnold’s forearms as he moves through the range of the exercise. The session concludes with a pool-side posing display by Arnold, his muscles engorged with blood, showcasing himself in his prime, a documentation of why his massive yet refined physique is still considered one of the most stunning of all time.
Arnold The Early Years is a well-crafted video tribute to the man whose competition images still inspire people to achieve top physical greatness three decades later and no doubt will continue to do so for generations to come.
