One of the most famous bodybuilders of all time – turned Hollywood actor – turned Californian governor – Arnold Schwarzenegger, is actively building an online fitness community through which to share his knowledge.
Now in his 70s, Schwarzenegger says he wants to motivate people to get fit and strong and convince everyone fitness is for them. To this end, he's building a fitness community called Arnold’s Pump Club.
The latest move was the launch of an app, called The Pump, for his 5,000 founding members and in the months since launch, the app has been refined and the community has grown.
Costing £105.99 per year, or £10.49 per month, The Pump delivers workout programmes, motivational tips, a personalised habit tracker and a positive community. On joining, individuals complete a questionnaire and are given a workout based on their criteria, which is updated with a progressive workout each week.
Schwarzenegger says he wants everyone to feel fit and strong as he always did and is excited about how the internet allows him to reach so many people. “Fitness is for everybody, everyone has the right to be healthy and fit and to train,” he says. “This app is not just for the people who've been training for years, it's for people who've never stepped into the gymnasium as well.”
Making people feel good about themselves and creating a “positive corner of the internet” is as central to the mission as sharing the training programmes, which are designed by Schwarzenegger and his team.
The Pump community shares wins, struggles and feelings. “Like a Terminator, they pump each other up,” says Schwarzenegger. “I'm really proud of the workout programmes, habit builder and the technical parts of the app, but I'm most proud of the community just spreading joy and support every day. It really feels like the camaraderie I've always loved about the gym – a lot of people coming together on their own missions.”
Schwarzenegger guides users through the workouts with exercise videos and instructional tips. For the first 90 days people are locked into The Foundation, a programme which is customised according to their level of experience and whether they have access to the gym or are doing bodyweight training.
The habit builder feature encourages users to pick a vision and then choose three daily actions to move towards that vision. Schwarzenegger does Q&As, alongside other experts, about overcoming hurdles.
Subscribers to The Pump Club free newsletter benefit from a motivational email each day and access to a podcast.
