THE MAN WHO ALMOST BEAT ARNOLD 💪 Lou Ferrigno | Golden Era Training

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:07][music] [music] I was born in Brooklyn, New York, 1951.

[00:00:17]And um I was a skinny child. I'm very introverted. I have an ear infection and had nerve damage. I lost 85% of my hearing. That had a huge effect on my life because it made me different than everyone else that made me [music] very introverted as a child. I have kind of like would you say a love or hate relationship with my father growing up because he had a hard time accepting me having a [music] handicap because I was the perfect the perfect son. He kind of pushed me and taught me never to feel sorry for myself. Every week, twice a week, I would have [music] to take a train to the city to learn to lip breathe. So, basically it was very hard for me because I would finish elementary school during the day and then go through the [music] city then come home in the evening at 6:00 p.m. almost like a full-time job. Being very introverted, I had kind of [music] a walk committed lifestyle. And I remember I discovered the comic books, Spider-Man, the Hulk.

[00:01:08]That was like maybe [music] 6 7 8 9 years old at the time. It was like very therapeutic for me because it gave me a chance to escape and fantasize that someday that's [music] the direction I want to go. That's the kind of superhero I like to become. I was reading these Hulk comics [music] admiring the physique on the Hulk and I saw a magazine that said muscle power [music] and Dave D was on the cover. Before you know, I'm looking at this magazine. I [music] says, "Oh boy." And I see these different bodybuilders are doing different poses. And that made me discover muscles, what muscle's all [music] about. And I end up buying now muscle magazines, bodybuilding magazines, learning about [music] bodybuilding and want to know how I can maximize my body. I [music] remember my dad took me to the movies to see Steve Reese, Hercules, and Hercules on chain.

[00:01:53][music] So when I saw Steve Reef, the way he was built and he was living all these monsters, pounders, and the fact he [music] fighting all these people, that's what I wanted to be. The next step was me to start working out and getting the feeling of picking up the iron [music] and it gave me a great feeling. I just like working out. The more I saw my body started to change, the more I became [music] obsessed. I just loved working out. It was like an obsession to me. I had to do that, [music] it meant to me more than anything. It gave me tremendous boost in my self-esteem. Even though at the time [music] bodybuilding was a shadow sport and everyone kind of against it. I would get ridiculed by my friends. They kept [music] laughing me. But I didn't let it affect me because every time I trained, it made me feel good about [music] myself. I was about 19 years old when I entered my first competition. [music] I came 23rd place. But I remember that night when I stepped on stage and the flash bulbs going off, I swapped and pose and everything. People clapping for [music] me and I'm saying to myself, wow, they're clapping for me. I mean, this is something I'm really proud of.

[00:02:57]That night I [music] came home. I told my family, I never come left again from this day on. So I end up mapping out my routine and and training twice as [music] hard. I've lost so much in my life when I was young growing up. To fulfill [music] that part of me made me extremely competitive. That's what I love about bodybuilding. It's a solo sport and I just love the feeling of competing on [music] myself. I've won the Mr. Eastern America, Teenage America, Mr. Teenaged [music] America, Asian Teenage America, Miss America, Mr. International M Olympia [music] twice and Mr. Universe twice. The youngest one to win the universe. I was 21 [music] years old. It was my greatest achievement because I know when I won the universe that's [music] a dream coming true. That broke the mold and made me realize that someone like myself or my problem the sky's is the limit.

[00:03:49][music] Heat. Heat.

[00:04:06][music] [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat.

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