Honestly, if you look at the history of modern fitness, it’s basically just a story about two guys who met in a gym in Munich and decided to take over the world. Most people know Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’s the Terminator, the Governor, the guy with the most famous bicep peak in history. But he wasn’t a solo act. Behind every great man is a shorter, incredibly strong Sardinian man who can literally blow up a hot water bottle until it bursts. That was Franco Columbu.
Their friendship wasn't some PR stunt cooked up by a Hollywood agent. It was real. 54 years of real.
They met in 1965. Arnold was this towering, ambitious Austrian kid, and Franco was a former boxer and powerlifter from Italy who moved to Germany for work. They were rivals first. That’s how the best bonds usually start, right? They pushed each other. But instead of the toxic "I want to destroy you" energy you see in sports today, they had this weird, beautiful camaraderie. When Joe Weider finally brought Arnold to America in 1968, Arnold felt like a fish out of water. He was alone in California. He had no family there. He told Weider he couldn’t thrive without his partner in crime. So, he convinced Joe to bring Franco over too.
The European Brick Works Scams (Sorta)
Before they were movie stars, they were just two immigrants trying to pay for tuna and eggs. In 1969, they started a masonry business called European Brick Works. You've gotta love the hustle here. They didn’t just lay bricks; they marketed themselves as "European Master Bricklayers."
They knew Americans loved anything that sounded fancy and "Old World."
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The stories from this era are legendary. Arnold has told this one a few times: they would go to a house to bid on a job. Franco would go up on the roof, look at the chimney, and basically tell the homeowner it was about to collapse. Sometimes, because Franco was a world-class powerlifter, he’d actually give the chimney a little nudge to prove it was unstable. Then Arnold would play the "good cop," negotiating a "special price" for the homeowner while pretending to argue with his "expert" partner in German.
It worked. They actually became millionaires from real estate and construction before Conan the Barbarian ever hit theaters.
Why Franco Columbu Was Actually Stronger Than Arnold
If you look at the stats, it’s kinda shocking. Arnold was the king of aesthetics, but Franco was a freak of nature when it came to raw power. He was only about 5'5", but he was dense. Like, "walking tank" dense.
Let's look at the numbers. At his peak, Franco could:
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- Bench Press: 525 lbs
- Squat: 655 lbs
- Deadlift: 750 lbs
Compare that to Arnold, who was much larger. Arnold’s best deadlift was around 710 lbs. Franco was lifting significantly more weight while weighing 40 pounds less. It’s why Arnold always called him the strongest man he ever knew. They were the ultimate training partners because they neutralized each other's egos. If Arnold got too cocky about his size, Franco would out-lift him. If Franco got too focused on power, Arnold would remind him about the "V-taper" and symmetry needed to win Mr. Olympia.
They won nine Mr. Olympia titles between them. Arnold took seven; Franco took two (1976 and 1981). The 1981 win was controversial because Franco had suffered a horrific leg injury during the inaugural World's Strongest Man competition years prior—he literally dislocated his knee while carrying a refrigerator on his back—but he fought back to win. That’s the kind of guy he was.
The Best Man and the "Sancho Panza"
When Arnold married Maria Shriver in 1986, there was no question who would be at his side. Franco was the best man. He was also the godfather to Arnold’s daughter, Christina. They were family in every sense of the word.
You’ve probably seen them in movies together without even realizing it. Franco was the Terminator who infiltrated the resistance camp in the dream sequence of the original 1984 film. He was the "Pictish Scout" in Conan. He was in The Running Man. Arnold made sure his friend was always taken care of, but Franco was also a successful chiropractor with his own practice. He didn't need the handouts; he just liked being in the mix.
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Their daily ritual for decades involved playing chess at Gold's Gym or on the Santa Monica boardwalk. It’s a funny image: these two massive icons, graying at the temples, sitting over a chessboard, still talking trash to each other just like they did in Munich fifty years earlier.
The End of an Era
In August 2019, Franco passed away after getting sick while swimming off the coast of Sardinia. He was 78. Arnold’s tribute to him was gut-wrenching. He wrote, "I could thrive without money, without my parents, but I couldn't thrive without you."
It’s rare to see that kind of vulnerability from a guy who built his entire brand on being an invulnerable action hero.
But that’s the reality of the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu story. It wasn't just about the muscles. It was about a shared vision of the American Dream. They were two guys who didn't speak the language, didn't have the "right" look for Hollywood at the time, and had nothing but a few pairs of posing trunks and a lot of grit.
Actionable Insights from the Arnold and Franco Partnership
If you're looking to apply their "partnership secrets" to your own life, here’s how they actually did it:
- Find a "Push" Partner: You don't need a cheerleader; you need someone who makes you feel slightly embarrassed if you don't show up. Arnold and Franco worked because they were competitive, not just supportive.
- Diversify Early: They didn't wait for bodybuilding to make them rich. They used their physical skills (bricklaying) to fund their real estate investments. Never rely on one path to success.
- Market the "Difference": Instead of trying to hide their accents or their foreign backgrounds, they leaned into it. "European Brick Works" sounded premium. They turned a potential weakness into a brand.
- Loyalty is the Highest Currency: In a world of fair-weather friends, Arnold and Franco stayed together through political campaigns, divorces, and Hollywood stardom. Long-term success is a team sport.
The legacy they left behind isn't just a pile of trophies. It's a template for how to build a life. You find your person, you move the bricks, you play the game, and you never stop training.