Arnold’s Epic Throwback With Franco Columbu

Seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger is a Hollywood big shot these days, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a fan of looking back at the less glamorous parts of his past. While bodybuilding enthusiasts constantly share photos of Arnold taking the stage during his Olympia reign, the Austrian Oak recently took it upon himself to switch it up.

In this Instagram throwback, Schwarzenegger put the spotlight on the bricklaying business he shared with his longtime training partner and two-time Mr. Olympia, Franco Columbu.

Fans of Schwarzenegger may know that he and Columbu ran a bricklaying business, but it’s never the highlight of his story—despite the fact that it was the way Schwarzenegger made a living early in his career.

There was no money in bodybuilding in those days, and Columbu was a skilled bricklayer, according to an interview Schwarzenegger did on the Tim Ferriss Show. He and Columbu branded themselves as European bricklayers during a time when anything European was trendy, Schwarzenegger explained.

The two ended up with a successful business on their hands. Plus, their bodybuilder friends could work on their tans while on the job.