Movie of the week: Pumping Iron

After meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger this past weekend, I felt inspired to watch the classic bodybuilding movie, Pumping Iron. As a long term fitness buff myself, I  still never understood the particular appeal of bodybuilding. However, Pumping Iron is a very entertaining and insightful look into the  bizarre world of bodybuilding, showcasing their dedication to the sport and the brotherhood that permeates the culture.
The documentary takes viewers directly into the lives and training sessions of Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, and Franco Columbu leading up to the 1975 Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia competitions. The former is given to the best amateur bodybuilder in the world and is won by Ken Waller. Waller engaged in some sabotage pre-competition by stealing the shirt of Mike Katz, which then throws him off during his posing for the crowd. Katz, who finishes fourth, still takes the time to shake Waller's hand.
Mr. Olympia, the award given to the best professional bodybuilder in the world, is the main focus of the movie. Schwarzenegger, the reigning five-time champion, is the favorite to repeat with Ferrigno and Columbu being his biggest competition. Its Schwarzengger's passion and passion for the sport that provides insight into the world of bodybuilding. He  compares their efforts in the gym to that of sculpting a statue and even goes as far to describe the feeling of getting his muscles pumped to a sexual climax.
 Throughout the movie the differences in training and personality between Schwarzenegger and Ferrigno become apparent. Schwarzenegger is cocky, charismatic, and trains at the now infamous Golds Beach in Venice, with tons of other bodybuilders. Ferrigno, who became deaf in childhood, is introverted, unsure of himself and trains with his dad in a basement in Brooklyn, New York.
Although he is much younger, Ferrigno is three inches taller and outweighs Schwarzenegger by 30 pounds and is the first legitimate threat to dethrone the champ in the over 200 pounds category. Columbu, the favorite in the under 200 pound category, easily wins the competition and awaits his opponent for the final showdown for Mr. Olympia.
Being a mastermind in psyching out his opponents, the morning of the competition is no different. While eating breakfast with Ferrigno and his father, Schwarzenegger starts his subtitle jabs telling Lou to relax numerous times and even instructs his dad to calm him down in front of Ferrigno. He continues his taunting by laughing at Ferrigno's grunting during training and repeatedly tells him to calm down. The tactics work as Schwarzenegger is considered more impressive and wins the competition. After winning the over 200 pound weigh category, Schwarzenegger easily defeats the much smaller Columbu for his sixth title as Mr. Olympia and afterwards retires from bodybuilding. To a laymen like myself, Schwarzengger does not appear particularly more defined than his competition and is even smaller than Ferrigno. While his symmetry is to be applauded, his real strength is in his charisma and looks. He is far superior at charming people, the crowd, and the judges than his opponents and is by far the best looking competitor. I believe it was these skills that made him the best bodybuilder of all time. The end of the movie shows Schwarzenegger going back to America with Ferrigno and his family. Their interaction seems jovial as they too joke around and try to appear bigger than they other, showing that beyond the competitions lies a brotherhood. 
Although silly at times, I found this movie to be quite entertaining. I highly recommend it for any fitness buff, but  I believe anyone can enjoy it as well.
Final Score: 8.5 out of 10.