Muscle Building Sucess Stories Can Be Found Everywhere

Online, February 23, 2011 (Newswire.com) - In this hard-times success stories are more important than ever. From the 65 year old businessman who is pushing forward his business while keeps pumping iron to icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The former governor of California made a speech this week in Toronto but "This is not a policy speech", he warned the crowd.

"I don't want you to fall asleep here," he said.

The Toronto speech appeared to be the same one he gave Tuesday at an event in Calgary, but didn't disappoint the new audience, as they laughed at jokes about his accent and applauded when he said, "I'll be back."

Schwarzenegger was also in Winnipeg on Tuesday night and will be in Montreal on Thursday - his first public speaking engagements since leaving office in California. He recently completed the maximum two terms for state leaders in the United States.

The bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-politician played to his celebrity appeal, making references to movies Junior and The Terminator, in which he was naked.

"Can you imagine Sarah Palin being naked?" he asked the audience. "No, don't imagine that."

Frank McKenna, deputy chairman of TD Bank Financial Group and former New Brunswick premier, did steer Schwarzenegger toward politics during the question and answer session, asking for his thoughts on the extreme polarization plaguing American politics.

"I am concerned about the partisanship that is going on right now in America," Schwarzenegger said. "The way the Democrats and Republicans have been fighting, it's absolutely outrageous. It's embarrassing."

Schwarzenegger wouldn't bite when McKenna asked whether he thought former Alaska governor Sarah Palin would be qualified to be U.S. president. But the Republican politician said he was never opposed to working with Democratic President Barack Obama.

"I made it very clear to them that I'm more than happy to help in any way possible to aid leadership in clean energy."

But Schwarzenegger spent the bulk of his speech reflecting on his "remarkable" life story and the keys to his success.

He made no fewer than eight mentions of a "girly man," a reference to a Saturday Night Liveskit parodying him, which he described as someone who is afraid to lose so he doesn't try.

"I (had) tried 10 times to bench press 500 pounds, but the 11th time I did it," he said. "Great things can happen if you're not afraid of failure."

In addition to not being a girly man, other life tips Schwarzenegger offered up included only sleeping six hours a night - "hurry up and sleep already" - not having liposuction and instead going to the gym and not eating dessert.

Breaking the rules and following your own dreams were also part of that philosophy.

Growing up in Austria his mother wanted him to marry a girl named Heidi and have lots of kids like the Von Trapp family in The Sound of Music, he said, but he followed his bodybuilding and acting dreams to America.

The speech drew a crowd of thousands, including rock star Gene Simmons. The Kiss bassist and singer, who was in Toronto speaking at a conference, said he was interested to hear Schwarzenegger, as a self-made man who has been a bodybuilding champion, a huge movie star and leader of California.

However, Simmons said he has no personal interest in entering politics.

"I think democracy's highly overrated," he said. "I'd rather be a benevolent dictator."

Politicians such as Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla and former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader John Tory were also in attendance.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford met with Schwarzenegger before the speech and welcomed him to the city.

The mayor, whose weight has been a target for his detractors, said he has "to get in good shape like him."

Read the rest of the story about bodybuilding here: