There's the kind of back that looks kinda big and vaguely threatening if viewed from the perfect angle, drenched in that sweet half-natty lighting. And then there's a back so terrifyingly thick, it defends you against attackers without you even realizing they were there.

Any guesses which kind Arnold Schwarzenegger has? Even at age 71, nearly four decades after his last Mr. Olympia title and less than a year off of major heart surgery, Arnold's upper body is still up to the task of taking all comers. While hosting a jump-roping event at the Arnold Sports Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa, the star of "Hercules in New York" (and a few other movies) was drop-kicked in the back by a man out of the crowd. Arnold later shared a video of the incident on Instagram.



Security immediately swarmed and removed the would-be assailant from the premises as he shouted… well, let's not dwell on the nonsense he was shouting. But the Kindergarten Cop himself? He thought he had just been bumped or crowd-hugged, he explained shortly afterward on Twitter:

"Thanks for your concerns, but there is nothing to worry about. I thought I was just jostled by the crowd, which happens a lot. I only realized I was kicked when I saw the video like all of you. I'm just glad the idiot didn't interrupt my Snapchat."

Calm to the end and built to the hilt. This combination of attributes is no doubt what helped Arnold succeed in so many arenas of life, from Bavarian stone-lifting in Munich bars, to writing "Arnold's Bodyshaping for Women," to briefly governating one of the United States.

Want to build a torso column that can take a beating and register it as a mere jostling? Look to Arnold, and drop-kick that training split that has you training back just once a week. Instead, try hammering chest and back together twice a week, like Arnold did through many of his peak training years.

Use Arnold's Blueprint to Mass to guide your training, get a gram of protein per pound of body weight each day like he did, and start building your legacy. And your shield.

About the Author

Nick Collias

Nick Collias

Nick Collias is the Executive Editor at Bodybuilding.com.

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