How To Outsmart The Thief Of Joy

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Today’s Health Upgrade

• Monday motivation

• The thief of joy

• Give yourself the boot

• Workout of the week

Arnold’s Corner 
Monday Motivation 

Over the last week, billions of people around the world gathered with their families and friends to celebrate.

Whether you celebrated Easter or Passover, or you don’t celebrate at all, I believe there is a reason these traditions have been celebrated for thousands of years: because they offer lessons for all of us.

Let’s oversimplify because this is not a theological newsletter:

Passover is about liberation. Easter is about rebirth.

I know my Jewish friends all sat at Seder and told the story of the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, and my Christian friends sat in their pews and heard about how Jesus died for them and then rose again.

Both are stories of incredible hope. They’re miracles.

Whether you are Jewish or Christian or neither, almost all of us have something that we need to be liberated from — bad habits, limiting beliefs, negative self-talk; and almost all of us will have to make a decision to rise again at some point in our lives.

This is pretty obvious, but I am not a priest or a rabbi or a preacher.

Still, over a lifetime of inspiring people to discover the joy or fitness and find the best version of themselves, I’ve seen miraculous things.

I have seen people liberate themselves from a lifetime of being told by others or themselves that they “can’t”, that they are worthless, that they shouldn’t even try.

I have seen them freed from eating habits that left them with no energy stumbling down the path of disease and couch potato lifestyles that left them weak and in constant pain.

And then, I’ve seen them rise.

In email after email, and every single weekend in the Pump app schmooze, they tell me about all of the reasons for their newfound hope. They feel like new people. Their muscles have grown and their bellies have shrunk. They feel less pain and more energy.

Best of all: their old pessimism is gone, replaced by a strong, realistic optimism that can take on anything that life can throw at them.

It sounds like a miracle, especially when you get these messages every single day.

But here’s the secret: it isn’t.

These people made the decision to liberate themselves. Then they did the work to rise as new people.

After this week of miracles, my message to all of you is a little different: Stop waiting for one. Liberate yourself from whatever is holding you back. Be born again as the person you’ve always envisioned.

I won’t tell you that it’s going to be easy.

But I will tell you that it will be worth it.

You’re worth it.

You are the miracle you’ve been waiting for.

Instant Upgrade
Add More Joy Back Into Your Life

It’s been said that comparison is the thief of joy. Science now confirms it—and your phone may be the accomplice.

Research suggests that comparing your life to others — even strangers — is a reliable way to feel worse about yourself. And there’s no easier place to fall into that trap than social media.

Social comparison—especially on Instagram—is linked to lower self-esteem, increased envy, and decreased life satisfaction.

In the study, researchers asked participants to view Instagram posts from strangers. Some saw “social comparison” posts, like parties, beach vacations, or group hangouts. Others saw neutral content, like landscapes or food.

It didn’t take long for the damage to show.

Those exposed to the social comparison posts reported significantly more envy, lower mood, and reduced self-esteem—even after just a few minutes of scrolling. The negative effects were most pronounced in people already feeling lonely or insecure, suggesting that Instagram can amplify existing emotional vulnerabilities.

Here’s what matters: You might know the photos are curated, filtered, and staged—but your brain still treats them as real comparisons. When you see strangers' posts, you have no context for their lives. Your brain compares your complete life (including all the messy parts) to these perfect snapshots.That creates a gap between your real life and someone else's best moments.

If you're feeling down, anxious, or behind in life, try setting boundaries with your feed. Follow people who uplift you, not those who trigger insecurity. And remember: the fastest way to boost your mood isn’t another scroll—it’s reconnecting with your own life offline.

Together With Tecovas
Give Yourself The Boot

Ever since Arnold moved to America, he has collected cowboy boots.

In his early days, it was because when he grew up, western movies in the little theater in Graz were one of his first visions of the United States, and cowboy boots made him feel American. 

We still laugh when he tells us about the days when he would travel the world doing bodybuilding seminars or posing exhibitions to make a little money (winning Mr. Olympia wasn’t a way to pay the bills back then it came with a $1,000 check). Then, he would fly home with his cash stuffed into his boot.

To this day, a couple of times a year, you’ll find Arnold with all of his boots outside, doing their upkeep. Polishing, moisturizing, and keeping them fresh. Because the fantastic thing about well-made boots is that, if you show them just a little bit of love, they will last forever.

That’s why one of Arnold’s favorite gifts for his friends is a pair of cowboy boots. You can wear them with anything. Dress them up, dress them down. And when the boots are handcrafted and made to last, it’s a gift for life.

That’s why we love Tecovas. It seems like a strange partnership for a health and fitness and motivation newsletter. But it’s as organic as you can imagine because it brings one of Arnold’s loves to the masses.

Tecovas is the fastest-growing Western brand in the world for a reason. Their handcrafted boots look amazing and feel broken in when you put them on for the first time. And most importantly, they last.

Whether it’s The Dean (the versatile zip boot you’ll wear everywhere), The Cartwright (a timeless classic that gets better with age), or The Earl (Arnold’s go-to roper for comfort and class), there’s a pair that will help you stand out without ever saying a word.

Fitness
Workout Of The Week

This week’s 20-minute workout is a quick series of 1-minute circuits that will work all your major muscles.

For the first minute, perform the number of reps listed, and then rest the remainder of the minute. So if it takes you 20 seconds to complete the swings, you’ll rest for an additional 40 seconds before starting the next exercise. This pattern(known as EMOM or “every minute on the minute”) repeats for each exercise. You’ll complete five different exercises, each time resting during the remainder of the minute. Once the 20 minutes are up, that’s when your workout ends. 

The 20 Minute Full-Body EMOM

Do the number of reps listed, and then rest the remainder of the minute. Once a minute has passed, move to the next exercise. 

Minute 1: Kettlebell or dumbbell swings (10-15 reps)

Minute 2: Pushups (20 reps)

Minute 3: Goblet squats (10 reps)

Minute 4: Bent-over rows (10 reps)

Minute 5: Farmer’s walk (30 seconds)

Repeat the five exercises four times — for a total workout of 20 minutes — and then call it a day. 

Give it a try and start your week strong!

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell