Young, restless Arnold Schwarzenegger dreams of leaving his native Austria and his complicated family life. Before a stint in the service, he sees Reg Park on the big screen as Hercules and decides his ticket out is through competitive body-building. He expands his body, his mind, his community, and his vocabulary, as he begins traveling to international competitions and obliterating his competitors, winning 13 global titles and moving to the U.S.

Having dominated the world of competitive body-building, Schwarzenegger turns his attention to conquering Hollywood. Schwarzenegger, co-stars including Jamie Lee Curtis and Linda Hamilton, director James Cameron and competitor Sylvester Stallone chart his unlikely and startlingly effective rise from stiff strongman to charismatic action hero and global superstar. Schwarzenegger shatters box office records for more than a decade with hard-hitting action films like Predator and the blockbuster Terminator franchise and beloved comedies including Twins and Kindergarten Cop. As he has done with previous competitors, he vanquishes a health scare but begins to become restless for a new challenge.

Schwarzenegger sets his sights on politics. Although the political arena proves more challenging than his previous conquests, Schwarzenegger wins both a recall and a general election in California, governing one of largest economies in the world for seven years. While it proves disruptive to his family life and he has his detractors, Gov. Schwarzenegger is also praised for a multitude of accomplishments. After the twists and turns of his stranger-than-fiction tale, Schwarzenegger reflects deeply on his life and makes himself useful with philanthropic ventures and awareness-raising on issues ranging from anti-Semitism to climate change.