NEED TO KNOW
Mick Wadge, 88, gained over 5,000 TikTok followers after sharing videos of his weight training journey
Arnold Schwarzenegger praised Wadge’s efforts and offered to connect him with his own coaches in the US
Wadge began weightlifting after his wife’s death and now deadlifts 100kg, crediting fitness for keeping him active
A British grandfather is in shock after receiving a word of encouragement from the world’s most famous former bodybuilder.
Mick Wadge had been training with Ross Starkie for about three years before the personal trainer set up a TikTok account for him, the BBC reported. Wadge, 88, from Lancashire, quickly racked up over 5,000 followers on the social media platform and a flood of supportive comments on videos of him weight training.
He and Starkie were left in disbelief when Wadge received a message from Arnold Schwarzenegger stating that he would “love to introduce” him “to two of my coaches in the US” who could be “a great resource.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s message to Mick WadgeCredit: old man mick/TikTok
“Love what you are doing! Keep pumping!” Schwarzenegger, 79, added, per the BBC.
Starkie described receiving a message from the Terminator star as “absolutely wild,” as he’s “an icon of the fitness industry,” according to the outlet.
Mick Wadge lifting in August 2026Credit: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
He recalled Wadge initially questioning whether the message from the former California governor was fake.
“We checked his blue tick and even got AI to check it was real,” said Starkie, per the BBC. “Out of the six-and-a-half million followers Arnold Schwarzenegger’s got, he follows 14 and one of them is Old Man Mick’s account.
“He’s absolutely loving it,” the personal trainer continued about Wadge. “They’ve asked for our email address and then we’ll be sorting out what happens next.
“He’ll probably be wanting him to be one of his doubles in his next movie,” Starkie joked, referring to Schwarzenegger.
Mick Wadge and his personal trainer, Ross StarkieCredit: Courtesy Ross Starkie
In a 2025 interview with Men’s Health, Wadge revealed that he began exercising in his garden with a stick and two milk bottles filled with water after the death of his wife, Margaret. He decided to try training at Starkie’s Barbell School sports clinic after realizing that he needed proper equipment.
“I’m currently deadlifting 100kg, bench pressing 60kg and squatting 60kg. With dumbbell rows, I do about 25kg,” he said, per Men’s Health. “…I want to stay fit because I’ve seen too many people finish life just watching the television 24/7. It’s like they’ve given up.
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“More importantly, I head back to Ross because I enjoy what we do,” Wadge continued. “If I didn’t enjoy it, I’d probably just wander about all the cafes and coffee bars reading my comics.”
“…My only real plan is to push myself as far as I can, for as long as I can,” he concluded.
Read the original article on People