Arnold Classic 2026 breaks records: the winner of the Men's Open will receive a historic $750,000!

Sensational news from the world of bodybuilding! The Arnold Classic has announced a historic increase in prize money for 2026. The winner of the Men's Open category will take home a whopping $750,000, the highest single prize in the history of this competition and bodybuilding in general. This will bring the total prize money across all categories at the 2026 Arnold Classic to a staggering $1.5 million.

This information was confirmed by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself on May 15, 2025. This move represents a significant shift in the way professional bodybuilders are rewarded and puts the Arnold Classic at the top in terms of financial attractiveness.

• Men's Open winner: $750,000 (highest in bodybuilding history)
• Men's Open runner-up: $250,000
• Men's Open third place: $150,000
• Classic Physique winner: $100,000 (also a record for this division)
• Total prize money for the 2026 Arnold Classic: $1.5 million

The evolution of rewards at the Arnold Classic:

This is the fourth time since 2020 that Arnold Schwarzenegger has increased the rewards at the Arnold Classic. The evolution of the prizes for the Men's Open winners was as follows:

• 2020: $130 000
• Subsequently increased to $200,000
• 2023: $300 000
• 2025: $500 000
• 2026: $750 000

By comparison, the winner of Mr. Olympia in 2024 received $600,000 of the total of over $2 million divided among the 11 professional divisions. This increase at the Arnold Classic is expected to put pressure on the organizers of Mr. Olympia to also increase their purses and maintain their status as the most prestigious competition.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has stated that his goal is to reward fantastic athletes and move bodybuilding forward. If any bodybuilder in the Men's Open category wins both the Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH (March 2-6, 2026) and the Arnold Classic UK (March 27-29, 2026 in Birmingham, England), they could take home $1 million in less than a month, which would be a historic achievement.

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Příspěvek sdílený Arnold Schwarzenegger (@schwarzenegger)

Source: fitnessvolt.com