If you haven’t heard of Calum Von Moger, you will soon. The 28-year-old Australian bodybuilder has been taking the Internet by storm with his shredded Instagram posts, workout videos, and adorable puppy.
Von Moger was raised in a large family on a farm in Victoria, Australia, where he learned the values of hard work and healthy eating. He began working out with his brother at 14.
Von Moger is a three-time Mr. Universe winner, having won the WFF Junior Mr. Universe in 2011, WFF Mr. Universe in 2014, and WFF Pro Mr. Universe in 2015.
Von Moger lives in Los Angeles with Rex, his one-year-old Bull Terrier. A Bull Terrier is a very fitting dog for a bodybuilder, since despite only weighing 45-50 pounds, it has more muscle than any other breed, according to Animal Planet. Rex has his own Instagram account, where the pup is seen traveling to Gold’s Gym and being held by Arnold!
Von Moger is in recovery from a rock climbing accident in April 2018. He was rappelling down a cliff with his brothers when he lost his footing and his knee buckled. If you turn up the volume on this Instagram video, you can hear his knee pop. Squeamish people, be wary.
This isn’t the first injury that put Von Moger on the sidelines. In November 2017, Von Moger and fellow bodybuilder and YouTuber Chris Bumstead attempted a 400-pound bicep curl for a video stunt, resulting in Von Moger tearing his bicep. You can see him suffer the injury in this Instagram video.
Von Moger was first inspired to pursue bodybuilding after seeing Steve Reeves in Hercules, he told Men’s Health. After Hercules, he watched Pumping Iron and was immediately impressed by Arnold’s physique. It’s crazy to think he’s since played the iconic bodybuilder on the big screen.
“It was a huge honor. I did look up to him for a long time. He’s probably the best bodybuilder ever. He’s done so much for the sport,” Von Moger said. “Plus, I’m just a big fan of his from Day One. So to be able to play him in a film was a lot of fun. My main thing was to just do the best possible version I can of him. If I was going to play him, I just wanted to make sure I did it as accurately as I could.”
