"Conan is not a muscle movie. That's a misconception on the part of those people who want an excuse to bring back the Steve Reeves films. What makes Conan great is the story itself. It's a big movie in every way. Big money, big-name director and producer, talented actors. My muscles add up to icing on the cake, that's all."

"I expect a bunch of Hercules epics in the next few months, but they'll all fall on their faces if they haven't more going for them than just muscles. Sure, muscles are in these days, but where movies are concerned, you also need good stories. You need excitement. John Milius and I had an agreement that Conan would not be sold like a Hercules type picture. Nobody wants that anymore." ("Muscle & Fitness", February 1983)

"Just because the film is being done fairly quickly doesn't mean it's going to be cheap. We have a $6 million budget - a million dollars a week! That certainly isn't cheap. Conan cost $20 million for six months. But they also had all sorts of expensive special effects to pay for. In the Hercules movie, we won't need all those special effects. The impact of the film will come from the character of Hercules and from my physique, and that's why I intend to be in the best shape of my life."

Lou's preparation for the film essentially involves very hard training, rather than the martial-arts schooling undertaken by Conan star Arnold Schwarzenegger. "In the world of Hercules, although the Greeks were trained warriors, complicated and stylized combat skills weren't as important as strength and individual courage. Besides, as great a bodybuilder as Arnold is, I'm really a better-coordinated athlete. I think I showed that by my performance on Superstars, and I did play professional football. So I don't think I will have much trouble doing the stunts and combat scenes." ("Muscle & Fitness", September 1982)

"Lou is bigger, so if you only look for size and raw strenght, Lou would probably win. But comparing the men in their primes, Arnold eat Lou alive. Arnold has more of a intellect, wisdom and Arnold certainly has better looking proportions. Arnie is more athletic and would out speed Ferrigno. Lou's body parts are too big and it doesn't look good. And Arnie knows a lot more dirty tricks than him."

"I think Arnold (as a person) is way better looking and has more elegant proportions. I know little about this LOU dude, but from the picture he has this really ugly fat bull neck which looks gross. Also Arnold wasn't ALWAYS huge...In his teenage years (before he started bodybuilding) he wasn't that big, just tall. In his prime he would kill Lou, he was in the Austrian army at 18 and at his peak he had little if no fat on him. If your talking about a match these days well Arnie's getting old and that woudn't be fair. Yet Conan the barbarian would chop him in half by the name of Crom!

"My GOD Lou would crush the tiny worm Arnold. Would love to see Arnold down on his knees before THE HOTTEST MAN AROUND CALLED LOU."

"Conan is a wild-eyed Cimmerian, super-strong but still human. Hercules is a demi-god and is much stronger. Herc would crush Conan without breaking a sweat. Arnie vs. Lou? Lou's size would give him an advantage, but Arnie is much more clever and would fight dirty. Lou is also a nice guy and Arnie is a Nazi-eugenics experiment. Advantage - Arnold."

"Both huge muscle-bound freaks of nature would cause cataclysmic chaos if any form of contention were to take place. They are unrivaled by no other, the gigantic proportions of hard muscle tissue is phenomenal. Keep the peace guys. I'd hate to think of the disastrous global catastrophes a contest of strength would cause."

"On the movie front a mere mortal like Conan would lose to demi-god like Hercules. Besides, Lou has always been in shape whereas Arnold has neither the time due to his shooting schedules, but honestly I'd think Lou would definitely show up in a greater degree of shape than Arnold. They are both my idols and I wish them the best always in their pursuits in the film world."

"first off lou LOOKS bigger because he is 3 inches taller or morethen arnold standing 6'5" doesnt take alot to look bigger....second arnold is older therofore you can't compare...if you compare arnold at his peak to lou at his its aj oke...arnold is pathetically stronger and as far as measurments well there comes that 3-4 inches...besides fat people have bigger measurements...so what lou had some more body fat...you'll never out do arnold in his prime..unles your a steroid freak...and your still gonna beugly!"

"There is only one choice and that is Lou. Arny has had surgeries and has down sized since he stopped his roid abuse. Lou would kill him. Just like he should have when they were competing."

"Lou Ferrrigno only ever envied Arnold's charisma, that was it. He was not intimidate by his size and in fact went on to beat Arnold's every measurement. Lou is also a fine athlete."

"Ferrigno would clobber Arnold in a muscle to muscle match up - I wished those two would have gone head-to-head before now. They're getting too old to fight now!" Chuck

"The crucial factor is: who can carry the biggest bag of cash to the bank? Arnie wins that hands down." Ironhand

"I think that Lou would win, basically because Arnold is looking his age. Lou seems to be in pretty good shape." David A. Sawyer

"Nuttin against Lou, but he couldn't hold a candle to Arnold's Conan!" James Gill

"In my book Arnold won the battle of the muscles in the biceps, but Lou definetely had awesome pecs and glutes. Lou wins with muscle mass."

"Lou would win, of course. He's a lot bigger than Arnold. Sure, they're all huge, but isn't Lou just GIGANTIC?"

"Ah-nold, you've just been terminated!"

"There is no way to beat Arnold, because he was strong as lion from his childhood. Lou became strong because he used lots of drugs."

"Lou outclasses Arnold in every physical category."

"The truth, Arnold would win, because well Hercules is stronger, Conan is smarter and quick witted."

"I think Lou is bigger and stronger, I say that Arnie was a good actor but his body is half the size of Ferrigno's."

"Arnold had great balance and stage presence that helped make him the movie star of today, but Lou was the man as it refers to muscle mass and strength....Would love to see the guys from the 70s compete again...."

"I think that Lou would win because he is bigger and he chest is huge and his legs. He would beat Arnold bye a lot."

"Arnold has the body and the brains to back it up. Lou has the IQ of a dumbell."

"As good as Arnie looks, if Lou pitted those gigantic biceps against Arnie's the tussle would end up in Lou's favour. Arnie would concede with exhaustion."

"Arnold would be Lou's total slave."

"Lou could crush any man to death."

"Lou Ferrigno... sorry... but he is just larger."

"Lou Ferrigno is stronger than Arnold, he can leg press over 2000 pounds. As for Pumping Iron, Lou didn't even want to compete that year."

"For those people that said Arnold is stronger, they must not have heard of the worlds strongest man competitions. In 1977 Lou got third place.

"Both Arnold and Lou possess tremendous physiques and strength, so this match conjures up images of "greek gods" dueling it out. So, the win would come as to who has the mental edge. Arnold gains this advantage, has in the past, and would ultimately defeat Lou, as he did in Pumping Iron. Picture the scene... a test of strength, the two hulking masses of muscle lock it up... the crowd cannot believe their eyes as Lou takes a heavy advantage. Arnold is practically on his knees, Lou proudly standing over his arch nemesis.... but then, out of nowhere, as if the two were posing side by side for a winner take all, Arnold levels off the contest and with a sudden burst of power, BRINGS LOU to his KNEES, once again taking away what Lou thought was rightfully his.... Lou is helpless, his body a heaping mass lying on the floor as Arnold wedges his foot atop Lou's chest and begins flexing!"

"Lou would win easily. As far as measurements are concerned, he is far more massive than Arnold is or ever was - his huge biceps are incredible. As for strength, Lou is phenomenal - those massive muscles say it all. He looked incredible in the Hercules films. As for wrestling, Lou could win with one hand tied behind his back. Lou is king and stronger than Arnold any day - he's as strong as the real Hercules."

"Easy, Arnold always could "psyche" Lou out of a fight! Haven't you seen Pumping Iron? Arnolds the Champ, always was... Plus, he was a hell of a lot stronger than Ferrigno anyway. Probably something to do with all the powerlifting he did in the sixties."

"Lou would kill Arnold now that he has gone soft - the wages of wealth"

"With Conan's release coming up Arnold decided come out of retirement and enter the 1980 Olympia. Arnold later claimed it was a last minute decision to enter, he had been training for Conan and was in shape. If you believe that one, look at the two Conan movies. The first which supposedly prepared him for the 1980 Olympia shows him as big and soft like a larva. In the second done a few years later, Arnie is much harder looking like a bodybuilder is supposed to be. In truth, the only reason Arnold got into that kind of shape is that Lou Ferrigno embarrassed him by the dazzling shape he showed up in the cheapy Italian Hercules movies." LacyR

But... That was quite interesting. Arnold claimed he was getting into shape for the Conan movie and decided to do one more Olympia. Having watched the '80 Olympia recently I can agree that Arnold was waaay out of shape for Conan. It doesn't match up with his comments that he was training for Conan and decided to do Mr Olympia one more time when he was in such bad shape... What happened between then and Conan??? I love Arnold, but sometimes, he's so full of @!#$.

He was much closer to the '80 Olympia shape in Conan the Destroyer. Sadly the movie was such a let down. Same with Red Sonya. Red Sonya was really disappointing. Shoot yourself bad! What were they thinking?

I think it's time Arnold got into shape one more time and played King Conan. The story I'd like to see is the lead up to the events in Conan of the Isles. An older, wiser Conan. Throw in Conan Jr. and Taurus and hey! Arnold said he loved filming Conan, maybe he'd come back. Aged Conan complaining about aching bones - that I'd love to see! Man they could do some awesome battle scenes if they had the right people working for them.... wishful thinking!" Brad

"Lou without a doubt - he is a spitting image of what Hercules should look like."

"Lou would win because he is and was a beast comparing to Arnold, but don't get me wrong - they both had sick bodies, but Arnold was more defined and Ferrigno wasn't, he was just pure mass and that's what I love: the bigger the better."

"First off, Arnold would win definitly, because he has got the the most perfect shape for this kind of man. Lou Ferrigno took a lot of drugs. Arnold is real. If two of these men went at it together, Arnold would win. I mean, it's the Hulk against the Terminator. You figure it out. Arnold has bigger measurements and has more experience. Lou Ferrigno is huge, but he even says himself, competing against a man like Arnold is like competing against a mountain when you're just a tree, after the fact Arnold beat him in the Mr Universe competition."

"You know what, muscle size doesn't really matter. The quality of muscle fiber is what's important. Arnold has won 7 titles of Mr.Olympia, that's why he's a greater man than Lou. Arnie's intellect is wider than Lou's. Arnie is the best!"

"Lou would easily win - Arnold is nothing compared to him. For real. Lou is bigger and stronger."