Do Terminators even lift, bro?

[Turd Ferguson]

I sit around thinking random shit all the time. This popped in my head and REALLY got me thinking. In the Terminator: Genisys trailer, we see either the Human Resistance or Skynet opening a storage locker and dispensing a T-800. The T-800s we see in The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day are obviously brand new models, having never seen battle. The T-850 has been around, as evidenced by his line he had assassinated people before being captured by Kathryn Brewster (and the fact he looks visibly older).

Now, we also know that the Terminator in Genisys has been around, due to the fact he looks older and has gray hair. We also know the Terminator's skin functions like humans.

"Sweat, bad breath, everything. Very hard to spot."

Now, my question is, if a Terminator is activated for prolonged periods of time, like the Terminator in Genisys has, would said T-800 also have to hit the gym to keep in shape? Can you have a fat Terminator? The Terminators in the future obviously wouldn't have to worry about keeping up their appearances, due to the resistance blowing them up with their plasma rifles, but for a Terminator to spend decades in the past blending in, some effort would have to be maintained.

I hit the gym and we call it sandbagging if you're capable of doing more work, but chose not to due to laziness. Could you imagine how much a T-800 could bench, squat and deadlift? There'd have to be some sandbagging involved so as not to arise suspicion.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Well, the cloned flesh that covers a terminator isn't exactly muscle; it's organic material that's made to LOOK like it. The actual strength comes from the endoskeleton and all the shiny metal bits underneath.

As such, I'd guess that the organic stuff, being organic, would sag and lose elasticity over time like real skin would. Assuming it does so, the key to longevity, besides nourishing the flesh somehow (how indeed? They apparently have no way of ingesting nutrients through their mouths as far as we know), it would be more important to NOT overtax the stuff and keep it from stressors that would cause it to age.

As such, I'd say that the next terminator we see would have spent a long time every day with a deep moisturizing regimen, coupled with staying out of the sun and avoiding the gym.

Mark

 

[Sephiroth]

going from an original draft of the T-1 script, the muscles are muscle, the skin is skin, and there's a little compartment inside the endoskeleton that houses some rudimentary organs. In the TV series it was some advanced synthetic blood and tissue. It's all vague and non-canonical.

 

[Doctorwhovian]

I find it a bit funny that both the T2 and T3 Terminators from the beginning of the film have the 'damaged' look of the T1 Terminator he gets after the nighclub almost right away. Meaning, the burnt and shortened hair and the need for sunglasses (Although initially the T2 and T3 do not have the exposed endoskeleton eye of the original) Marketing I guess.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I don't see how a Terminator could possibly get fat. What would generate that fat? (Terminators don't eat, and their real bodies are mechanical)

 

[Marsden]

I find it a bit funny that both the T2 and T3 Terminators from the beginning of the film have the 'damaged' look of the T1 Terminator he gets after the nighclub almost right away. Meaning, the burnt and shortened hair and the need for sunglasses (Although initially the T2 and T3 do not have the exposed endoskeleton eye of the original) Marketing I guess.

You're right, I never noticed that, but you are absolutely right, he first showed up with much longer hair in the first movie but he already had short hair both times after. Maybe the fact that the fire gave him a new haircut instead of a mess?

 

[Doctorwhovian]

Arnold does have a similar "buzz cut" in a few of his other films from around the time. Maybe he didn't want to change it or something, plus the poster for Terminator had that look as well.

The CG Arnie in Salvation though has similar hair to the Arnold at the beginning of the original though but I'm sure that was intentional.