The Terminator star, who frequently posts on Reddit.com under the handle GovSchwarzenegger, was moved to respond to a 19-year-old weightlifter, who revealed he felt "demoralized" following a bad exercising session after falling and being laughed at by fellow gym-goers.

Reaching out to the man, who uses the name GnashBrowns, the former Mr. Universe wrote, "I always say don't be afraid of failure, because how far can you really fall? You found out - to the ground. It's right there. Now you know it isn't anything that should scare you.

"You should be proud that you weren't afraid - not embarrassed that you failed. You could have made excuses not to walk into the door, but you didn't. You knew it would be hard, and it would be uncomfortable, and it might be awkward - and you did it anyway. That's courage."

In closing, Schwarzenegger wrote, "Finally, I'm rooting for you, too. You took the first step and you fell, but at least you fell in the right direction, so get back up and take the next step. Keep moving forward."

The teenager later returned to the site and revealed he was stunned to receive so many messages of support, including a response from the movie star.

Vowing not to let Schwarzenegger down, he posted, "Really at a loss for words right now, but all of this brought me to tears. I've never felt this empowered in my life and I can't thank you all enough."