That's right. He used bodybuilding for bigger, better things. I think he was just jogging for exercise in the late 70's while pursuing other projects like real estate and Hollywood.
One thing I miss about the Golden Era is that most of those guys weren't 24/7 gym rats. Bodybuilding barely paid, so they had real careers and skills outside the gym like construction, business, boxing, chiropractic, acting, real estate,
They trained around their profession, not the other way around. That's probably why so many of them came across as more interesting and well-rounded people.
Nowadays these oiled up thong warriors want to make their entire career in bodybuilding through sponsors, coaching, YouTube and social media. Nothing wrong with that, but it definitely changed the culture.
The gym used to be part of their lives, not their entire identity.