I'm telling you, much of that Arnold psych out malarkey did work on lesser competitors...not the Zanes, Sergios, Yortons, etc....why did he not 'psych out' the only three fellows who bested him in competition?
One: It did work on Zane, as you can see in Frank crack up at a joke Arnold told him when onstage.
Two: None of it worked on the three you mentioned, at that point in time, due to Arnold not having that part of himself "in shape" yet. Arnold admits to losing these games in 'Education of a Bodybuilder' when he talks about Sergio walking around in his butchers coat backstage, ignoring Arnold. Right before the two went onstage, Sergio says "Check out these lats, baby" and flexed. Arnold defeated himself right then and there, he admitted.
Later Arnold would learn how to defeat their minds as much as their physiques too. He never competed against Yorton again, I've already given the Zane example- though Arnold beat him onstage a number of times after the encounter of Zane besting him. And Sergio, I don't have any examples of, but in the long run Arnold didn't need to have any, since Arnold won over Sergio many times anyway.
Arnold did psych out his opponents many times over. From Lou at the breakfast prior to "Pumping Iron," telling Zane jokes onstage, or not looking at Metzner and getting under his skin as a last minute tactic to rattle him. It worked for Arnold.
