The History of
Bodybuilding
w h a t
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b o d y b u i l d i n g ?
Bodybuilding is the process of maximizing muscle hypertrophy through the combination of weight training, sufficient caloric intake, and rest. Someone who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. As a sport, called competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their aesthetic appearance. The muscles are revealed through a combination of fat loss, oils, and tanning (or tanning lotions) which combined with lighting make the definition of the muscle group more distinct.
he roots of bodybuilding go all the way back to ancient Greece. It was the athletes of ancient Greece who used to train in the gymnasiums (Greek for “naked place”); however, they did not use resistance training as a form of body modification but rather a means to improve at the sport they participated in. The most notable of such athletes was Olympic wrestling champion Milo of Croton who reportedly would carry a calf on his back every day until it became a bull, thus demonstrating progressive resistance as a means of developing strength. The “Grecian Ideal” would also go on to influence modern day bodybuilding as the aesthetic standard that
modern bodybuilders would aim to achieve. It was in 11th century India that bodybuilding as we know it first arrived on the scene. It was back then the Indians would use primitive dumbbell weights carved from stone for the sole purpose of getting bigger and stronger, it is also reported that by the 16th century weight lifting had become a national past time in India.
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The very first bodybuilding athlete and the physical culture
By the mid-19th century weight training as a means of improving health and increasing strength was becoming increasingly popular. People began to be exposed, to what was to become known as, the physical culture: through the travelling strongmen of the time. The strongmen would entertain crowds with feats of strength, such as lifting and pulling massive weights. However, it was purely the feats of strength that the audiences were interested in; the actual aesthetics of the strongmen was not important -- this would all change with the arrival of Eugene Sandow. Born 1867 in Prussia by the name Friedrich Muller, Eugene Sandow later became referred to as “The Father of Modern Bodybuilding.”Not only was Sandow incredibly strong, he also had a muscle quality and an aesthetic comparable to that of a modern day bodybuilder. He first traveled Europe and later in the 1890’s America -- where he was billed as the “world’s strongest man”. It soon became apparent that as well as his feats of strength the audiences were just as interested in the physical appearance of Sandow. This led to the development of what is now referred to by modern day bodybuilders as a posing routine. Previously being
called “muscle display performances.” Sandow was the muscle superstar of his age; he developed some of the first bodybuilding equipment as well as also being responsible for the first ever bodybuilding magazine. Originally called Physical Culture but later the name changed to Sandow’s Magazine of Physical Culture. Through Sandow’s promotion of bodybuilding, weightlifting competitions began to officially take place for the first time. 1) the World Championships in 1891 in England and 2) two weightlifting events in the 1896 inaugural modern Olympic Games. In 1901 the first major bodybuilding competition was held in the Royal Albert Hall, London. It was to be known as “The Great Competition”. And Sandow was one of the judges alongside Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well as athlete and Sculptor sir Charles Lawes. In 1925 Eugene Sandow suffered a stroke and died at the age of fifty-eight. His legacy still lives on as a statuette known as a ‘Sandow’. It’s given to the winner of the most prestigious bodybuilding competition in the world: Mr Olympia.
arly 1900’s tions, however, these competitions did not comprise of just weightlifters but Another massively also other athletes at the time such as boxers, gymnasts and swimmers. Weightinfluential figure in lifting by the ‘30’s was still not considered a sport and as such athletes and combodybuilding during petitors were expected to achieve their physiques through a variety of other the early days was sports. Bernarr Macfadden, In 1939 the Mr America competition was created. The competitors were not he zealously promoted all fully fledged bodybuilders, and it became apparent that lifting weights the ‘physical culture’. It gave a distinct advantage. was Bernarr Macfadden’s firm belief that weakness was a crime! He would even 1940’s change the spelling of his name from Ber- John Grimek would begin to dominate the Mr America competition. Benard Mcfadden to Bernarr Macfadden be- cause Grimek was predominantly a weight lifter it sent a message to anycause he believed it to sound stronger. one who wished to compete against him that a training program similar to Macfadden wrote many books and was also Grimek’s was needed. responsible for the creation of what was to be 1945 would see the emergence of, who many would consider the first the forerunner of today’s bodybuilding mag- modern body builder, Clarence (Clancy) Ross. Clancy Ross would not azines -- Physical Culture Magazine -- a mag- only train with weights but would use them to shape and proportion azine that would stay in publication for fifty his body similar to the “Grecian ideal”. During this time bodybuilding years. It was in 1904 that Macfadden began to started to come into its own. Previously, the bodybuilding scene was organize and promote bodybuilding competi- controlled by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU); however, there were tions for both men and women. These competi- concerns that the AAU was not so concerned with bodybuilding but tions would go on for many years and would be rather the Olympic sport of weightlifting. Because of this the Weider responsible for the emergence of Charles Atlas - brothers decided to form the International Federation of Bodybuildthe winner of 1921’s “Most Perfectly Developed ers (IFBB) which would cater for the needs of bodybuilders and Man” contest. ensure they had a stable platform to promote from. The first IFBB Charles Atlas would later go on to develop his contest was the 1949 IFBB Mr America. physical fitness course Dynamic Tension; the advert became one of the longest running in history. During this decade Steve Reeves put bodybuilding on the map. The basic premise of the advertising campaign was Before the arrival of Reeves many people had little knowledge of that a scrawny kid would be with his girlfriend and bodybuilding, or bodybuilding champions. The movies helped be humiliated by a bigger teenager. As a result of this catapult Steve Reeves and bodybuilding to fame. humiliation the scrawny kid went home frustrated, Steve Reeves was a former bodybuilder who won the 1947 Mr discovered the Dynamic Tension program, became America, 1948 Mr World, and 1950 Mr Universe and at his actmuscle-bound, went back to beat up the bully, and be- ing peak would become the highest paid actor in Europe. Reeves came a hero. People everywhere saw this advert had it all, proportion, mass, definition, as well as being very good and it led to bodybuilding being accepted by looking. He was considered the “Arnold Schwarzenegger of his wider audiences. era”. Reeves played many roles and would go on to play 1930’s the bodybuilding icon Hercules in a series of ItalBy the late ‘30’s it was ian made films -- a role that would later not uncommon to be an inspiration to a young Arsee physique nold Schwarzenegger competi- himself.
Mr. Olympia
1950´s 1960´s The 1960’s heralded the arrival of the “mass monsters”. Bodybuilders started to look bigger, and arguably better, as time went by. This was due to a better understanding of the science behind bodybuilding: conditioning and nutrition. From its inception the title of Mr Olympia would now be considered the highest accolade in the sport of professional bodybuilding, the winner of which would be known as the best bodybuilder in the world. The first winner of the Mr Olympia title was Larry Scott who would then go on to win a second title in 1966. Olympia would herald a new era in bodybuilding competition, the standard of competition would increase year upon year, and Larry Scott would be a fine first champion. Scott set the bar high with his thick mass and freakishly large arms. Larry Scott was the most popular bodybuilding star of his time; also a fitness model he appeared regularly in magazines such as Mr America, Muscle Builder, Demi Gods, Muscleboy, and The Young Physique.
n 1965, Joe Weider created Mr Olympia so that the winners of Mr Universe competition could continue to compete and earn money. From its inception the title of Mr Olympia would now be considered the highest accolade in the sport of professional bodybuilding, the winner of which would be known as the best bodybuilder in the world. The first winner of the Mr Olympia title was Larry Scott who would then go on to win a second title in 1966. Olympia would herald a new era in bodybuilding competition, the standard of competition would increase year upon year.
S I Z E D O E S M AT T E R
1970’s After the retirement of Larry Scott in 1966; the winner of the next three Olympia titles was Cuban born Sergio “The Myth” Oliva. He displayed a level of muscle mass never before seen. Oliva started being called “The Myth” because everyone who saw him at the 1967 Montreal World’s Fair said he was “JUST UNBELIEVABLE”. Sergio Oliva was a successful weight lifter in Cuba and because of such he was chosen to represent Cuba at the 1962 Central American Games in Kingston, Jamaica. It was in Kingston Oliva took the opportunity to sneak past the guards and make his way to the American Consulate where he claimed political asylum and would now live in America to become a bodybuilding champion. Sergio Oliva has been considered by many to be one of the greatest bodybuilders who ever lived, and possibly the most naturally gifted ever. At the current time not much was known about training techniques and dieting yet Oliva was a freak at 240lbs and 5ft 10ins, his chest measured at 59 inches and would taper down to a 28 inch waist. The dominance of Oliva would soon be out matched at the turn of the new decade by a bodybuilder who may be considered one of the greatest of all time: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
6 R U L E S O F S U C C E S S - The first rule is: Trust yourself And what I mean by that is, so many young people are getting so much advice from their parents and from their teachers and from everyone. But what is most important is that you have to dig deep down, dig deep down and ask yourselves, who do you want to be? Not what, but who. And I'm talking about not what your parents and teachers want you to be, but you. I’m talking about figuring out for yourselves what makes you happy, no matter how crazy it may sound to other people.
- Rule number two is: Break the rules
fter much success in Europe, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who became known as the “Austrian Oak”, burst onto the international bodybuilding scene. In 1966, his first big international victory was the National Amateur Bodybuilders’ Association (NABBA) Mr Universe contest. Arnold’s first attempt at being the best, and capturing the Olympia title came in 1969, was unsuccessful. He finished second place, behind Sergio Oliva. It would be the only time Arnold was defeated in the competition. On his second attempt, at a record breaking age of twenty-three, Arnold won the title of Mr Olympia. Beating Sergio Oliva in the process. Schwarzenegger would now go on a winning streak and be crowned Mr Olympia every year up to 1975 -- a record breaking six times. By the time Arnold Schwarzenegger won the title five times in a row he began to attract attention from filmmakers George Butler and Robert Fiore. They filmed Arnold training and competing in the 1975 Mr Olympia for a docudrama called Pumping Iron. It was actually Arnolds plan to retire from bodybuilding in 1974 but he was persuaded to carry on so the film could be made. Pumping Iron would do a lot to popularise bodybuilding, as well as introduce Arnold Schwarzenegger as a household name.
We have so many rules in life about everything. I say break the rules. Not the law, but break the rules. My wife has a t-shirt that says, "Well-behaved women rarely make history." Well, you know, I don't want to burst her bubble, but the same is true with men.
- Rule number three: Don't be afraid to fail
"BODYBUILDING HAD A NEW STAR"
So you can't always win, but don't afraid of making decisions. You can't be paralyzed by fear of failure or you will never push yourself. You keep pushing because you believe in yourself and in your vision and you know that it is the right thing to do, and success will come. So don't be afraid to fail.
- Rule number four: Don’t listen to the naysayers. How many times have you heard that you can't do this and you can't do that and it's never been done before? Just imagine if Bill Gates had quit when people said it can't be done. I hear this all the time. As a matter of fact, I love it when someone says that no one has ever done this before, because then when I do it that means that I'm the first one that has done it. So pay no attention to the people that say it can't be done.
- And that brings me to rule number five, which is the most important rule of all: Work your butt off. Mohammed Ali, one of my great heroes, had a great line in the '70s when he was asked, "How many sit-ups do you do?" He said, "I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. When I feel pain, that's when I start counting, because that's when it really counts.”
- Rule number six, which is a very important rule: it's about giving back. Whatever path that you take in your lives, you must always find time to give something back, something back to your community, give something back to your state or to your country.
GOLDEN ATHLETES GO HERE
rank Zane For the remainder of the 1970's extremely low body fat would start to become a deciding factor. This allowed Frank Zane, with his ultra-lean look, to win three consecutive Olympia's in '77, '78, '79. Although in the '60's Frank Zane competed at over 200lbs it was at a modest competition weight of 180lbs that he managed to dominate bodybuilding for three years. Zane is known not because of his size but because he was extremely well proportioned and conditioned. Zane, a mathematics and chemistry teacher, gained the nickname "The Chemist" because of his Bachelor of Science degree and because he used to take
a lot of amino acids -- this was considered unusual back then. Another reason was that Zane's scientific approach to his competition preparation meant that he would peak at exactly the right time. Franco Columbo The Mr Olympia competition was split between two size categories: the small man and the tall man. Before 1976 it was the tall man that had always won overall, however, that year Franco Columbo became the first small man to win Mr Olympia. Previously to '76, as the shorter man, Franco was overshadowed by his Pumping Iron co-star Schwarzenegger. Franco would later win the title of Mr Olympia again in 1981. This is considered one of the most controversial Olympia decisions of all time; Franco's leg development was
considered to be substandard, which meant that he was not the best man on stage, and therefore shouldn't have won. Lou Ferrigno Arnold's co-star, Lou Ferrigno, would also help to popularize bodybuilding even further. Although Lou Ferrigno didn't ever win the title of Mr Olympia he became very influential through the medium of film. Ferrigno's appearances as Hercules and the Incredible Hulk pushed bodybuilding deeper into the mainstream. During competition, Ferrigno at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) weighed 285 lb (130 kg) in 1975, and 315 lb (142 kg) in 1992. Ferrigno competed in the first annual World's Strongest Man competition in 1977, where he finished fourth in a field of eight competitors.
NEW BODY BUILDING DIVISIONS MEN'S PHYSIQUE DIVISION The Men’s Physique division has come a long way since its inception in the NPC. When this class first debuted; it was met with jokes and criticism, but one can’t ignore the obvious that this class has made huge waves in the NPC division and is here to stay. Judges will be looking for fit contestants who display proper shape and symmetry combined with muscularity and overall condition. This is not a bodybuilding contest so extreme muscularity should be marked down.
CLASSIC PHYSIQUE DIVISION
NEW AND IMPROVED GENERATIONS Currently, Phil "the gift" Heath is the dominant bodybuilder of our time. Winning the Mr Olympia title four times. The most recent in 2015. His era could be coming to an end, and if he's toppled, the next bodybuilding super-power may emerge...
Let’s go back to the early days of August 2005. Baby-faced, 25-year-old Phil Heath just rocked the bodybuilding world by winning his first pro qualifier, the NPC USA Championships, when he first walked into Gold’s Gym Venice. It was his first visit to the mecca of bodybuilding, and he was still a bit starry-eyed despite his own rapid rise to stardom. On that fateful day, the greatest legend at Gold’s—a man who was second (for a heart- breaking sixth consecutive time) in that year’s Arnold Classic—gave the Gift a brushoff “What’s up?” It was the equivalent of Michael Jordan being frozen out in his rookie All-Star Game. The legends weren’t yet willing to welcome the upstart into their midst. Sixty pounds—
that’s the difference between the 215-pound, version 1.0 Gift who strode into Gold’s Venice in 2005 and the 275-pound, version 4.0—the three-time Mr. Olympia. His astonishing muscular additions are evident everywhere, but the most valuable changes occurred to his shoulders. The one thing Phil Heath was not gifted with was wide clavicles, and in his initial years on pro stages many contended his lack of shoulder width would doom him to defeats against broad-boned bodybuilders Jay Cutler, Victor Martinez, and (Heath’s fellow IFBB Pro League rookie in ’06) Dennis Wolf. But Heath had a plan. He couldn’t lengthen his clavicles, but he could add muscle to the ends of them. By dramatically expanding his deltoids,
he widened his shoulders to the extent that few still spoke about his “narrowness” by the time he held the Sandow aloft at the 2011 Olympia. “When I became pro, I was only two years into bodybuilding, so everyone was able to see every flaw that I had, structurally or what not,” Heath says. “Eventually, everyone has been able to see the progression. Every year, someone has said, ‘He’s not wide enough,’ or whatever, and I’ve been able to shut them up just by training hard. I just stayed positive and maintained my focus. I don’t really go by what other people say. I just go by the pictures of the previous contest and ask myself a simple question: Can I be better? And the answer is always yes.”
Classic Physique is for guys who want to take their muscularity and size beyond the limits of Men’s Physique, but not quite to the extremes of Bodybuilding,” Jim Manion said. “The sport is constantly evolving as the athletes find new ways to express their physiques and the NPC prides itself on offering a platform for these athletes to realize their competitive goals. Classic Physique will highlight proportion, symmetry, pleasing lines, and a small waist. In short, the focus will be on aesthetic qualities in harmony with muscularity and condition.
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THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF ATHLETES. THOSE WHO TRULY DESIRE SUCCESS AND THOSE WHO JUST WANT TO AVOID FAILURE . " SADIK HADZOVIC
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