famous bodybuilders of the world. The most famous bodybuilders. Location: Hercules of Montana by Steve Reeves

Let's start with the freshest hero - David Lawrence (nickname "Sid"). He began his sports career back in 1988 as a cricketer. But in 1992 he earned a terrible knee injury, after which Sid had to leave the sport altogether.

See how it happened:

After 22 years, David realized that this could not continue. Therefore, he decided to return to big sport. And now the most interesting: the star did not appear on the cricket playing field, but at the competition of British bodybuilders. Moreover, 50-year-old Lawrence even managed to win (in the category "over 40"). Bravo, Sid, bravo!

Taking this opportunity, we will tell you more about the strong men, on whose bodies all mankind relies.

10th place - Phil Heath, nickname "Gift"

We start with the champion, who from 2011 to this day takes first place in the competitions "Mr. Olympia" and "Sheru Classic". With a height of 175 cm, Phil weighs 114 kg (in the off-season - up to 125 kg), and boasts the following:

neck volume - 47 cm;
waist - 73 cm;
bicep volume - 56 cm;
thigh volume - 82 cm;
leg volume - 51 cm.

Phil (born in 1979 in Seattle) began his sports career as a basketball player - success in this sport allowed him to receive a scholarship and graduate from the University of Denver. But a small increase put an end to Phil's professional career. The guy was not taken aback and decided to go into bodybuilding.

In 2003, he won his first tournament in Northern Colorado, where he met Jay Carter, a bodybuilder who provided invaluable assistance in Phil's further development. At the moment, Phil Heath holds his leadership on the Olympus of bodybuilding. He is also young (34 years old). Therefore, you can expect everything from him (we hope only good things).

Source: rewalls.com

9th place - Lee Haney

Born in 1959 in California. The world of bodybuilding knows him for the fact that for the first time in the history of bodybuilding, he held the most prestigious title - "Mr. Olympia" for 8 years in a row.

*by the way: before that, the record belonged to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who climbed the winner's step 7 times

Height - 180 cm;
competitive weight - 112 kg;
weight in the offseason - 118 kg;
bicep volume - 52 cm.

You can be sure: the 80s in bodybuilding was the era of Haney. No other bodybuilder in those days could compete with him. Interesting fact: Lee has never been injured in his entire sports career. What's the secret? He admitted:

"I never swing to the limit."

Today, Lee is already 54. Of course, he has finished his career. But the passion for weightlifting has not faded away. Therefore, Haney is engaged in coaching. Having a diploma in child psychology, he pays a lot of attention to difficult teenagers at his own specially built camp site, broadcasts a sports and educational radio program, believes in God and adores his wife, whom he became friends with when he was a 6-year-old boy.

Source: ohmymag.com

8th place - Ronnie Coleman, America's strongest cop

Ronnie is a Native American from Louisiana. Born in 1964, played American football, graduated first from the University with a degree in finance and accounting, and then - a real Police Academy. Coleman devoted most of his life to maintaining order on the streets of Arlington, where he shocked local villains with his:

height - 180 cm;
weight - 138/149 kg;
bicep volumes - 61 cm;
chest volume - 148 cm;
waist - 87 cm;
hip size - 87 cm.

The bodybuilder looked into bodybuilding in order to set an example for everyone. Like, a real cop should look like this. And I got to my first competitions thanks to the requests of the owner of the gym.

In 1988, Haney won the Mr. Olympia competition. The fun fascinated him so much that the bodybuilder stood on the "golden" step for another 8 years (yes, he managed to repeat Lee Haney's record). The funny thing is that Ronnie has always treated bodybuilding as a hobby. Speaks:

"Sport is good, the police service does not feed me."

Source: infocium.com

7th place - Franco Colombo, actor, boxer, doctor and writer

The Italian Franco (born in 1941 in Sardinia) got into the bodybuilding world because of boxing and a casual acquaintance with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Against the backdrop of a Hollywood star, Franco, of course, looked more modest:

height - 166 cm;
competitive weight - 84 kg;
bicep volume - 47 cm;
chest volume - 134 cm;
leg volume - 44 cm.

Although he is not so big, he won several times in special "light" categories, and twice (in 1976 and in 1981) he was recognized as the absolute "Mr. Olympia". Still: not everyone can squat with a weight of 297 kg, take 238 kg in a bench press, and not everyone can take a deadlift of 341 kg.

Colombo earned special respect from his colleagues in the workshop because, after a severe knee injury and a long break in competitive activity, he was able not only to return to bodybuilding, but also to become “Mr. Olympia” again (in 1981). All thanks to the knowledge of medicine and his own program, which Franco developed for himself.

Source: jaja.club

6th place - Dorian Yates, a bodybuilder with a "dark past"

Born in Birmingham in 1962. In his youth, he was a skinhead, often arranged street fights, was registered with the police, and even spent half a year in a correctional facility. Sitting there, Yates realized:

"Something needs to be changed in this life."

And went to the gym.

Height - 178 cm;
competitive weight - 121 kg;
weight in the offseason - 131 kg;
bicep volume - 54 cm;
chest volume - 148 cm;
waist - 86 cm;
thigh volume - 81 cm;
leg volume - 56 cm.

At the age of 24, he became the best in the British Championship, and bought his own gym. During the first participation in Mr. Olympia, Dorian became the second (lost to Lee Haney, although the next year he pushed the leader off the podium).

In 1997, three weeks before the next Mr. Olympia, Dorian tore his biceps. With violent pain, he wins the competition for the sixth time, after which he goes to the bench of bodybuilders, for whom big sport is closed forever.

Source: muskelaufbau1.de

5th place - Jay Cutler, Mr. "Optimism"

Born in Massachusetts in 1973, the son of a construction businessman. So from early childhood he got used to physical labor. I went in for sports, studied, worked. And then I decided to go to the gym. What came out of it:

height - 176 cm;
competitive weight - 121 cm;
weight in the offseason - 141 cm;
neck volume - 50 cm;
bicep volume - 57 cm;
waist - 86 cm;
thigh volume - 79 cm;
leg volume - 51 cm.

Start in sports career was sluggish - 11th place at the Night of Champions in 1998. A year later - 4th place at the "Arnold Classic", and only 14th place at the "Mr. Olympia". And then Jay got tired of losing. He took on the 320kg barbell squat and the 250kg bench press. Deadlift - also not a miss: 305 kg.

The result - in 2006, Cutler did achieve his goal and became the first at Mr. Olympia. Today he has 4 victories in the same competition. In addition, Jay has 11 more gold medals in his piggy bank.

Source: viagialla.ch

4th - Steve Reeves, Hercules of Montana

Height - 185 cm;
competitive weight - 95 kg;
chest volume - 132 cm;
waist - 73 cm;
thigh volume - 66 cm.

Larry Scott a year after his triumphant victory at the first Mr. Olympia, 1966

Nickname: Legend

Mr. Olympia: 1965, 1966

Years of life: 10/12/1938 - 03/08/2014

Height: 170 cm

Competitive parameters*: weight - 94 kg / biceps - 50 cm / chest - 128 cm

The very first

A one-year-old child is standing on the floor in shorts. Holds a hefty chair at arm's length. With such a picture, the first comic book about Superman began - a guy with unnaturally huge muscles who can move entire planets. In October 1938, four months after Action Comics debuted with a story about Superman, another baby, Larry Scott, was born in Blackfoot, USA. The next ten years the world around Larry will look like this: the McCarthyists blame the communists for all the troubles, the Cold War is gaining momentum, the two superpowers are working hard on atomic bombs. Well, at the same time - the golden age of comics: Batman, Captain America, Atomic Thunderbolt and other relief heroes plowed the expanses of millions of children's bedrooms. It was on the pages of comics that an advertisement for one of the world's first bodybuilding workouts appeared.

"Why be weak when you can be strong?" - Asked juvenile readers the beefy author of the training course Charles Atlas, smiling from the picture, like Superman. Larry was reading comics with might and main, and at the age of 16 he first appeared in a rocking chair. Then it would never have occurred to anyone to call him either a Legend, or even an Atomic Thunderer - it was a canonical drisch with a 28 cm bicep in diameter. In 1965, when Larry took the first Mr. Olympia in history, a man had already flown into space, well, Larry got prettier - his biceps grew to 50 cm. The superhero of this note died in 2014 at the age of 75, when another the story of Superman - the cartoon "Justice League: War".

Arnold Schwarzenegger on the set of Pumping Iron. 1976

Nickname: Arnie

Mr. Olympia: 1970–1975

Years of life: 07/30/1947 - present

Height: 188 cm

Competitive parameters: weight - 107 kg / biceps - 55 cm / chest - 140 cm

Most famous

Oh, how much coal little Arnold had in his childhood! Imagine: the Austrian village of Thal near Graz. Another autumn. Coal-stained Arnie stands on a hillock and stares thoughtlessly at the ruins of an ancient castle, which is located right here, in front of the dusty house of the future bodybuilder. “Let’s go to carry coal to the basement, there will be nothing to heat in the winter!” his father yells at him, and thumps his heavy police boot on the old wheelbarrow. They drag him until lunch, and then, sitting at the table, the father talks about his everyday life - the work of a law enforcement officer. “On a harsh black night, this bastard rushes at us with a knife,” the head of the family shouts something like that with fervor and, most likely, spills the soup on the tablecloth.

What would Arnold do after dinner? There is an idea - to carry coal. What would you do, reader, if you were all week dirty in something black? Shower, bath? Schwarzenegger wholeheartedly dreamed of washing more often, but this procedure was difficult for him. First, it was necessary to drag water from a well, which stood two kilometers from the house. When the bath was full (Arnold by that time had time to sweat and out of breath pretty much), first of all, the father washed, then the mother, and then the future star of bodybuilding magazine covers cleaned her body exactly in the same muddy water. Well, thank coal and water for the fact that Schwartz grew up hardy and accustomed to difficulties: he won all kinds of competitions, became a movie star, then a politician (Governor of California in 2003-2011), then again a movie star ...

But Arnold Gustavovich does not feel any gratitude to the main tormentor of his childhood - a fossil fuel formed from the remains of ancient plants. Having become a politician, Schwartz took up the support of the Kyoto Protocol with all his huge hands. The countries that have acceded to this international agreement undertake to reduce harmful environmental emissions into the atmosphere. And how would you do it? Well, for example, to reduce the consumption of coal - that's what is written in this important document.

Nickname: no

Mr. Olympia: 1984–1991

Years of life: 11/11/1959 - present

Height: 180 cm

Competitive parameters: weight - 112 kg / biceps - 52 cm / chest - 137 cm

Most titled

A passenger plane is flying over the Atlantic Ocean, the destination is Spain. It is dark in the cabin, and a huge passenger, a mobile Mount Elbrus, a grizzly bear in an official suit - American Lee Haney, eight-time champion of Mister Olympia, barely fit in the chair. Now, as a member of the World Bodybuilding Federation, he routinely flies to the Madrid headquarters of the IFBB. Haney is no stranger to bureaucratic work, because even under Bill Clinton, he was chairman of the US Presidential Council on Physical Education and Sports for several years.

And what else do giants do when they no longer go out, oiled, under the spotlight? Lee Haney has written two books (of course, on bodybuilding) and is currently working on another one, starred in several documentaries, broadcasts on Christian radio, owns a chain of fitness clubs, and also built and maintains an orphanage village (with zoo, by the way).

And what do mountain ranges think about in retirement? 55-year-old Haney looks out the window, cirrus clouds fly by, and in them you can clearly see the deltoid muscles of rivals on his first Mr. Olympia in 1981. Here, at an altitude of 10,000 kilometers, the silhouettes of the Egyptian Mohammed Makkavi and the German Yusup Wilkosh, who took second and third places, clearly emerge: Haney then easily outperformed them, and later for another 7 years (the last - in 1991) became the winner of Olympia. This is a record that no other athlete has ever broken. Roni Colman () will only repeat the same result in 2005, 14 years after Haney.

Lee Haney helps boxer Evander Holyfield prepare for his next fight. 1997

Reverse

In the 1980s, Lee Haney invented the Haney deadlift, a posterior deltoid shoulder exercise that many athletes still use today.

Stand with your back to the bar, grab the bar shoulder-width apart.
Pull up, bending around the buttocks, but without moving the barbell more than five centimeters from the body. Keep your head straight. Raising the bar just above the waist, lower it down. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Like buttered

Professional competition Mr. Olympia has been held since 1965 and is hosted by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness. Now the main site of Mr. Olympia is Las Vegas (USA). The judges evaluate not only the size of the athlete, but also the study of each muscle and the overall harmony of the body of the contestant. In order for you to become a member of Mr. Olympia, you need to win several significant amateur competitions (here you will be given a professional certificate - IFBB Pro Card), and then win professional shows (for example, Arnold Classic or New York Pro). Participants of the previous Mr. Olympia, who took places from 1st to 5th, are also allowed to participate.

But there is a shorter way. The Amateur Mr. Olympia - amateur tournaments, but from special ones. They are distinguished by softer requirements for the development of muscles and the size of athletes. The Amateur takes place several times a year, each time in a different location. The absolute winner immediately receives a cash prize, an IFBB Pro Card, and a ticket to a professional Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas.

Dorian Yates is preparing for the competition. 1993

Nickname: Shadow

Mr. Olympia: 1992–1997

Years of life: 04/19/1962 - present

Height: 178 cm

Competitive parameters: weight - 121 kg / biceps - 54 cm / chest - 148 cm

The most tied

Look, someone is being beaten in a narrow street. Who is the most zealous? Yes, this is our Dorian, here he is guarding the poor fellow with his feet. Hey, passerby, you screwed up your eyes in a strange way - get a fist in the nose. Woman, wait, I need to call you names. 1976, the first skinheads proudly walk the streets of England, they listen to reggae and ska and carry knives in their pockets. When Dorian moved with his mother to live in Birmingham, he was 14 years old - he immediately fit into the local skinhead company. While other children were sweating over homework, Dorian was hanging out with friends in clubs and brawling. In April 1981, there are riots in England. Oh yes, this is a real holiday for a young and aggressive person.

Black residents are loudly protesting against the actions of the police: cars flash colorfully, shop windows scatter into multi-colored fragments, law enforcement officials use tear gas for the first time in the history of the United Kingdom. Somewhere in the midst of all this mess, a contented Dorian rushes about - he also beats and sets fire. Then the riots will end (about 60 police cars were destroyed in London alone, two hundred buildings were damaged) and about 500 people will go to prison - including 19-year-old Yeats. He will spend six months in prison and in the local stuffy gym he will begin to pull the barbell, which will then lead him to the Olympus for bodybuilders. And now our hero flaunts in the photographs and smiles kindly from the advertisement of nutritional supplements. And that ferocious period of youth on the champion’s website is now described briefly: “Dorian got into trouble and decided not to do bad things anymore.” Well, it seems like yes, it does not.

Here our hero is 23 years old, his studies are over, and the measuring bar is frozen at 175 centimeters. And instead of growing in length, Phil decides to grow in breadth. He suddenly has a great talent for this. He leans on dumbbells and barbells, grows by leaps and bounds (this is where Phil is given the nickname The Gift), begins to win at all bodybuilding competitions in a row. And look: today, the Heat is still not the most brilliant basketball player, but his neck is 47 centimeters in girth (another question is who needs this and why, but we will take the discussion of this issue out of this article). In September 2014, in the huge Las Vegas Convention Center (in Las Vegas), Phil was hung on his chest for the fourth time with the Mr. Olympia medal. Descending from the pedestal, he told reporters: “I am still growing. You haven't seen my real muscles yet - watch closely next year."

Four facts about bodybuilding

1959
The first athlete in the world begins to take anabolic steroids. His name is Bill March and he is a member of the American weightlifting team. The drug was given to him by the team's sports doctor, John Ziegler. Massively, these substances were banned only in 2005, when representatives of 191 countries signed the World Anti-Doping Convention. Now, for example, in Russia, anabolic steroids are under special state control (their sale falls under Article 234 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, “Illicit trafficking in potent or toxic substances”).
74 years old
Japanese Tsutomu Tohsaka. At this age, he is still engaged in bodybuilding and participates in competitions. In 2009, the Japanese entered the Guinness Book of Records.
204 cm
This is the height of the tallest professional bodybuilder in the world, American Noah Steer (his weight is 160 kg).
1948
One of the first bodybuilding competitions in the USSR. The Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow is hosting a physique beauty contest. Circus acrobat Alexander Shirai wins.

Opinions about these athletes are divided. Someone considers them handsome, and someone - freaks. Bodybuilders are commonly referred to as bodybuilders. These people pay special attention to the beauty of their body. Bodybuilding is not a sport in the traditional sense. This occupation provides harmony with oneself and understanding of one's own body.

People learn to improve it, and with the help of physical exercises with weights, they build and develop their muscles. It also uses high-energy nutrition with a high content of nutrients and proteins. This makes it possible to quickly grow muscle fibers. Today, lifting weights to improve your body has become quite a popular activity. And the whole world knows the best bodybuilders.

Gregg Valentino. For all fans of bodybuilding, this athlete is undoubtedly one of the main contenders for the title of the very best. Gregg Valentino became famous for his huge biceps, becoming a real icon for bodybuilders. This man is very outrageous. His sports career is very ambiguous. After all, he never intended to do bodybuilding professionally. Valentino did not claim the title of Mr. Olympia, and did not participate in other title competitions.

The fate of Valentino is very multifaceted. This man managed to serve in the army and take part in hostilities, killing people. Later, Valentino went to prison, serving time for drug distribution. This dark side of his life almost killed him - during one of the street fights, Gregg was almost killed. Due to addiction to drugs, Valentino lost not only his own gym, but also his wife and children. Now everything has changed - Gregg writes his column in the magazine "Muscular Development". Every day, hundreds of beginner bodybuilders, soldiers and prisoners write to him. Valentino has something to tell, because he has seen a lot in his life.

And the career of a bodybuilder began at the age of 13. It is noteworthy that over 23 years of hard training, he managed to achieve impressive results without taking any stimulants. The volume of the athlete's hand was 53.3 centimeters. And with the use of synthol, the biceps increased to an impressive 71 centimeters. Valentino became like a mountain of muscles, looking rather unnatural. It is not surprising that in modern bodybuilding Gregg is referred to as "Mr. Synthol".

This drug belongs to intermuscular fatty acid. Such synthetic oil is injected into the muscle, wanting to increase it. Synthol is distributed between muscle fibers, increasing muscle volume. However, years of constant use of steroids led to the fact that the body simply resisted such mockery of itself. Valentino's biceps exploded.

Marcus Ruhl. This man calls himself the owner of the largest shoulders in the world. In the history of bodybuilding, this particular bodybuilder has the most impressive such body part. And Marcus came to this sport quite late - at the age of 19. There was no talk of a career then, it was just an interest. After 4 years of intense training, at the very first competition in Babenhaus, Markus won gold. Two years later, the young athlete wins the Hesse Championship and the German National Championship.

This German became the first in his country to receive IFBB Pro status immediately after winning the National Championship. Marcus quickly realized that he was still far from the titans of this sport. Since 1998 he has been on a special diet. Nevertheless, in the New York "Night of Champions" he took only 9th place. This defeat only spurred Rule in his desire to improve. In 1999, the 4th place was already won in the "Night of Champions". In 2000, Rule wins at the Toronto/Montreal Pro, taking silver in Night of Champions.

But at the competition "Mr. Olympia" the results were inexpressive. Marcus even decided to leave the sport, because the results did not match the efforts he had invested. However, natural ambition and the support of loved ones helped keep him motivated. In 2002 Rule wins the Night of Champions. The fans said that the very appearance of the "German Beast" on the stage determined the winner in advance.

Until now, Marcus continues to perform. True, the title of "Mr. Olympia" did not submit to him. The best achievement there is 5th place in 2004. But the athlete does not despair, especially since Simon's wife is next to him, sharing her husband's passion and attending the gym with him.

Ronnie Coleman. This man literally breaks all stereotypes in bodybuilding. For example, he won the Mr. Olympia competition 8 times. But no one could exceed this result. Even the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger won "only" 7 times there. Coleman was born in Louisiana in 1964. As a teenager, he was quite active - he was fond of basketball, football and baseball. The genetics of the future champion also played a role - the boy was of a strong physique, and his sports results were high.

At the age of 12, Ronnie came to the gym, just out of curiosity. Soon Coleman joined the ranks of local bodybuilders. But the training soon stopped - with admission to college, Coleman became interested in football. Success in this field did not inspire the athlete. Having received a diploma in accounting, he worked for 2 years as a manager in a pizzeria. But that wasn't what we wanted either.

Coleman enters the police school. There, his bodybuilding skills came in handy. In 1990, at the request of the owner of the hall, Ronnie takes part in the Mister Texas competition and wins there. A year later, Coleman becomes the world champion among amateurs and becomes a professional. Results in professional sports came only after 4 years of training. Coleman wins the Canada Cup in 1995, in 1996 he is second in the Night of Champions, in 1997 he wins the Russian Grand Prix.

The debut at Mr. Olympia took place in 1997, when a modest 9th place was won. But since then, Coleman has already won 8 victories. Only in 2006 was the hegemony of the legendary giant interrupted. At the same time, Coleman strongly emphasizes that he never dreamed of fame in this sport. He is still doing what he loves, with his appearance preventing any conflicts that are possible in the work of a policeman.

In the morning, Ronnie goes to the gym, then patrols the streets, in the evening - a cardio workout that burns fat. There is only time for sleep. The athlete is only concerned about the issue of nutrition. After all, it’s embarrassing for a policeman to eat a whole chicken while on duty in a patrol car. But there are no problems in his personal life - the bodybuilder has a wife and two daughters. In life, the bodybuilder is very calm and balanced. He believes in God, reads the Bible.

Jason Cutler. This athlete was born in 1973 in Worcester. As a child, Jason showed himself to be an active person. He worked a lot on his father's farm, helped his brother in his business. This taught him perseverance and perseverance in work. In addition, constant physical activity developed his body, laying the foundation for a future career.

While studying at school, Jay traveled a lot. After all, he had to study in five cities. But everywhere Cutler was a popular personality, not suffering from a lack of attention. The reason is his passion for football. Jay was one of the best players on his teams. In 1991, Cutler graduated from high school and entered college, where he received a degree in criminal law. Jay did not participate in sports competitions, but in order to curb his energy, he decided to take up bodybuilding.

The height of the athlete is 176 centimeters. According to the fashion in bodybuilding, his weight at the time of the competition is 125 kilograms. But in the off-season, the mass can reach 145 kilograms. But regardless of this, Cutler has a great body and properly developed muscles. This led him to numerous victories. Jay can be seen in numerous videos about the preparation for the Mr. Olympia competition. Yes, they themselves set up the release of films with their own training methods. He also wrote a book on the art of successful bodybuilding. There anyone can learn the secrets of bodybuilding.

While Colman won the Olympia year after year, Jay remained on the sidelines. It was even said that due to his age he would never be able to win this prestigious competition. Nevertheless, it was Cutler who interrupted his rival's hegemony in 2006. Cutler won the title again the following year.

Dexter Jackson. Even at school, as a boy, he was involved in various sports. In high school, athletics and running took over his heart. Jackson showed good results and was preparing to enter college. However, Dexter's girlfriend got pregnant, which changed his plans. Now it was necessary to take care of the family, especially since the girl's parents, having learned about the incident, kicked her out of the house. The black stripe nevertheless ended - the couple received an apartment, and Dexter got a job as a cook.

Nevertheless, Jackson did not leave his passion for sports. When he was 20 years old, on the advice of his friends, he decided to compete in bodybuilding competitions. The preparation took only 3 weeks, and the result was a victory. In 1994, Dexter became the undisputed lightweight champion of the Southern States. A year later, he wins the national championship. And in 1998, the North American Championship submits to him. After that, Dexter turns pro.

The athlete starred in many films of the Battle for Olympia series, he releases his own video disc "Titans". There, Dexter talks about his path to success through grueling daily workouts. The second victory took place in 2003 at the GNC Power Show. In 2004, Dexter wins Iron Man, takes third place in Arnold Classic, wins the Grand Prix in San Francisco and Australia. Olympia achieved fourth place. Jackson's performances at this competition always attract attention.

After all, according to experts, he is the bodybuilder of the future, who should oust the masters of the past with their huge mass from the stage. Dexter's height is 168 centimeters, and his weight is only 99 kilograms. Long and hard training was not in vain - in 2008, Dexter won two elite competitions "Arnold Classic" and "Mr. Olympia" at once. Since then, he has consistently ranked among the top 6 bodybuilders at the Olympia.

Arnold Schwarzenegger. In America, the popular definition is "self-made man", a person who has made himself. This term is the best suited to Arnold Schwarzenegger. The story of his life and career is a good example not only for bodybuilders, but for all people. He became a legendary bodybuilder, a cult actor, and today he is involved in politics, having worked as the governor of California.

But from birth, Arnold was rather weak. Everyone paid much more attention to his older brother, Meinhard. He was a good sportsman. The brothers had to do a lot of housework, and there was also a school. At the age of 14, Arnold went to the gym, admiring the muscular beauties from the movies. I had to learn bodybuilding on my own, from magazines. While serving in the Army, Arnold won the title of junior competition "Mr. Europe". At the age of 19, Schwarzenegger takes second place in the "Mr. Universe", and the very next year he wins this title. This is the youngest winner of the prestigious competition.

In 1968, when the athlete was only 21 years old, he moved to the USA. There he continues to study and in 1970 wins his first title "Mr. Olympia". Since 1969, Schwarzenegger began acting in films, earning his own Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Among his many victories in sports, Arnold himself highlights the title "Mr. Olympia" in 1980. After all, the bodybuilder returned after a five-year absence and found that the number of real competitors has increased markedly.

In addition, age also made itself felt, requiring more thorough nutrition. Today Schwarzenegger returns to the cinema. His capital exceeds 200 million dollars. In 1988, the legendary bodybuilder founded his own Arnold Classic competition.

Lou Ferrino. This athlete is considered the strongest opponent of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The glory of Ferrino brought his numerous appearances on television. He became a well-known actor, making numerous appearances in both feature and documentary films. And his position is Deputy County Sheriff.

When Lou was three years old, he got an infection in his ear. Because of this, he lost 80% of his hearing. Such an injury led to a love of reading and bodybuilding. At the age of 13, Ferrino began lifting weights, striving to be like Steve Reeves, the main bodybuilding icon of the 50s. Ferrino himself recalled that if it were not for hearing loss, it is not known what would have happened to him. After all, this gave him an incentive to make the most of all his opportunities.

Since 1971, Ferrino began performing in youth bodybuilding competitions. In 1973 and 1974, the absolute champion of "Mr. Universe" and "Mr. America". However, after a string of successes in 1975, his career slowly began to decline. Ferrino also participated in the competition for the strongest man on the planet in 1977, where he took 4th place. Then Lu's film career began. In the early 90s, Lu tried to return to bodybuilding, but quickly became disillusioned and finally ended his career in 1994.

Lee Haney. This man has won the Mr. Olympia title more than anyone. Haney was born in 1959 in South Carolina. For the first time, he got into training while still at school. At the age of 19, he won the title of "Mr. America" among teenagers. In 1984, Haney won his first Mr. Olympia title. The bodybuilder won his last, eighth such title in 1991. In the same year, he excelled at the Arnold Classic.

Today, Lee has not been participating in active competitions for a long time. But his business is inextricably linked with bodybuilding. Haney owns several gyms, he coaches and teaches. During the Bill Clinton administration, Haney served as chairman of the Board of Physical Education and Sports. Lee has a wife and two children. He publishes books and nutritional supplements, does charity work.

Reg Park. This athlete is rightfully one of the most-most. He was born in 1928 in Leeds, England. At 21, Park won the title of "Mr. Britain". They learned about him in the USA, where the name of a young bodybuilder began to unwind. In the competition "Mr. Universe" Park won both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1952, the athlete moved to South Africa, where he opened a chain of fitness centers.

Another passion of the Park was cinema. In the 60s, Reg starred in four films about the adventures of Hercules at once. The bodybuilder harmoniously fit into the image of the ancient hero. Those films inspired many bodybuilders, one of the fans of the park was Schwerzenegger.

The meeting of teacher and student on the podium took place in 1970. Then Arnold outright defeated his idol, whom he had recently admired. The last success of the park dates back to 1973, when at the age of 45 she was second in the "Universe Pro". The legendary bodybuilder died in 2007 at the age of 79.

Steve Reeves. This legendary bodybuilder was born in 1926 in Montana. Steve started lifting weights at the age of 14, having come up with his own program for this. In 1944, Reeves joined the army and managed to fight in the Philippines. After leaving the service in 1946, Reeves immediately resumes his training. Three months later, he becomes "Mr. Western America", winning along the way prizes for the best arms, legs and chest. A month later, Reeves becomes the youngest Mr. America winner in history, beating 35 opponents.

Since then, for almost 20 years, Reeves has become the main star of the "Muscle Coast" in Venice, California. On the beaches, he simply stuns people who are unaccustomed to such a pumped up body. Crowds of fans follow him. Reeves takes part in the most prestigious competitions, he becomes "Mr. World", and in 1950 and "Mr. Universe", bypassing Schwarzenegger's idol, Reg Park. After that, Reeves decided to switch to cinema.

This bodybuilder paved the way for representatives of his sport to the big screens. Thanks to the tapes about Hercules, many people learned about the existence of bodybuilding. On the set, Reeves was injured, refusing to continue his active sports career. In the late 50s, the bodybuilder and actor moved to Europe, acting mainly in Italian films.

And in 1968, Reeves leaves the cinema, taking up horse breeding and business. Thanks to the work of this legendary athlete, the whole world learned about bodybuilding. After all, in those days this sport was new and unknown to the masses. The name of Steve Reeves for a long time became synonymous with a strong man, eventually replaced by Arnold.

State:$1.5 million
Place in the ranking: 13

Jeff Seid is the youngest representative in the list of the richest bodybuilders of 2018 according to the site. At the time of writing, Jeff is barely 23 years old. Nevertheless, already now the financial condition of this guy is estimated at about 1.5 million dollars! Not bad, right? But that's not all there is to say!

Jeff began working on his body at the age of 11, and at the age of 19 he receives a PRO card and becomes the youngest professional in the history of the IFBB.

As of September 2018, Jeph Seid's Instagram profile has over 3.6 million followers and over 1 million subscribers on the YouTube channel.

This American guy is off to a very good start, and I think over the years he will move up the list, not only as part of the ranking of the richest athletes in the fitness industry.

12. Kai Green

State:$1.6 million
Place in the ranking: 12

Kai Green is exactly the character that fans of modern bodybuilding are familiar with. For those who are not in the subject, this is a professional American bodybuilder in the IFBB division, personal trainer, artist and ... actor.

He won his last victory at the Arnold Classic tournament in 2016. The best achievement in a competitive career - 2nd place in the mr. Olympia. During a tense confrontation with Phil Heath, he finished second at Olympia three times in 2012, 2013 and 2014. After that, Kai did not please the fans with his presence at this most prestigious tournament. Well, not in the sense that he became unloved by the public, but in the sense that he stopped participating in this competition.

Kai Green is a rather extraordinary person, and his presence in the lists of Olympia participants has always generated even more excitement around the most significant event of the year in the world of the "iron" community. The incomparable manner of posing and, of course, the heated rivalry with Phil Heath - this is a show that could not leave you indifferent.

Who knows, maybe Kai will delight us with his form at the next Olympia, but for now, the absence of Sandov's statuette does not prevent him from being one of the richest bodybuilders on the planet.

State:$2 million

Another outrageous representative in the world of bodybuilding, well, actually a millionaire, or rather he was. I am very sorry, but Rich Piana will not be able to continue the race in this ranking, as he passed away in August 2017. I did not designate this celebrity as a position in this list, I just decided to mention a person who we remember for his frankness, charisma and determination. As of 2017, Rich Pian's assets were about $2 million. He received the bulk of his income from sales of his own line of sports nutrition and clothing 5%, as well as a YouTube channel. For more information about this athlete see Rich Piana.

11. Lazar Angelov

State:$2 million
Place in the ranking: 11

Lazar Angelov is a Bulgarian athlete, fitness model, personal trainer, known all over the world. He does not have a large muscle mass, but this does not prevent him from being one of the most aesthetic athletes in the world. He has a sponsorship deal with the sports giant Nike, conducts seminars, starred in magazines and is engaged in online training.

Almost 6 million - that's how many people are subscribed to Lazar's profile on Instagram. More than half a million subscribers on YouTube, more than 15 million followers on Facebook and about $ 2 million in the asset of the athlete. With this state of affairs, it may seem that the last figure is somewhat underestimated ...

10. Calum von Moger

State:$2.2 million
Place in the ranking: 10

Calum von Moger is a young Australian bodybuilder, vlogger and actor. Some believe that his resemblance to Arnold Schwarzenegger played a big role in the current popularity of the athlete.

Of course, Calum built the perfect body, is tall, has impressive muscle mass, but finding a similarity between his physique and Arnold's physique is not so easy. But still, an analogy can be drawn: 1) height 188, like Arnie's; 2) massive shoulder girdle; 3) In general, the physique of Calum von Moger meets the standards of old-school bodybuilding. If we talk about the similarity of facial features, then here, in my opinion, everything is more obvious! Indeed, these two athletes from different eras have quite a lot in common.

That is why, Calum received an offer to take part in the filming of a biopic about Joe and Ben Vader called "Bigger" ("More") and play the role of Arnold Schwarzenegger himself.

In 2017, the young athlete has already starred in a documentary called "Generation Iron 2" (Generation Iron 2)

Calum von Moger is a three-time WFF Mr. Universe title holder and an impressive net worth, which is currently estimated at about $2 million.

State:$2.5 million
Place in the ranking: 9

Mike O "Hearn is an American bodybuilder, fitness trainer, actor, model. During his career, he starred in more than 500 magazines and became the Fitness Model of the Year seven times. He took part in the filming of more than a dozen films. He played the main roles in such films, as "Keeper of Time" 2003, "The Barbarian" 2003, the series "American Gladiators" 2008.

During his career, he won several victories in powerlifting, judo, but he achieved the greatest heights in bodybuilding. Mike is the owner of the title "Mr. America" and has won the "Mr. Universe" tournament four times.

The athlete has quite impressive anthropometric data. His height is 191 cm, and the competitive weight is about 113 kg. At the same time, Mike denies the use of steroids. A certain part of bodybuilding and fitness fans believe in this with difficulty.

8. Dorian Yates

State:$4 million
Place in the ranking: 8

Dorian Yates is an English professional bodybuilder, six-time mr. Olympia. It is believed that it was he who laid the foundation for a new era of bodybuilding, a feature of which was the pursuit of super-volumes and monstrous muscle mass. By the way, modern bodybuilding is actively trying to get away from this concept and bring the sport as close as possible to the so-called. "golden era of bodybuilding".

Dorian Yates made his debut at Mr. Olympia in 1991 and immediately took 2nd place. Many predicted that Dorian would soon become the new title holder. And so it happened, a year later the athlete took his first gold medal at Olympia. And in 1993, the Briton surprised everyone with progress in terms of muscle mass, putting on stage a weight of 117 kg. Previously, many Olympia athletes could not reach the milestone of 110 kg, but the newly minted Mr.O set a new, even higher bar. This gave impetus to changes in the standards of professional bodybuilding and, accordingly, the criteria for judging. As a result, bodybuilding became more spectacular, but more and more moved away from the personification of aesthetics and harmony.

Today, many federations are creating new categories in which it is not muscle mass that is decisive, but, above all, the proportions and quality of the muscles. Thus, the main criterion for judging these categories is the assessment of participants in terms of aesthetics. One such category is Physique Classic.

Dorian Yates was secretive, avoided the public, few people knew about his personal life. For the modern fitness industry, this behavior is simply nonsense, because today the key to a successful athlete is sometimes not so much victories and titles as media and popularity in society. However, this did not stop Dorian from "putting together" a decent capital, which today is estimated at about $ 4 million.

State:$7 million
Place in the ranking: 7

Dexter Jackson is an American bodybuilder nicknamed "The Blade", a world bodybuilding star. Dexter is a real workaholic. During his sports career, the athlete was a participant in about a hundred tournaments. At a certain stage, few of his colleagues in the "iron shop" took him seriously. But the guy showed everyone his perseverance, perseverance and determination. It was these qualities that made him the owner of the title "Mr. Olympia" in 2008, a five-time Arnold Classic winner and winner of many PRO tournaments.

At the moment, the American is 48 years old. But age does not prevent Dexter from demonstrating excellent form, "ahead" of promising and younger athletes. So, at Olympia 2015, the athlete again got very close to the top and became the second.

Today Dexter Jackson is one of the most famous and wealthy bodybuilders on the planet.

6. Phil Heath

State:$8 million
Place in the ranking: 6

Phil Heath has not left the podium of the Olympia winner for seven years in a row. During this period, Jay Cutler, Dexter Jackson, Kai Green, Sean Roden, Rami Mamdou Elssbiai competed for first place, but since 2011 no one has managed to beat the champion. Thus, in 2017, in terms of the number of victories at the mr.Olympia tournament, Phil caught up with Arnold Schwarzenegger and currently shares second place with him after Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney, who each have 8 victories in the most prestigious “builder” competition.

But Phil Heath does not plan to stop there, and who knows, perhaps this is the future record holder for the number of victories at Olympia.

Now the American is on the list of the richest bodybuilders on the planet and his financial condition is estimated at no less than $ 8 million.

richest bodybuilders

5. Roni Coleman

State:$10 million
Place in the ranking: 5

"King of Bodybuilding" - this is how fans of the "iron sport" dubbed the eight-time Mr. Olympia. In the entire history of bodybuilding, only two people have managed to win 8 Sandow statuettes. One of them is Ronnie Coleman. This man had to go through a long, thorny path and overcome many difficulties, with which he continues to struggle to this day.

His ascension to the throne was not lightning fast. The athlete stubbornly stormed Olympia for many years! At first, he took the last places. Persistence and determination did not leave Ronnie, and in 98 he finally won the title of "Mr. Olympia", which he held for eight long years!

After completing his professional career, Ronnie underwent a number of operations: 2 hip replacements and several spinal surgeries. Spinal surgeries were the most painful and excruciating for the legendary athlete. The pain was terrible and unbearable, “I wanted to shoot myself,” Ronnie admitted after undergoing surgery to implant bolts in the spine. In 2018, it was necessary to remove the very bolts that had previously been screwed into Bigron's spine. It was no longer possible to operate on the spine through the back due to the large amount of scar tissue. The operation on the spine was performed through the abdominal cavity, for this the doctors had to remove the patient's insides. I don't have a medical background, but I think this is an incredibly difficult operation.

Ronnie Coleman - devoted his whole life to bodybuilding. At the stages of recovery, after painful and complex operations, he continued to train, being literally in a wheelchair.

After the athlete has undergone a lot of operations, he may have rethought his actions, and he must be sorry about something. It seems to me that the following quote from Ronnie provides the most comprehensive answer:

Yes, I'm an 8-time Mr. Olympia and yes, I can't walk. Many may say that I became disabled, deflated, and the like. Do I regret anything? If I had the chance to go back in time and live it all over again, would I want to change anything in my life? Yes, if I could walk the path again, one day I would have acted differently. With a 360kg barbell squat, I would have done 4 reps instead of 2. Those two reps haunt me to this day. I knew for sure that I had strength for 4 reps, but I only did 2 - this is the only thing I regret in my life.

Sponsorship contracts, advertising for sports products, shooting for magazines, interviews, appearances on television - that's all Bigron earned while he was at the peak of fame. Later, he launched his own line of his own sports nutrition, which is still quite successful today.

4. Jay Cutler

State:$30 million
Place in the ranking: 4

Four - that's how many times Jay Cutler won the Mr. Olympia tournament. For several years in a row, he unsuccessfully tried to get around Ronnie Coleman, but the more gifted champion did not want to give up his place on the “top of Olympus”. Cutler's finest hour came in 2006 - then the athlete managed to get his first Sandow figurine. The following year, he repeated his success again, and a year later he unexpectedly lost to Dexter Jackson and became the second. It was 2008. Ambitions did not allow the athlete to just give up, and he is making every effort to regain the title. Jay ascends to the highest level of Olympia and stays on it until 2010.

The star athlete does not hold the Olympia record, but that hasn't stopped him from succeeding as a businessman and being one of the top four richest bodybuilders.

Long before his first victory at the Olympia, the American bodybuilder enjoyed great popularity and was known throughout the world. Undoubtedly, Jay is an athlete of the highest class, and this was confirmed by numerous victories in the most prestigious championships. Of course, this generated great interest from manufacturers of sports nutrition, clothing, magazine editors and other "players" in the fitness industry. For the future, mr.O is an opportunity to make good money.

In 2005, Jay signed a contract with sports nutrition giant Muscletech. This decision helped to further improve the financial situation of the athlete, and made it possible to fully focus on preparing for Olympia.

State:$55 million
Place in the ranking: 3

Lee Haney is a shining representative of the golden era of bodybuilding who has built a phenomenal body and is one of the best bodybuilders of all time. This is a legendary athlete who managed to win 8 victories in the Mr. Olympia tournament and at the moment only one Ronnie Coleman has been able to repeat this result.

Broad shoulders, massive arms, a huge back, moderately developed hips against the background of a narrow waist, textured abs and vacuum - this is what is considered the standard of aesthetics in bodybuilding. Lee Haney possessed such data.

The champion ended his career at 32, which is nothing at all by the standards of bodybuilding! Lee retired from professional sports at the peak of his form in 1991. At that time, he already owned four gyms. At the end of his competitive career, the athlete opened several more fitness centers and made good money on this business.

Lee Haney is also known as a radio and TV presenter. And even now, at the age of 58, he runs programs about sports and fitness. On TV shows, he constantly talks about a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition and training. Lee is a believer and appears on screens and as a leading religious TV show.

Lee Haney is a member of the Sports Science Association and the International Bodybuilding Federation. Previously, he was a representative of the President's Council for the development of sports.

Now Lee is 58 years old, he is still in great shape and is one of the wealthiest bodybuilders.

2. Rich Gaspari

I remember when I was 5-6 years old, I came across old magazines about bodybuilding and fitness. I didn't remember names then, but I remembered faces quite well. So, I remember the face of Rich Gaspari. He appeared quite often in magazines such as Muscle and Fitness (I got my hands on a magazine called Strength and Beauty) and Flex. Unfortunately, I didn’t have other magazines at that time ... But this is not the whole list of publications where you could contemplate the bodybuilding star of that time. Rich Gaspari has been on the covers of Iron Man, Muscular Development, Muscle Mag International and other reputable publications on numerous occasions.

Rich Gaspari is now 55 years old. Of course, competitive bodybuilding is a thing of the past, but Rich still devotes time to training. In his interviews, he says that bodybuilding continues to bring him pleasure. At the moment - this is one of the wealthiest bodybuilders in the world. In this ranking, he takes second place! What is the success of the legendary athlete? A comfortable life is provided by own business. In 1996, Rich founded his own company, the sports nutrition brand Gaspari Nutrition, which is a world-leading sports nutrition brand.

State:$400 million
Place in the ranking: 1

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the personification of bodybuilding, he is also "Mr. Universe", he is also "Mr. Olympia", a legendary person whose name is known all over the world. I think it came as no surprise to many that "Iron Arnie" topped this list. To date, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the richest bodybuilder and, according to some estimates, his assets are at least $ 400 million. Probably, the figure "not quite objectively" reflects reality, and most likely that the key word here is "no less". Whether cars, real estate, production facilities and other objects are included in the list of assets, I do not know. But…

From the facts below, it becomes clear that Arnold Schwarzenegger is a more wealthy and influential figure than we might think!

Arnold Schwarzenegger is an outstanding athlete, however, it is important to note that most of the income did not come from bodybuilding per se. Success in bodybuilding gave a good start for subsequent growth in other areas. Everyone knows that in addition to sporting achievements, Schwarzenegger made a dizzying film career. Throughout his life, the seven-time Mr. Olympia starred in more than 50 films. In addition, he participated in the filming not only as an actor, but also as a director and producer.

It is known that for his roles in the action films "Terminator 2", "Terminator 3" the movie star was awarded 20 million and 30 million dollars, respectively. In total, this is already $ 50 million. And this is only the actor's fee, which he received directly for playing the role.

Arnie is the owner of Oak Productions. The concern specializes in the entertainment industry. Through Oak Productions, Inc are deductions for the performance of roles in films from various film studios, percentages from sales of video games, comics and other paraphernalia.

By the age of 30, Schwarzenegger had already become a millionaire. Thanks to successful investments, his fortune grew rapidly.

In 1968, together with his friend Franco Colombo, he founded the construction company "Pumping Bricks". The business was rapidly going up, and the profits from it were already used to create other companies. For example, "Pumping Iron Productions", specializing in the sale of instructions for bodybuilding and fitness.

Now Pumping Iron America Inc is organizing the Arnold Classic competition and other events in the world of bodybuilding. He also owns Fitness Publications Inc, a company that distributes bodybuilding books.

In addition, part of the income was directed to the creation of a real estate business. Starting in 1983, Schwarzenegger began buying real estate in the United States and currently owns a fairly large number of objects.

Iron Arnie owns shares in 100 companies, including Pfizer, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Cisco Systems.

Another area of activity for Arnie was the aviation business. He owns Legend International Air, which has a partnership with Singapore Airlines.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was twice elected Governor of California. Arnie donates millions of dollars to charity. Including his salary as the governor of California, which was more than $ 200,000, Schwarzenegger also transferred to charity.