50 Fun Facts About Bodybuilding

Eugen Sandow, the Father of Modern Bodybuilding, was born in 1867 in which Prussian city?

Born Friedrich Wilhelm Müller, he left Prussia in 1885 to avoid military service and became a circus athlete; the city is now Kaliningrad.

Eugen Sandow's first bodybuilding contest, the Great Competition of 1901, was held at which London venue?

So many people turned up that enthusiasts had to be turned away at the doors.

Which famous author sat on the judging panel of Sandow's 1901 Great Competition?

The winner, William L. Murray of Nottingham, received a gold statue of Sandow sculpted by Frederick Pomeroy.

The bronze Sandow statue replicated as the Mr. Olympia trophy was originally awarded in 1901 for which placing?

The bronze was the third-place prize in 1901; Steve Reeves received it in 1950 and Frank Zane got the first Olympia replica in 1977.

Eugen Sandow's stage career was built with the help of which famous Broadway impresario as manager?

The 1936 Oscar-winning film The Great Ziegfeld shows Sandow beginning to display his body at carnivals.

Which father of physical culture promoted the first big US bodybuilding contest in 1903-04?

Winner Al Treloar took a thousand dollars and was filmed posing by Thomas Edison two weeks later.

Charles Atlas took his stage name after a friend said he resembled a statue on top of a hotel where?

Born Angelo Siciliano in Italy, he legally changed his name in 1922 and launched the famous 97-pound weakling mail-order course.

The Charles Atlas exercise system was marketed under what two-word name?

The phrase was coined by advertising man Charles P. Roman, whose ads about a bully kicking sand in a weakling's face ran for decades.

The International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) was founded in 1946 by which two Canadian brothers?

Joe Weider also created the Mr. Olympia in 1965 so that amateur Mr. Universe winners could keep competing for money.

The first Mr. Olympia contest was held in 1965 at which venue?

Larry Scott won that night and again in 1966 before retiring.

Which two men share the record for the most Mr. Olympia titles, with eight each?

Haney won from 1984 to 1991 and Coleman from 1998 to 2005; Arnold and Heath are tied on seven.

Arnold Schwarzenegger won his first Mr. Olympia title in 1970 at what age?

He had already won the Mr. Universe at 20, which he called his ticket to America.

In which Austrian village was Arnold Schwarzenegger born in 1947?

He trained at a gym in nearby Graz and watched films of his idols Reg Park and Steve Reeves at local cinemas.

Besides Arnold and his main rival, Pumping Iron features Mike Katz and which other bodybuilder?

The filmmakers ran out of money and the project stalled for two years until the bodybuilders themselves helped raise funds.

The 1975 Mr. Olympia featured in Pumping Iron was held in which city?

It was Arnold's sixth title; he then retired, only to return and win a controversial seventh in 1980.

Lou Ferrigno is best known for playing which television character from 1977 to 1982?

He lost most of his hearing as an infant and said he took up bodybuilding after fantasising about being like the Hulk.

Cuban-American Sergio Oliva, Mr. Olympia from 1967 to 1969, was known by what nickname?

He defected while representing Cuba at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games in Jamaica and beat Arnold for the 1969 title.

Frank Zane, Mr. Olympia 1977-79, was famous for which pose that showed off his tiny waist?

Nicknamed the Chemist, he taught mathematics and chemistry for 13 years and usually competed under 200 lb.

Ronnie Coleman worked in which job in Arlington, Texas, from 1989 to 2000 while competing?

He had graduated cum laude in accounting from Grambling State but could not find work in the field.

Ronnie Coleman is known by what nickname?

He won 26 IFBB pro titles and is often called the strongest Mr. Olympia ever for his extremely heavy training.

Which president made Lee Haney chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness?

His most quoted training advice is to stimulate, not annihilate.

English six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates was nicknamed what for his low profile between contests?

He won from 1992 to 1997, trained at his own Temple Gym in Birmingham and popularised high-intensity training.

Phil Heath, known as the Gift, won the Mr. Olympia every year over which span?

The former University of Denver basketball guard is tied with Arnold on seven titles and had a famous rivalry with Kai Greene.

Chris Bumstead, who won six straight Olympia titles from 2019 to 2024, is known by what nickname?

The Canadian retired after the sixth title and is widely credited with bringing mainstream attention to the sport.

Who was the first Classic Physique Mr. Olympia when the division began in 2016?

The division emphasises symmetry, small waists and vacuum poses over sheer mass.

The Men's Physique division, added in 2013, differs from open bodybuilding in that competitors pose in what?

Most physique competitors weigh under 200 lb and are judged mainly on front and back poses.

Who won the first Ms. Olympia in 1980?

It was initially called the Miss Olympia, and her look now resembles a fitness or figure competitor rather than a modern bodybuilder.

Which woman won six consecutive Ms. Olympia titles and retired in 1989 undefeated as a professional?

She is the only woman ever to retire undefeated; Lenda Murray then won the first Ms. Olympia she entered in 1990.

Bev Francis, later a top female bodybuilder, first made her name in which strength sport?

The Australian was also a national shot put champion and in 1981 became the first woman to bench press over 300 lb.

The 1985 documentary Pumping Iron II: The Women followed competitors preparing for a contest at which venue?

It featured Rachel McLish, Bev Francis, Carla Dunlap and Lori Bowen among others.

The first true female bodybuilding contest, judged solely on muscularity, was held in 1978 in which city?

It was promoted by Henry McGhee; the Ms. Olympia followed two years later.

Which wrestling promoter launched the short-lived World Bodybuilding Federation in 1990?

Tom Platz announced it during an ambush of that year's Mr. Olympia; the WBF folded in July 1992 after a drug-testing policy sapped its second show.

The Arnold Sports Festival, established in 1989, is held each year in which US city?

First prize in the bodybuilding contest includes a six-figure cheque, a Hummer and an Audemars Piguet watch.

The famous outdoor training spot Muscle Beach began in 1934 beside which pier?

The WPA installed the equipment, and the weight platform later drew Vic Tanny, Jack LaLanne and Joe Gold.

Which mid-1960s chain is credited with bringing hardcore bodybuilding gyms to parts of the US that had none?

Vince's Gym in North Hollywood and Vic Tanny's chain were the well-known names of the 1950s.

Which of these is a mandatory pose for men only in competitive bodybuilding?

The other mandatory poses are performed by all competitors, and a posedown usually closes the round.

In bodybuilding jargon, what is cutting?

It usually starts 12 to 14 weeks out and relies on a calorie deficit; the off-season bulking phase is the opposite.

What is done at the final stage of contest prep to maximise definition and vascularity?

Most competitors also tan and shave before stepping on stage.

In which year did the IFBB gain full membership of the International Olympic Committee?

It hoped to make bodybuilding a demonstration event, but the effort failed and Olympic recognition remains controversial.

Which class of drugs did Congress move into Schedule III in 1990 through a law named after them?

During the 1970s steroid use had been openly discussed partly because the drugs were legal.

The National Physique Committee, the IFBB's amateur arm in the United States, was formed in 1981 by whom?

He had just stepped down as chairman of the AAU Physique Committee; the AAU dropped bodybuilding entirely in 1999.

The 1936 Oscar-winning film that depicts Eugen Sandow displaying his body at carnivals is titled what?

Sandow was played by Nat Pendleton; he had also been filmed by Thomas Edison in the 1890s.

The 212 division of the Mr. Olympia, for lighter competitors, was introduced in which year?

Men's Physique followed in 2013 and Classic Physique in 2016.

Guinness recognised E. Wilma Conner as the oldest competitive female bodybuilder in 2012 at what age?

She had competed at 75 in Colorado the year before, breaking the record held by Ernestine Shepherd.

In gym slang, what is 'dirty bulking'?

It is often done with junk food like burgers and fries by lifters who want mass fast and have no aesthetic concerns; clean bulking takes longer.

Roughly how much muscle can a novice gain in a year, lifting seven hours a week?

Gains slow to about 5–15 pounds a year after two years and can fall to 3–10 pounds after five.

Which championships, held since 1950, are considered the top amateur bodybuilding contests?

Steve Reeves, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler are among its notable winners.

About what percentage of the body's creatine is stored in skeletal muscle?

The body only makes enough creatine to stay at 60–80% of capacity, and a pound of raw beef or salmon holds just 1–2 grams.

Which WCW wrestler was hired as a figurehead for the WBF and hosted its show on USA Network?

A drug-testing policy imposed after a WWF steroid scandal sapped the quality of the 1992 championship, and the federation soon folded.

Who won the first Men's Physique Olympia when the division began in 2013?

Jeremy Buendia then took the next four titles in a row; the division was created for fans who found open bodybuilding 'too big'.