Bodybuilding in Australia traces its early history to the 1940s. In 1947 the first large scale national bodybuilding contest was held, and since then bodybuilding has continued to grow within Australia. It has diversified from originally being largely male-dominated to having equal, or in some instances more, women competitors. Australia has both produced high performing bodybuilders, such as Lee Priest, and also hosted some historically significant events in the field, such as the IFBB Mr Olympia in 1980 where Arnold Schwarzenegger was the winner.
Today there are numerous governing bodies within Australia that promote competitions. Some of which are recognised for their actions in drug testing athletes and enforcing bans for anti-doping violations.
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| National team(s) | Australia |
National competitions | |
Fred Vella's contributions to the fitness industries during the 1960s to 1980s are indeed remarkable. Operating the largest gymnasium in Australia, he played a pivotal role in promoting bodybuilding and fitness through various contests. His efforts in organizing and sponsoring the Mr. Australia Body Building Contests, as well as the Mr. Sydney and Mr. New South Wales Bodybuilding Contests, have undoubtedly left a lasting impact on the sports community. Additionally, his involvement in the Miss Sydney and Miss New South Wales Beauty Contests highlights his dedication to celebrating excellence in various forms of physical culture aimed at promoting health and physical development.
Early competitions were heavily dominated by male competitors however the rise of female bodybuilding throughout the 1970s and 1980s resulted in many instances of greater numbers of women competing than men.
In 1980, Arnold Schwarzenegger won the IFBB Mr. Olympia, which was hosted in Sydney at the Sydney Opera House by Paul Graham. [2]
Within Australia there are numerous governing bodies each independently promoting competitions.
Following periodic bans introduced by the IOC and the IFBB campaigning for bodybuilding to become and Olympic Sport, the focus on anti-doping and natural competitions increased. Natural bodybuilding competitions started to take place in the country during the 1990s, however actual drug testing was not included until much later. Some organisations administer drug testing through the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority. The extent of this is generally unknown, however the INBA has been recognised for its decision to ban athletes for anti-doping violations.
Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic purposes over functional ones, distinguishing it from similar activities such as powerlifting and calisthenics.
The Universe Championships are annual worldwide bodybuilding events organised by the British National Amateur Body-Builders' Association (NABBA). Originally promoted as the Mr. Universe contest, the event was expanded to include women's classes in 1968. Notable previous winners include bodybuilder, actor, and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, and bodybuilder and actor Steve Reeves (1926–2000).
Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest in the open division at Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually and is sanctioned by the IFBB Professional League. Joe Weider created the contest to enable the amateur Mr. Universe winners to continue competing and to earn money. The first Mr. Olympia was held on September 18, 1965, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, with Larry Scott winning his first of two straight titles. The equivalent female title is Ms. Olympia.
Sergio Oliva, often known by his epithet The Myth for his physique and performance, was a Cuban-American bodybuilder. He was a three-time Mr. Olympia winner.
Frank Zane is a retired American professional bodybuilder and author. He is a three-time Mr. Olympia, and his physique is considered one of the greatest in the history of bodybuilding due to his meticulous focus on symmetry and proportion. He was inducted in the IFBB Hall of Fame in 1999.
William Arnold Pearl was an American professional bodybuilder and athlete. During the 1950s and 60s, he won many titles and awards, including winning the Mr. Universe contest five times, and was named "World's Best-Built Man of the Century". He later became an expert trainer and author on bodybuilding.
Samir Bannout is a Lebanese former professional bodybuilder and coach. He won the 1983 Mr. Olympia title, and is the first Middle Eastern bodybuilder to win the title.
Roy "Reg" Park was an English bodybuilder, businessman, and actor. His first title was Mr. Britain in 1949. He then won Mr. Universe in 1951, 1958, and 1965. He went on to star in five films, all of which featured him playing Hercules. Later in life, he received renewed interest for being the first inspiration to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The International Fitness and BodyBuilding Federation (IFBB), headquartered in Las Rozas (Madrid), is an international professional sports governing body for bodybuilding and fitness that oversees many of the sport's major international events, notably the World and Continental Championships.
Female bodybuilding is the female component of competitive bodybuilding. It began in the late 1970s, when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions.
Jason Isaac Cutler known professionally as Jay Cutler is an American retired professional bodybuilder. An IFBB Pro League bodybuilder, Cutler is a four-time Mr. Olympia winner, having won in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010; and a six-time runner-up, the most in history. He also won consecutive Arnold Classic titles in 2002, 2003, and 2004. In 2021, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.
The IFBB Professional League Ms. Olympia is professional bodybuilding's most prestigious competition and the title of the winner of the competition in female bodybuilding. It was first held in 1980. It was held as part of the Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend from 2000 to 2014 and since 2020.
Serge Nubret was a French professional bodybuilder, actor and self-published author. He won numerous bodybuilding competitions, including 1976 NABBA Mr. Universe (1976). Nubret was nicknamed "The Black Panther."
Lee Andrew McCutcheon is a competitive bodybuilder. He is a former International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) professional bodybuilder and a current National Amateur Body-Builders' Association (NABBA) professional athlete.
Bertil Fox is a British former International Federation of BodyBuilders professional bodybuilder and convicted murderer. He was pardoned for that crime by the Governor General of Saint Kitts and Nevis on 4 August 2022.
Ronny Rockel is a former IFBB professional bodybuilder from Germany.
Professional bodybuilding or pro bodybuilding can refer to bodybuilding for an income and/or possessing qualifications such as an IFBB Pro, IFBB Elite Pro or Wabba International Pro Card.
The International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Professional League (IFBB Pro League) is the largest international professional sports governing body federation in the world for professional bodybuilding, physique, fitness, figure, bikini and wellness. It sanctions the most prestigious competitions in bodybuilding at the Mr Olympia and Ms. Olympia, and the second most prestigious competitions in bodybuilding at the Arnold Sports Festival and Rising Phoenix World Championships.
The 1971 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held September 25, 1971 at the Maison de la Mutualité in Paris, France. It was the 7th Mr. Olympia competition held.
Bodybuilding in the United States traces its early history to the 1860s when it was based on the east coast. By the 1940s, it had arrived in Hawaii. In the same period, the country was involved with the early internationalization of the sport. The sport had a golden age during the 1960s and 1970s when much of the activity was taking place on the west coast. Bodybuilding for women began to take off during the 1970s. A number of changes took place in the 1980s.
