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.
Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest in the open division at Joe Weider'sOlympia 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.
Samir Bannout is a Lebanese former professional bodybuilder and commentator. Nicknamed 'The Lion of Lebanon', he won the 1983 Mr. Olympia, defeating Mohamed Makkawy and Lee Haney. He is the first Middle Eastern bodybuilder to win a Mr. Olympia title.
Female bodybuilding is the female component of competitive bodybuilding. It began in the late 1970s, when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions.
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.
Valentina Chepiga, more precisely Valentyna Chepiha is a professional female bodybuilder.
Iris Floyd Kyle is an African-Indian American professional female bodybuilder. She is currently the most successful, female or male, professional bodybuilder ever. She has a total of twenty professional bodybuilding titles, with ten overall and two heavyweight Ms. Olympia titles and seven overall and one heavyweight Ms. International titles.
Kay Baxter was a pioneer female bodybuilder.
Paul Dillett is a retired Canadian IFBB professional bodybuilder and current owner and CEO of the World Beauty Fitness & Fashion Inc. He resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Leslie Kai Greene is an American professional bodybuilder, actor, and artist. Nicknamed "The Predator" and "The People’s Champ", he is known for his leg development and artistic posing routines. He came second in the 2012, 2013, and 2014 editions of the IFBB's Mr. Olympia competition and won the Arnold Classic competition in 2009, 2010, and 2016. He was known for his rivalry with Phil Heath. He is often regarded as one of the best bodybuilders to have never won a Mr. Olympia. He has not competed since 2016, though he never formally announced his retirement.
Debi Laszewski is an American retired professional female bodybuilder. She ranks as the 3rd best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding Ranking List.
Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia is a Venezuelan-American retired professional bodybuilder.
Helle Trevino is a United States–based Danish professional female bodybuilder and the title winner of the 2017 and the 2019 Rising Phoenix World Championships.
Paul Anderton is an amateur bodybuilder from Australia who won 1st place, INBA - International Natural Bodybuilding Association, Mr. SA, Masters, 2007. He is also an entrepreneur and inventor of the "AMP Your Workout" training system.
Mamdouh Mohammed Hassan Elssbiay, also known as Big Ramy, is an Egyptian professional bodybuilder who competes in the men's open bodybuilding division in the IFBB Pro League. Known for his size and conditioning, he is a two time Mr. Olympia champion, winning in 2020 and 2021.
Wesley Vissers is a Dutch IFBB professional bodybuilder. He won the Arnold Classic physique 2024 Competition and earlier in his career the IFBB Romanian, the IFBB Poland and IFBB France Pro competition in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Joanna Clare Dawson Thomas was a British professional female bodybuilder. She was the younger sister of British professional female bodybuilder Nicola Shaw. She was the youngest British female bodybuilder to win IFBB pro card, at the age of 21.
Andrea Shaw is an American professional bodybuilder. She holds five Ms. Olympia title wins and four Ms. Rising Phoenix title wins.
Christopher Adam Bumstead, also known as CBum, is a Canadian retired professional bodybuilder. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Bumstead made his competitive debut in 2014 and obtained his IFBB pro card after claiming the 2016 IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championship. After placing second in the Mr. Olympia Classic Physique category in 2017 and 2018, he earned six consecutive wins from 2019 to 2024, the most wins since the creation of the category. He is widely considered as the greatest Classic Physique bodybuilder of all time. His popularity is often credited for bringing mainstream attention to the sport of modern bodybuilding on a global level.
Samson Dauda is a Nigerian-British professional bodybuilder who competes in the men's open bodybuilding division in the IFBB Pro League. He is the current Mr. Olympia, having won the title in the 2024 Mr. Olympia competition.
