This is a list of male professional bodybuilders .
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.
Pumping Iron is a 1977 American docudrama about the world of professional bodybuilding, with a focus on the 1975 IFBB Mr. Universe and 1975 Mr. Olympia competitions. Directed by George Butler and Robert Fiore and edited by Geof Bartz and Larry Silk, it is inspired by the 1974 book of the same name by photographer Butler and writer Charles Gaines and nominally centers on the competition between Arnold Schwarzenegger and one of his primary competitors for the title of Mr. Olympia, Lou Ferrigno. The film also features segments on bodybuilders Franco Columbu and Mike Katz, in addition to appearances by Ken Waller, Ed Corney, Serge Nubret, and other famous bodybuilders of the era.
Michael John Mentzer was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder, businessman, and author. Born in Pennsylvania, Mentzer started bodybuilding when he was eleven years old. He won several amateur bodybuilding competitions before turning professional in 1979, including the 1976 Mr. America title and the heavyweight division of the 1978 IFBB Mr. Universe. In late 1979, he won the heavyweight class of the Mr. Olympia, but lost in the overall to Frank Zane. In the 1980 Mr. Olympia he placed fourth in a tie with Boyer Coe behind Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris Dickerson and Frank Zane.
Francesco Maria Columbu was an Italian-American bodybuilder and actor.
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.
Dorian Andrew Mientjez Yates is an English retired professional bodybuilder. He won the Mr. Olympia title six consecutive times from 1992 to 1997. Known for his high intensity training, top-level conditioning, and his wide, thick back, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest professional bodybuilders in history.
Ronald Dean Coleman is an American former professional bodybuilder, who is widely regarded as the greatest bodybuilder of all-time. Known as "The King", Coleman shares the all-time record for most Mr. Olympia titles at eight with Lee Haney. The winner of 26 IFBB professional titles including the Mr. Olympia for eight consecutive years, he is also renowned for his combination of size and conditioning, dominant body-parts and extremely heavy workouts, making him the strongest Mr. Olympia of all-time.
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.
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. During his career, he was known for his rivalry with Ronnie Coleman. In 2021, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.
Robert Michael Cicherillo is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder.
The IFBB Hall of Fame was established in 1999 to honor outstanding athletes and officials in the sport of bodybuilding. There have been no inductees since 2011.
Michael Richard Matarazzo was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder.
Kenny Waller is an American former bodybuilder featured in the 1977 movie Pumping Iron, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. Waller also won the 1975 International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) Mr. Universe contest in Pretoria, South Africa. He was known for his curly red hair, freckles and his graceful, confident posing style.
Tony Pearson is an American bodybuilding champion. His bodybuilding championships include individual and couples competitions.
Stan "The White Rhino" Efferding is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder and a powerlifter competing in the Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF). He held the all-time raw world powerlifting records in the 275-pound-class in the Total without knee wraps and in the Squat without knee wraps (854 lbs). Due to his enormous physical strength, regularly competing in professional powerlifting contests along his career in professional competitive bodybuilding, Efferding is often referred to as the "world's strongest bodybuilder".
The 1983 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held on September 24, 1983, at the Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany.
The 1981 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held on October 10, 1981, at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio. Following the 1980 Mr. Olympia political controversy, a number of favored bodybuilders boycotted the event, including Frank Zane, Mike Mentzer, and Boyer Coe. Franco Columbu, who had not competed since winning the 1976 Olympia due to a career threatening knee injury suffered at the 1977 World's Strongest Man competition, returned and won his second title, officially retiring after the event.
The 1980 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held on October 4, 1980, at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. For the first time since 1973, there was only a single weight class, with the lightweight division being abolished. This continues to the present day.
Dennis Wolf is a Soviet-born German IFBB professional bodybuilder.
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.