Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's musculature by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses on physical appearance instead of strength. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In professional bodybuilding, competitors appear in lineups and perform specified poses for a panel of judges who rank them based on symmetry, muscularity, size, conditioning, posing, and stage presentation. Bodybuilders prepare for competitions through the elimination of nonessential body fat, enhanced at the last stage by a combination of extracellular dehydration and carbo-loading, to achieve maximum muscular definition and vascularity; they also tan and shave to accentuate the contrast of their skin under the spotlights.
Dorian Andrew Mientjez Yates is an English retired professional bodybuilder. He won the Mr. Olympia title six consecutive times from 1992 to 1997 and has the fifth-highest number of Mr. Olympia wins in history, ranking behind Ronnie Coleman (8), Lee Haney (8), Arnold Schwarzenegger (7), and Phil Heath (7). He is widely considered to be one of the top pro bodybuilders in history, and was well known for his wide and thick back.
Frank Sepe is an American fitness author, magazine editor, TV personality, and a fitness model of Italian and German descent.
Ronnie Dean Coleman is an American retired professional bodybuilder. The winner of the Mr. Olympia title for eight years in a row, he is regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Alongside his eight Mr. Olympia wins, he held the record for most wins as an IFBB professional with 26 titles until it was broken by Dexter Jackson.
Shawn Ray is a former professional bodybuilder and author.
Jason Isaac Cutler is a retired American professional bodybuilder. An IFBB pro, he is a four-time Mr. Olympia winner, having won in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.
Iris Floyd Kyle is an American professional female bodybuilder. She is currently the most successful female professional bodybuilder ever with seventeen titles including ten overall Ms. Olympia wins and seven overall Ms. International wins. In 2013, she was ranked as the best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding Ranking List.
Kenneth "Flex" Wheeler is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder. He won the Arnold Classic a then-record four times and was once described by Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of the greatest bodybuilders he had ever seen. Ronnie Coleman has stated that Wheeler was the best bodybuilder he competed against.
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.
Lee Labrada is a former IFBB professional bodybuilder, published author and current CEO of Labrada Nutrition. Labrada was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2004. He spent his childhood growing up in Chicago, Illinois, and Jacksonville, Florida.
Shahriar Kamali, known as King Kamali, is a retired IFBB professional bodybuilder.
Gustavo Badell aka "the Freakin' 'Rican", is an International Federation of BodyBuilders professional bodybuilder.
Dexter "The Blade" Jackson is a retired American IFBB professional bodybuilder and the 2008 Mr. Olympia bodybuilding champion. Jackson has won more professional bodybuilding titles than any other person. He has the distinction of winning the Arnold Classic a record five times. After winning the Arnold Classic in 2015, he proceeded to place second in the 2015 Mr. Olympia. He is from Jacksonville, Florida.He retired following the 2020 Mr. Olympia.
Víctor Martínez is a retired International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) professional bodybuilder, and the second Dominican bodybuilder to turn professional. His career highlights were winning the Arnold Classic in 2007 and finishing runner-up at the 2007 Mr. Olympia. He signed a contract for a sponsorship deal with Maximum Human Performance which also sponsors Michael Kefalianos.
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.
Brandon Curry is an American professional bodybuilder who competes in the open division. He is the 2019 Mr. Olympia bodybuilding champion.
Tommi Thorvildsen, nicknamed "Glutezilla" for his glute development, is an IFBB Pro bodybuilder from Norway. At 5'9" in height, he has a contest weight of 260 lbs and went on from winning his first amateur competition in 1997, the Sandefjord Open, to win the national championships in the same year. He got his pro card after two successive wins of the Norwegian championships in 1997 and 1998. His first professional competition was the Toronto Pro Invitational in 2000, where he placed 18th. His highest professional ranking so far was the 2002 IFBB Austrian Grand Prix of Bodybuilding, where he placed 3rd,
Jim Badra is Greek and Jordanian American former professional bodybuilder, businessman, investor, and spokesperson for health and nutrition. Badra competed in bodybuilding and became a Mr. World Champion in 1988. He was featured on the cover of Muscular Development magazine.
Helle Trevino is a Danish/American professional female bodybuilder and the 2019 Rising Phoenix World Champion.
Denís Aleksándrovich Gúsev is a Russian professional bodybuilder, Master of Sports of Russia in bodybuilding.
