A
- Fouad Abiad
- Manohar Aich, "Pocket Hercules"
- Abdulhadi Al-Khayat
- Achim Albrecht
- Troy Alves
- Charles Atlas
- Art Atwood
- Dayo Audi
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, which focuses solely on increasing the physical load one can exert.
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.
Mike Mentzer was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder, businessman and author.
Francesco Maria Columbu was an Italian-American bodybuilder, powerlifter, actor, author, producer, and a licensed chiropractor.
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.
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 high intensity training, top-level conditioning, and his wide, thick back.
Shawn I. Ray is a former professional bodybuilder and author.
Larry Dee Scott, nicknamed "The Legend" and "The Golden Boy," was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder. He won the inaugural 1965 Mr. Olympia competition and defended the crown at the 1966 Mr. Olympia contest before retiring.
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.
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.
Dexter "The Blade" Jackson is an American retired IFBB Pro League professional bodybuilder and the 2008 Mr. Olympia bodybuilding and 2012 Masters Mr. Olympia champion. With 29 wins, Jackson has the most professional men's bodybuilding titles. He has the distinction of winning the Arnold Classic a record five times. After winning the Arnold Classic in 2015, he placed second in the 2015 Mr. Olympia. He is from Jacksonville, Florida. He retired from professional bodybuilding following the 2020 Mr. Olympia.
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".
Benjamin "Ben" Pakulski, nicknamed the Pak-Man, is a Canadian IFBB professional bodybuilder and winner of the 2008 Mr. Canada competition. In the IFBB, he finished 2nd twice in 2008. He has increased his standing in the Arnold Classic competition, placing 2nd in 2013, after a 4th-place finish in 2012 and a 10th-place finish in 2011. In the 2012 Mr. Olympia contest, his first-ever, he finished 11th.
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.