You’ve probably seen those folks at the gym who exercise weights half-heartedly while checking their iPhones for texts in between. Then they’ll be gulping down a protein smoothie and discussing the two reps they tried today. If you’re serious about it, you can build up some muscular mass. The fundamental difference between a regular gym-goer and a professional bodybuilder is that the latter is more devoted to muscle growth and is willing to go the additional mile to attain their goal.
Bodybuilders exercise far more than the typical person since their body is everything to them and they want to make a living by selecting bodybuilding as a vocation. It makes perfect sense for them to spend hours in the gym grinding their bodies in this instance. Bodybuilders have an uncanny capacity to put on muscle and make it larger and bigger with each passing year.
This list includes bodybuilders from all around the world, regardless of where they originated from or how hard they worked to get to where they are. Some of these bodybuilders began at a young age, while others flowered later in life, but they all achieved success.
They’ve done everything from acting to consulting as side endeavors. For many years, they have established records. Let’s take a look at some of the best bodybuilders and their journeys.
Phil Hernon
One of the best bodybuilders who entered competitions for years was the bodybuilder Phil Hernon. His career as a bodybuilder lasted for nearly four decades, which is unusual for bodybuilders. Phil Hernon managed to win four different competitions in the 1970s. Subsequent to these victories, he won numerous other titles including Mr. America and Mr. Universe in the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. Unfortunately, he passed away at the age of fifty-five.
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Logan Barnhart
Despite the criminal charges he received due to being a part of a violent protest that took place at the Capitol Building, Logan Barnhart actually had quite a good run as a bodybuilder. His bodybuilding career started in 1998, when he was 16. He won the New York state championship and then went on to win a number of other competitions as well. Logan Barnhart wanted to make a name for himself as an athlete; he didn’t want anyone thinking that just because he was young, his career would be short-lived. He trained for about 20 hours each week and competed at different events across the country, but with the recent criminal charges brought against him in D.C., he likely won’t be competing anymore.
Mike Mazz
One bodybuilder who is also quite popular in social media, is Mike Mazz. This particular bodybuilder is known to be quite controversial and has many different followers. He has been seen in many different types of clothing, but always seems to have a powerful physique. However, what made him popular the most is when he did a photoshoot in his underwear.
Emily Schubert
Emily Schubert is not only a popular bodybuilder, but she is also a woman. Her success in the bodybuilding field is a bold statement saying that bodybuilding is not just for men. Emily’s career shows that women can and are competing with men in the bodybuilding world. Schubert is one of the top athletes in her sport and has inspired many women to follow suit. Emily Schubert became interested in bodybuilding because she was looking to change her life. She started weight training when she was 18 years old and began competing three years later. As her career progressed, she completely changed her diet, worked on being consistent with squats, deadlifts, back extensions, bench presses, and more.
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Rodney Kryst
Rodney Kryst is not only a popular bodybuilder during his time, he is also the father of Chelsie Kryst, a Canadian actress. Kryst is a Canadian competitive bodybuilder and the winner of the 2009 World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. As of June 2010, he has not officially retired from competition. Before his win in Copenhagen, Kryst was ranked third worldwide in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness’ (IFBB) bodybuilding rankings for 2003-2009, behind Lee Priest and Frederik Bonnerup Nielsen. He represented Canada at the 2008 World Championships in Johannesburg.
Kevin Levrone
Because his elder brothers were into lifting, this young man began bodybuilding at the age of 11. He lifted with his siblings as an inquisitive boy and discovered that weightlifting was his thing. He then moved on to study about famous bodybuilders from the 1980s, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger. His first pro qualifying event was the Chicago Pro Invitational in 1992, and he quickly became a global bodybuilding star. Though he never won Mr. Olympia, he was frequently in the top five competitors. He’s approaching 50 years old and hasn’t competed in a long time. But who knows, maybe he’ll make a comeback soon.
Lou Ferrigno
This list would be incomplete if the Incredible Hulk was not included. Lou Ferrigno battled greatly during his infancy owing to hearing loss caused by an ear infection he got as a toddler. As a result, he became quite bashful.
He became interested in bodybuilding after reading comic books and seeing himself as a muscular guy like the ones in the comics. At the age of 12, he began lifting weights and training hard for the next decade, eventually becoming the youngest man to win the IFBB Mr. Universe competition two times in a row. At the age of 23, he was the youngest contender to compete in the Mr. Olympia contest. And, as we all know, he went on to become The Hulk by making his way to Hollywood.
Steve Cook
This American icon is an IFBB pro physique competitor. He has won several IFBB and NPC titles in the previous seven years. With a net worth of over 1.9 million USD, he is claimed to be one of the wealthiest bodybuilders in the world.
Lazar Angelov
This Bulgarian hottie works as a bodybuilder, fitness athlete, and personal trainer. He has a large fan base on social media sites and is quite active there. He has millions of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube followers. His net worth is believed to be at $200,000 USD.
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Dennis Wolf
Dennis Wolf was born in the former Soviet Union and migrated to Germany with his family when he was 14 years old. He began bodybuilding at the age of 15. He began competing at the age of 21 and became a pro by 2005. He made his IFBB professional debut in 2006. He has excellent muscles and has been successful thus far.
Lee Haney
This gentleman on this list has won Mr. Olympia eight times in a row. He broke Arnold Schwarzenegger’s seven-title winning run. He dominated the bodybuilding scene in the 1980s and has since retired to live a tranquil life with his wife and two children. He is widely considered to be the greatest bodybuilder of all time. He owns and operates two Atlanta fitness establishments.
Flex Wheeler
Originally known as Ken, this bodybuilder is now better known as Flex. He’s been killing his ripped figure and massive muscles since 1993. He earned the ‘triple crown’ in 1997, capturing the Ironman, San Jose Classic, and Arnold Classic championships, making him the finest bodybuilder. Because of his faultless body, he is also known as ‘The Sultan of Symmetry.’
Philip Heath
He is generally known as ‘the gift,’ and he was an enthusiastic player in varsity basketball throughout his scholastic days, earning a basketball scholarship to the University of Denver. In 2002, he discovered bodybuilding after graduating from university. He altered his physique and went from 185 pounds to 215 pounds of pure muscle before cutting down to 192 pounds and winning the Rocky Mountain NPC USA Championship. He won a host of other championships, including the IFBB Pro card and Mr. Olympia four times.
Johnnie O Jackson
This beast is just 5’8 in height, but don’t underestimate him. This bodybuilder from the United States of America has achieved a deadlifting record by lifting 760 pounds. He is able to bench press 600 pounds. Prior to entering the bodybuilding industry, he served in the armed services, which helped him instill discipline in his life, which was essential for his bodybuilding career.
Moustafa Ismail
This attractive guy rose to prominence after being named to the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest arms, biceps, and triceps. This record, on the other hand, caused a dispute over whether the increases were natural, but this man utterly slays his 31-inch guns. He is capable of lifting 600 pounds. He attributes his success to the high-protein diet he follows on a regular basis. This Egyptian bodybuilder works out for three hours a day.
Roelly Winklaar
He is relatively new in comparison to other bodybuilders who dominated the world in the 1980s and early 1990s. Roelly was only becoming acquainted to the world of bodybuilding at the time, and once he planted his foot down, there was no looking back. With a 5’6″ frame, he gained 285 pounds of pure muscle. He debuted at the 2009 NPC Arnold Amateur Championships and won the title. He has since grown and gained widespread popularity. He will undoubtedly rise to prominence in the coming years.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger
This is the one name that this list would have been meaningless without. Whether you are familiar with bodybuilding or not, you are probably familiar with this moniker. He is the all-time greatest bodybuilder. This bodybuilder has set several fitness records. He is the world’s youngest Mr. Universe winner (20 years old). He holds multiple championships and has won the Mr. Olympia title seven times in a row. After obtaining US citizenship, he moved into Hollywood. He has appeared in a number of films, including Stay Hungry, Hercules, and Conan the Barbarian. He rose to prominence in Hollywood thanks to the blockbuster film Terminator. He is without a doubt the greatest bodybuilder of all time.
Ronnie Coleman
This dude is a true beast who has established a name for himself in the bodybuilding world. He is today’s top bodybuilder and has raised the bar for muscle growth. He weighs approximately 300 pounds in competition. Many bodybuilders do not attain this feat. He used to play football and began working out to better his game. During his undergraduate years, he continued to play soccer and decided to pursue a career as an accountant. He relocated to Texas in search of better career possibilities, and that is when things began to change for him. He was hunting for work when he came across an advertising for a police officer. He joined and was inspired to go to the gym by his fellow colleagues. And the rest, as they say, is history. In 1990, he grabbed the globe by storm with his first tournament. He received an IFBB Pro card and went on to win other titles. He holds the record for the most titles won by an IFBB professional. He has 26 championships, 8 of which are Mr. Olympia crowns.