When Was Bodybuilding Invented And Who Made It Famous?

In this article I give you the scoop on when and who made bodybuilding famous - When it started, the most famous bodybuilders, and yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of them.

When Did It Start?

There is a great deal of credibility that would pinpoint the late 1960s into the late 1970s as the start of bodybuilding. However, bodybuilding actually started many, many years before. All one has to do is take a look at the old circus and carnival circuit and see how prominently the strongman was presented. From strongmen of yesteryear to the prominent personalities of today, bodybuilding is certainly an important facet of pop culture.

Who Created it?

If one had to state who created the sensation of bodybuilding it would have to be Bob Hoffman, who started to promote bodybuilding in the 1930s. Later, the legendary Joe Weider started promoting bodybuilder types and the sport in general with the launch of his own publications, which would bring attention to the sport. Weider then went on to become the promoter of the Mr. Olympia contest that became top bodybuilding contest in the world.

The First True Star

Another person who helped draw attention to the bodybuilding world was Steve Reeves. Reeves had a physique like no one ever had before. He was tapped to play Hercules in two silly Italian films on the strength (pun intended) of Reeves' look. The films took in $12 Million dollars at the box office.

Who Made It Really Famous?

The bodybuilding world eventually found its true superstar when a man who barely spoke English headed to Weider's gym to train for the Mr. Olympia. That person, of course, was Arnold Schwarzenegger ("The Terminator" for those who never knew his real name). Arnie had a physique like no one had ever seen before (not surprising since he had been bodybuilding before he was even a teenager). He had off-the-charts charisma that launched the craze of bodybuilding in an era that saw the rise of some of the biggest legendary names in the business. The documentary "Pumping Iron" captures the era perfectly.

The Legacy

Not surprisingly, initially the general public felt that bodybuilding was a weird world, but there was a strange curiosity that motivated people to take a curious look at it. Some of those people, particularly young boys, would go on to aspire to become bodybuilders themselves. They wanted large muscles like Arnold's. This interest in bodybuilding, spawned out of the glory years, has allowed the business to thrive and turn into a multi-million dollar business that is still going strong. This is the true legacy of the era, and it is a legacy that will endure for many years to come.