Bodybuilding was introduced as a legit sport to the world by the golden era bodybuilders. Along with Arnold Schwarzenegger, these were the other 5 stalwarts of the controversial sport.

1. Larry Scott

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Let`s get started by mentioning the man also known as “The Legend”. He not only won the first edition of Mr. Olympia in 1965 but also defended the same in, winning two straight titles. Many people will find this strange that he retired after winning two titles back to back only to come back again after 13 years in 1979 and finally hung up his boots. The Legend left for heaven in 2014 (age 75). A Few interesting things about him:-

1. He has the distinction to be first IFBB professional with 20 inch Arms.

2. He was the first bodybuilder to win Mr. America, Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia.

3. A common exercise for the Biceps-Preacher curl also known as “Scott Curl” was designed by him where your arms are perpendicular to the ground on a preacher bench.

2. Sergio Olivia

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“The Myth”, this Cuban Bodybuilder left for heaven in 2012 due to kidney failure. He was called ‘The Myth’ by another bodybuilder/writer who met him at a 1967 festival and said he was “Just Unbelievable”. He won three consecutive Mr. Olympia titles from 1967-1969. Here are four unforgettable things about Olivia.

1. In 1968 he defended his IFBB title unopposed because all other contestants withdrew.

2. In the 1969 Mr. Olympia he defeated the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold later said after the show that Olivia`s Lats were so impressively large that as soon as Olivia sprea his lats, he got the feeling that he would lose.

3. He had the smallest waist measurement at 28 inches of any Mr. Olympia winner.

4. His thighs measured larger than his waist.

3. Franco Columbo

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Standing at just 5’4 feet, he was IFBB Mr. Olympia in 1976 and 1981. He was not just a champion bodybuilder but also an author, actor (having starred in more than 15 movies) and World`s Strongest Man competitor. He has mind blowing Power lifting numbers at a bodyweight of 84kg.

Bench Press-238kg

Squat-297kg

Deadlift-340kg

That was why he was also known as “The Sardinian Strongman”. He probably had the best chest separation of the upper and lower chest in bodybuilding, which was often referred to as the “Grand Canyon”.

4. Frank Zane

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He was also one of the very few who won Mr. Olympia consecutively for three years (1977-78-79). While not as physically massive as previous competitors such as Schwarzenegger or Sergio Olivia, Zane developed his physique to highlight symmetry aesthetics and definition. As such, Zane was able to defeat opponents who exceeded his own muscle-mass but lacked his level of muscular definition. He`s considered to be the influencing factor for people to shift from mass and heavy build to aesthetics. A Few interesting Facts about him:-

1. He trained both with Light and Heavy weights and the results show.

2. One of the very few Mr. Olympia winners under 200 pounds.

3. He had 2nd thinnest waist circumference of all Mr. Olympia’s , after Sergo Olivia.

4. He taught mathematics and chemistry both at high school level and was thus nicknamed “the Chemist”. Apart from this, he also had a Masters degree in Psychology.

5. Lee Haney

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Ladies and gentleman, meet the record holder for most Mr. Olympia titles (8) which he shares with Ronnie Coleman (8). Isn`t that formidable that he won the Mr. Olympia titles 8 times consecutively (from 1983-1991)! His famous quote is “train to stimulate, not annihilate”. The world wasn't formed in a day, and neither were we. Set small goals and build on them. What you can learn from his “words of wisdom” is that working your muscles only up to the point from which they can recover from (number of sets, Intensity etc) is a better way to train them than doing an endless amount of sets and spending hours beating the shit out of a muscle group. He is the Current Chairman of an American government organization, The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN) which aims to promote sport and physical activity among Americans of all age groups.

Singh Daman is an On-Floor and online Personal Trainer and PG diploma holder in fitness and nutrition who believes Physical Fitness is as important in one`s life as Breathing,Sleeping and eating. You connect with him on his YouTube Page

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