bodybuilding

The prevalence of bodybuilding-style weight training in virtually all sports has shown us a lot of things. We’ve seen that stronger athletes perform better almost across the board, including in baseball and golf, which used to be thought of as sports that depend more on “skill” than high-level...

When Chief Olympia Officer Dan Solomon announced that basketball icon Shaquille O’Neal would be the 2020 Honorary Olympia Ambassador, many people were excited. “For the most part everyone was amped up to have one of the biggest stars in the world with us this year as part of our whole Olympia...

The progress that women, especially in western culture, have made since the latter half of the 19th century is amazing. This is especially evident when you look at parts of the world that have not gone through this evolutionary change. For example, where they are denied an education, freedom of...

Phil Heath’s announcement that he’ll try for his eighth Sandow trophy at this year’s Mr. Olympia shocked the bodybuilding world. Many had the same question: why now? Luckily, Chief Olympia Officer Dan Solomon was able to catch up with the 7-time Mr. Olympia during an Instagram Live session and...

Thanks to Jake Wood and Wings of Strength, the Ms. Olympia Bodybuilding Championship will be returning to the Olympia Weekend in December. It’s an exciting time for the sport of female bodybuilding, and we can expect to see the best pro women in the sport competing on stage together. Except, not...

Flex Lewis made history in the Olympia’s 212 Bodybuilding division, winning seven straight times before his retirement in 2018. He was literally unbeatable, but clearly ready for something more. As the dust settled from his final win and retirement, Lewis confirmed that yes, he’d really retired...

Seven-time Mr. Olympia winner Phil Heath hasn’t set foot on a bodybuilding stage since his shocking loss at the 2018 Mr. Olympia. Many have wondered when he would return to competition, and some questioned if he would ever do so again. The wait for an answer is now over: Heath confirmed in an...

On May 7, 2020, the bodybuilding community lost a rising star with the passing of open bodybuilding competitor Luke Sandoe. Following a big year of shows, including a third-place finish at the 2019 Arnold Classic and an 11th-place finish at his first Olympia in 2019, his death was unexpected and...

The purpose of the bodybuilding diet is to achieve two contradictory goals — maximize muscle mass and minimize body fat. Either of these goals can be difficult to reach, so doing both at the same time would almost impossible if generations of bodybuilders hadn’t figured out, on the basis of...

I had the privilege of working closely with Joe Weider for decades, and one of the things I observed that made his magazines so successful was his insistence on publishing first-rate photos by really excellent photographers. At various times, Joe hired several Hollywood celebrity photographers...

Bodybuilding is about building aesthetic muscle, so bigger physiques have always been admired so long as they conformed to certain aesthetic standards. But as the late Larry Scott, the first Mr. Olympia, once pointed out, back in his era the majority of bodybuilding competitors did not have the...

Phil Heath will always be a bodybuilder — it’s something that’s ingrained in his very being. “Bodybuilding is in my DNA,” the seven-time Mr. Olympia told Muscle & Fitness. “That has not changed one bit. I’ll always have that in my blood.” But in recent years, Heath has tried to become much...

Amateur bodybuilding competition is conducted using weight divisions for same reason sports like boxing, wrestling and weight lifting are: Body size is an important factor. And bigger competitors usually have an advantage over smaller competitors, all else being equal. While competing as...

Female bodybuilding is one of the toughest sports out there. It requires years of hard, consistent workouts and extreme diets. Not only is this physically demanding, often resulting in physical injury, but it can take a serious psychological toll as well. There are multiple champion female...

Arnold Schwarzenegger burst onto the bodybuilding scene in the late 1960’s in Europe, and made the transition from Munich to Venice, CA in 1968. He entered his first Mr. Olympia contest, at 22 years old, on Sept. 13, 1969, fully confident he could defeat defending champion Sergio Oliva, Sr. —...

When I saw Iris Kyle win the 1996 Orange County Muscle Classic, she was ripped and in great shape, but she did not have the muscle mass that would later allow her to win 10 Ms. Olympia titles. Obviously, she put on a lot more size fairly quickly. But being in great shape on the contest stage...

GONE AT 31 YEARS OLD!!!!!???? Home Bodybuilding BREAKING: Bodybuilder Luke Sandoe Has Passed Away at 30, Bodybuilding Community Reacts Talented IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Luke Sandoe Has Tragically Lost His Life by Derek Hall May 8, 2020 in Bodybuilding, Featured, News, Videos 5 min read Luke...

In a very emotional message on social media, Dexter Jackson broke the news about his retirement following the 2020 Mr. Olympia competition. He was a little choked up and rightfully so – bodybuilding has been the driving force of this man for decades. At 50 years of age, it’s clear that Dexter...

MICHAEL NEVEUX / M+F Magazine At 51 years old, four-time Mr. Universe Mike O'Hearn is still one of the fittest guys around—and if his Instagram is any indication, he always has been. The bodybuilding icon recently posted a side-by-side of his physique in 1983 and 2020, and he seems to have...

Most everyone knows who he is but do not realize health issues he faced early in his career. Grim gives us all plenty of motivation and he is a hell of a man to have driven through all that he has and here is another that has pushed on when he could have quit. John Meadows John Meadows is an...