Bodybuilding Changed
Back in the 1960’s guys like John Grimek, Steve Reeves and Clancy Ross were still being mentioned and written about in magazines such as Ironman. The articles were content rich with little in the way of advertising like we find in today’s magazines.
Larry Scott, famous for the Scott Curl, won the Mr. Olympia in 1965 and 1966. He set the bar high for arm development, particularly with his softball sized biceps and huge forearms. He was also a handsome guy so he appealed to the opposite sex.
Arnold Schwarzenegger won the Mr. America in 1967 and things changed.. His rugged good looks, accent and sense of humor appealed to a much broader audience. He dominated bodybuilding culture for years while chalking up an impressive seven wins in the Mr. Olympia. He also captured wins in the Mr. Universe five times!
Arnold’s friend and workout partner, Franco Columbo, also had a heavy accent. Franco was powerful and would entertain people by blowing up a hot water bottle with his lungs until it burst!
Joe Weider was promoting guys like Arnold, Frank Zane and Dave Draper (of Muscle Beach fame) in his magazine Muscle and Fitness. Joe was a very savvy businessman and made a fortune from bodybuilding. He made household names out of many of the bodybuilders of the time. His empire grew as well as his influence. He said he wanted to get bodybuilding to the masses so it would become self-sustaining and thrive after he was gone.
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