At the end of the nineteenth century, muscle was no longer just seen as a way of survival, but also as a new beauty. There came about a return to the Greek ideology; muscular development as a form of art and celebration. Stone lifting turned to weight lifting, changing cultures around the world. Then, this ideology of weight lifting formed the professional strongman, which later branched off into a totally new sport, the sport of bodybuilding. Thanks to a few outstanding individuals, bodybuilding has grown into the great sport that dominates physical culture today.
During the Victorian age, men wore confining and sophisticated clothing, and hidden was the thought of unclothed men as the subjects in art and photographs. But during the turn-of-the-century, a physical culture idol arose by the name of Eugen Sandow. Sandow went on tour as “the world’s strongest man” in the 1890’s, out doing strongman competitors at their own sport. However, a certain quality set Sandow apart from the other competitors. This quality was his symmetrical and muscular male physique, which at this time was generally unseen. Sandow became a superstar, earning a fortune through books and magazines. He eventually started a contest in where men’s body measures were compared, and physique was observed to declare an overall winner. In turn, this started the first competition of its kind, taking the first step towards bodybuilding as we know it today. This influential contribution to the sport of bodybuilding puts Eugen Sandow at number five in the countdown!
#4) 
Skipping ahead into the modern era of bodybuilding, there was a bodybuilder by the name of Lee Haney, who changed the standards for the present day sport. Lee Haney began winning competitions in 1979, when he was crowned “Teen Mr. America”. He continued competitive bodybuilding for 25 years, competing in 24 major and world renowned competitions. But what made Lee Haney stand out was his professional career in the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilders), where he competed in the prestigious Mr. Olympia contest. Before Lee Haney, the famous name of Arnold Schwarzenegger dominated the bodybuilding scene for his unmatched seven-time Mr. Olympia titles, 6 of them being consecutive. However, Lee Haney came out to smash this record, with his unprecedented eight consecutive wins at the Olympia. This amazing achievement awed the world of bodybuilding, setting the standard one step higher, through both his achievements, and his physique. Lee Haney went on to be an educated trainer, working alongside some of the worlds top athletes. He has established well renowned fitness centers, and has created and contributed to many non-profit charity facilities, such as a retreat facility for children, and a petting zoo. These, as well as many other great things, put Lee Haney at number four!
#3) 
There are a few people in this world that are true mentors, people who stand out in the crowd, inspire and influence others; people who are born leaders. For the sport of bodybuilding, this person was none other but Reg Park. Reg Park was a true leader and mentor; it was his god-given talent. He became an idol in physical culture, not only because of his character, but also because of his achievements. In the fifties, Park was known as one of the strongest men in Europe, competing in both strongman, and bodybuilding competitions. He achieved a 500 pound bench press, which was the first ever in Europe, equaling the standards set by world class weight lifters. This changed the way bodybuilders looked at heavy weight training. Before, many were satisfied with lifting their own body weight, and using light weigh for higher reps. Reg Park redefined the way people looked at training. His poundages were staggering, and the results he was getting attracted the attention of many, inspiring some of the past’s, and today’s top bodybuilders. Reg Park has been an inspiration to many, and he gave another new outlook to the sport for many to benefit from. All in all, this puts Reg Park at number three in the countdown!
#2) 
There was one man in the history of bodybuilding, who took the sport to an all new high. He redefined the meaning of fame and stardom, and brought the sport into global fame. This man was the one, the only, Arnold Schwarzenegger. For the sport of bodybuilding, there could have been no greater success story than Arnold. He started out as an Austrian farm boy, breaking into gyms at night to train, and putting much of his life behind him for his true passion. But Arnold was a business man, he knew his goals, and bodybuilding was one of the steps he took towards national stardom. Winning title after title in Europe, Arnold moved to the United States, on a chance for fame and fortune. Starting a new life in America, Arnold became affiliated with other bodybuilding greats, such as Franco Columbu, and also got to meet a man named Joe Weider. With the help of Weider, Arnold became a bodybuilding superstar, being the first to win a massive seven Mr. Olympia titles. Arnold also began to get known in the film industry. Unfortunately for Arnold, his thick accent and long name steered many producers away in the beginning. Arnold’s early struggles to enter the world of Hollywood later proved to help, setting his now well known macho action hero persona. All this media attention has definitely helped draw attention to the bodybuilding world. His role in his first big film, the documentary “Pumping Iron”, has made bodybuilding more socially acceptable, and noticed. Today, Arnold has even moved into politics, creating an even bigger draw into the world of bodybuilding, bringing it even further into the public eye. Arnold has also contributed to countless, charities, and has led the way with organizations such as the Special Olympics. His contributions to the sport of bodybuilding and to society are countless. Thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilding has become the well known amazing sport it is today, putting him at number two!
Looking back at how far bodybuilding has come, and at what bodybuilding is today, there must have been a person who inspired it all; a founder of the sport. That founder was Joe Weider. However, he could not have done it without the help from his brother, Ben Weider. Together, these two great men came to be known as the founding fathers of modern bodybuilding. Joe and Ben were born into a small tough town in Montreal Quebec. Forced to toughen up to defend themselves from the neighborhood bullies, Joe began to train using scraps from the local junkyard. As he noticed changes, he began to realize that there must be others out there with similar ambitions, so Joe Weider, with just seven dollars in his pocket, started to create a small newsletter called Your Physique. It sold for almost nothing, but soon it became widely distributed, and the brothers soon turned it into muscle and fitness magazine, which became a well known publishing in its field. Now Joe Weider has many publications, including books, and a number of magazines such as the famous FLEX magazine. Their publications have attracted attention to the sport that nothing else before has done, not to mention the massive fitness revolution it has brought about. They also went on to create their own line of exercise equipment, and nutritional supplements. Ben Weider also became the founder of the IFBB, (the International Federation of Bodybuilders), which brought competition to a whole new level, and Joe soon followed to add the Mr. Olympia contest in 1965, seen as the “super bowl” of bodybuilding competitions. They also began to reward the winners with money, and provided many athletes with the financial support needed to stay in the competitions, which was never done in the past. Joe Weider also realized that women had a dedication to the sport, and in turn started the Ms. Olympia contest, for female athletes. Overall, these two brothers from a small Montreal neighborhood have shown outstanding dedication to the sport of bodybuilding, and to the entire fitness community. Their efforts can be seen everyday in our society, and the inspiration to the athletes in the sport has been unimaginable. Their legacy has forever changed the sport of bodybuilding, and made it what it is today, making Ben and Joe Weider the most influential people on modern bodybuilding!
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