Big, Bulky And Brawny: 10 Bodybuilders Who Took It To The Extreme

quo;re big, bulky, brawny. In a world which has anworld-renowned bodybuilder, Atlas also became
almost-obsession with being fit and looking good, howpopular for his Dynamic Tension program.
is that there are some individuals who can take3. Dr. Franco Columbu
bodybuilding to the extreme?He may be a 67-year old man today, but Italian actor
They’re not satisfied with merely developingand bodybuilder Dr. Franco Columbu was an extreme
six-pack abs or good-looking biceps. What they did isbodybuilder who was also a “World’s
take bodybuilding to the next level by working out asStrongest Man” competitor.
much as they can.Despite his not being as tall as his bodybuilder
The results? A man with the world’s biggestcounterparts, Dr. Columbu did not allow this to prevent
biceps, the world’s biggest shoulders andhim from achieving worldwide success.
extremely sculpted men who won multiple bodybuildingDuring the 1977 competition for the World’s
titles such as Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe.Strongest Man, he bagged the first place and that
The Importance of Bodybuildingsignaled a winning streak for him. Mr. World, Mr.
Before revealing which bodybuilders took theirUniverse, Mr. Europe, a four-time winner of the Mr.
dedication in building muscle to the extreme, let us firstOlympia title, champion power lifting titles and power
discover the many reasons why they do it in the firstlifting best lifts are among his accomplishments in the
place.bodybuilding industry.
If you don’t plan to join a bodybuilding contest,4. Louis Lou Jude Ferrigno
what are the benefits that this type of activity will bringThose who are old enough may remember Lou
for you? Take a look at the following list:Ferrigno as the man in the television series and movies
Bodybuilding develops your dedication and patience.who played the Incredible Hulk. The 57-year old actor
Aside from the fact that you will reap the fruits ofappeared in countless magazine covers which
your labor by having a great-looking, well-shaped bodyfeatured bodybuilders.
later on, bodybuilding as an activity will help developHis first bodybuilding award came in 1971, when he
your dedication and patience.bagged the title of Pro Mr. America. He also went on
This is especially true for bodybuilders who areto win four Mr. Olympia titles. At the peak of his
working hard to develop the muscles that they have inbodybuilding career, Lou Ferrigno was known as one
order to join a competition.of the tallest professional bodybuilders, standing at a
You won’t believe the dedication and patienceheight of 6253.
that it takes to go to the gym, stick to your workout5. Sergio Olivia
routine and practice the self-discipline necessary toHis nickname in the bodybuilding industry is “The
reach your fitness goals.Myth”. Sergio Olivia earned this nickname because
There are a lot of health benefits that you will get tosomeone commented at how unbelievable he is as a
enjoy when taking up bodybuilding.bodybuilder when he joined a 1967 Montreal World Fair
The minute that you decide to take on bodybuilding,competition.
you are already on your way towards enjoying theThis Cuba-born athlete has quite a number of feats
many health benefits that it brings. First of all,under his belt. He’s the only bodybuilder to win
bodybuilding is an activity that will lower yourall the top titles in four major bodybuilding federations.
cholesterol.He’s the first black athlete to win Mr. America,
As your muscles develop, you are also hopefullyMr. World, Mr. Universe and the Mr. Olympia titles.
sticking to a healthy eating routine. This way, the fat in6. Dexter Jackson
your diet will essentially be eliminated. Also, all thatAlso known as “The Blade”, Dexter Jackson is
heavy lifting will benefit your cardiovascular system.yet another bodybuilder who took working out to the
[Cardiovascular Fitness]extreme. He first became active in the world of
Strong bones, better flexibility, increased muscularbodybuilding in 1992.
strength and volume — these are the otherHis most recent accomplishment came in winning the
health benefits of bodybuilding.Mr. Olympia titles for 2008. The 5263, 39-year old
10 Bodybuilders Who Took Things to the Extremeathlete joined a seemingly endless number of
Now, let us take a look at the list of the top 10bodybuilding contests and until now, he is working
bodybuilders who took bodybuilding a bit too seriously,towards maintaining his perfectly sculptured body.
which ended up making them look really big, bulky and7. Gregg Valentino
brawny:This unbelievable bodybuilder is dubbed as the athlete
1. Arnold Schwarzeneggerwith the world’s biggest biceps. Gregg Valentino
Before he was known as California’sstarted bodybuilding at the young age of 13. For 23
“Governator”, Arnold Schwarzenegger used toyears, he trained naturally, but decided to experiment
be a bodybuilder. He’s an American andwith steroids later on.
Austrian actor, businessman and politician who startedWhat makes him an extreme bodybuilder is the fact
weight training at the age of 15.that from measuring a mere 213, his arms have grown
To sum up his bodybuilding accomplishments, heto a huge 283 measurement. However, taking things to
earned the title of Mr. Universe at the age of 22. Laterthe extreme because of the use of steroids caused
on in his bodybuilding career, he won the Mr. Olympiahim to lose the world’s biggest biceps due to
contest seven times.some medical complications which caused his arms to
Even long after his retirement in the sport, he still‘explode’.
remained to be a prominent figure in the world of8. Markus Rühl
bodybuilding.German bodybuilder Markus Rühl is a professional
What makes Arnold Schwarzenegger’s careerbodybuilder known for having the world’s
in bodybuilding so significant is that he managed tobiggest shoulders as well as one of the tallest athletes
popularize the sport by becoming its spokesperson,during his time.
especially later on when he became an actor inStanding at 52103, his competition weight reached to
Hollywood films.more than 130 kilograms and his chest size measured
What makes Arnold Schwarzenegger’s careeran astounding 603.
in bodybuilding so significant is that he managed toThrough the course of his bodybuilding career, Markus
popularize the sport by becoming its spokesperson,Rühl went on to win titles as Mr. Olympia and other
especially later on when he became an actor inawards in different bodybuilding contests — with
Hollywood films.his huge shoulders as his main asset.
According to him, he had the following measurements9. Ronnie Coleman
during the peak of his career: 203 calves, 28.53 thighs,For a bodybuilder, earning a Mr. Olympia title is one of
343 waist, 573 chest and 223 arms. His personalthe best accomplishments that he will ever have in his
record in bodybuilding was 181 kg/400 lbs for 12career.
repetitions in a full squat.But what if you multiply that feat eight times over?
The Governator earned his first Mr. Olympia title inThat’s exactly the number of times that Ronald
1970 at the age of 23, making him the youngestDean ‘Ronnie’ Coleman won the Mr. Olympia
bodybuilder to ever hold the title. He went on to wintitle.
the title six more times.Through the course of his bodybuilding career, he went
2. Charles Atlason to bag several awards in different competitions. He
You probably won’t believe the story of howalso is the man behind training videos like “Ronnie
the late Charles Atlas has grown from becoming aColeman’s First Training Video“, “The
scrawny weakling to one of the most popular extremeUnbelievables”, “The Cost of Redemption”,
bodybuilders when he was still at his prime.“On the Road”, “Relentless” and
The Italy-born bodybuilder was dubbed in 1921 by the“Invincible”.
Physical Culture magazine to be the “World’s10. Johnnie O.
Most Perfectly Developed Man“. Aside from being a