One of the most important figures in the world of bodybuilding and widely considered to be one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, the Austrian born star started to gain worldwide attention at the young age of 18 after winning one of his first major competitions, the junior Mr. Europe contest in 1965. He won it again the following year at age 19. He proceeded to win many contests including five Mr. Universe victories and seven Mr. Olympia wins.
Apart from his fitness career, he also wrote a monthly column for Muscle & Fitness and Flex, two bodybuilding magazines.
Lou Ferrigno – Then
Lou has had a long and versatile career, including working as a fitness trainer, consultant, actor and professional bodybuilder. He has now retired from bodybuilding but the world of bodybuilding will not forget when he stole the spotlight as an IFBB Mr. America winner and for his appearance in the Pumping Iron documentary about bodybuilding.
Prior to his fame, Lou worked as a sheet metal worker for $10 an hour. Luckily, he realized that there were better opportunities meant for him and left the job in pursuit of greater things.
Lou Ferrigno – Now
Following his bodybuilding career, Lou played football for the Toronto Argonauts but his career was cut short after he broke the legs of another player during a scrimmage. Clearly, he carried over some of that strength from his former bodybuilding stint.
He later went on to star in The Incredible Hulk, which clearly fits the mold. At the start of the 2000’s, he was cast in The King of Queens, playing himself. The CBS sitcom received favorable reviews.
Arnold Schwarzenegger – Now
What started as fitness fame resulted in major worldwide recognition for acting and the star quickly become one of Hollywood’s best action film celebrities. He had his breakthrough role in 1982 in Conan the Barbarian and shortly after he appeared in the Terminator movie franchise. As if a fitness and acting career weren’t satisfying enough, he also decided to become a politician and announced his candidacy in 2003 in a special recall election for the governor of California. He ended up serving as governor until 2011.
Schwarzenegger still stars in films today and is expected to return to the big screen in the upcoming Terminator movie in July 2019. And as for his fitness reputation? It still lives on and the fitness guru is honored by the Arnold Sports Festival, one of the best professional bodybuilding competitions which was named after him.
John Travolta – Then
You can’t talk about fitness in the 80’s without mentioning John Travolta. If girls didn’t fall in love with his super short shorts in Perfect then they definitely fell for his perfectly greased hair and bad boy character in Grease.
He is fully deserving of a spot on this list.