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At ancient weightlifting competitions, physique pose-downs were part of the show. While physique sports have blossomed over recent decades, the world's best bodybuilders once performed during the epilogues of weightlifting meets.
- “Weightlifting is the origin of all Iron Sports,” says Dr. Conor Heffernan. Conor is a strength sport historian and lectures a Sociology of Sport course at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland.
Many of history’s most renowned physique athletes—think Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Platz, or Sergio Oliva—owe some of their success to weightlifting doctrine.
Arnie was one of six bodybuilders Conor highlighted who started as, or relied upon, weightlifters and weightlifting principles.
The Best Bodybuilders With Weightlifting Backgrounds
Let's wind the clocks way, way back. Weightlifting is the original strength sport. Mankind had hauled and thrown heavy objects around since it developed opposable thumbs.
Sporting events went international in a big way in 1896 at the inaugural Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Primitive weightlifting events were on the docket.
"By the 1930s, bodybuilding shows were held after weightlifting competitions," Dr. Heffernan explains. Sometimes, it was the other way around—bodybuilders would lift weights overhead on stage to display athleticism alongside their physiques.
While the sports have forked in recent generations, early strength pioneers were often proficient in both muscularity and movement:
John Grimek
"Described by his contemporaries as America's 'finest physique', John Grimek won two Mr. America competitions and one Mr. Universe title in the 1940s," says Heffernan.
'What's less known is that Grimek finished 9th in the Men's heavyweight weightlifting event at the 1936 Olympic Games."
Grimek, Heffernan says, viewed bodybuilding and weightlifting as inextricably linked; the press, snatch, and clean & jerk built sheer bulk, and bodybuilding training brought out the texture and detailing.
- This isn't quite how it works, but Grimek's philosophy is still visible today. Heavy compound lifts like squats and pulls build lots of muscle, but don't burn as many calories as high-rep, low-rest bodybuilding training.
Tommy Kono
"Tommy Kono is America's greatest Olympic lifter," Heffernan claims, citing his two Olympic golds (1952, 1956) and silver medal (1960). Kono, who passed in 2016, was also a six-time World Champion between 1953 and 1959.
Heffernan regards Kono not just as a prolific competitor, but "one of the most interesting athletic minds" of the era.
"After weightlifting competitions, Kono would often switch to bodybuilding training for a change of pace," he says—much like today's athletes who fall back on what we now call general physical preparation, or GPP, today.
During his weightlifting heyday, Kono also competed in physique shows, winning Mr. Universe titles in 1954, '55, '57, and '61.
- Today, an active Olympic athlete dieting for a bodybuilding show during their competitive season sounds like an absurdity. Body fat standards were not as strict in the mid-20th century.
Reg Park
Historians regard Reg Park as the man who inspired Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding career, but Heffernan stresses "Park was much more than that."
"He won several Mr. Universe titles in the 1950s and '60s. Park was an undeniably strong bodybuilder," Heffernan continues, "who attributed his size and strength to 'power-building.'"
At the time, that phrase described workouts that combined the Olympic lifts with standard bodybuilding fare.
Sergio Oliva
"They called Sergio Oliva 'the Myth' for his unbelievable genetics," Heffernan says. Oliva would go on to win three Mr. Olympia competitions, but began his career in competitive athletics as a weightlifter.
"Oliva competed in weightlifting for Cuba in the 1960s," Heffernan says. While at a competition in Jamaica, Oliva led a mutiny, spurring his entire team to seek political asylum in the States.
"Oliva initially hoped to remain a weightlifter, but switched to bodybuilding when it became clear there was more money in that sport," Heffernan adds.
- The financial landscape of professional weightlifting remains an issue to this day. In August, Kolbi Ferguson talked to us about how American football continues to siphon weightlifting prospects away from the barbell.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Everybody knows Arnie—to Dr. Heffernan, he's "possibly the most iconic bodybuilder of all time, but was a 'Jack of all trades' in his youth."
"Enamored by strength in all its forms, Schwarzenegger experimented with powerlifting, weightlifting, and even some stone lifting before committing to bodybuilding," Heffernan says.
Prior to his seven Mr. Olympia titles, Schwarzenegger had a decent weightlifting total. His best competition lifts were 110KG in the snatch and 135KG in the clean & jerk.
- Schwarzenegger includes weightlifting events at his yearly Arnold Sports Festival convention, and makes a point to visit the stage to interact with athletes and endorse the sport personally.
Tom Platz
"Bodybuilding fans call Tom Platz 'the Quadfather'," Heffernan says. Platz, who competed in the 1970s, had an astonishing level of leg development. He was no slouch in the gym either, capable of squatting 500+ pounds for over 20 reps with technique that would look right at home in a World Champs training hall.
How? In his early years of lifting weights, Platz trained in a gym with proper Olympic lifting equipment, which naturally attracted weightlifters. These athletes made a formative impact on Platz' leg training philosophy, which paid off in his bodybuilding career.
- "I think modern squats have been bastardized," Platz once remarked. "It's a hip thrust. I've seen weightlifters practice their technique for years with just a broomstick."
