Who Are The 15 Biggest Bodybuilders Of All Time?

Within the bodybuilding world, there’s a definite size difference between a recreational lifter and knowledgeable bodybuilder. It takes years and years of utmost dedication within the gym and kitchen to enter the world of skilled bodybuilding and construct the kind of mass required to step on stage.

Nevertheless, even on the massive stage, there are different categories. Everyone’s big, after all, but then there are the most important of the massive, often known as “Mass Monsters.” These are the blokes who stand out resulting from the sheer amount of muscle mass they carry, even making other pros seem small as compared. 

Those are the guys we will discuss in this text. 

Table of Contents:

• A temporary bodybuilding history lesson
• Biggest bodybuilders of all time
• Biggest by muscles
• Recap

A Temporary History: The Birth of Bodybuilding & Huge Bodybuilders

The bodybuilding world has evolved quite significantly over the century. Yes, we said century! The game of bodybuilding has been around for much longer than many individuals realize.

Its roots might be traced back to the early nineteenth century when the game of Strongman was essentially the most prevalent fitness-oriented sport. During this time, a person named Eugen Sandow was quite thinking about aesthetics and using weight training to govern the human body.

In 1901, the primary recorded bodybuilding competition took place in London’s Royal Albert Hall. Judged by Eugen Sandow, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Sir Charles Lawes, the competition was wildly successful, and it grew from there.

Who Were The First Mr. Olympia Bodybuilders?

Originally, greater emphasis was placed on aesthetics and symmetry, much like the best way the Greeks checked out the human body. (If you happen to’re after aesthetics, make sure you take a look at our Greek God workout plan!).

During this time, athletes were rather more limited in how large they may get resulting from certain pharmaceutical agents being non-existent.

For instance, for the primary two Mr. Olympia competitions, which began in 1965, two winners weighed in at 205 and 225 kilos. 

Here’s a take a look at the primary Mr. Olympia winners:

• 1965-1967: Larry Scott, the primary Mr. Olympia winner, had a contest weight of 205 kilos and an off-season weight of 220 kilos.
• 1968-1969: Sergio Olivia had a contest weight of 225 kilos and an off-season weight of 245 kilos.

The Mass-Focused Bodybuilding Era (1990-Present)

The 60s, 70s, and 80s were a special time in bodybuilding. Being “big” was a special perception then. Those guys were big, yes, but they weren’t “mass monsters”.

During the 90s, things modified. The mass era was ushered in. Dorian Yates often gets credit as setting the tone for the “Monster Mass era” (circa 1992).

It was at the moment that the search for being the very best in bodybuilding got here right down to one goal: to proceed constructing muscle until becoming an absolute monster.

The off-season weight of 220 and 245 kilos that the primary elite skilled bodybuilders had would not even give them a likelihood to step on the stage within the mass era.

The truth is, competitors got so massive that a latest category was made for bodybuilders 5’5″ or shorter, weighing lower than 212 kilos, as these guys would otherwise have zero likelihood of ever being considered to compete with the most important bodybuilders on this planet.

And with that, we haven’t got to look too far back to search out the most important guys. The biggest bodybuilders  are going to be from the 90s to current times (except a few of the all-time legends).

The 15 Biggest Bodybuilders of All Time

Ready to try essentially the most massively built bodybuilders to grace the competition stage? Listed here are the highest 15 biggest bodybuilders.

1. Phil Heath:

We’re going to start out this list with Phil Heath. Nevertheless, it is not due to his giant size.

Compared to the opposite lifters on this list, Phil Heath is comparatively small. We are saying “relatively” because at 5’9″, he’s still 240 kilos on stage while carrying 270 kilos of mass through the off-season.

So why discuss him? Because Phil Heath is one of the successful bodybuilders of all time, with 7 consecutive wins at Mr. Olympia from 2011-2017. We could all actually learn a thing or two following the Phil Heath biceps workout!

2. Ronnie Coleman:

“Everybody desires to be a bodybuilder, but no one desires to lift no heavy-ass weights!” Some of the iconic lines spoken on this planet of skilled bodybuilding, strength training, and gym culture was spoken by Ronnie Coleman.

Hailing from Louisiana, Ronnie Coleman got here from a rough life and recalled barely having enough money to eat. It wasn’t until Brian Dobson, amateur bodybuilder and owner of Metroflex Gym, offered Ronnie Coleman a free gym membership that he began training.

However the membership got here with one caveat. Ronnie needed to conform to let Dobson be his personal trainer for a contest in 1990. And, as they are saying, the remainder is history.

Since then, Ronnie Coleman has won 26 IFBB Skilled Titles. A couple of major highlights include:

• Eight consecutive Mr. Olympia wins from 1998-2005 (Tied with Lee Haney for many consecutive wins)
• First bodybuilder to win each the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia title in the identical yr in 2001

To place it frivolously, Ronnie Coleman is thought to be the strongest and largest bodybuilder of all time. This is able to arguably make him the best and most compelling athlete to ever step on the massive stage.

At 5’11”, weighing around 300 kilos for competitions and 330 kilos through the off-season, only a few men will ever even come near this size. The excellent news, nevertheless, is which you can still train like him following the Ronnie Coleman workout split.

We are able to only imagine what his grocery bill looked like.

3. Markus Rühl:

“When life closes a door, it opens a window.” This quote does a fairly good job of summing up Markus Rühl’s skilled bodybuilding profession.

A German IFBB skilled bodybuilder, Rühl began his bodybuilding journey in 1990 on the age of 18. Interestingly, it was a knee injury that he sustained while playing football that opened up his window of opportunity.

During his recovery, a physician suggested to Markus Rühl that he take part in strength training to hurry up recovery and forestall further injury. On the time, Markus weighed just 125 kilos.

He began an intense 6-day workout routine, and just 5 years later, Markus Rühl received his pro card. Rühl’s height is 5’10”, and records show that he blew as much as 285 kilos during contests and a large 325 kilos off-season.

Since then, he has placed in quite a few IFBB competitions while coming away with first in several shows, including:

• 2000 Toronto Pro: 1st
• 2002 Night Of Champions: 1st
• 2003 Arnold Classic: third
• 2004 Mr. Olympia: fifth

Taking a look at his size, it is simple to see why he’s considered one in all the most important bodybuilders to ever across the stage.

4. Lou Ferrigno:

Some superheroes are real. Considered one of those is The Incredible Hulk, 2X IFBB Mr. Universe, and IFBB Mr. America mass monster, Lou Ferrigno.

Standing at 6’4″, Lou Ferrigno’s height also puts him as one in all the tallest bodybuilders, making it even harder to look massive resulting from weight distribution. But he managed.

With a contest weight of 285 kilos, it is simple to see why Lou Ferrigno was chosen to play the green monster. Since playing The Hulk, Mr. Ferrigno has landed multiple other TV roles and movie cameos.

This included playing a pivotal role in Pumping Iron, the infamous docudrama that followed his rival with Arnold Schwarzenegger as they trained and competed for 1975 Mr. Olympia and 1975 Mr. Universe.

This has cemented him as one of the popular bodybuilders of all time and a staple in popular culture.

5. Jay Cutler:

Jay Cutler is one in all the more lively bodybuilders and might be seen pretty extensively across social media platforms. That is along with his extremely successful profession as a larger-than-life pro bodybuilder.

Just 5 years after he began training at 18, Jay Cutler won his pro card on the young age of 23. After which in 2005, he won his first Mr. Olympia title. Jay was then crowned Mr. Olympia’s winner again in 2007, 2009, and 2010.

This implies he went face to face with the good Ronnie Coleman and got here out on top (no less than for a few titles).

Jay Cutler stands at 5’10”, weighed in at 260 kilos for his contest weight, and a monstrous 300 kilos for his off-season weight.

As of late, Jay Cutler continues to be looking incredible…and big. He’s sponsored by quite a few big brands within the industry, corresponding to Trifecta Nutrition, who supplies the Legend with 10lbs of chicken and 6lbs of bison weekly.

Able to work out just like the lifting legend? Try our article on the Jay Cutler Bodybuilder Workout Routine. And, if you wish to learn more about this bodybuilding legend, take a look at our exclusive Q&A with Jay Cutler!

6. Arnold Schwarzenegger:

The Austrian Oak. The Terminator. The Governator. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Indisputably, the competitive bodybuilding world would likely not be what it’s today without the inclusion of this absolute beast of an Austrian. Arnold Schwarzenegger is thought to be one in all the unique bodybuilders who brought additional muscle mass to an incredible physique.

Arnold lifted through the “Golden Era” of bodybuilding, where lifters focused more on symmetry and aesthetics than the present scene. Now do not get us improper here, as these lifters, Arnold included, were all still massive.

Arnold stood at 6’2″ with a contest weight of 252 kilos, and was known for the way aesthetically pleasing his body was. The truth is, through the 1975 season, it was his physique and aesthetics that led him to victory over the larger Lou Ferrigno.

Since this time, Arnold created the IFBB Arnold Classic, which has spawned into the most important fitness expos on this planet. Hosting various competitive bodybuilding contests, the Arnold Classic also includes an array of other fitness disciplines, corresponding to Strongman and powerlifting.

Little known fact, before the bodybuilding world, Arnold competed in powerlifting. Need to train like him? Get some inspiration from the Arnold split. Inquisitive about what his food plan is like today? Try our article: Is Arnold Schwarzenegger Vegan?

7. Paul Dillett:

Canadian IFBB skilled bodybuilder Paul Dillett is next on our list. Competing within the 1990’s Paul earned the nickname “Jurassic Paul” for his larger-than-life size.

At 6’1″, Paul Dilllett was competition ready at 285 kilos and grew to 330 kilos within the off-season. While an absolute beast, he wasn’t as exceptional as many bodybuilders on this list.

During his 20-year profession on this planet of bodybuilding, Paul Dillett’s top rating was 4th at My Olympia in 1994. Nevertheless, since his pre-debut in 1993, he has competed in:

• 5 Mr. Olympia
• 4 Arnold Classic
• 3 Iron Man Pros (One win in 1999)

8. Roelly Winklaar:

Nicknamed “The Beast,” Roelly Winklaar is a Dutch IFBB skilled bodybuilder who is totally massive.

Standing at 5’8″, Roelly Winklaar would blow as much as 320 kilos through the off-season, trimming right down to 265 kilos for competitions.

“The Beast” has had greater than just a few highlights in his profession. In 2018, Roelly took home first place on the Australian Arnold Classic and earned the people’s champion crown on the 2018 Mr. Olympia.

This was due largely to his insane arms, particularly his biceps. In 2019, he also took fifth place on the 2019 Mr. Olympia.

9. Dennis Wolf:

Dennis Wolf, AKA “The Big Bad Wolf,” stands at 5’11”, and would weigh in at 258 kilos for contests, growing to 300 kilos within the off-season. A German IFBB skilled bodybuilder, Dennis Wolf began competing at just 21 years old, 6 years after he began training at 15.

His first pro-debut was in 2006 on the World Amateur championships.

During his profession, he won the IFBB Arnold Classic in 2014 and took 4th at Mr. Olympia in 2015.

Unfortunately, in 2016, Dennis had a profession ending injury that forced him to retire from the stage a bit of sooner than he would have liked (C4-C7 herniated disks). 

Nevertheless, lately he continues to be living the fitness lifestyle and appears improbable. On Instagram, you possibly can see how he trains (and the way he trains his clients), and also you higher consider he continues to be flexing for the camera here and there.

You possibly can tell he eats well, which is not any surprise, since he, like Jay Cutler, is a sponsored athlete of Trifecta Nutrition. Trifecta feeds him a weekly order of 2lbs of bison, 3lbs of salmon, 3lbs of flat iron steak, and 1lb of cod.

10. Dennis James:

At 5’8″, Dennis James was on the shorter side, yet he still managed to weigh in at 260 kilos for competitions. And through the off-season? He grew to 300 kilos!

Dennis James won his first competition in 1985 after which struck his bodybuilding poses on the Mr. Olympia stage for the primary time in 2000.

Later, in 2003, Dennis James would get his highest placing at a Mr. Olympia contest with 4th place.

Fast forward to today, Dennis James (born 1966) is still a beast, training hard and eating healthily. 

Dennis can also be a sponsored athlete of Trifecta Nutrition. We reached out to Trifecta to see what he eats. They told us he gets a weekly order of (his alternative): 3lbs cod, 5lbs chicken breast, and 3lbs salmon.

11. Greg Kovacs:

Indisputably, the title of biggest bodybuilder on this list goes to Greg Kovacs. This monster of a person didn’t just have an insane amount of mass – he was also very tall.

Greg Kovacs was 6’4″ and towered over nearly all of bodybuilders who stood across the 6’0″ mark or shorter.

A tall bodybuilder, his height was only matched by his weight, which might hit a staggering 420 kilos through the off-season. Greg would then drop to a jaw-dropping competition weight of 330 kilos.

That is totally huge. To place it in perspective, he weighed almost 80 kilos greater than Arnold. That is insane.

He will be the absolute biggest bodybuilder to ever walk across the Mr. Olympia stage. Sadly, Greg Kovacs passed away in 2013, on the age of 44, resulting from heart failure.

12. Dorian Yates:

Dorian Yates earned the nickname “The Shadow” resulting from his body mass blocking out the sun as he walked around normal-size people.

From the UK, Dorian Yates began lifting and constructing muscle in 1983, making his skilled debut on the Newcastle Pro in 1991.

At 5’10”, Dorian Yates weighed around 310 kilos for his off-season weight yet would cut right down to 260 kilos of pure muscle when he stepped on stage.

Need to train like this mass monster? Try the Dorian Yates Workout Routine!

13. Jean-Pierre Fux:

Hailing from Switzerland, Jean Pierre Fux’s height is listed at 5’11” with a contest weight of 275 kilos. In other words, he’s a force to be reckoned with.

Starting his profession in 1994 on the IFBB World Amateur Championships, Jean-Pierre took home 1st place within the heavyweight division. He revealed his monstrous dimensions in Mr. Olympia for the primary time back in 1996. In 1996 and 1997, Jean-Pierre Fux placed in the highest 8 at Mr. Olympia. Suffice it to say, he had a promising profession.

The truth is, some report him as being essentially the most muscular bodybuilder ever.

Unfortunately, his profession was cut short. In 2002, Jean Pierre Fux was doing a photograph shoot for Flex Magazine, and on the agenda was getting shots of him doing 700-pound squats.

Things didn’t go in response to plan, and through the squat, Jean Pierre suddenly dropped to his knees. He had suffered massive damage to each of his kneecaps, which ended his profession.

14. Lee Haney:

Besides Phil Heath, Lee Haney is the smallest bodybuilder on this list. Nevertheless, he’s one in all the all-time best.

At 5′ 11″, Lee Haney would weigh around 255 kilos walking across the Mr. Olympia stage, while only gaining around 10 kilos and hitting 265 kilos within the off-season. But that was enough. Not only was Lee Haney the Mr. Olympia winner in 1984, but he also continued winning every yr for the subsequent seven years.

If you happen to’re keeping record, that is 8 consecutive wins at Mr. Olympia. As an eight-time Mr. Olympia winner, he’s tied with Ronnie Coleman as holding essentially the most wins on the Mr. Olympia stage. The one difference? He did it first.

Since his retirement, Lee Haney was appointed chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He also began his own show on The Trinity Broadcasting Network, where he preaches heavily on physical in addition to spiritual health. Inquisitive about what else Lee Haney is as much as lately? Try our article on where Lee Haney is now!

15. Mamdouh Elssbiay (Big Ramy):

Mamdouth Elssbiay is nearly exclusively referred to by his “Big Ramy.” Possibly it’s because his real name is simply too hard to say, or possibly it’s simply because he’s, well….big. Really big.

After starting training in 2009, Mamdouh Elssbiay weighed 200 kilos by 2011. Nevertheless, the story has it that by 2012, Big Ramy weighed a whopping 286 kilos for his contest weight when he stepped on stage on the 2012 Amateur Olympia in Kuwait city.

He took first place there, earning his pro card just 3 years after he began training. Since then, Big Ramy has perfected his body, and in 2020, he walked across the Mr. Olympia stage and took first place. He then did it again in 2021. 

On the 2022 Mr Olympia, Big Ramy got fifth place. 1st place went to Hadi Choopan.

Try the Big Ramy workout routine and food plan.

Biggest In Bodybuilding By Muscle Groups:

Inquisitive about who had the most important biceps, legs, or chest? We took the time to research the most important in bodybuilding by muscles. All of your answers are below.

Who has the most important biceps (arms) in bodybuilding?

Big Ramy has the most important arms currently at 24 inches. The truth is, his could be amongst the most important of all time in skilled bodybuilding. Roelly Winklaar has 24 inch arms as well. Flex Wheeler and Phil Heath would are available in tied for second with 23” arms.

It is sensible that the most important arms could be from newer times. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, and Ronnie Coleman had 22 inch arms, which was crazy for the time. For reference, 8 time Mr Olympia Lee Haney “only” had 20 inch arms!

Who has the most important legs in bodybuilding?

Currently, the most important quads on this planet of bodybuilding is Big Ramy. He has massive 36” thighs, as did Ronnie Coleman in his prime.

Fun fact: Tom Platz, aka The Quadfather, had 30 inch quads in his prime. He was only 5’7”, which proportionally, made his legs seem huge in comparison with guys with actually greater legs.

Who has the most important chest in bodybuilding?

Lou Ferrigno’s 59 inch chest is the most important chest in bodybuilding history. Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler had a 58 inch chest, and Arnold and Serge Nubret had a 57” chest. These are the all-time biggest chests in bodybuilding. By way of current bodybuilders, recent Mr Olympia Hadi Choopan has the most important chest, measuring in at 56 inches.

Note: Some reports show Ronnie Coleman with a 60 inch chest.

Who has the most important back in bodybuilding?

Ronnie Coleman is usually agreed upon as having the biggest back in bodybuilding, ever. There’s also not much debate about Ronnie having the very best lats. In current times, Chris Bumstead, Brandon Curry and Big Ramy are known for having the very best and largest backs in the game.

Who has the most important calves in bodybuilding?

The most important calves in bodybuilding history was Eric Frankhouser. He had 24 inch calves in his prime skilled bodybuilding competition days.

Who has the most important traps in bodybuilding?

Johnnie Jackson is thought for having the very best and biggest traps in bodybuilding history. Even higher than Ronnie Coleman and Markus Ruhl.

Who has the most important forearms in bodybuilding?

Lee Priest is claimed to have had 18 inch biceps at his peak, which makes his the most important ever in bodybuilding.

Who has the most important neck in bodybuilding?

By far, Colombian IFBB Elite Pro Rubiel Mosquera, aka Neckzilla, has the thickest and largest neck in bodybuilding. His neck measures about 20.5 inches.

Who has the SMALLEST waist in bodybuilding?

In bodybuilding, the waist is one area that smaller is best. To find out the smallest waist in bodybuilding, we had to decide on a division and with Mr Olympia having the most important bodybuilders, that was the straightforward alternative. With that said, the smallest waist in bodybuilding goes to Sergio Oliva together with his 27 inch waist.

For reference, Frank Zane was also known for having a really tiny waist, and his was 29 inches!

Biggest Muscles in Bodybuilding Recap:

The Mass Monster Complement Stack:

Ask any mass monster what the proper mass-building complement stack is…

Besides the anabolics, you simply actually need protein, creatine, and for those who like pre-workout, then pre-workout too.

If possible, get a whey protein a casein protein, as whey after a workout (absorbs quickly when the muscle needs it) and casein before bed (it’s slow digesting) will provide the very best results. Nevertheless, that is more of a luxury. Just whey will do high-quality too.

Creatine is a must for growing because it will provide you with more power within the gym to create the expansion – go ATP! That’s, unless you’re among the many small percentage of people that’s muscles don’t reply to creatine (as some research shows is feasible). 

And pre-workout, because it really works. Particularly because, well, caffeine. But there are other advantages which might be special to pre-workouts, which you possibly can’t just get from a coffee.  

If you happen to are like us, shopping on Amazon is all the time easiest. So, here’s the “all you would like”, “basic” muscle constructing complement stack from our favourite complement brands on Amazon:

1. Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein
2. Optimum Nutrition Casein Protein
3. Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Monohydrate
4. Ghost Pre-Workout

Are Today’s Elite Bodybuilders Too Big?

While most would say we’re still within the bodybuilding mass era, over the past few years, heavy scrutiny has been placed on the most important pro bodybuilders resulting from their freakish size. 

Recently, the bodybuilding industry has shown signs of beginning to slowly trend back toward favoring a more aesthetic appeal, versus only being mass-focused. Mind you, today’s lifters are still beasts, but more aesthetically proportioned beasts. (By the best way, in case your ears perked up at talk of aesthetics, our aesthetic workout routine could also be exactly what you are on the lookout for!)

There has even been some insider talk suggesting we might have already witnessed the most important bodybuilders of all time. With this in mind, these bodybuilders could quite literally be the most important to ever grace the stage: past, present, and future.

Summary: The Biggest Giants in Bodybuilding History

We just went through an inventory of the most important giants in bodybuilding history. While there are arguments about who’s the most important bodybuilder of all, we are able to all agree all of those athletes are larger than life.

That said, don’t think that you have to aim to be the most important skilled bodybuilder to be able to go to the gym and lift weights. The very fact is, not everyone wants this. The wonderful thing about bodybuilding is that it’s open to anyone, no matter fitness goals.

Possibly it’s to lose a bit of weight or to get in shape for summer. Or, possibly your ultimate goal is to develop into a mass monster. And if becoming a mass monster is your goal, the above bodybuilders reveal exactly what that looks like.