Top 15 Biggest Bodybuilders of All Time – www.build.i.ng

Levrone first got into bodybuilding at the young age of 11,
because his older brothers were lifting. He lifted alongside them
and found out that he was pretty good at it. He started to do some
research, learning about the big bodybuilders in the 1980s such as
Lee Haney and Arnold Schwarzenegger. His first pro qualifying event
was the 1992 Chicago Pro Invitational, and he was soon setting the
bodybuilding world afire. While he’s never garnered the coveted Mr.
Olympia, he’s come in the top 5 countless times. Levrone is now in
his late 40s and hasn’t competed for about a decade – instead, he’s
trying to break into acting. But who knows – the Maryland Muscle
Machine might make a comeback some year.

14 Lou Ferrigno

Come on – no list of the biggest bodybuilders would be complete
without the Incredible Hulk. Lou Ferrigno had a difficult
childhood, as his hearing loss (which came from an ear infection in
his youth) led him to be very shy. He was a gangly youth, reading
comic books and dreaming of being as strong as the muscular
characters within – and he certainly attained that goal. He first
picked up a weight when he was 12, and trained enough over the
following decade that he officially became the youngest man to win
the IFBB Mr. Universe competition twice. He was also the tallest to
have done so, and the only one to have gotten two consecutive wins.
He was also among the youngest to enter the prestigious Mr. Olympia
contest, strutting on the stage at 23 years of age. He eventually
realized his childhood dream by becoming The Incredible Hulk and
entering the world of Hollywood.

13 Dennis Wolf

Wolf was born in the former USSR but eventually moved to Germany
with his family at the age of 14. Like many of the bodybuilders on
this list, Wolf got his start fairly young, at the age of 15. His
interest was peaked by a bodybuilder magazine that his father
bought him, and he soon started getting in shape and was competing
at 21. He turned pro in 2005, and made his IFBB professional debut
in 2006. He shows no signs of slowing down (or getting any smaller)
as he continues to work on his physique. He’s built up an
incredibly impressive size, and one thing’s for sure – whatever
this Big Bad Wolf wants, he probably gets.

12 Moustafa Ismail

Even those who don’t know much about bodybuilding likely
recognize Moustafa Ismail – he got a lot of attention recently for
initially setting a Guinness world record for the biggest arms,
biceps and triceps, and then sparking some controversy regarding
whether his accomplishments were all natural. His 31 inch guns are
astounding and he claims to be able to lift 600 pounds. While many
have accused him of steroid use, Ismail continues to assert that
his muscles are the result of a diet that is very heavy in protein
(his daily diet apparently contains four pounds of chicken and two
pounds of steak every day). The Egyptian bodybuilder (who moved to
the US in 2007) also works out for three hours a day to keep his
physique up.

11 Lee Haney

The Mr. Olympia is one of the biggest, most prestigious
competitions in the world of bodybuilding, and most bodybuilders
dream of earning the coveted title at least once in their career.
Haney has won it eight times, consecutively – a record that even
one-ups the infamous Arnold Schwarzenegger’s seven-title streak.
Haney dominated the bodybuilding world in the 1980s and has since
retired into a much quieter life. Haney lives with his wife and two
children in Georgia, and owns two fitness centers in Atlanta. While
he works with and helps train athletes, putting his years of
bodybuilding knowledge to good use, he also founded a non-profit
retreat facility for children, putting his degree in youth
counseling to good use.

10 Johnnie O. Jackson

Johnnie O. Jackson is a beast, plain and simple. Though standing
only 5’8 in height, this American bodybuilder has deadlifted a
record-setting deadlift of 760 pounds. He can also bench press 600
pounds, but that seems like child’s play compared to his deadlift
record. When he’s not on stage, Jackson works as a personal
trainer, helping other individuals work towards a physique half as
impressive as his. Before he stepped into the public eye as a
beloved bodybuilder, he even served in the armed forces, something
that Jackson says helped shape his life philosophy and build his
discipline.

9 Flex Wheeler

This bodybuilder’s real name is Ken, but everyone knows him as
“Flex” Wheeler – but one look at his body will tell you he doesn’t
need to be flexing for his muscles to pop. Wheeler has been racking
up the competition wins since 1993, and even got the coveted
‘triple crown’ in 1997 (which, in the world of bodybuilding, means
wining the Ironman, Arnold Classic, and San Jose Classic).
Sometimes referred to as “The Sultan of Symmetry,” his physique at
the height of his competition years was flawless.

8 Roelly Winklaar

Roelly Winklaar is a bit of a newcomer in the world of
bodybuilding – while many of the ‘greats’ hit their peak in the
1980s or early 1990s, Winklaar is just getting into the swing of
things now. Winklaar manages to pack 285 pounds of pure muscle onto
his small 5’6 frame. One of his first competitions was the 2009 NPC
Arnold Amateur Championships, and he placed first right from the
start. He’s only continued to excel from there, continually
impressing bodybuilding fans with his incredible physique. Winklaar
could very well be one of the next big names in bodybuilding, so
keep your eye on his progress as he goes forth with his career.

7 Phillip Heath

Phillip Heath – who many know by his nickname, “The Gift” – grew
up in Seattle, Washington, and was a typical high school jock. He
played varsity basketball, and excelled enough that he earned a
basketball scholarship to the University of Denver. He played as
the point/shooting guard at the University’s Div 1-A basketball
team. While he loved basketball, he was looking for his next
challenge, and it was only after university that he found the world
of bodybuilding in 2002. He pushed his body from 185 pounds to 215
pounds of pure muscle, before cutting down to 192 pounds for his
first competition, The Rocky Mountain NPC USA Championship
“Northern.” Heath won – quite the way to start out his career. He
trained harder, got even bigger, and eventually racked up a whole
slew of other titles, including his IFBB Pro card and four Mr.
Olympia wins.

6 Kai Greene

American bodybuilder Kai Greene turned to weights as a way to
cope with a difficult childhood, and his seventh grade English
teacher helped introduce him to the world of competitive
bodybuilding. He started out on the teen circuit, flexing his
growing muscles, before taking a hiatus to really transform his
physique. He turned pro before his 19^th birthday,
earning him the honor of being the youngest natural professional
bodybuilder at the time. He continually improved himself, moving on
to the NPC to qualify for recognition with the IFBB. Kai’s
admirable determination paid off almost 16 years after he first
entered the bodybuilding circuit when he became one of the buff
athletes in the IFBB Professional ranks.

5 Gunter Schlierkamp

Not all famous European-born bodybuilders come from Austria –
Gunter Schlierkamp, a retired German IFBB Pro, hails from Olfen,
Germany. However, it was a certain Austrian muscle machine who
inspired Schlierkamp – he saw Schwarzenegger in some of his films
and was inspired to sculpt his own body. He started training at 16
and entered (and won!) his first competition at 18. He own the Mr.
Universe title in 1993, and made the move to the U.S. in 1996 –
just like Arnold! In addition to competing, Schlierkamp has done
some acting, modeling, and frequently works with companies as a
consultant in product development.

4 Arnold Schwarzenegger

Even if you know absolutely nothing about bodybuilding, chances
are you know who Arnold Schwarzenegger is. The Austrian-born
bodybuilder set records in the fitness world, becoming the youngest
person to win the Mr. Universe title when he was 20. He racked up
countless titles over the years, including four more Mr. Universe
titles and seven coveted Mr. Olympia titles. After an illustrious
career in bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger (who had become a U.S.
citizen after emigrating to the U.S. in 1968) started conquering
another industry – Hollwood. He had roles in several movies,
including Hercules, Stay Hungry (for which he won a Golden
Globe), and Conan the Barbarian. The film that absolutely
made his career, however, was Terminator. With three
simple words – “I’ll be back” – Schwarzenegger cemented his place
as a pop culture icon.

3 Markus Ruhl

Unlike many bodybuilders on this list who picked up their first
dumbbell at the ages of 12 or 14, Markus Ruhl, who is sometimes
nicknamed “The German Nightmare,” got a bit of a late start. The
then 140 pound German-born Ruhl started lifting at nineteen, and
after five years, finally competed in his first competition – over
100 pounds heavier, at 243 pounds. He won the heavyweight and
overall title at his first competition, the Bachgau Cup, and began
a long career of bodybuilding. He soon received his pro card,
continued packing on additional muscle mass, and simply grew and
grew his amazing physique.

2 Dennis James

Though he’s an American, muscle man, Dennis James was born in
Heidelberg, Germany, as his father, a military man, was stationed
there. Perhaps it’s that German bodybuilding blood, but James began
lifting at 18 and immediately started to impress everyone. James
hasn’t had as many impressive finishes as some of the big
bodybuilders – though he’s competed in the Mr. Olympia seven times,
his best finish is fourth place. However, he’s consistently
maintained his physique over the years, proving that you don’t
always need titles to keep up your motivation.

1 Ronnie Coleman

Ronnie Coleman is an absolute beast, plain and simple. In a
world where bodybuilders continue to grow bigger and bigger,
Coleman has set a new standard – the Louisiana-born bodybuilder has
a contest weight of about 300 pounds, something that not many
bodybuilders achieve. Coleman got his start as a football player,
initially working out so he could be more impressive on the field.
He continued playing football while he attended Grambling State
University, and actually planned to become an accountant. You heard
it – this giant muscle man was planning to spend all his days at a
desk. However, his plans changed when he moved to Texas for some
new job opportunities. While doing everything possible to stay
afloat in a hard job market, Coleman saw an advertisers.com.ng for the police force, and started a
career there. Coleman’s fellow officers convinced him to check out
a particularly impressive gym in their neighbourhood, whose
clientele consisted of powerlifters and competitive builders. The
rest, as they say, is history. Coleman immediately impressed at his
first competition in 1990 and soon began dominating the
bodybuilding world, earning his IFBB Pro card as well as countless
titles. In fact, Coleman holds the record for the most wins by an
IFBB professional – a staggering 26, including eight coveted Mr.
Olympia titles.