- [Narrator] Bodybuilding
is a truly unique sport. It takes years of intense weight training, super strict dieting, and more bronzer than a Kardashian make up
tutorial to make it to the top. Done right, these titans can become famous for their massively muscled bodies. But time comes for us all, and not even bodybuilders
stay in shape forever. From age and injuries to the drastic consequences
of steroid use, it's time to remember some
of the world's most famous, retired body builders and see
what they look like today. (gentle lively music) Arnold Schwarzenegger. We're starting off really, really big, with the one and only
Arnold Schwarzenegger. Training hard since the age of just 15, Arnie was determined to become
the greatest bodybuilder in the world, and this meant winning a
coveted Mr Olympia title. Established in 1965 and
still running today, this annual competition sees the biggest and best professional bodybuilders
from all over the world flex it out on the main stage. Now, Arnie came in second
at his Mr Olympia debut in 1969, but then returned
in 1970 to take first place, making him the youngest
ever Mr Olympia winner at just 23. He won the prestigious
title a staggering 7 times during the 1970s, competing at
weights ranging from 225 lbs to 250 lbs with an amazing
57-inch chest and 22-inch arms. But these weren't all natural gains. Arnie has been very open about
his use of anabolic-steroids, a type of performance enhancing drug that increases muscle
mass and decreases fat to improve performance and appearance. Although, this was back before steroids were banned by many sports
associations in the 1990s. Nevertheless, Arnie's
astonishing appearance won him many movie roles,
including 80s classics like Conan the Barbarian
and The Terminator. He was unstoppable. Well, almost. In 1997, he underwent open heart surgery, and doctors advised him to reduce the intensity of his training. Then he took office as
the governor of California from 2003 to 2011, so maintaining mega muscles was
no longer his main priority. As such, the paparazzi have
spent years trying to capture his declining physique, but at the grand old age of 74, you can see Arnie's
still in amazing shape. 40 years after retiring from bodybuilding, and he still regularly
pumps iron in his home gym, pulling heavy looking T-bar
rows and 114 lb bicep curls. I'm less than half that age
and even I couldn't do that. What an icon. Well, you might not be
able to lift weights like Grandpa Schwarzenegger, but you can test your strength against those like and
subscribe buttons down below. Did you get them? Great! Now, which male
mountain have we got next? Ronnie Coleman. Few bodybuilders can compete
with Arnie's 7 Mr Olympia wins, though there's one man who can
give him a run for his money. Ronnie Coleman, aptly
nicknamed 'The King', hasn't just matched Arnie's record, he's beaten it. With an amazing 8 Mr
Olympia wins under his belt, he's tied with the legendary Lee Haney for the most Mr Olympia wins in history. And it's not hard to see why. With a competing weight of around 300 lbs, sporting a 60-inch chest
and 24-inch biceps, this man was a monster
of epic proportions. However, like Arnie, Ronnie
also admitted to using steroids back when it was still legal. He was desperate to be the best, but that came with its own consequences. His brutal training regime pushed his body to the absolute limit, leaving Ronnie with a
litany of serious injuries such as herniated discs and
severe spine compression. By 2020, at 56 years old, he'd
undergone not one, not two, but 13 separate surgeries on his spine as well as a hip replacement. The damage was so extensive
that doctors feared he'd never walk again. But it'd take more than
that to keep this king down. Videos posted on social media show that he needs a little
assistance to stand and walk, but he's still pumping
iron down at the gym like the champ he is. Unable to train as
intensely as he once did, he currently weighs in
closer to the 200 lb mark, but most of that is still muscle. Would you expect anything
less from The King? Jay Cutler. Hot on the heels of Arnie and Ronnie is the mighty Jay Cutler. Now, this four-time Mr Olympia winner has never been shy of
showing what it takes to get ready for competitions. From spending 5 days a week
training for hours on end, to dangerously dehydrating
himself before shows to give his muscles a leaner appearance. In 2005, all this work helped him drop a tremendous amount of body
fat, reducing his weight from 283 lbs to 265
lbs in just four weeks. This extreme cutting process is crucial to many bodybuilders, as it helps them maintain
their hulking physiques while showing off that
all-essential muscle definition. But less than two months
later, once the show was over, Jay was back up to 293 lbs. This is called, off season weight where bodybuilders take a rest from their punishing
pre-competition regimes. They get to eat more, drink
more, and don't hit the gym as intensely. However, this shocking image
appeared on the internet around 2014, apparently showing an unrecognisably huge
Jay in his off-season. Fortunately, this was
just the photoshopped work of some jealous folks who'd
tried to make Jay's weight look like it was more chub than chunk. In reality, he carried
his almost 300 lb frame like this, sporting ever
so slightly more body fat. Today though, at 48 years old, Jay's maintained most
of his monstrous mass even though he's retired. He may not be as big as he once was, but If I look anything like
that when I'm approaching 50, I'll be delighted. Dave Palumbo. Dave Palumbo is a name well
known in the bodybuilding world, but not for the best of reasons. At his heaviest, this 5 ft 9 performer weighed in at more than 300 lbs and competed at national US
events from 1990 to 2004. His seriously shredded bod displayed some truly massive features, most notably, his huge gut. This is believed to be a side
effect of an anabolic agent called Human Growth Hormone, or HGH; a substance banned by many sports. It stimulates the growth
of tissue in the body, increasing muscle mass
and artificially improving athletic performance. But when I say tissue, I mean all tissue, including the stuff in your organs. Doctors have observed
athletes who abuse HGH and they can suffer from enlarged hearts and inflated bowels, the latter of which is
believed to give the gut that strangely swollen appearance. Although, they don't know
what causes it for sure, so it's currently just a theory. But with one of the most sizable guts in the bodybuilding world, the condition was coined, Palumbolism. Not the title I reckon Dave wanted to win. He stopped competing in 2004 but continued to work
out at a lower intensity in the years after. This saw his mammoth
gains drop over the years, and then at 53 years old he proudly showed off his
surprisingly flat stomach. That's right, his belly-busting
bulge had completely gone. While the verdict is still out on what exactly causes Palumbolism, Dave's done a great job of
showing that it can be reversed. And all while looking
really healthy, what a hero. Tom Platz. You might know him as the Golden Eagle or the Quad Father, but the real name of this
thick thighed powerhouse is Tom Platz. Between 1979 and 1986, Tom
competed in 7 Mr. Olympia events, usually placing high in the top 10. His thighs were the envy
of many bodybuilders, measuring in with a
circumference of 34 inches at their biggest, that's about
the same as the average waist of a regular man. Tom became famous for his hilariously
intense training exercises, which pushed every last muscle
in his body to the limit. He was so built that in
1993, at 38 years old, he could squat an
impressive 525 lbs 23 times. Fast forward to 2015,
when Tom was 60 years old, and he could still be found
down at the gym pumping iron. Now, as we get older,
our ability to develop and maintain muscle mass decreases because our body's natural
production of testosterone slows down. Testosterone is essential
to synthesising the protein that builds muscle, so
it's perfectly natural to stop gaining insane
amounts of muscle as you age. But it seems Tom's body
didn't get that memo, because at 65 years old, he still boasted some
seriously shredded thighs. Man, they don't call him
the Quad Father for nothing. Today, as he approaches 70 years old, you can still find him busting
his butt down at the gym, proving that you can keep your physique if you put the work in. Flex Wheeler. Flex by name and flex by
nature, Kenneth Flex Wheeler is an American body building legend. Competing in more than 30 professional bodybuilding competitions between 1993 and 2017, he's widely regarded as one
of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. While he started out all-natural,
he too turned to steroids to get an edge on the competition. But it wasn't an easy ride. In interviews, he described how the steroids
saw him gain a whopping 30 lbs in just a month, that's
nearly a pound a day. Though he competed at a huge 240 lbs, with incredibly impressive 31-inch thighs, it wasn't enough to
snag a Mr Olympia title, leaving him in 2nd and
3rd on many occasions. That's pretty impressive considering that Flex was also diagnosed with severe kidney issues back in 1999. This might have been linked
to the steroids he was taking, but doctors never confirmed this. From that point on, he
competed completely drug-free. He retired in 2017, and soon
after photos began to surface on social media claiming
he'd really let himself go. Now, the tattoos certainly match, but other photos of Flex from this time show him in incredible condition, which makes me think
this big-bellied photo might be a fake. However, at this point in
time, Flex had bigger problems than a few faked photos. Circulation issues stemming
from further kidney problems meant he had no choice but
to have part of his right leg amputated in 2019. But that hasn't stopped
the now 56-year-old Flex. Even without a leg, he still
makes it down to the gym to pump iron and stay fit. Now that's what you call a massive flex. Paul Dillett. When it comes to photos, few
bodybuilders can strike a pose like Paul Dillett. Back in his heyday of the 1990's, this guy pulled out all the stops, from posing in sunglasses,
to weightlifting in braces. God, I wish I looked
that good in suspenders. With a top competing weight of 285 lbs, Paul took part in more than 40 professional
body building tournaments from 1991 to 2006. He ranked highly in almost all of them, though he never reached beyond
4th in the all-important Mr Olympia. However, in 1988, he
revealed in an interview he'd started taking steroids
to improve his physique, including that previously
mentioned Human Growth Hormone. Photos of Paul also show him sporting that suspiciously bulging
belly in later competitions, but that was nothing compared
to this belly he gained back in the 2000's. Published in a variety of magazines, Paul showed off a very different physique, with his bulging muscles
replaced by a large gut and man boobs. Many people leapt to the conclusion that Paul had just
stopped taking steroids, as this can lead to hormone
fluctuations that force the body to retain an excessive amount of body fat. But he later revealed he'd
gotten out of shape on purpose, only to bounce back to
his regular ripped self a few months later. This was all for some
before and after photos that were then used in
supplement advertisements, which Paul assumingly
made a lot of money from. As of 2019 though, at 56 years old, Paul's clearly stopped working out as much and really has lost most of his bulk. But you have to admit, he can still really pull
off a pair of sunglasses. Nicole Bass. Just like men, female body builders are no match for the power of time, something bodybuilder and
WWE superstar Nicole Bass once demonstrated. She made her bodybuilding
debut back in 1985, taking national competitions by storm and making it into the top
15 of Ms Olympia in 1997. At 6 ft 2, and 240 lbs,
she really stood out next to her other competitors. But as she trained, something
about Nicole changed. As toned and muscular as
she was in the late 80's, by the 90's, her physique
suddenly became much bulkier, and there was nothing natural about it. As you probably guessed,
Nicole had been abusing anabolic steroids. While they can help anyone
gain muscle mass artificially, they can also increase the
production of bone in the body, particularly around the jawline, which gave her a more rugged appearance. But looks aside, at her peak, Nicole was so impressively stacked that she gave many male
bodybuilders a run for their money. Sadly though, steroids
can have devastating, long-term consequences that are more than just
aesthetic abnormalities. In 2006, Nicole was admitted to hospital after suffering from steroid
related pancreatitis. With doctors advising her
not to train intensely, Nicole lost most of the muscle mass the steroids allowed her to gain. Then sadly, at just 52 years old, she passed away from
complications following a stroke and heart attack; health issues
that are greatly increased by steroid abuse. I guess it proves that
even though steroids can provide gorgeous gains, there are some very ugly
consequences hidden beneath. Lou Ferrigno. You might not recognise this next guy unless he's slathered in green paint, but Lou Ferrigno was famous
long before he played the Hulk. He started training to
become a body builder at just 13 years old in an attempt to look like
his childhood role models, Hercules and the Hulk. By 1973, at the age of just 22, he won his first prestigious
Mr Universe title, and regularly battled
Arnie for the top spot in many body building competitions. But even at a gargantuan 6 ft 5 and weighing in over 315 lbs, it just wasn't enough to
snag him a Mr Olympia title, though he did come close on 2 occasions. But that didn't stop him from getting noticed by
the entertainment industry. In 1977, he was cast in the TV
series 'The Incredible Hulk', pretty obviously as the Hulk, and became a muscled up cultural icon. He retired from bodybuilding in 1995, but he didn't stop working on himself. He posted a few photos of his body up on social media recently, showing off his incredibly trim physique. But can you guess how old he was here? 50? Maybe 55 at a push? Try 67 on for size. The tone from most of his
muscles might be gone, but he's still retained an
incredibly built figure. Considering most men pushing
70 tend to look a little frail, Lou seems to be as fit as ever. I guess you can take
the guy out of the hulk, but you can't take the
hulk out of the guy. Dorian Yates. Now, bodybuilders aren't
just made in the US. Over the pond in the UK, Dorian Yates is a British bodybuilder who began training hard at the age of 21. And by 22, he'd won his
first body building title. At 5 ft 10, with a top competing
weight of about 260 lbs, Dorian became well known
for his unbelievably wide and thick back. From there, he swept up the
winning spots of competitions all over the world, holding an impressive 6-year
reign as mister Olympia from 1992 to 1997. But, like many of the greats, this wasn't an all-natural effort. Before his very first competition, he, just like every other
body builder at the time, had started taking steroids, and later dabbled with HGH. He grew to such an incredible size that he weighed around
290 lbs in his off season. He appeared to be in the
best shape of his life, but then 6 weeks before
the 1997 Mr Olympia, he was suddenly hospitalised. Anti-inflammatory
medicines he'd been taking for a shoulder injury had caused him some
serious internal bleeding, to the point where he
was coughing up blood. Miraculously, he got over
it, but then 3 weeks out he tore one of his triceps'
tendons off the bone. Yowch. He couldn't train, but he dieted hard and astonishingly still won the title. What a beast. Despite extensive surgery,
his injury got worse, so he decided to retire. With his body's mechanics
greatly impaired, he couldn't train like he used to, but that hasn't stopped
him from staying fit. At 59 years old, Dorian
has lost a lot of mass, but retains his fit physique
through other forms of exercise like cycling and yoga. His muscles may not be as
huge as they once were, but opting to look after his health rather than continuing
to train through pain just for the aesthetics
is a really big move. Jean Pierre Fux. In the 1990's, Jean
Pierre Fux became a star on the international bodybuilding stage. Known as one of the early mass monsters, the impeccable Swiss specimen
made his debut in 1993, and was competing as a
professional bodybuilder just three years later. At his top competing
weight, he hit the scales at an astonishing 260 lbs, and was as a rising star in
the world of pumping iron. But in 2002, at just 34 years old, he attempted a 675 lb
squat for a magazine shoot that went horribly wrong. He fell down hard with the weights, smashing his knees onto the ground, leaving him with a severely
injured left thigh, and a tear to the ligaments
on his right kneecap. He required surgery and was
just about able to walk again, but the damage was done. After extensive rehabilitation, he attempted to compete again, but devastatingly didn't
place in either of his 2001 or 2003 events. Having his career cut short
by such a freak accident was a crushing way to retire, but Jean Pierre wasn't demoralised. Since then, he's continued to work out to the best of his abilities. Obviously, his legs are
now a little thinner than they used to be, but he's maintained some
of the upper body mass from his heyday. In 2020, he underwent a knee replacement, which has certainly helped him stay fit and live a full life. So, next time you make an
excuse not to go to the gym, remember Jean Pierre's story,
and do it for Fux sake. Tom Prince. You might not have heard of Tom Prince, but back in the 1990's, he
was a very hard man to miss. He began to compete
professionally in 1997, and by 2001, he'd managed
to secure himself a spot on the main stage of Mr Olympia. During the off season,
this mountain of a man weighed up to 312 lbs, but was able to cut that
down to just 230 lbs when he competed. That's a weight loss of 82 lbs, almost the same as what an
average 11-year-old child weighs. It sounds impossibly extreme,
but it wasn't all natural. Tom admitted he used to
use a mixture of steroids and diuretics, the
latter of which are drugs that help rid the body of water, leading to some lean looking muscles. Hence Tom made it look really
good, until he couldn't. After what would turned out
to be his final competition in 2002, Tom's kidneys began to fail. Many people assumed this was
caused by his steroid use, or the insane weights he'd
been yo-yoing between. But after a kidney transplant
in 2012 died after 2 years, Tom's doctors realised he was suffering from a blood condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Considering it had destroyed his kidney long after he'd stopped taking the drugs, he believes the condition is genetic. Today, at a much reduced 185 lbs, he still lives with the
life-threatening illness and manages it carefully. But, considering many other bodybuilders have lost their lives to
severe kidney failure, Tom is definitely one of the lucky ones. Bob Paris. Some bodybuilders really break boundaries, but Bob Paris managed this using more than just his immense size. He began competing back in 1981, shocking the bodybuilding
community by winning both the Mr America and Mr Universe titles before hitting the professional leagues at just 23 years old. At 5 ft 10 with an
amazing 225 lb physique, Bob's top-quality genes propelled him onto the Mr Olympia stage,
where he placed in the top ten over several years. He was one of the few
bodybuilders at the time who was vocal about being
against steroid use, but whether he actually
practiced what he preached has been debated for decades. However, in 1989, he dropped
a real bombshell on the press. He bravely revealed he was gay. Nowadays, this wouldn't
really be big news. But Bob was the very first
active professional male athlete, in any sport to come out to the media. And from then on, he was an
icon in more than one arena. He retired from the sport in 1991 in order to chase his other dreams, like being an actor, model, and writer. Even though he doesn't
train intensely anymore, he still likes to keep
fit through other methods such as yoga. His physique now is so much slimmer, it's almost impossible to think
he was ever a body builder, I mean, he looks just like
any other guy on the street. And can you guess how old he
is now? 40? Maybe 50 at a push? Nope, 61. Woah, I guess I
need to start practicing yoga. Frank Zane. There are few men in the
bodybuilding industry who command the absolute respect that veteran Frank Zane deserves. This man wasn't a
heavyweight giant like Arnie, Ronnie, or Jay, but he still
managed to claim a stunning 3 Mr Olympia titles. Competing in the under 200 lbs category, Frank entered at least 25 professional body building tournaments
between 1962 and 1983. So, this man was flexing it out before Arnie even had hairs on his chest. However, he always competed
at around the 190 lbs mark, as he claimed bulking up
just never worked for him. As such, he gradually honed his body, competing in 5 Mr Olympia tournaments before finally winning
his first title in 1977. His reign lasted until 1979, after which an accident at his home saw him loose almost
15 lbs of muscle mass. He still competed but
was never able to claim the coveted top spot ever again. He retired after his last show in 1983, but he never stopped working out. At 65 years old, Frank barely
looked like he'd aged at all. The grey hair may have given him away, but just look at the tone
of his thighs and chest. They wouldn't look out of
place on a 30-year-old. By the age of 71, he was still sporting
a set of massive guns. But time comes for all of us, and at the admirable age of 79, Frank finally seems to have
lost some amazing muscle mass. Even so, he still works out,
educating the kids on Instagram on how to do proper dumbbell
curls and incline curls. Damn, at around 80 years old,
this guy still has better form than most 20-year-old jacked up gym bros. Well, I don't know about you, but this has motivated me to hit the gym. Which of these before and
afters surprised you the most, and which really inspired you? Let me know down in the comments below. And as always, thanks for watching.
