History of Bodybuilding

A little history will give us a connection to those that came before us. Let us learn from the past that we shall not repeat it.

In 1926 York Barbell Company produced the first commercially manufactured barbell set and the area of bodybuilding took off. For the first time the strength training was based on this barbell. From about the late 1920’s to the late 1930’s the Mecca of bodybuilding was York Pennsylvania, the home of York Barbell Company and Bob Hoffman the founder. Bob Hoffman (right) the "Father of World Weightlifting," was the driving force for weightlifting and health for over 30 years combined with his monthly magazine Strength and Health later to be called Muscular Development Bob Hoffman single handedly created bodybuilding as we know it today!

Someone told me that bodybuilding started back in the time of the ancient Greeks. I’ve also heard it said that bodybuilding started in the 11th or12 century in India. Both of these may be correct but when you or I think of bodybuilding we don’t think of ancient Greeks or a thousand year old Indians, we think of muscle beach, We think of the time which is affectionately know as “The Golden Age of Bodybuilding” this was the time when dinosaurs like John Gremek (left) and Clarence Ross (right) walked the earth. This was a time when women
strength was more than a side show for the men’s competition and people like Abby
Stockton(next pages) wrote for Muscle
and Fitness magazine.


During this time bodybuilders were big and strong, many competed in strength contest as well as
bodybuilding shows. Most were considered health freaks and super athletes. Not many could afford to live off the winning or the endorsements of a supplement company almost all had some other type of job be it trainer, writer for a magazine, or plumber they all worked.