Joe Weider died yesterday of heart failure at the age of 93. Although he never knew, he played an integral part in my life. For those of you who don’t know who he was, he, along with his late brother Ben, popularized the sport of bodybuilding. Without him there would be no Arnold Schwarzenegger, no IFBB and no Mr Olympia. Regarding Arnold, that might have been a good thing depending on where you stand.
In my opinion bodybuilding has been ruined in the later decades as the Champions became like freakish chemical monsters. Back in the day, while there may have been some steroids, it was more a true culture of fitness and physique perfection. Today it’s a carnival sideshow.
Joe was in some ways a controversial figure, and many considered him to be a ruthless business man. When all is said and done, at the end of the day, I think the world is a better place because of him. I do not hold him responsible for the status of bodybuilding today.
I’m too lazy to write a proper eulogy for Joe, so I’ll just link to his Wikipedia page and post a picture of him.
Joe Weider, “The Master Blaster”, passes away at the age of 93