Flex Wheeler
Wheeler is a retired American IFBB professional bodybuilder. He won the Arnold Classic, which was a record five times, and was described by Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of the greatest bodybuilders he had ever seen. He had placed second at the 1993 Mr. Olympia, something he did again in 1998 and 1999. To date, he is a 5-time Ironman Pro winner, 4-time Arnold Classic winner, and has won the France Grand Prix, South Beach Pro Invitational, Night of Champions, and Hungarian Grand Prix. In 1999, he found out that he had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which is a form of kidney disease. Wheeler said that the condition is hereditary, although many believe it is from drug use that probably accelerated its onset.
Flex Wheeler
Dean Wharmby
Our next bodybuilder shows us just how tragic things can be when a person dives headlong into the game without understanding exactly what they were doing. Wharmby, at his peak, looked just as good as any official competitor on the bodybuilding circuit however it was coming at a price. Wharmby was eating upwards of 10,000 calories per day while drinking up to 8 energy drinks per day just to stay energized. Sadly, Wharmby would develop tumors in his body that would turn cancerous, directly resulting from heavy steroid and diet abuse, and he would end up passing away before 40 years old — looking like a skeleton on his death bed. Proper diet, nutrition, and supplement usage must be practiced by serious bodybuilders.
Dean Wharmby
Terri Harris
For almost two decades, Terri Harris was a bodybuilder. She was the NPC Louisiana state crown in 2000, the MW class of the NPC Junior Nationals in 2002, and the Light Heavyweight class of the masters 45+ category at the 2011 NPC Masters Nationals. She frequently finished in the top 5 in the NPC and IFBB shows from 2002 to 2012, including several 1st place wins in 2011 and 2012. At just 50 years of age, she died from a heart attack only two days after a contest in 2013.
Terri Harris
Gary Himing
There’s an old saying that goes, “Find what you love and then let it kill you” and that is exactly what Gary Himing did. Himing was one of the more famous bodybuilders in the world when he died on stage back in 2009. He was competing in a sanctioned competition in Australia when he suffered a heart attack on stage. Rather than canceling the show the event promoters instead had his body moved to a hospital before continuing. The world of bodybuilding can be savage and the allure of the money, fame, and killer body can be too much for some people. However, we’d rather deal with quick loans to pay our bills than put our body in harms way like this. Still, Himing died doing what he loved so there is something poetic there.
Gary Himing
Andreas Munzer
One look at Andreas Munzer and you’d believe that he were pulled straight from the action cartoons we watched as kids. Munzer looked like a real life action figure throughout his short life before he ultimately died in 1996 at the age of 32. What could possibly kill a man who looked like he could break a car in half? Organ failure. Munzer had cut his body fat percentage down to almost nothing. Cutting down your BF% is common in bodybuilding as it allows you to show off each individual muscle, but there is a certain threshold that you never want to cross. This incredible man was later found to have several tumors located on his liver as well as an enlarged heart. Safe to say that years of supplement abuse and overtaxed body work ended up dooming the athlete.
Andreas Munzer
Moustafa Ismail
For Egyptian bodybuilder Moustafa Ismail there is something to be proud of with his accomplishments. Moustafa is the current world record holder for largest biceps on the planet. Ismail’s biceps measure in at a ridiculous 31 inches and they look every bit their size in person. Ismail has come under fire for his alleged use of drugs like Synthol and many folks believe that Ismail is more akin to a freakshow than a serious bodybuilder. According to Ismail the reason for his bicep size is thanks to seven pounds of protein being ingested daily. There’s nothing healthy about anything in this situation.
Moustafa Ismail
Greg Plitt
If you looked at Greg Plitt’s pedigree then you would know the man was destined to succeed. Plitt was a high ranking grad from West Point, a celebrated Ranger and Airborne soldier, and he possessed the natural good looks that so few are blessed with. Plitt was becoming a superstar in the fitness community with appearances all over magazines and in television. Tragically Plitt died when he was hit by a train in California. The reason he was hit by the train will make you shake your head: Plitt was trying to race the between the train rails to prove how effective an energy drink was. Tragic.
Greg Plitt
Nasser El Sonbaty
Nasser El Sonbaty was a Serbian-Egyptian IFBB professional bodybuilder who began bodybuilding in 1983. His first competition was at a Junior State Championship in Germany in 1985, placing 6th. The first time he was in a Mr. Olympia competition was in 1994, placing 7th. He competed in 13 total amateur shows and 53 total IFBB Pro shows. He also qualified for 10 consecutive Mr. Olympia contests and entered in nine. He always posed and trained while wearing his round spectacles; his nickname was, “The Professor”. Sadly, he died in his sleep during a visit to Cairo in 2013, he was 47.
Nasser El Sonbaty
Anthony D’Arezzo
When you are at the peak of your game in bodybuilding you will be rolling in bank accounts filled with cash. Competitive bodybuilding can be great when you need to stock up your account but it can also be deadly, as Anthony D’Arezzo learned. Anthony D’Arezzo looked like the classic bodybuilder before his untimely death in 2006 but he didn’t get there without a bit of health. D’Arezzo suffered from cardiopyopathy, a heart defect, that was exacerbated by extensive steroid usage. D’Arezzo was told by his doctors to stop taking the steroids and limit his time in the gym but the allure proved to be too much. He died of a heart attack in his hotel room the night before a competition. Are all of the money market accounts and internet banks filled with money worth it in the end? We don’t think so.
Anthony D’arezzo
Bertile Fox
Bertile Fox sums up the dark side of bodybuilding all at once. Fox came to national acclaim rather quickly when he took up bodybuilding, becoming an instant competitor at a very high level. In order to get to this high level Fox relied heavily upon Human Growth Hormone, or HGH. His sudden and heavy reliance on steroids led to an increase in aggression and an imbalance in his brain. Fox would end up murdering an ex-fiancee as well as the woman’s mother – Fox would end up being sentenced to life in prison after his death sentence was reduced. While you can’t blame steroids completely for his murderous rampage, it is undeniable the role that steroids play in increased aggression amongst heavy users.
Bertile Fox
Romario Dos Santos
Here we have another ‘bodybuilder’ who approaches the world of fitness by trying to take shortcuts instead of working hard. Dos Santos rose to fame thanks to his ghastly appearance and quick viral action on the internet. Dos Santos injects his body with alcohol and oil in order to give an artificial pump. The result of these lethal injections is a body that looks to be inflated and grossly misshapen. Certainly, he is now facing long term health effects thanks to his reliance on dangerous substances and fitness shortcuts. The saddest thing of all is that Dos Santos is killing himself for no reason, the effect of the drugs doesn’t even make him look anything but freaky.
Romario Dos Santos
Gregg Valentino
Next up on our list is Gregg Valentino, the man who formerly had the largest biceps in the world. Valentino is an embodiment of everything that is wrong with the current body building world as he achieved his bear like, huge arms by relying on an oil called Synthol. Synthol was used extensively by Moustafa Ismail, listed above, and many other people in the fitness world, and Synthol is frowned upon because it is a shortcut to pumping up your muscles without putting in real work, it is also very dangerous. Valentino found out how dangerous Synthol was when his arm developed a dangerous hematoma that started to disgustingly leak. Hetried to drain the growth on his own with a syringe only to watch in horror as his bicep ended up exploding — sending him quickly to the emergency room at the hospital. There are no shortcuts without severe consequences in the fitness world.
Gregg Valentino
Chad Brothers
One of the stereotypes of bodybuilding is that the hobby will turn you into a raging hulk of a human being. While this is an unfair stereotype in a ton of cases, it does have some grounding in the truth and Frank Brothers embodies it completely. Chad Brothers was a serious bodybuilder from New York when things went completely sideways. Brothers had been working out in a Gold’s Gym on a treadmill when he tripped and fell. Instantly Brothers snapped and started destroying the property. He threatened workers and other lifters, attacked people, flipped over heavy machines, and refused to back down to police when they showed up. Brothers was hit with two taser shots and he would be dead within an hour, later his body was found to be filled with steroids and PCP, both illicit drugs that led to his dramatic temper and explosive anger.
chad brothers
Andrej Gajdos
The world of bodybuilding has undergone several different revolutions. We once were experiencing the ‘age of mass’ where the desired look was to be as big as possible. Now we are at the point of insisting on lean muscle and huge size with guys like Dwyane ‘The Rock’ Johnson being the prototype for aesthetic bodybuilding fitness. Andrej Gajdos was so inspired by The Rock that he decided to become just like him by undertaking an intense workout regime aided by steroids. Gajdos was 19 years old when he collapsed just outside of a supermarket when his thoracic aorta, inside of his heart, ruptured. His heart was already larger than most people and the steroids increased its weight to a deadly size.
Andrej Gajdos
Mike Matarazzo
Mike Matarazzo was one of the more famous bodybuilders in the world back in the late ’80s and early ’90s. He was well known for his extreme size and weight: 5’10 and 250 pounds. Matarazzo competed for a decade in the IFBB bodybuilding circuit and he was well regarded for his gigantic arms and extraordinary calves. After placing 21st in the Mr. Olympia tournament he was forced into early retirement and into open heart surgery. This legend would go on to have two heart attacks and his heart would be reduced to just 20% functioning before his untimely death at just 48 years old.
Mike Matarazzo
Gordon Kimbrough
Before entering into the world of bodybuilding Gordon Kimbrough was thought of as a shy, quiet, and gentle man who would no more raise a hand toward a fly then lay a finger on another human being. Then he became a serious bodybuilding competitor and with that lifestyle change came the anabolic steroids. Steroids became so engrained into his lifestyle that his body was inflated with fake hormones and this culminated in Kimbrough snapping and killing his soon to be wife, Kristy Ramsay. According to Kimbrough he had thought his wife had tried to hook up with another man. He was found at the scene of the crime trying to kill himself with a lethal injection.
Gordon Kimbrough
Dan Puckett
Dan Pucket was a promising young bodybuilder when he passed away at the age of 22, alone in his dorm. Before passing on Puckett had begun to rack up serious awards which culminated in his victory at the 2006 NPC Teenage/Collegiate Bodybuilding Competition. Puckett had been attending the University of Alabama at the time of his death. Before passing no he had complained of a torn muscle. The implications are pretty heavy that Puckett was, at the very least, abusing anabolic steroids. However the coroner cited his cause of death as heart failure and ‘natural causes’.
Dan Puckett
Oli Clooney
Oli Clooney is one of the latest prime examples of people who get into the world of bodybuilding with no clue and suffer immensely as a result. Clooney was from West Yorkshire when he, at the age of 16, dedicated his life to bodybuilding. Clooney was an open user of steroids despite being told by doctors, when he was 18, to slow down on his workouts and to cut out the steroids. Doctors warned him several times to quit working out after he was hit with chronic heart damage. However Clooney did not stop and returned to working out up to 4 times a week. He was dead at 20 when he collapsed at the door of a taxi. His mom is now focused on spreading his story of steroid abuse around to help prevent other kids from falling to the same fate.
Oli Clooney
Scott Klein
Scott Klein epitomized the idea of ‘mass’ on the bodybuilding circuit where he competed throughout the ’90s and into the early ’00s and he would rack up four NPC Heavyweight rankings, two NPC super heavyweight rankings, before going on to become a trainer. Klein’s retirement didn’t last very long as he experienced kidney failure at the age of 30 and would pass away shortly after.
Scott Klein
Greg Kovacs
Greg Kovacs was known around the bodybuilding world for his intense offseason weigh gain and his commitment to getting into shape right before the IFBB season would begin. Kovacs competed throughout the late ’90s and he would retire in 2005. During the offseason Kovacs would weigh in as high as 400 pounds which is incredible even in the world of bodybuilding. Kovacs would suffer from heart failure at the age of 44, only a few years after retiring — a clear signal of long pressure on the heart mixed with steroid abuse.
Greg Kovacs
Aziz ‘Zyzz’ Shavershian
Aziz Shavershian lived on top of the world for a brief point in time thanks to his alluring personality, chiseled physique, and dominating online presence. Shavershian popularized ‘aesthetics’ to a whole new generation of bodybuilders thanks to his focus on being attractive over being strong. Zyzz would go on to sculpt the ‘perfect body’ in just under 4 years in time. However the dream wasn’t meant to last and Shavershian would end up dying of heart failure while in a sauna in Bangkok with steroids the likely culprit.
Aziz ‘Zyzz’ Shavershian
Mike Mentzer
Mike Mentzer is one of the most popular bodybuilders in recent memory thanks to his blend of perfectly cultivated mass, business savvy, and outspoken ideological beliefs. Mentzer competed in the IFBB for years, making his debut in 1979, and he would rack up a Mr. Olympia Heavyweight Championship in that first year. Mentzer began bodybuilding at just 12 years old and he would get stronger and more nuanced as the years went by. Unfortunately Mentzer passed away at the age of 40 due to heart problems.
Mike Mentzer
Robert Benevente
Robert Benevente was a steady shower in the mid ’90s on the NPC circuit. He would place several times in the Teen Division before racking up his highest honors in 2003 as a 1st place finisher in the Southern States competition. Benavente would die only a year later due to a heart attack. He was 30 when he passed away.
Robert Benevente
Mohammed Benaziza
Mohammed Benaziza was a prolific bodybuilder who totaled a proverbial treasure trove in competition wins. Benaziza would rack up 7x Grand Prix wins as well as two top 5 finishes in the Mr. Olympia competitions (1989, 1992.) After winning the Grand Prix Holland competition in 1992 he went back to his hotel room where he promptly died of heart failure. Benaziza was just 33.
Mohammed Benaziza
Steve Michalik
Steve Michalik formed what we consider the basis of modern bodybuilding. Michalik glowed with the all encompassing intensity that many people need to succeed in the world of bodybuilding. He was a B52 fighter pilot in Guam and he would eventually turn that same intensity to bodybuilding in the ’70s. He was crowned Mr. Universe in 1975 only three years after winning Mr. America in 1972. Michalik was completely composed of muscle but he was peppered with health problems due to his controversial usage of steroids. Michalik had liver tumors, kidney disease, and heart failure. He would get a kidney transplant in 2011 before passing away in 2012 at the age of 63.
Steve Michalik
Ruben Arzu
Back in 2011, Ruben was booked for attempted homicide and aggravated mayhem when he attacked a couple in their home while he was stark naked. Arzu was under the influence of steroids and other drugs when he went on a rampage for reasons still unknown. It took police four officers, two stun gun shots and four sets of handcuffs to restrain the 300-pound bodybuilder from attacking again.
Ruben Arzu
Trevor Smith
The humble, soft spoken Trevor Smith became inspired to start bodybuilding when he saw the movie Pumping Iron so by the age of 33, he was at 412 pounds. While he never competed, he did develop Nuclear Nutrition, a high intensity workout. In 2004, he sadly passed away from a brain aneurism, other sources say it was due to a heart attack. Pictured below furthest to the left.
Trevor Smith
Daniele Seccarecci
Meet the Italian bodybuilder, Daniele Seccarecci, who turned pro at just 26 years old. In 2010, the Guinness World Records, named him the heaviest competitive bodybuilder, with a competition weight of 298 lbs (135 kg). In 2011, he was actually charged with illegal steroid marketing and briefly subject to home detention. Then two years later at just 33, he passed away from a heart attack.
Daniele Seccarecci
Luke Wood
The Australian bodybuilder was just eight weeks away from his wedding day when he died from a massive internal hemorrhage. Days before his death, he underwent a kidney transplant, his body started to reject the new organ and he ended up back in hospital again. ‘Big Luke’, his nickname of course, was a six-time winner of the Australian Body Building Championships. His death was shocking, at just 35 years of age, he passed away.
Luke Wood
Christopher Lear Janusz
Christopher Lear Janusz, or as he’s known by his nickname “SwoleCat”, was an amateur competitor, a nutrition coach, and a contest prep consultant. In 2009, he sadly died from undisclosed causes at just the age of 37.
Christopher Lear Janusz
Art Atwood
Wisconsin born and bred, Atwood’s first competition was in 2000, he placed first in the super-heavyweight class of the Junior USA. In 2001, he became a professional bodybuilder when he debuted at the 2001 Toronto Pro where he took first place. He was Mr. Olympia in 2002, placing 12th. Atwood also featured in many fitness and bodybuilding magazines, and even appeared on the cover of RxMuscle magazine. Most tragically, he died of a heart attack on September 11, 2011.
Art Atwood
Mat Duvall
This four-time top three finisher in NPC Super-heavyweight division in the years of 1999, 2001, 2002, and coming in 1st in 2003. He later retired from bodybuilding in order to pursue a career in professional wrestling. Duvall sadly died from a heart attack in 2013, at the age of 40.
Mat Duvall
Ed Van Amsterdam
Ed was an IFBB Pro bodybuilder from the Netherlands known for his height of 6’2” and weighing in at 265 pounds while his off-season weight of 300 pounds. At just age 17, he entered his first bodybuilding contest and was the Junior Dutch Champion. He went on to become an European champion and by the year 1999, he had entered the IFBB Pro ranks and competed at the Night Of The Champions. At just 40 years old, he died from a heart attack.
Ed Van Amsterdam
Fannie Barrios
Fannie is from Caracas, Venezuela and was the Venezuelan champion in 1997 and 1998. Her professional debut came at the 1999 Jan Tana Classic. She moved to Florida in 2000 with her husband, Alex Ramirez, and her daughter, Johadynis. In Florida, she was a personal trainer and chef in the Miami area. A two-time class winner at the Jan Tana Classic, winning the middleweight class in 2001 and the lightweight class in 2002. Her final contest was the 2005 New York Pro Championship on May 21, where she finished in third place. A few months after her last competition, she died from an apparent stroke.
Fannie Barrios
Charles Durr
Illinois native, Charles Durr, accomplished a lot before his bodybuilding career. He was invited to the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team in 1980. He’s got a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Physical Education. He worked for numerous charities, and continued to do so while he was a bodybuilder. His passion for bodybuilding was how he became Mr. Central States in 1990, Mr. USA in 1991, Mr. America in 1996, 5th place in Mr. Universe in 1997, and in 2000 he won the Mr. North America title in Canada. In 2005, at the age of 44, he died from a heart attack.
Charles Durr
Ron Teufel
Ron Teufel was the 1978 IFBB Mr. USA. Runner-up to Samir Bannout at 1979 World Amateurs. He was a Top 10 IFBB competitor in 1981 and 1982. There was a lot of speculation surrounding his death, most believed it was due to excessive steroid use but his family has defended his memory to this day and no official report has ever said that to be the case. It is stated that he died from liver failure in 2002, at just the age of 45.
Ron Teufel
Hans Hopstaken
Hopstaken is a former NPC Masters National champ finishing in the top five at the last two Masters Olympias. He competed in the 2001 IRONMAN Pro, finishing fifth at the Masters O. He was also a personal trainer at the Foothill Gym in Monrovia, California, he had owned the guy for about five years before he eventually sold it but he continued to work there. He had reportedly been sick for a few weeks before his death from congestive heart failure at just 45.
Hans Hopstaken
Frank Hillebrand
Frank is remembered as a kind and sweet man, by friends, family, and fans. He was the 1992 IRON MAN Pro (10th) and Arnold Classic (11th), and the 1993 Arnold Classic (12th) and the San Jose Pro Invitational (7th). Hillebrand is also a former World Amateur champion out of Germany, who placed seventh in the 1990 Mr. Olympia. He was also on the August, 1996 cover of IRON MAN with model Camille Jones. He was only 45 years old when he died of a heart attack while he was at the gym working out.
Frank Hillebrand
Don Youngblood
For 14 years, Don Youngblood was a bodybuilder. Also, that’s one heck of a name. In 1994 he was the Arkansas State Masters Bodybuilding Champ. In 1995 he was the Arkansas State Overall Bodybuilding Champ, then in 1995 he was the NPC Masters National Overall Bodybuilding Champ, this is where he received his Pro Status. He came in 2nd at the 2001 Masters Olympia and won 1st place in the 2002 Masters Olympia. At 51, he died due to a massive heart attack.
Don Youngblood
Sally McNeil
While female bodybuilding isn’t as widespread as male bodybuilding, the hobby and passion is still there. Sally McNeil is a former marine who suffered from an unreal temper thanks to constant steroid abuse. Her rage would lead her to beating a woman savagely after she allegedly had an affair with McNeil’s husband. Things came to a head when McNeil pulled a shotgun on her husband and killed him while in a rage. McNeil is now facing life in prison.
Sally McNeil
Debi Laszewski
Debi ranks in position *three* of the best female bodybuilders in the IFBB Pro Women’s Bodybuilding Ranking List, not bad! At 47, Debi isn’t slowing any time soon although some judges consider her too pretty to compete.
Debi Laszewski
Kristy Hawkins
Yup, Kristy Hawkins is a powerlifter, chemical engineer(!) and a former professional female bodybuilder. When she was still a bodybuilder, she would consume a whopping 2,500–3,000 calories A DAY but now that she’s a powerlifter, she’s doing much better as she can now squat 400 pounds.
Kristy Hawkins
Yaxeni Oriquen
Yup, Yaxeni now ranks as the second-best female bodybuilder in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Pro Women’s Bodybuilding Ranking List! Additionally, she is the winner of five Ms. International titles.
Yaxeni Oriquen
Joanna Clare Thomas
This British professional female bodybuilder was THE youngest female bodybuilder to ever win her IFBB pro card, at just the age of 21.
Joanna Clare Thomas
Brigita Brezovac
Meet the Slovenian bodybuilder who was once disqualified for being “too muscular.” Whoa. In 2013, when she retired, she ranked as the 5th best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women’s Bodybuilding Ranking List.
Brigita Brezovac
Alina Popa
The Romanian-born ranks as the 2nd best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women’s Bodybuilding Ranking List however due to injuries, she retired although there is talk of a comeback.
Alina Popa
Virginia Sanchez
Virginia Sanchez is only 5ft 3 but with those massive muscles, pretty sure she can bench two Hugh Jackman’s!
Virginia Sanchez
Denise Rutkowski
Denise’s professional bodybuilding career was rather brief as she called it quits shortly after having finished 2nd in the Ms. Olympia contest back in 1993. Her sudden retirement really shocked the sport, as she was easily seen as a contender for the Ms. Olympia the following year.
Denise Rutkowski
Jodie Marsh
Up next is the English media personality, bodybuilder, and glamour model. Since 2012, she launched her own personal range of bodybuilding protein shakes and fat burning supplements called “JST Jodie” to help others just like her.
Jodie Marsh
Candice Armstrong
After heavy steroid use, Candice Armstrong, from Walthamstow in London, effectively turned her into a man. She had no intention of it going this way but “it’s too late to stop now.”
Candice Armstrong
