Top 10 Bodybuilders of All Time (Most Famous, Richest, Men & Women)

The top 10 bodybuilders of all time carved out a piece of history by building god-like physiques that inspired and continue to inspire millions across the globe.¹⁶

Of course, their massive muscles fueled their rise to the top, but the most popular ones (such as the bodybuilders in the image above) also attracted fame and fortune along the way.

Therefore, the top bodybuilders are ranked by size and showman just as they’re judged on stage, but also by their levels of fame and wealth to see if their success on the stage translates to a larger net worth or popularity too.

Top 10 Bodybuilders Broken Down by Biggest in Size, Most Famous & Richest

The top 10 bodybuilders of all time can be categorized by their size, those with the most fame, and those who have acquired a vast fortune denoting their net worth. Bodybuilding is the act of engaging in resistance training to achieve hypertrophy (increase in skeletal muscle) and build strength for fitness, primarily for aesthetics.¹

It has grown in popularity resulting in a culture manifested in an increased number of gym and fitness centers sprouting all over the nation partaken by both men and women. The difference between a powerlifter’s physique and a bodybuilder’s physique is that powerlifters are about raw strength and not concerned about appearances; on the other hand bodybuilders’ prime objective is to acquire the most aesthetically pleasing physique.

Professional bodybuilding is a job and source of income; they usually have qualifications such as Wabba Pro Card and IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilders).² These professionals craft their physiques to obtain the most appeal in competitions, and those with the best aesthetics win the competition and receive prize winnings. 

Others go on to be sponsored by companies such as supplement manufacturers or sporting companies. With the newfound fame, many bodybuilders have gone on to setting up businesses, establishing gyms, or engaging in the coaching of upcoming bodybuilders.

Pros always weigh less during competition than during the off-season, sometimes shedding as much as 30 pounds. They often have a 1000 calorie deficit in their diet before the competition to drastically slash their weight. In addition, they may use peptides for weight loss before the competition season begins.

The tables below rates bodybuilders using criteria such as size, fame, wealth and overall rating which is a combination of all metrics. 

Top 10 Bodybuilders Ranked by Size

Top 10 Bodybuilders Ranked by Fame

Top 10 Bodybuilders Ranked by Richest (Net Worth)

Top 10 Bodybuilders Overall

The Top 10 Bodybuilders of All Time (Reasons Why + Pictures)

The top 10 bodybuilders of all time are seen below, along with pictures displaying their impressive physiques—their careers have placed them among the most famous, richest, men & women on Earth. Their accomplishments, contributions, and influence to the sport, as well as what they derived as a result of their careers, cannot be reduced to numbers and rankings. 

Each of these exceptional athletes, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Dorian Yates has set the bar and standard for the sport—their stories appear below.

#10 Kim Chisevsky

Kim showing her awesome physique, a clear sign of her dedication to bodybuilding. Source: Black Sabbath1989 on Youtube⁷

Kim Chisevsky comes in as the 3rd most successful female bodybuilder winning 4 titles between 1996 and 1999 and was known for a large physique that was ripped and very balanced. During the off-season, she weighed 160 pounds and during the off-season weighed 175 pounds.

Chisevsky, the first female bodybuilder to win Ms. International and Olympia in 1996, was inducted into the IFBB hall of fame in 2008. She retired from bodybuilding after winning her last title in 1999, the Ms. Olympia title.

She has appeared in TV shows, including “Geraldo” and a documentary released in 2000 about female bodybuilders called “Bodybuilders” in which she was interviewed. In addition, she has starred in movies such as “The Cell” along with stars like Jennifer Lopez. She is estimated to be $1.5 million.

#9 Lenda Murray

Lenda shows her impressive and inspiring physique, a combination of balanced size and symmetry. Source: Julianz wayz on Youtube⁸

Lenda Murray is easily the 2nd most successful female bodybuilder of all time with 6 Ms. Olympia titles which she won between 1990 and 1996, and is from the older generation of female bodybuilders. Like Iris, she is a benchmark by which other female bodybuilders are judged, which speaks volumes. 

Her physique is characterized by broad shoulders and tapered into the classic V-shaped torso—this is coupled with the signature hourglass figure identified with women and a moderately well-developed lower body. She weighed 165 pounds during the off-season and 155 pounds during the competition.

In 2003, she was ranked 1st by the IFBB on the women’s bodybuilding list and has been inducted into the International Federation of Bodybuilders hall of fame with the award presented by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Lenda owns a nutrition product company called Crystal Planet Nutrition and has also owned a gym in Virginia dubbed The Fitness Firm. She is currently retired now but remains active in the fitness community.

#8 Iris Kyle

Iris poses with her incredibly muscular physique that has earned her the title of Ms. Olympia and setting the standard for female bodybuilding. Source: drgrowalot on Youtube⁹

Iris Kyle is undoubtedly the most successful female bodybuilder of all time and has garnered an outstanding 10 Ms. Olympia wins and 7 Ms. International titles. She is often referenced to as the female equal of Ronnie Coleman and is easily counted among the top 10 bodybuilders of all time. The IFBB ranked her as the best female bodybuilder in their 2013 ranking list.

She was inspired by bodybuilding when she moved to Orange County in California and saw a high number of athletic people who joined the gym and never looked back. Iris has become the standard by which other female bodybuilders are gauged for their physiques—her physique triumphs Peloton strength before and after transformation although their results are respectable as well.

Kyle’s regimen included all compound movements such as bench press, squat, deadlifts, and a stiff leg deadlift alternative such as a single leg romanian deadlift.

Iris retired from bodybuilding in 2014 after winning the Ms. Olympia title, which was the last time the competition stopped. Since 1998, Iris has been a personal trainer, training online as well as nutrition instruction. In 2013, Iris was engaged in a joint business venture with Bodi Cafe—a nutritional company that also does smoothies in Las Vegas and is also a real estate agent. 

#7 Lou Ferrigno

Lou exhibits his impressive and very defined physique, a testament to his hard work and dedication. Source: Muscle Monarchs on Youtube¹⁰

Lou Ferrigno was a massive bodybuilder for his time but did not win any Mr. Olympia titles despite competing in the tournament on several occasions. He came second to Arnold in the 1975 competition.  Arnold Schwarzenegger was a close friend of his, and they shared some partnerships. Arnold considered him a threat and they worked out together during a brief stint which appeared in the documentary “Pumping Iron”.  

He did win the IFBB Mr. Universe competition twice when he was both the youngest and tallest to do so at the time. It was widely expected that he would dominate Mr. Olympia’s competition but this did not happen as he took up a career in Hollywood. He famously took on the role of “The Incredible Hulk” which slung him into stardom and wealth.

Ferrigno came from a humble origin and was of Italian descent—he suffered from ear loss as a child and lost about 80% of his hearing, making him a target of bullying. He used to read comic books imagining that he is strong and dreamed of becoming “the hulk” which he certainly did. 

As a result of his roles as an actor, trainer, and bodybuilder Lou is among the high net-worth bodybuilders with a wealth estimated at $12 million.

#6 Jay Cutler

Jay displays his impressive physique which is characterized by a combination of size, symmetry and definition that is the result of years of hard work and dedication. Source: BodyOfLegends on Youtube¹¹

Jay Cutler is considered one the best bodybuilders of all time—he has won the Mr. Olympia title 4 times in 2006,2007,2009, and 2010 and has finished second 6 times. He is massive, weighing in at 290 pounds during the off-season and 260 pounds during competition. In addition, he has won numerous titles including the Arnold Classic, Ironman, and San Francisco Pro Invitationals.

Famous for his massive quads, Jay Cutler once did what is known as a quad stomp pause in the 2009 Mr. Olympia competition that has become an icon in the bodybuilding world. He did this after coming off a loss the year before, and it seemed his career was spiraling down. No winner, except in the case of Arnold Schwarzenegger, has lost the Mr. Olympia title and then re-gained it back. The pose seen below awed both fans and judges alike and won him the title that year.

Cutler has been featured on the cover of a number of fitness magazines, such as Muscle and Fitness and Flex, and as a result of his fame and achievements, he has engaged in a number of businesses. He has branded himself and, as a result, has established a net worth of over $30 million, making Jay one of the wealthiest bodybuilders of all time.

#5 Lee Haney

Lee shows his huge biceps and triceps, his wide chiseled chest and abs, all clear signs of a well-proportioned and impressive physique. Source: NicandroVisionMotivation on Youtube¹²

Lee Haney is from the old school class of bodybuilders and is tied with Ronnie Coleman for all-time record wins for Mr. Olympia. As far as the top 10 bodybuilders of all time goes, Haney has won an unprecedented 8 titles and is considered to be among the best bodybuilders of all time even though he’s #5 overall.

He’s won consecutive titles from 1984-1991—truly a monumental feat. He debuted as a bodybuilder in 1983, winning in Atlantic City and a year later taking part in Mr. Olympia—winning on his first attempt.

Haney would weigh 265 pounds during the off-season and weigh 255 pounds. He would train either a 5 day power building split or 4 day workout split and had very heavy volume workouts, which is no surprise due to the effective technique to pack on muscle.³

Lee dominated the 1980s in the same manner that Arnold did in the decade before and had an incredible physique. Just like Coleman, Haney performed 2 varying routines on the same muscle group, which helped him achieve his results.

Lee retired early from the sport at only age 31 when he was at his peak—it is not unreasonable to speculate that he would have added more titles under his belt. He was appointed the Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport by President Bill Clinton and still serves in this capacity. As a devout Christian, Lee has his own program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, aptly named the “TotaLee Fit with Lee Haney” tutoring aspects of physical and spiritual development.

His net worth currently stands at $5.5 million, placing him among the top earning bodybuilders, and is undoubtedly among the top ten bodybuilders of all time.

#4 Phil Heath

Phil flexes his spectacular physique, well-balanced, a combination of size and symmetry, muscular and chiseled, a result of the years of hard work and dedication to bodybuilding. Source: Feline on Youtube¹³

Phil Heath is from the newer generation of bodybuilders, having won his most recent Mr. Olympia title in 2017 and has 7 titles under his belt, tying him with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Phil is famous for his ideally balanced and symmetric physique weighing 270 pounds off-season and 240 pounds when competing. Popularly known as the “the gift”, he is the overall package due to excellent genetics.

He first started his career in 2002, and after winning 2 IFBB events, he qualified to compete in Mr. Olympia in 2007 but decided to wait to build up his form more. He participated in the 2008 event where he finished 3rd place, a feat for any novice first-time entrant. After completing two more years, he finally made the breakthrough in 2011 and won consecutive titles until his most recent in 2017.

Heath is still active and trains in a 4-day workout split with two days for rest and one for cardio. He believes in training a body part twice, following in the footsteps of Ronnie Coleman and Arnold Schwarzenegger. His bench press record of 600 pounds results from an excellent form with an optimal bench press bar path.

Heath is not only one of the most successful bodybuilders of all time but also one of the wealthiest currently active professionals, with a net worth estimated at $8 million.

#3 Dorian Yates

Dorian shows his impressive physique, massive and thickly muscled arms and chest. Source: NicandroVisionMotivation on Youtube¹⁴

The Englishman Dorian Yates was an outright beast, very largely built, and clinched the Mr. Olympia title 6 times in a row from 1992-97, making him the 5th highest contest winner. As is typical with professional elites at this level, Dorian’s training regimen was intense, and a signature thick back was one of his strengths.

Raised by a single mother when his father died at age 13, Dorian began his bodybuilding career at Martin’s gym in Temple row. Years later, after a successful career, he purchased a gym at Temple. His workout style consisted of high-intensity interval training (HIIT)—short, intense workouts to gain hypertrophy instead of slow and drawn-out ones.⁴

Considered to be one of the early monsters in bodybuilding, he coined the term “granite hardness” when in top form and weighed 265 pounds during competition and 305 pounds during the off-season. Dorian Yates had one of the industry’s biggest calf muscles, which is the on of the hardest muscles to grow.⁵

Retired, Yates has ventured into businesses franchising 5 Temple gyms with 3 in the U.K., and has formed the company Heavy Duty Inc which sells athletic wear and bodybuilding books. In 2006, he started the company Dorian Yates Ultimate Formulas, which sells bodybuilding supplements, and another company, DY Nutrition, that markets formulas consumed before a workout. He has released several books and DVDs including a collaboration with bodybuilding.com.

#2 Ronnie Coleman

Ronnie exhibits his incredibly muscular and defined physique, with bulging biceps, sculpted pecs, which is the result of years of intense training and dedication to bodybuilding. Source: Richard Wagner on Youtube¹⁵

Ronnie Coleman—“the king” is a world record holder Mr. Olympia contestant, racking a record 8 Mr. Olympia titles and has the most wins ever for the competition. He and Arnold Schwarzenegger are known as the greatest bodybuilders of all time and he has accumulated 26 IFBB titles, completely dominating in what is known as the most competitive time during the sport—the ’90s. He is also known for his workout videos that self-charge him to lift more.

Coleman has risen from humble beginnings graduating as an accountant in 1984 and failed to secure employment, and worked at Dominos eating the free pizza he got because of being poor. He served as a police officer from 1989-2000 before embarking on professional bodybuilding.  Ronnie is easily among the top 5 bodybuilders in the world.

He is known for his brutal workouts and, as a result, built up a massive body—Ronnie was a monster, dwarfing the competition often at 300 pounds during competition and would be at 320 pounds during the off-season. 

Coleman was known to squat and deadlift very heavy, easily eclipsing 800 pounds. Ronnie’s size is not the only unique thing, but his symmetry and proportion are unrivaled among fellow competitors—and he was very strong. Ronnie’s bench record is at a whopping 495 pounds and he had signature varicose veins bodybuilding features, especially after an intense workout.⁶

Ronnie is now retired, and his extreme regimen has damaged his body, he had hip replacement surgery and damage from herniated discs and cannot walk without assistance. He does not, however, regret his efforts to be one of the best bodybuilders of all time and still works out with lighter weights.

#1 Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold shows his legendary, iconic physique, characterized by incredible muscle mass, symmetrical proportions, and a stunning V-taper, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, result of years of dedicated training and strict dieting, becoming one of the most successful bodybuilders of all time. Source: Overcome Fears on Youtube¹⁶

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one the most famous faces not only in the bodybuilding arena but in the mainstream world, having a career spanning from bodybuilding, then transitioning to acting before becoming the Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. His achievements are astonishing, and he is easily the wealthiest bodybuilding professional of all time and the most influential in the sport. Arnold has been named by Time magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004 and 2007.

Popularly known as the “the Austrian Oak”, Arnold is an Austrian immigrant who made his entry into competition at the Mr. Universe in 1968. His achievements include 14 titles, 7 Mr. Olympia titles between 1970 and 1975, 1980, and 4 Mr. Universe titles.

Arnold owns several gyms, and fitness magazines and adjudicated several contests. In addition, many of his Hollywood movie roles have resulted in blockbuster films such as “Terminator,” “Conan the Barbarian,” “Predator” and countless others, propelling him to stardom and earning him a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Amazingly, he is still active in acting.

His achievements did not come easy. He came to America in 1968 with nothing more than the desire to build muscle as a bodybuilder and enter into the competition—training at Gold’s gym under Joe Weider’s tutelage. Arnold has put a lot of work in the gym to obtain the achievements and would put on mass to 260 pounds when not in competition and 235 pounds on stage. 

Arnold still works out for 30 minutes a day at age 75 and has a bodybuilding competition named after him, the Arnold Classic under the IFBB. He is the most famous and wealthiest bodybuilder of all time, worth a staggering $450 million.

The top 10 bodybuilders of all time and their backgrounds should give any staunch lifter the morale to be the best athlete they can be, and they may end up being included in the most famous, richest, men & women who have stood out from the crowds they once were in—with hard work and dedication. 

FAQ

Who Is the Biggest Bodybuilder Worldwide?

The biggest bodybuilder in terms of raw mass is Greg Kovacs at the height of 6’4″, weighing 330 pounds—he could blow up to 420 pounds during the off-season. However, the Ronnie Coleman has the most wins under his belt.

Who Is the Most Successful Bodybuilder of All Time?

The most successful bodybuilder of all time is Arnold Schwarzenegger. As a result of his bodybuilding career, he has become a household name as an actor and served as Governor of California.

What Makes Someone One of the Top 10 Bodybuilders of All Time?

Several criteria determine who is placed among the top 10 bodybuilders of all time. These include the number of titles they have accrued, size of the individual, the proportion of the physique, and the symmetry to be well defined mimicking a perfectly sculpted body. They should have also gone on to be influential in the body-building world and extrapolated their careers to gain wealth and fame.