John Grimek
Encyclopedia
John Carroll Grimek is recognized as one of the world's greatest bodybuilders and weight lifters of the 1930s and 1940s.

Grimek was born on June 17, 1910 (or June 18, 1911, as given by the Social Security Death Index) in Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...

, son of Slovak
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

 immigrants George and Maria Grimek.

Besides his bodybuilding
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...

 exploits, in which he was never defeated, Grimek also represented the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in weightlifting at the 1936 Olympic Games
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...

 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

.

In 1948, at 38 years of age, Grimek defeated Steve Reeves
Steve Reeves
Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:...

 in a hotly disputed decision at the NABBA Mr. Universe
Universe Championships
The Universe Championships are an annual bodybuilding event organised by the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association . It has a number of competitions: NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe, Miss Figure, and Miss Toned Figure....

 contest in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. Some accounts indicated that after a tie on the scorecards, Grimek's good friend and a judge, Bob Hoffman, decided that the winner would be decided by a feat of gymnastics. Since Grimek was a very good gymnast, Reeves took second place gracefully.

The following year he won his last contest, the AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...

 Mr. USA, against a field that included a sun-burned Reeves, Clarence Ross
Clarence Ross
Clarence Ross was a bodybuilder from the United States.Ross was born in Oakland, California on October 26, 1923, the second of the four children of Hershel Ross, a teamster, and his wife Jeannette Levi. His mother died when he was young, so he grew up in a series of foster homes...

, George Eiferman
George Eiferman
George Eiferman was a notable figure in the sport of bodybuilding. Born in Philadelphia in 1925, He served in the Navy during World War II and entered into the sport of Bodybuilding afterwards. He won the Mr. America competition in 1948 and Mr. Universe in 1962-External links:*...

, and Armand Tanny
Armand Tanny
Armand Tanny was a Muscle Beach bodybuilder. He won national titles in 1949 and 1950.After attending Rochester University, he moved to Los Angeles, transferring to UCLA. He enlisted in the Coast Guard in World War II, serving until discharge due to injury...

. He retired from bodybuilding undefeated.

John was featured in many bodybuilding articles and magazines, as well as being photographed on bodybuilding magazines. Despite his retirement, Grimek continued serious training for many years, and was still able to squat
Squat (exercise)
In strength training, the squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads , hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body...

 with over 400 pounds for reps in his late 60s. Grimek died on November 20, 1998 in York, Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...

. He was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame
IFBB Hall of Fame
The IFBB Hall of Fame was established in 1999 to honor outstanding athletes and officials in the sport of bodybuilding.-1999:*Carla Dunlap*Cory Everson*John Grimek*Lee Haney*Rachel McLish*Sergio Oliva*Reg Park*Bill Pearl*Steve Reeves...

 in 1999.

Profile

The following measurements are from 1940/1941:
  • Height: 5'8½"
  • Weight: 195 lbs.
  • Neck: 17 inches
  • Arm: 17.5 inches
  • Forearm: 14 inches
  • Chest: 47 inches
  • Waist: 31 inches
  • Thigh: 25 inches
  • Calf: 17 inches
  • Wrist: 8 inches
  • Ankle: 9.8 inches

Titles

  • 1939 York Perfect Man
  • 1940 Mr. America
  • 1941 Mr. America
  • 1946 Most Muscular Man In America
  • 1948 Mr. Universe Short & Overall
  • 1949 Mr. USA

See also

  • List of male professional bodybuilders
  • List of female professional bodybuilders

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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