Joe Weider
Joe Weider was born in Montreal, Canada in 1922. Joe grew up in a tough neighborhood and was often the target of bullies. As a young man he became involved in weightlifting after he came across a weightlifting magazine. He became so interested that he even began creating his own weights from parts he gathered at a scrap yard. By the time he was 17, he was using his newly chiseled body to fend off bullies and decided to market his knowledge to others. With only seven dollars he began a newsletter called "Your Physique".
Together with his brother Ben, Joe began sponsoring physical fitness contests under the name IFBB. In 1965 he began the Mr. Olympia contest. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a seven-time titleholder as Mr. Olympia.
By 1980, Joe had added the Ms. Olympia contest to consider women's growing interest in the sport. Currently there are 173 countries affiliated with the IFBB and it is considered one of the top five international sport federations in the world.
Today Joe owns Weider Health & Fitness in Woodland Hills, CA. His company has many divisions, all involved in the health and fitness fields. They market sports nutrition products, fitness and weightlifting magazines. Included in his publishing empire are magazines such as MUSCLE & FITNESS, SHAPE, FIT PREGNANCY, and NATURAL HEALTH.