Dorian Yates

Dorian Yates, in my humble opinion, ushered in the mass monster era of bodybuilding (the picture to the left is of an earlier version of Yates). He was a great champion, having earned the top spot in the Mr. Olympia six times in a row, from 1992 to 1997.

Known as “The Shadow,” Yates was a beast in the gym.

His last win, and last competition, was the 1997 Mr. O, in which he competed with a torn tricep.

Dorian retired in large part, it's said, due to many acute injuries.

He's been outspoken on steroid use.

Yates now runs a nutritional supplement company.

Chris Dickerson

Chris Dickerson, best known for his incredible calves, won the Mr. Olympia in 1982. He also won a string of IFBB Grand Prix's in the 1980s.

His career spanned 4 decades, beginning in the 1960s and culminating in a 1994 Mr. Olympia Masters win.

Dickerson trained for most of his competitions with legendary Bill Pearl.

Today Dickerson lives in Florida where he continues to train, conduct seminars, and correspond with current athletes.

Bill Pearl

Bill Pearl ushered in the modern era of bodybuilding, in my humble yet accurate opinion. He was the first really massive bodybuilder to experience a whole lot of success in the '50s and '60s.

Pearl won the pro Mr. Universe 4 times and would likely have won the Mr. Olympia; however, that contest didn't exist during his heyday so he never entered it. In fact, by the time the first Mr. O was held, in 1965, Pearl had already amassed 3 of his Mr. Universe titles.

Not many remember but Pearl was in his forties when he won his fourth and final pro Mr. U in 1971.

Even fewer remember that he won his first major contest in 1953, beating out Sean Connery in the amateur Mr. Universe.

Many know him to be a vegetarian bodybuilder. But he only converted from being an omnivore to a vegetarian after he'd built all his mass and experienced much of his success. In fact, he was 39 when he became a lacto-ovo vegetarian (meaning he includes dairy and eggs in his daily diet).

Bill Pearl has authored several bodybuilding books. Two of his most popular are Keys to the INNER Universe and Getting Stronger.

Bertil Fox

Bertil Fox was a phenom in the bodybuilding world in the mid- to late 70s and early 80s. Hailed as the next coming of Sergio Oliva, Fox never lived up to the hype.

But he didn't do the hyping.

He just brought the muscle mass! Arms, traps, delts, and chest – all top-notch. His legs and back left a little to be desired, but I think it was Bertil Fox who ushered in sheer mass as we know it today.

He was simply HUGE, especially in his heyday. He might even stand a chance today.

Unfortunately, Fox's life after bodybuilding took a horrible turn for the worse. Convicted of double homicide, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars in a St. Kitts prison cell.

Lots of rumors have circulated about the crimes he committed, but I'll just leave it at this: Bertil Fox was a phenomenal bodybuilder, having brought muscle mass back into the forefront of pro bodybuilding.

If he did commit the murders – and a judge and jury found that he did – then I'm saddened for the fact that two people died at his hands and that his life has been ruined forever.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger is simply the best bodybuilder of all time! He completely DOMINATED his peers, winning the Mr. Olympia title an unprecedented (then) six consecutive times! He retired and came back in 1980 to win it again (albeit in a controversial way).

Schwarzenegger then went on to become one of the most successful Hollywood action heroes, elevating the visibility of the sport of bodybuilding, benefiting all the champions that have followed him.

Of course, never satisfied, Arnold then entered politics, and the rest, as they say, is history. Not sure where he can go from here, but I'm sure he's already got it all planned out!

Arnold not only was the best of his time, but he has done more for the sport of bodybuilding than any other champion. For that, he holds the esteemed #1 position on my list.

You can find out more about Arnold here.