These Are All the Winners of the Mr. Olympia Competition

Known in weightlifting circles as the “Golden Boy,” the 5’7” 200-pound muscleman inspired a generation. He also helped popularize the preacher curl, or what some lifters now refer to as the “Scott Curl.”

As a teenager, Oliva fought against Fidel Castro’s army. He later served as a cop in Chicago and was reportedly shot 5 times by his then-wife. He is thought to have one of the smallest waist measurements of any Mr. Olympian.

A man who needs little introduction beyond his first name, Arnold’s career trajectory took him from a minuscule village in Austria to a legendary movie career in Hollywood, a Governor's chair in California, and the aspiration of every young body builder since.

Italian actor, power lifter, boxing champion, and later chiropractor, Columbu was the first the first Mr. Olympia of the post-Arnold era.

Discovering bodybuilding at 14 when he spied a muscle-building magazine in the waste basket of his high school math class, Zane would sculpt one of the most proportioned physiques in the history of the competition.

The one-time champion is also a trained opera singer and the first openly gay Mr. Olympian.

“The Lion of Lebanon,” Bannout has been open about his use of anabolic steroids, which helped sculpt one of the most memorable lower backs in the history of the competition.

After racking up 8 consecutive Mr. Olympia wins (besting Arnold’s record), Haney retired at the age of 31. He has since turned to personal training and working with athletes like boxer Evander Holyfield.

Yates began powerlifting while serving time in a youth detention center in England. He entered American competitions in the early '90s and would dominate Mr. Olympia for the better part of the decade.

Unranked in his first Mr. Olympia contest, the former college football player would go on to win eight straight, cementing his 300-plus-pound figure as one of the greatest of all time.

Cutler saved for his first gym membership by working in the family concrete business. After placing second to Coleman for years, Cutler finally unseated the king.

When he first stepped on stage at 21, Jackson was 5’6” 137 pounds. When he unseated Cutler, Jackson—then 39—weighed in at 215 pounds.

“The Gift” first competed in Mr. Olympia in 2008, and only needed three more years before unseating Jay Cutler. The former college point guard then defended the title six consecutive times.

Since he began training, Rhoden has gained more than 100 pounds of muscle. Despite tearing 9 tendons in his right hand and told he would never again lift, Rhoden became the oldest competitor to capture the Mr. Olympia title last year at age 43.

Brandon Curry brought home the title in 2019 at 36, going into the competition as the favorite after a dominant showing at the year's Arnold Classic. Past winners Shawn Rhoden and Phil Heath were absent from the competition, however, setting up a potential three-way battle for the crown in 2020.