Publishing empire grew from bodybuilder's passion
PIONEER BODYBUILDER, PUBLISHER
29-11-1919 - 23-3-2013
A bodybuilding pioneer who created a multimillion-dollar fitness publishing empire and mentored a teenage Arnold Schwarzenegger has died of heart failure in Los Angeles. He was 93.
A masterful marketer, entrepreneur and promoter with a rags-to-riches — and scrawny-to-brawny — story, Weider had a faith in the power of bodybuilding that he compared to religious fervour. He popularised the sport worldwide, riding the health and fitness wave with such publications as Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Men's Fitness and Shape, which was for women.
Schwarzenegger mourned the loss of a man he called a father figure. Weider "was the godfather of fitness who told all of us to 'Be Somebody with a Body'," the former California governor said. "He taught us that through hard work and training we could all be champions."
Joseph Weider was born in a tough section of Montreal, where his parents struggled to make a living. His father worked as a pants presser in a factory, and at the age of 12 Weider left school to work, first as a grocery delivery boy and later as a short-order cook.
To keep from being threatened by neighbourhood toughs, Weider made his first barbells out of scrap metal and began lifting weights. He became obsessed with muscle-building and at 17, over the objections of his mother, started his first magazine, a newsletter he printed on a mimeograph machine.
He soon convinced a big magazine distributor to put the publication, Your Physique, on news-stands and sales took off. In 1946, he and his younger brother Ben hosted the first Mr Canada contest, and on the same night formed the International Federation of Bodybuilders.
In 1965, Weider created one of bodybuilding's premiere events, the Mr Olympia competition, later adding other contests that drew weightlifters from around the world.
In 1972, recognising that the sport needed a charismatic star, he paid for Schwarzenegger's move to California, setting him up in a Santa Monica apartment, paying him a weekly $100 stipend and splashing his victories across the covers of his magazines.
Weider, who taught Schwarzenegger about business, also helped him land his first movie role in the 1969 film Hercules in New York. He told producers that the Austrian weightlifter was a German Shakespearean actor - "even though I barely spoke English", Schwarzenegger said.
Weider is survived by his wife, Betty, who for many years wrote a fitness column for one of his publications.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Joe Weider was a pioneering bodybuilder, promoter and publisher who built a multimillion-dollar fitness publishing empire. He popularised bodybuilding worldwide through magazines and events and died in Los Angeles at age 93 of heart failure.
Weider published several well-known fitness magazines mentioned in the article, including Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Men's Fitness and Shape (noted as a women's title), and he originally launched a newsletter called Your Physique.
According to the article, Weider paid for Schwarzenegger’s move to California, provided a Santa Monica apartment and a weekly $100 stipend, promoted him on magazine covers, taught him business, and helped him land his first movie role in Hercules in New York.
Weider and his brother Ben hosted the first Mr Canada contest in 1946 and formed the International Federation of Bodybuilders the same night. In 1965 he created the Mr Olympia competition and later added other international contests.
Weider began lifting with homemade barbells as a youth, launched his first magazine at 17 printed on a mimeograph, convinced a major distributor to carry Your Physique on newsstands, and grew from that modest start into a global fitness promoter.
The article describes Weider as a masterful marketer, entrepreneur and promoter who rode the health and fitness wave, built powerful brands through magazines and contests, and had a deep faith in bodybuilding that fuelled his promotion of the sport.
Based on the article, everyday investors can note the value of building a niche brand, diversifying revenue streams (publishing plus events), investing in talent and promotion, and growing a business from humble beginnings through persistent marketing and product placement.
Joe Weider died of heart failure on March 23, 2013, in Los Angeles at age 93. He is survived by his wife, Betty, who for many years wrote a fitness column for one of his publications.
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