Lou Ferrigno

Lou Ferrigno was born in Brookly, NewYork. His father, Matt Ferrigno was a city police officer. When he was a baby he had a severe ear infection that resulted in the loss of some of his hearing. He decided not to let it hinder him, and at the age of 13, he started weight training and researching bodybuilding. Fully grown, Lou Ferrigno is an astonishing six foot five inches tall, and weighs over 280 pounds.

There is not much recorded about Lou’s weight training during his teen years. After he graduated from high school in 1969, Lou won the Mr. America IFBB contest. 4 years later, at the age of 21, he won the IFBB Mr. Universe. He won it again the next year, and was the only person to win it twice in a row. He is also the youngest person to have ever won it and still holds the record to this day. During these years he became friends with Arnold Schwarzenegger and trained him with frequently. They both lived in Columbus and would frequent the same gyms.

In 1974, he attempted Mr. Olympia for the first time. He took home second place. In 1975 he came in third only, and during this competition a movie was filmed of which he was the costar. The 1975 film Pumping Iron featured Arnold and followed their training and lifestyles leading up to the Mr. Olympia contests.

After his third place loss to Arnold, Ferrigno left the competition circuit for several years. However he found time to compete in the first World’s Strongest Man competition which took place in 1977. He finished in fourth place out of only eight competitors. Lou Ferrigno is a very careful man, and during these competitions he would regularly visit his physician to see if irreparable damage was being done to his body.

In the early nineties, Lou returned to bodybuilding after being retired for seventeen years. He was forty years old and felt he could have another go at bodybuilding competing. He competed in the 1992 and 1993 Mr. Olympia, in which he only placed 12th and 10th respectively. He then competed in the Masters Olympia in 1994, and placed second losing to Robby Robinson. He then stated he was officially retiring from bodybuilding competition.

Lou Ferrigno has been an inspiration to all bodybuilders, as he overcame an impairment to become one of the best bodybuilders of all time. He has starred in many movies, television shows, and is an accomplished actor and police officer.