John Grimek

John Grimek
Bodybuilder
John Grimek featured on the cover of Strength and Health magazine, 1945
Personal info
Nickname"The Monarch of Muscledom"
"The Glow"
Born(1910-06-17)June 17, 1910
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
DiedNovember 20, 1998(1998-11-20) (aged 88)[1]
York, Pennsylvania
Height5 ft 8.5 in (1.74 m)
Weight195 lb (88 kg)
Professional career
Pro-debut
SuccessorSteve Reeves

John Carroll Grimek (June 17, 1910[2] – November 20, 1998) was an American bodybuilder and weightlifter active in the 1930s and 1940s. Grimek was Mr. America in 1940 and 1941, and Mr. Universe in 1948.[3][4] In 1949, he won his last contest, the AAU Mr. USA,[4] against a field that included Steve Reeves, Clarence Ross, George Eiferman, and Armand Tanny. Grimek retired from bodybuilding undefeated.[5] Throughout his career he carried the nicknames "the Monarch of Muscledom" and "the Glow."[6][7]

  1. ^ Weider, Joe (December 1998). "John Grimek: 1910–1998" (PDF). Iron Game History. 5 (3). Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  2. ^ According to the Social Security Death Index, he was born on June 18, 1911.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference pittsburghpostgazetteobit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference tampabaytimesobit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "John Grimek". Legendary Fitness. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  6. ^ Whelan, Bob. "John Grimek Was The Man". Natural Strength. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  7. ^ Rosa, Ken (April 1999). "My Thoughts and Reflections on John C. Grimek". Iron Game History. 5 (4): 33. Retrieved December 30, 2023.