| John Grimek | |
|---|---|
| Personal Info | |
| Born | June 17, 1910 Perth Amboy, New Jersey |
| Died | November 20, 1998 (aged 88) |
| Height | 5 ft 8.5 in (1.74 m) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Professional Career | |
John Carroll Grimek is recognized as one of the world's greatest bodybuilders and weight lifters of the 1930s and 1940s.
Grimek was born on June 17, 1910 (or June 18, 1911, as given by the Social Security Death Index) in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, son of Slovak immigrants George and Maria Grimek.
Besides his bodybuilding exploits, in which he was never defeated, Grimek also represented the United States in weightlifting at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
In 1948, at 38 years of age, Grimek defeated Steve Reeves in a hotly disputed decision at the NABBA Mr. Universe contest in London. Some accounts indicated that after a tie on the scorecards, Grimek's good friend and a judge, Bob Hoffman, decided that the winner would be decided by a feat of gymnastics. Since Grimek was a very good gymnast, Reeves took second place gracefully.
The following year he won his last contest, the AAU Mr. USA, against a field that included a sun-burned Reeves, Clarence Ross, George Eiferman, and Armand Tanny. He retired from bodybuilding undefeated.
John was featured in many bodybuilding articles and magazines, as well as being photographed on bodybuilding magazines. Despite his retirement, Grimek continued serious training for many years, and was still able to squat with over 400 pounds for reps in his late 60s. Grimek died on November 20, 1998 in York, Pennsylvania. He was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 1999.
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The following measurements are from 1940/1941: