Larry Scott

Larry Scott was a renowned bodybuilder who won the first and second Mr. Olympia competitions in the 1960s (1965 and 1966) held by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness. He became Mr. America in 1962 and Mr. Universe in 1964. He was also the owner of Larry Scott Research, a fitness and bodybuilding business.

Scott’s biceps, at the peak of his bodybuilding, measured 20 inches. He made the Preacher Curl his own and it eventually became known as Scott’s curl. He was known as the Legend or the Golden Boy and frequently was a model in muscle magazines. He inspired a generation of bodybuilders, including Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Scott was born on October 12, 1938, in Blackfoot, Idaho and grew up in Pocatello. At 120 pounds and 5’ 7”, he discovered a discarded fitness magazine at age 17 and started working out with a tractor axle. After winning the Mr. Idaho contest in 1959, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked out at a gym, focused on nutrition, studied electrical engineering, and worked at a bike repair shop. He won the titles Mr. California in 1960 and Mr. Pacific Coast in 1961, and appeared in Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello’s Muscle Beach Party movie in 1964.

He retired from bodybuilding competition after his second Mr. Olympia win so he could focus on his family. He also moved to Utah and started a business that focused on personal training, health supplements, and gym equipment.

In 1978, Schwarzenegger invited Scott to pose at that year’s Mr. Olympia competition. He received a six-minute ovation and decided to start training for a comeback. Injuries prevented him from obtaining his goal, and he focused his energy on his business.

Scott passed away in Utah on October 8, 2014, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He and his wife, Rachel, had a daughter and four sons, two of whom preceded him in death. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.