When I first got the news that legendary bodybuilder Bill Grant passed away I couldn’t believe it. I felt like I was in denial. Although he was 80 years of age and that is a full life by anyone’s account, you never want to come to the realization that one of your Idols has passed away. Bill Grant was a man who had a tremendous body of work. That last statement has a double meaning, maybe even a triple one. Bill was a man’s man. a throwback to yesteryear. A time when men were men and when training, supplementation, and eating clean, actually mattered. He was a bodybuilder that reached the peaks of his career at a time when drugs were not the order of the day. In fact, his career with physical fitness spanned well over five decades. Even in his seventies he was an avid lifter and looked phenomenal. This is because a lot of the old guys, from the Golden Era and even before that, saw bodybuilding as a lifelong pursuit of happiness. They don’t see it as something you do to get on stage or to land some kind of a sponsorship deal. Their relationship with the gym and with clean eating was a lifelong journey. a journey that saw him get better with age. whereas a lot of people fall apart as they grow older. That said, a lot of our heroes from the Golden Era of bodybuilding have been able to preserve themselves in tiptop shape. I mean look at Frank Zane. Look at Bob Paris. Look at Lee Labrada or Rich Gaspari. Granted, they’re from the ’80s but even those guys keep themselves in great shape. And it’s because of people like Bill Grant. Bill Grant was probably inspired by guys like Eugen Sandow and, Steve Reeves, and Larry Scott, just to name a few. And he probably inspired them as well.
Bill was known as The Man of Steel for a reason. He had an exemplary physique and he knew exactly how to dial it in for the stage. Although he never won the Mr Olympia, he was Top 4 in the mid-1970s in a stacked lineup. But in addition to being Top 4 at the Olympia, he also amassed a series of impressive titles. He won the Mr Universe, the Mr World, and others. The fact of the matter is Bill was a threat to anyone on stage. I mean to win the Mr World was a really big deal back in the day. Not just anybody could do what he did on the pro circuit. I would be remiss if I didn’t include the fact that he won the coveted Mr international, as well. The Mr World was a tough enough contest as it was, but the Mr International had special significance to Bill. These titles from yesterday meant everything to these guys. Even though the prize money then was nothing like it is today, it was about the bragging rights. It was about the respect. It was about knowing that you were a champion. That meant a lot. It’s not like today, where everyone gets to shine. Back then, if you wanted to shine – you had to be the best!!
Bodybuilding has lost its way in many regards. between the special invite and pretty much giving out 10th place medals, everybody needs to feel like a winner. But Bill came from a time when there was only one winner. When every man on a stage was battling for the top prize. It wasn’t about just having fun, it was a lot bigger than that. And the fans could appreciate the commitments that each athlete made towards bringing their best to the stage.
I don’t mean to be redundant, but there was a true respect for the stage that is quite frankly missing today. A lot of guys today will get on stage looking like crap just to get some easy money guest posing. Other guys might get on stage knowing they already qualified without any real interest beyond fulfilling contractual obligations. Well imagine being a fan in the audience having spent good money to see a great bodybuilding show and what you get is a bunch of out-of-shape guys moping around on stage acting as if they would rather be anywhere else but there. You didn’t see that back in Bill’s day.
Guys back in Bill’s day would rather take the financial loss that represented all of the preparations for the sage if they didn’t look their best. They had too much respect for their name and likeness. They would never get on stage looking anything but their best because word traveled fast. Maybe it didn’t travel as instantaneously as it does now with social media and cell phones, but word still got around. The bodybuilding community was tighter knit back then and a lot smaller. These guys were super-committed and they were consummate professionals. That didn’t change. Bill Grant didn’t change with the times. He stayed true to its roots – his whole life. There was simply no other option. He refused to water down his values.
Even though he lived to 80, the world of fitness is hurting. In reality you have to be grateful to the Lord (or to whatever higher power you believe in) that this man was given the opportunity to live as long as he did. Now I’m saying this from the perspective of having a father who was able to live to 100 years of age. And except for the last couple of months after a bad fall, I would say that he lived his best life all 100 years. Now that’s not to say he didn’t go through a very rough childhood or that he didn’t go through a very rough experience leaving his homeland for a new country, but overall I would say he lived by his own terms. And I would say that Bill lived by his own terms. You have to be grateful for that. You can’t get all worked up if someone passes away at 80. but I think that as a community and as a sport we have to pay homage to one of the greats. And Bill Grant was definitely one of those guys. Not only was he one of those guys, I am almost of the opinion that he’s one of the last of the Mohicans. It’s rare to see someone with that kind of staying power and that kind of commitment to the sport.
I think The Man Of Steel is going to live on in terms of his legacy of helping others find longevity in health and fitness. I know the news about his passing is reaching certain parts of the world as we speak. I also know that many of you will probably find out the news by reading this article. All I can say is that we are very saddened to hear of this great legend’s passing. I will say that his legacy will live on. Not just because of winning the illustrious Mr World, Mr International, or the Universe. Rather, Bill’s legacy will live on through all of the people who he directly inspired to pick up the weights, to eat clean, and to compete. Let’s not forget that this was a diehard athlete who competed throughout various decades. He didn’t have to, and Lord knows there were many other ways to make money, but he loved getting on stage and posing in front of huge crowds. He loved battling for victories and top honors. Bill Grant was a bodybuilder’s bodybuilder.
I really hate writing these articles but it’s part of what we have to do to keep the history of our sport intact. If we don’t do it, who would? I know this is a difficult time but let’s make sure to show our respect to a great legend in our sport. As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article here at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article for all your social media feeds. It’s bound to generate meaningful conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
