Bodybuilding is one of the most popular training styles you'll see in gyms across Canada. Changes in the body, like building muscle or increasing strength, can be addictive and a key for many in helping build confidence inside and outside the gym.
Movies can be a great way to gain the motivation you need for your own training; they'll show you, through various behind-the-scenes, the real level of commitment and focus that professional bodybuilders put into becoming the best. You'll also discover how the bodybuilding industry served as the spearhead for the development of the entire multi-million-dollar action film genre.
Top 9 movies starring bodybuilding and fitness stars
| Film and year of release | Leading bodybuilding or action star | Worldwide gross |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky (1976) | Sylvester Stallone | US$ 225,000,000 |
| Stay Hungry (1976) | Jeff Bridges, Arnold Schwarzenegger | US$ 24.8 million |
| Pumping Iron (1977) | Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno | US$ 2 million |
| The Terminator (1984) | Arnold Schwarzenegger | US$ 78,019,031 |
| Commando (1985) | Arnold Schwarzenegger | US$ 57.5 million |
| Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) | Sylvester Stallone | US$ 300,400,000 |
| Total Recall (1990) | Arnold Schwarzenegger | US$ 261,399,684 |
| True Lies (1994) | Arnold Schwarzenegger | US$ 365,300,000 |
| Pain & Gain (2013) | Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie | US$ 86,200,000 |
🍿 💪🏻 The Evolution of Bodybuilding in Cinema
The bodybuilding movie industry, of course, originates from its initial success on television. Before the famous superheroes of the Marvel universe, childhood heroes were Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Each portraying the iconic Hulk and Hercules, and Arnold becoming a global phenomenon thanks to The Terminator, they captivated millions with their impressive physiques, the product of their Mr. Olympia appearances.
It was in the 1970s that Ferrigno and Schwarzenegger laid the foundation for the television and film industry focused on bodybuilders, making it one of the most lucrative in entertainment. This was further fueled by the success of gym movies, spearheaded by Sylvester Stallone and the multi-award-winning Rocky.
They were followed by names like Jean-Claude Van Damme (with massive hits like Kickboxer, Hard Target, and Bloodsport) and The Rock, who was one of the last to make the leap from the gym to the big leagues with films like The Smashing Machine, about another legend of combat sports.
Bodybuilding stars were precursors not only to superhero films; their early movies, naturally, also marked a turning point in science fiction, action, and martial arts cinema, and were key to the advancement of special effects, makeup, cinematography, and stunt techniques.
Ferrigno spent hours a day having green makeup applied to his entire body to bring the "Incredible Hulk" to life. Meanwhile, Arnold - who has less than 20 lines of dialogue in the first Terminator movie - prepared hard for the iconic Terminator role, including weapons-handling training and other arts to practice the automatic robot movements that would give the character true realism.
1975
Pumping Iron documentary release
Centred on Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding career and with an appearance by Ferrigno
1976
Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Golden Globes
Arnold became the first bodybuilder nominated for a Golden Globe, won the “New Star of the Year” award recognizing his rising career and his role in the film Stay Hungry (1976).
1977
Rocky wins Best Picture
The award was a milestone for bodybuilding cinema and opened the gates for the golden era of sports, action and gym movies
1978
The Incredible Hulk
First, a pilot movie was released, due to its success, 85 episodes were produced in a span of 5 years, becoming an international hit
1982
Conan the Barbarian
A box-office hit with Schwarzenegger at the head
1982
Rambo
One of the most successful franchises in action movies
1984
Terminator 1
Gave Arnold international cinema status as an icon, the same for its director, James Cameron
1990
Total Recall, another Oscar winner
The first movie starring a former bodybuilder, which won Best Visual Effects and was also nominated for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing in the Academy Awards
2010
The Expendables, the reunion of the titans
Reuniting the bodybuilding stars, such as Van Damme, Schwarzenegger and Stallone in one film
The first Terminator film had a budget of just $6 million. 2 It was only James Cameron's third film, and he had just finished Piranha III, needing to prove himself as a truly accomplished director. Upon its 1984 release, the film grossed over $78 million worldwide. The entire franchise (six films) has collectively grossed $2.1 billion.
👁️ Must-Watch Bodybuilding Documentaries
Pumping Iron (1977)
Pumping Iron is the documentary that brought bodybuilding to popular culture and inspired hundreds of Canadians to start training. It chronicles the events leading up to the 1975 IFBB Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia competitions, the most important competitions any bodybuilder aspires to win. How did this film place Schwarzenegger at the top?
Generation Iron (2013 - 2018)
Generation Iron follows seven professional bodybuilders competing in the 2012 Mr. Olympia, one of the biggest bodybuilding competitions. This bodybuilding film brings you along on each of their journeys to become competition-ready, as for the average person, it’s unbelievable what these men put themselves through, with hours of training, intense food prep, and the mental battle of getting ready.
Generation Iron is already a universe in itself. The film had two sequels in 2017 and 2018. Following the same theme (showing what bodybuilding is like around the world today), they explore topics such as fitness on social media and the lives of current megastars like Rich Piana and Calum von Moger.
👑 Inspirational Bodybuilding Biopics
Ronnie Coleman: The King (2018)
A police officer by profession, an inspirational idol for several generations, and an eight-time Mr. Olympia winner (Schwarzenegger won seven times during the 1970s), Ronnie Coleman was also known for his enormous strength in powerlifting, earning him the nickname "The King."
In the documentary dedicated to his career, we not only see his accomplishments but also the intense pain that currently makes even walking very difficult for him. This film explores the consequences for his health, the damage to his hips, legs, spine, and everything Ronnie has sacrificed for the throne of bodybuilding.
CT Fletcher: My Magnificent Obsession (2015)
Following the success of the first Generation Iron documentary, this spin-off about six-time powerlifting champion and record-breaker, CT Fletcher, was released, providing a real boost of motivation for aspiring bodybuilders. The documentary offers a raw perspective on CT Fletcher's recovery journey after various heart attacks and his 2005 open-heart surgery.
Although the documentary premiered in 2015, just a few years later, in 2018, CT's heart problems worsened. The bodybuilder suffered another heart attack, which led to a heart transplant, which he thankfully overcame.
Currently, CT Fletcher has become a true ambassador of Health and Fitness Motivation; he is one of the great motivational speakers, delivering some of the best speeches on the realities and challenges of sports, especially bodybuilding.
🏋🏻♂️ Fictional Films with Bodybuilding Themes
Stay Hungry (1976)
During his prime, Schwarzenegger appeared in many movies and documentaries about bodybuilding; he was everywhere in the bodybuilding scene. Arnie starred in the film Stay Hungry (his first real lead after the documentary fame), as the main character in a blend of comedy and drama that offers a behind-the-scenes look at professional bodybuilding, revealing the realities of prepping for a show, especially at the top level, Mr. Universe, the top competition for this sport.
Although already famous for his bodybuilding career, Stay Hungry was the actual starting point for Schwarzenegger's film career, earning him a Golden Globe for "New Star of the Year – Actor" 1 for his role as Joe Santo. This was followed by another nomination in 1995 for his role in the comedy "Junior," alongside Danny DeVito.
Stay Hungry follows a young real estate salesman named Craig, played by Jeff Bridges, who wants to purchase a small gym. Craig walks into the gym and meets Joe Sant, Arnold's character, a big-time bodybuilder. Joe shows Craig the world of bodybuilding and the gym community, and how gym members become your friends and family; then they start together preparing for Mr. Universe.
Stay Hungry, in which a young Sally Field also stars, is a highly motivational film for Female Bodybuilders! It will make you want to start training right away!
Pain and Gain (2013)
If there's a direct heir to the world of bodybuilding, wrestling, martial arts, and action, it must be The Rock. In one of his first leading film roles (though he began acting in 2000), the actor and former wrestler stars in this true story alongside Mark Wahlberg.
USD million
In Pain & Gain, a group of bodybuilders gets involved in a risky extortion scheme in Florida in an action-comedy adventure directed by Michael Bay (Transformers, Ambulance, The Island). In the film, The Rock plays an ex-convict who joins Wahlberg's gang to plan a million-dollar kidnapping.
💪🏻 Lesser-Known Gems in Bodybuilding Cinema
Bigger, Stronger, Faster (2008)
The fitness world has surprised audiences with some of the best documentaries and investigations into health and drug use within American bodybuilding culture. The documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster investigates the excessive use of steroids and offers a critical, straightforward look at the moral and physical dilemmas of the bodybuilding world.
The Perfect Physique (2015)
This documentary explores the lives of the IFBB Men's Physique category, focusing explicitly on the pressure from a media-driven body image. It takes the camera into the world of discipline and personal sacrifice. Greg Plitt, one of the most recent figures in the bodybuilding world, who appears in the documentary, died shortly after the release.
References
- Tomorrow’s Stars Yesterday: Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1977. (March 8, 2021). Available at: https://goldenglobes.com/articles/tomorrows-stars-yesterday-arnold-schwarzenegger-1977 (Accessed: November 2025).
- The Terminator: Awards (No date). Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/awards/
(Accessed: November 2025).
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