What Is the Silver Era of Bodybuilding and What Was It Most Known For?

Like most sports, bodybuilding also has different eras. The period from 1940 through the 1960s is called the silver era. Anyone who has delved into bodybuilding history on internet forums and social media has probably seen terms like the bronze, silver, and golden eras being thrown around. So, what do these terms even mean? Is the silver era just a period on the 20th-century calendar?

Far from it. These periods signify a noticeable shift in how bodybuilding evolved, and the silver era was a transformative one. While many people obsess over the golden era and bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger, the silver era arguably doesn’t get the attention it deserves. The foundation of everything that the 70s bodybuilders helped develop was laid during this era.

What characterized the silver era of bodybuilding?

While the bronze era saw the rise of bodybuilding, most bodybuilders of that era were strongmen. Eugine Sandow, the man after whom the Mr. Olympia trophy is modeled, is considered the father of bodybuilding. While he and other bronze-era bodybuilders developed muscular and aesthetic physiques, it was the silver-era bodybuilders who showed what could be achieved.

During these three decades America emerged as the bodybuilding capital of the world, and California was the state where it flourished. The world-famous muscle beach opened in 1934 and the first Mr. USA contest was held in 1949. Gyms started opening up across America and exercise started evolving into culture. The advent of competitions also pushed silver-era bodybuilders to become a better version of their bronze-era counterparts. 

Bodybuilding magazines also characterized this era. While we might reach our favorite fitness influencer after clicking on Instagram on our smartphones, magazines were the only medium that let people look at pictures of men in pursuit of crafting the perfect physique. This was the heyday of Muscle Power, Muscle Builder (forbear to Muscle & Fitness), and Iron Man magazines. Yet, these weren’t the only first of the era.

An era of firsts

From Mr. USA to Mr. Universe to Mr. Olympia, all major competitions in bodybuilding history started during the silver era. Alongside these competitions came governing bodies. The National Amateur Body-Builders’ Association (NABBA) formed in 1948. Then there was the organization that’s evolved into the biggest bodybuilding federation today, the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB).

While these are a list of the most significant firsts that turned bodybuilding into a sport, something else happened as well. The bodybuilders themselves took their physique to the next level. Unlike their bronze-era counterparts, silver-era bodybuilders trained every muscle group to achieve never-before-seen aesthetics and symmetry. 

Besides using the advancement in diet to put on lean muscle they also prioritized building their chests and built bigger and more symmetrical legs. It was the silver-era bodybuilders who first showcased the sought-after v-taper on bodybuilding. However, among the flock of aesthetic bodybuilders, a few became the poster children of the era.

The bodybuilding legends who defined the era

Two-time Mr. America John Grimek emerged as the bodybuilding icon of the 40s. Grimek brought muscularity, symmetry, and aesthetics to the table, and in 1948, Grimek even won the most prestigious trophy of his day, the Mr. Universe. The champion was also a great ambassador of the sport, spreading his awareness about health, not just aesthetics.

However, the most recognizable silver-era bodybuilder was none other than the first live-action Hercules, Steve Reeves. With his Hollywood hero looks and incredible aesthetics, most people know Reeves as the poster boy of the silver era. Reeves also won the bodybuilding treble of his era, the 1947 Mr. America, 1948 Mr. World, and 1950 Mr. Universe. After bodybuilding, he got into acting.

Reeves was not only an icon of his era but inspired bodybuilders like his successor Reg Park and seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger. “I still think that Steve Reeves was the greatest bodybuilder of all time because of the kind of the beauty he had and the body and all that stuff,” Schwarzenegger said about Reeves in 2022.

Reg Park was another legend of the era. After winning Mr. Britain in 1949, the English bodybuilder won the prestigious Mr. Universe three times consecutively. Like his predecessor Reeves, Park also transitioned to acting and ended up portraying Hercules on screen. However, among the sea of positives, the end of the era might have also spelled the end of natural bodybuilding.

Did natural bodybuilding end with the silver era?

St***id use is an open secret in the sport. Today, bodybuilders use more potent chemical concoctions to enhance their physique than ever before. However, using performance-enhancing d***s isn’t something new. Over the decades, many golden-era bodybuilders have confessed to using PEDs. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Dorian Yates, and Ronnie Coleman have also admitted to using them.

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However, many bodybuilding fans allege that the golden era bodybuilders weren’t the first. They claim that PEDs had infiltrated the sport by the late 60s. Bronze-era bodybuilders were natural because st***ids didn’t exist back then. However, many argue that late silver-era bodybuilders might’ve used them. According to a July 2023 study, PEDs rose in popularity in the late 50s and by the late 60s bodybuilders started using them.

There is little doubt that for the majority of the era natural bodybuilders ruled the stage. However, the advent of PEDs cast a shadow of doubt in the later parts of the silver era. So these three decades are far more important to bodybuilding than many people give it credit for. These three decades helped bodybuilding and fitness become a cultural movement.

Bodybuilders in America inspired a future champion in Austria thanks to the muscle magazines. The federations that formed helped the hobby become a competitive endeavor, with weight rules and regulations. Simultaneously, the closing of this era may have also closed the curtains on natural bodybuilding’s dominance. Hence, keeping everything in mind, it’s safe to say that the silver era is most known for being revolutionary.

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