By Ethan Fausett
The world of bodybuilding is not usually associated with the restored gospel. However there is a connection. Today the Olympia competition is the biggest, most prestigious competition in all of bodybuilding. And the very first winner of the Mr. Olympia title was “The Legend” or “The Golden Boy”, Larry Scott, a lifelong faithful Latter-day Saint.
Born in Blackfoot Idaho, Larry Scott started getting into weight training when he was 16 years old after finding a bodybuilding magazine in a dump. With possibly the most Idaho farm boy introduction to fitness you could think of, his first exercise equipment was a tractor axle that he used for curls and shoulder presses. In 1959 when he was 20, he entered and won his first bodybuilding competition, the Mr. Idaho. After this win he decided to move to California where he could pursue a career in bodybuilding.
Once in California, it became clear that he wasn’t just the big fish in the small pond of Idaho. He quickly gained multiple additional competitive victories in California. After his Mr. America and Mr. Universe wins in 1962-1964, he became an icon in bodybuilding. His clean cut image made him the perfect poster boy for the various bodybuilding magazines of the time. Scott’s fast rise to the top led to him being invited to compete in the inaugural Mr. Olympia competition in 1965, which he won. He also successfully defended his title in 1966.
One of the reasons Scott dominated the sport so much was because he was the first professional bodybuilder to develop 20” arms. His arms were so well known and impactful on the sport that one of the most popular arm exercises in the world, the preacher curl, was popularized by Larry Scott.
However after his meteoric rise to the top, Scott suddenly chose to retire from bodybuilding in 1966 after his second Mr. Olympia title. While the decision confused many, it made perfect sense when seen through the context of Scott’s personal life. Tony DeFransicso, a long time bodybuilding fan, related the following experience from when he attended a Larry Scott seminar.
“Larry started his seminar off in [an] unusual way … by talking about religion and the importance of balance in our lives. He said, ‘You guys work out right? How often do you work your spiritual muscles? You read bodybuilding magazines right? How often do you read scriptures?’ ... He stated that he was off track early in his life. It cost him his first marriage and a lot of pain. He was proud of his Mormon religion and suggested that the most important thing was that we all belong to a church and read scriptures daily. He said God and religion come first, then family, then the rest follows.”
Scott later met and married his wife Rachel in the Los Angeles temple in 1966. It seems clear that this was part of Scott’s decision to retire from bodybuilding. He loved his wife and didn’t want to make the same mistake twice so he made his relationship with her and with God the most important things in his life.
This reprioritization worked. Scott moved to Salt Lake City where he and his wife had five children together. He still pursued a career in fitness, running a personal training business as well as selling gym equipment and supplements. He passed away due to Alzheimer’s related complications at the age of 75 in 2014. His passing was mourned by many in the bodybuilding world, including the famed Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Latter-day Saints can follow Scott’s example by making sure to put God and family first, even if that means foregoing worldly accolades. For Latter-day Saints who love fitness and gym culture, Larry Scott is an example of how to align your passion with your core religious values. It shows the positive health and self-improvement aspects of fitness can be achieved while eschewing negative things such as social media drama, over-sexualized gym clothing, and highly abused steroids. Fitness can become a natural and healthy part of our lives just as it was for Larry Scott, “The Legend.”
The views expressed by contributors do not necessarily represent the position of Ward Radio News. Ward Radio News is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Church) and does not officially represent the Church.
Larry Scott is still revered in the bodybuilding world, as much for his character as his titles. I trained with Larry at the Salt Lake YMCA in the late 70s when I moved to Utah. I also had the pleasure and honor of writing an interview article about Larry for the now-discontinued This People magazine, which was dedicated to showcasing the lives of Latter-day Saints in all areas of life. In the dark, dingy weight room in the basement of the YMCA, Larry was of course well-known and well-respected. I was a grad student at the U of Utah, and devoted to weight training in my spare time. Larry was generous with his time and pushed me harder than I…