Franco Columbu transformation from 16 to 76 years old

Franco Columbu is an Italian actor, author, former champion bodybuilder and World's Strongest Man competitor. He was born in Ollolai, Sardinia (Italy). Starting his athletic career as a boxer, Columbu progressed into Olympic Weightlifting, powerlifting, and later bodybuilding, winning the title of Mr. Olympia in 1976 and 1981. At 5'4", though shorter than most of his competitors, his height did not prevent him from achieving widespread success.

In 1977, Columbu competed in the first World's Strongest Man competition, placing fifth in overall points; a remarkable outing, considering Franco weighed much less than the other competitors. He was forced to drop from competition due to an injury. While leading the "refrigerator race", a downhill race while wearing a heavy, unwieldy refrigerator strapped to the racer's back, Franco stumbled and collapsed with a grotesquely dislocated leg, and aired on national television. After a court settlement, he received a reported $1 million in compensation for his injury. After Arnold Schwarzenegger's comeback victory in the 1980 Mr. Olympia, Franco followed suit and won the 1981 Mr. Olympia.

Columbu is a longtime friend of Schwarzenegger, whom he met in Stuttgart in 1965 and against whom he competed in several international-level bodybuilding competitions. For the Mr. Olympia competitions however, he competed in the under-200 lb (90.7 kg) category, whereas Schwarzenegger was in the over-200 lb category. The IFBB has since abandoned weight classes. Arnold and Franco were inseparable friends and training partners during the late 60s to mid-1970s. Columbu served as Schwarzenegger's best man at his wedding to Maria Shriver in 1986. Columbu and Schwarzenegger had been encouraged to come to America by bodybuilding guru Joe Weider in 1969; Weider sponsored them with an $80/week stipend. They arrived in America and began a bricklaying and patio business called European Brick Works in 1969.

Since 1969, Franco Columbu was considered one of the world's strongest men. He held a number of powerlifting world records. He performed a strongman act of breaking a hot water bottle by inflating it orally, lifting vehicles onstage while another performer changed a tire, and deadlifted over 320 kg (700 lbs). He designed a comprehensive men's workout in 1988 to flatten the stomach, narrow the waist, and eliminate love handles. As a chiropractor and a weightlifter, his career parallels Karyn Marshall using chiropractic therapy to train for competitions.

Filmography
1976 Stay Hungry
1977 Pumping Iron
1980 The Hustler of Muscle Beach
1980 The Comeback
1982 Conan The Barbarian
1984 The Terminator
1984 Getting Physical
1986 Don Rickles: Rickles on the Loose
1987 The Running Man
1987 Last Man Standing
1988 Big Top Pee-wee
1993 Il ritmo del silenzio
1994 Beretta's Island
1995 Taken Alive
1997 Doublecross on Costa's Island
1998 Hollywood Salutes Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Cinematheque Tribute
2002 Raw Iron: The Making of Pumping Iron
2003 Ancient Warriors
2008 Why we Train
2010 Muscle Beach then and Now
2011 Dreamland La Terra dei Sogni

Bodybuilding titles
1966: Mr. Europe, 4th
1968: NABBA Mr. Universe (Most Muscular)
1969: IFBB Mr. Europe (Medium)
1969: NABBA Mr. Universe (Most Muscular)
1969: NABBA Mr. Universe (Short)
1969: IFBB Mr. Universe (Short)
1970: IFBB Mr. Europe (Short & Overall)
1970: AAU Mr. World (Pro Short)
1970: IFBB Mr. World (Short)
1970: IFBB Mr. Universe (Short & Overall)
1971: IFBB Mr. Universe (Short & Overall) *Disqualified for selling bodybuilding booklets - considered as a professional*
1971: IFBB Mr. World (Short & Overall)
1974 Mr. Olympia (Lightweight)
1975 Mr. Olympia (Lightweight)
1976 Mr. Olympia (Lightweight & Overall)
1981 Mr. Olympia

Powerlifting titles
Champion of Italy
Champion of Germany
Champion of Europe

World's Strongest Man competition
1977: World strongest man, 5th place (after becoming injured)

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