Modest men rarely let their height hold them back from being great, and bodybuilding is no exception.
There’s a common misconception about short men and weightlifting – the two aren’t compatible. The reality is the opposite, and it’s even possible that shorter men might have an advantage when it comes to pumping iron.
In fact, men of modest height have been some of the best bodybuilders in the industry for years; and they show absolutely no signs of slowing down.
Note: Want to start lifting? This strength training guide will help!
Here are a few of them to look to for inspiration (if you’re into that sorta thing).
1. James “Flex” Lewis
5’5.5″
Flex Lewis has been lifting weights seriously since he was 15 years old. He was also a semi-professional Rugby player in his native Wales, where is his ability to avoid tackles landed him the “flex” nickname.
Lewis is a six time winner of the Mr. Olympia 212, which (according to some) makes him pretty much the best modest bodybuilder there is.
2. Lee Priest
5’4″
Lee Priest, originally hailing from Australia, started even younger than Flex Lewis – he won his first competition at the age of 13! In the midst of a successful bodybuilding career, Priest did a bunch of other cool stuff too.
He’s a racing enthusiast who’s won Rookie of The Year (2005) and the SCEDA Racing Championship in Lancaster, CA. Priest also helped with the bodywork for the movie “The Hulk,” and made an appearance in a local Australian TV show.
And if that wasn’t enough, he’s also a contributor and columnist for MuscleSport Magazine. I wonder when he has time to exercise…
3. Mohammed “Momo” Benaziza
5’3″
Heading back into last century, Benaziza was born in Algeria in 1959. He led a tragically short career, ended by what was believed to be a lethal injection from a friend who promised to speed up his preparation for an upcoming contest.
At his peak, he placed 5th in 1992’s Mr. Olympia competition.
4. Danny Padilla
5’2″
Padilla is nothing short of a rockstar. He’s been training since the age of 7, and was born in Rochester (NY FTW!).
After some initial hardships, Danny went on to become one of the only two men in history IFBB (International Federation of Body Builders) Mr. Universe and Mr. America in the same year.
5. Franco Columbu
5’5″
Like Lee Priest, Franco Columbu was a lot more than just a bodybuilder. In addition to an early boxing career, Colombu has appeared in more than 20 different movies and TV shows, including The Terminator.
He’s also a qualified chiropractor and was appointed to the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners by his friend Arnold Schwarzenegger.
6. Shawn Ray
5’5″
Ray competed during three different decades throughout his bodybuilding career, and placed in the top 5 in every single Mr. Olympia contest from 1990 – 2001 (!).
Shawn has also been active in the media space, co-hosting bodybuilding competitions on ESPN working with a number of media companies as an analyst and commentator.
7. Alexey Lesukov
5’7″
Alexey continues our streak of impressive bodybuilders who excel at other activities.
Born in Russia in 1988, Lesukov graduated from music school and plays the piano. He’s also an avid dancer, and apparently break-danced with a European champion recently. Who knew?!
8. Flavio Baccianini
4’11”
The first on our list to stand below 5″, Baccianini is an accomplished Italian lifter and actor.
He competed and placed all the way from 1983 to 2008, often placing in the top 5.
9. Choon Tan
4’10”
In addition to being the smallest competing weightlifter in the UK, Choon Tan is a promoter, but a self proclaimed lightweight.
He grew up with a rare condition that stunted his growth growing up, but didn’t let it limit him at all. In his words, Tan focuses on things that he can control and doesn’t worry about the other stuff.
10. Aditya “Romeo” Dev
2’9″
Dev has been (informally) recognized as the world’s smallest bodybuilder.
He was a frequent TV guest to showcase his dancing skills, but unfortunately passed away in 2012 from a brain aneurysm rupture.
11. Tom Platz
5’8″
One of the only Americans on this list, Tom was a prolific competitor in bodybuilding competitions.
He won first place in the IFBB Mr. Universe competition in 1980, and boasts Master’s degrees in Fitness Science and Business Administration.
12. Jose “The Boston Mass” Raymond
5’4″
According to Team BPI, Jose “remains the only bodybuilder in history to win both the National and USA title in three different weight classes (light, welter and middle).”
Although Raymond has never won the Mr. Olympia title, he’s still considered one of the best around.
Conclusion
Being a man of modest height does not hold you back from being a great athlete, or in our case a great bodybuilder.
The modest men featured in this article compete at the highest echelons of competition, and have broad interests ranging from film to dance and journalism.
So if you’re thinking about getting started with an exercise routine – know that the only thing holding you back is yourself.
Who did we miss? Leave a comment below!
I think Dexter Jackson should have been included. He was a Mr O one year as well and is about 5 foot 6 or so.
Jimmy Canyon
Regarding FLAVIO BACCIANINI: I think we just found our new MCU Wolverine.
Mohamed El makkawy is 5″3 (160cm) he is don’t in the list
Freddie Ortiz??
Don’t forget John Citrone
CANNOT leave out Lee Labrada and Mohamed Makkawy
Lee Labrada and Steve Brisbois
Danny Padilla totally awesome from the 70’s and 80’s.
Freddy Ortiz
Well written and to the point. I appreciate the detail in this article!
Don’t forget the great Indian body builder Mr. Manohar Aich. He was just 1.5 m and was given the name of “Pocket Hercules”.
Jack Lalanne!
I can’t believe you left out one of the best bodybuilders in the 90s competing against Lee Haney.
Shout out to all my short body building beats mofckas!!!
I believe a nice-looking, well defined body should be the result and not the primary purpose of any physical activity. Also, appearance shall never override health and yes, I fully agree with Matt, supplements can be harmful over time.
Having said that, if men of modest height want to appear taller, it is a great asset to develop a slim waist and large shoulders: this V-shape will boost the tapered look our clothes give us. A good gym coach can show you the according exercises.
As far as I am concerned, rather than just lifting weights, I favor dynamic exercises like Kettlebell-Swings or working out on a power rack while standing on a balance board or rubber mat. Just for fun, do some squats while standing on an upside-down Bosu ball! This really improves my sense of balance (which makes me feel more confident on many occasions). The other benefit is that it develops not just one but a variety of muscles with just one exercise (including deep tissue muscles which you would not reach otherwise).
Though I am 46 with some mild scoliosis, I don´t suffer any back pain and my posture is a lot better, as long as I keep working out once to twice a week (I do some running and kickboxing otherwise, also did some horseback riding in the past). But this is nothing compared to another 5´5 guy in our gym: he is 92, i.e twice my age and what he still does really blows me away! Should I mention that this guy has overcome WWII injuries as well as the passing of his wife of 60 years and he still rocks? They should have made the movie “Little big man” about him!
Who cares about your opinions. Blah blah blah…..waste of my oxygen.
I am not sure if most of us would want to aim for the kind of bodybuilding presented by these athletes as having quite some background myself in Kinesiology many of these athletes could not look like they do without taking perfomance enhancing substances which I am sure we want to avoid.
Being short does not mean we should avoid hitting the gym and as Brock points out there are lots of advantages being short. As we have less mass the say a guy of 5’11” it takes less time to develop muscle.
I am 5’5″, weigh 140lbs and around 15% body fat and have been working out since the early 90s. If I go a couple of days without hitting the gym I feel it so I encourage you to include working out into your
lifestyle. In fact my mantra is build my lifestyle around diet and exercise ( in that order). Happy to offer any tips especially if you are unsure about getting started.
Same thoughts. It would be better if he posted natural body builders instead. I am currently trying to solidify a consistent workout regimen after intermittent training over 1 year. How do you best stay consistent and have the willpower to diet and push yourself daily?
In my younger days, Franco Columbu was my role model. As I’ve gotten older (63 years), I started to concentrate more on body weight exercises (e.g., pull-ups, TRX). I still go to the gym 6 days a week, but avoid heavy lifting because it’s too hard on my old joints. Since I’m no longer bulking up, I’ve lost 30 pounds and now look more like a gymnast. The downside is that all my old clothes no longer fit.
I recommend everyone to check out outalpha.com
I am currently running his novice program, and it is phenomenal! Overall strength and conditioning program, awesome stuff.
He is a fellow modest man, 5’5 or 5’6, but strong as hell.
Josh Bridges, not a bodybuilder but elite Crossfit athlete! I think he’s around 5ft 4, in fact the optimal height for Crossfit is around 5ft 8. So not really land of the Giants
If lifting is something you’ve just gotten into, I’d be more interested in hearing about your experiences with it, mental hurdles, issues, routines etc. And the eventual pain of having to redo all the custom shirt and suit measurements lol.
Don’t forget Jack Lalanne, who had a health/exercise television show for decades. He also performed amazing feats of strength well into his 80’s.
Jack was a towering 5’6”.