PHOTOS: 25 vintage pics of male bodybuilders that’ll have you thirsting for protein

Bodybuilding is nothing new. In fact, it’s ancient. Like, it goes all the way back to ancient Greece. Back to a time when the Greeks had a humanist belief system, aka an obsession with physical beauty and athleticism. Believing that the perfect body was godly, Greeks used giant rocks, logs, and even animals as their gym equipment. The belief even went so deep that they decided to put pecs and abs on their armor. 

Fast forward to the late 19th century. Not only were European strongmen still bodybuilding, but they were also stepping it up at the circus. How? By bending perfectly good frying pans, lifting elephants for fun, and casually having a car full of people run them over. Competition was in the air for these beefcakes, and modern-ish bodybuilding was born.

These days, bodybuilding competitions look a little different. Competitors will line up and strike specific poses for a panel of judges. The oiled-up hulks are then ranked on symmetry, muscularity, size, conditioning, posing, and stage presents. And to PETA’s relief, not picking up large animals.

So, start gawking at some stongmen and get ready for some vintage muscle worship.