OBIT

Bodybuilder Joe Weider Dies

Mentor to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Joe Weider, the bodybuilding pioneer who once mentored a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, died Saturday in Los Angeles, his family confirmed. He was 93. The cause of death was heart failure. Weider popularized the sport of bodybuilding worldwide with a dedication that many likened to religious fervor. Born in poverty, Weider began lifting weights when facing threats from around the neighborhood and later became obsessed with bodybuilding. In 1946, he and his brother hosted the first Mr. Canada contest and he created the Mr. Olympia competition in 1965. Weider discovered Schwarzenegger in the 1960s, teaching him about the business while also using his image to promote the sport and eventually paying for Schwarzenegger to come to the U.S. in 1972.