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Bill Pearl (1930-2022) was a five-time Mr. Universe winner and a vegetarian expert on weight training. He wrote books, gave exhibitions, and mentored other bodybuilders, but died after a mower accident.
Aug 3, 2023 · Bill Pearl, who won four NABBA Mr. Universe titles and trained many champions, passed away at 91 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was inspired by Pearl, paid tribute to him on Instagram.
- Bill Pearl: Bodybuilding Beginnings
- Mr. Universe
- Bill Pearl & Mr. Olympia
- Post-Competition
Of Native American ancestry, Bill Pearl was born on an Indian reservation in Oregon on October 31, 1930. He grew up in Yakima, Washington, where his dad owned a restaurant. “We all helped out; it was kind of a family affair. Every day after school I’d lug 100-pound bags of grain and beans over and over, and that eventually built up my endurance,” h...
Pearl entered two San Diego area bodybuilding contests in 1952, winning one. Then in 1953, the year he turned 23, he won, in order, Mr. Southern California, Mr. California, Mr. America, and Mr. Universe. Bill Pearl had only just begun and already he’d conquered the world of bodybuilding. “No one was more shocked than I was,” Pearl remembered of the...
Bill Pearl never competed in the Mr. Olympia, nor in Joe Weider’s IFBB federation. He could make a good argument that the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe (in a Europe-based federation) was the superior contest in the 1960s, at least until Sergio Oliva and Arnold Schwarzenegger first faced off in the 1969 Mr. Olympia—and maybe not even then if you listened t...
Bill Pearl downsized his gym business. He moved to Los Angeles and focused on one gym, first a trailblazing bodybuilding place he purchased in southern-central Los Angeles and later a health club in Pasadena. He also traveled the world, guest-posing and performing strength feats like blowing up hot water bottles until they burst, spike bending, and...
Sep 15, 2022 · Bill Pearl, who won three Mr. Universe titles and mentored many champions, passed away on Sept. 14, 2022. He was a fitness author and a recipient of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sep 14, 2022 · Bill Pearl, a four-time Mr. Universe winner and the "World's Best-Built Man of the Century", passed away peacefully in his home, according to his wife. He was a mentor, trainer, and author who influenced many bodybuilding legends, including Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Sep 16, 2022 · Bill Pearl was a four-time Mr. Universe champion and a fitness icon who inspired many bodybuilders. He died on September 14, 2022, and received tributes from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Josh Bryant and others.
The four-time Mr. Universe winner and author passed away on Sept. 14, 2022, after struggling with Parkinson’s Disease and a lawn mower accident. He inspired generations of bodybuilders and fans with his passion and contributions to the sport.
