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528 Chama, N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87108 http://www.cbass.com |
From The Desk Of Clarence Bass
By Clarence and Carol Bass
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Remembering John Grimek
Grimek featured on the cover of Strength and Health magazine, September 1945
As I was waking up this morning I had a flashback of my first encounter with John Grimek. I was about 17.
It occurred to me than some of our visitors will have never heard of John Grimek. That gives me an excuse to review--and expand-- the piece Father Jim Schwertley and I collaborated on to begin our Personalities category.
It's a captivating piece. True bodybuilding history.
You will want to read it, even if you remember reading it before: https://cbass.com/GRIMEK.HTM
As a short overview, Grimek was active in bodybuilding in the 1930s and 1940s, winning Mr. America in 1940 and 1941, and bringing about the rule that you can only be Mr. America once. They feared that he would keep on winning indefinitely - he was that good. He also won the Mr. Universe title in 1936.
He also competed as an Olympic weightlifter, representing the United States in Olympic weightlifting at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where he took 9th place in the heavyweight category.
This dual mastery is rare even today and is why he is called the "definition of strength and physique," and the "Monarch of Muscledom." His Olympic lifting resulted in power and density, and the flexibility that he gained by doing gymnastic movements and stretching contributed to his legendry posing ability as a bodybuilder. (Tommy Kono, in a different era also did both, with his greatest fame as an Olympic lifter.)
Grimek won his last contest in 1949, the A.A.U. Mr. USA, against a field that included Steve Reeves (of the golden ratio proportions), Clarence Ross (one of the most refined physiques of the 1940s), George Eiferman (broad shoulders, full chest, balanced physique), and Armand Tanny (the rugged "Muscle Beach" look). The cream of the crop.
He retired from bodybuilding undefeated.
After joining Bob Hoffman (the founder of the York Barbell company) in York, Pennsylvania he became the face of York Barbell.
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Grimek trained three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). He was one of the first to use the 3x10 rep training protocol. He advised taking between 45 seconds and 1 minute between sets, with all reps slow and controlled with good form.
This training advice wasn't in our original piece, but I thought it was of interest (Wikipedia).
* * * As you would expect, Grimek was featured in many bodybuilding articles. I don't remember him being in the Weider publications, but I'll bet that he was there from time to time.
He continued to train after his retirement, and was still squatting with over 400 pounds for reps in his late 60s.
He passed away on November 20, 1998, in York, Pennsylvania. He was 88.
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That brings me to what I remember about being introduced to Grimek by John Terpak. Grimek never looked up, just continued typing. He held up his hand and kept typing with his other hand.
I don't hold that against him. He was busy and probably tired of being bugged by visitor "nobodies" - kids like me - when he was busy writing a letter or article for York.
He was very friendly in the gym later on, telling us that he remembered coming over the mountain from the west and seeing Albuquerque laid out before him.
He more than made up for it later by calling me "Clancy Ripped."
It is my pleasure to know that the "Monarch of Muscledom" looked on me as a colleague and friend.
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John Grimek will live on in the hearts and minds of bodybuilders everywhere.
Clancy Ripped
PS: John Grimek was, like no else, the human trademark of York.
February 1, 2026
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