Claim: Arnold Schwarzenegger was a person who built their body up with exercise.

Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one 's musculature . An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder . In professional bodybuilding , bodybuilders appear in lineups and perform specified poses -LRB- and later individual posing routines -RRB- for a panel of judges who rank the competitors based on criteria such as symmetry , muscularity , and conditioning . Bodybuilders prepare for competitions through a combination of intentional dehydration , elimination of nonessential body fat , and carbohydrate loading to achieve maximum vascularity , as well as tanning to accentuate muscular definition .   The winner of the annual IFBB Mr. Olympia contest is generally recognized as the world 's top male professional bodybuilder . The title is currently held by Phil Heath , who has won every year from 2011 to 2016 . The winner of the Women 's Physique portion of the competition is widely regarded as the world 's top female professional bodybuilder . The title is currently held by Juliana Malacarne , who has won every year since 2014 . Since 1950 , the NABBA Universe Championships have been considered the top amateur bodybuilding contests , with notable winners such as Reg Park , Lee Priest , Steve Reeves , and Arnold Schwarzenegger .