What are some of your favorite bodybuilding/strength sports documentaries – Off Topic

1. Pumping Iron – I’m sure this one needs no introduction, timeless classic

2. Power Unlimited – great documentary on Powerlifting, interviews with legends like Ed Coan, Kirk Karwoski and Bev Francis as well as top lifters from that time (around 2005?) Scott Mendelson and Becca Swanson to name 2. I thought it was really well done.

There is a great segment on Lee Moran making his historic 1000 squat after the collars coming off and the weights coming off on the initial attempt which was my favorite part.

3. Larger than Life – Jón Páll Sigmarsson documentary – he was a little before my time but one of the most entertaining and charismatic competitors. Great backstory and an emotional ending. Part of the documentary is in Icelandic but subtitled

4. Pulling John – never really got into arm wrestling but liked this documentary. Really got into the history of the sport and great interviews with some of the stars

5. Levantadores – great documentary on Basque sports such as stone lifting. My mother is 100% Spanish but really didn’t know anything about this sport before watching this. In Spanish but subtitled

Adding a few that are more in the strength world

1. Westside vs the world – If you dont know, then just watch it
2. Eddie Strongman – Eddie can be a little annoying but this documentary is before he got too popular.
3. Born Strong – This one follows Eddie Hall, Brian Sure an Big Z as they compete for the Arnold. Some good insights and just good to see some incredible lifting
4. The redeemed and the dominant – The Fittest on earth – This is crossfit games and is an easy watch. Incredible performances and physiques in this one. I also especially like how the whole move they talk about their being no performance enhancing drugs or at least not knowing anyone who does them, and then the third place male from Australia tests positive and gets banned for a few years. Sure goes they are all natrual

Are there any more lifting documentaries than what’s been named already? I’m sure there are a lot of vanity projects out there on social media, but I can’t think of many that have been produced as films.

Now that I’m thinking about it, the fitness industry is totally ripe for a Spinal Tap-esque mockumentary. Bodybuilding, Crossfit, powerlifting, strongman, all are very ripe for this treatment.

That is something I’d watch. You could really have some great characters, just like gyms and t-nation do.

I think a case could be made for Bigger, Stronger, Faster.

I’d watch it, but I’m not sure it could be pulled off considering the insane real-life stories.

I forgot about Bigger Stronger Faster, which might be my favorite out of every film listed. Tied with Pumping Iron at least.

The insane real-life stories and wild personalities are exactly WHY a mockumentary could be pulled off. They did it for other special interests like dog shows and Broadway musicals. Part of what makes a mockumentary work is that the characters involved in those special interests are often REALLY serious about doing things most people find ridiculous.

I suppose finding comedic actors on the caliber of the Spinal Tap guys who also have the physical attributes to play the characters would be the hard part. But it could totally work as a concept.

This series was pretty well done but only went for one season

I you are talking bodybuilding there is Total Rebuild which is the 1980 Arnie Olympia movie and also Standing Tall which is Lou Ferrigno 90’s Olympia comeback move.

Who’s the BB equivalent to Tiger King and Carol Baskins?

Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan.

Wow… what a Wikipedia journey.

Here’s what Chat GPT came up with.

Movie Pitch: “Flexed Out”

Logline: When a delusional team of eccentric bodybuilders and strength athletes sets out to conquer the wildly outrageous “Bicep Bonanza,” their outlandish training techniques and absurd personalities spiral hilariously out of control, revealing that true strength may lie in the laughter shared along the way.

Characters:

1. Max “Iron” McGuffin (played by Ronnie Coleman) – A larger-than-life former Mr. Olympia whose relentless optimism and love for exaggerated training styles (like “Extreme Belly Flop Bench Press”) lead to constant comedic failures. He fully embodies the belief that the more outrageous the method, the greater the gains.
2. Jasmine “The Titan” Trent (played by Martina Navratilova) – A retired tennis champion who switches gears to powerlifting with a passion for breaking barriers. Jasmine tackles stereotypes with her fearless attitude while attempting to teach Max about realistic training techniques amidst the chaos, using her competitive spirit to navigate their ridiculous antics.
3. Eddie “The Tofu Destroyer” Salas (played by Khalil Rountree) – A rising MMA fighter who has adopted a plant-based diet, convinced it makes him a force to be reckoned with. His outlandish training sessions include attempting to lift oversized tofu boxes while philosophizing about the “moral strength” of veganism, all while keeping up with Max’s over-the-top antics.
4. Coach Grizz (played by Lou Ferrigno) – The iconic Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno plays a boisterous coach who lives in the past with absurd old-school training tips. His motivational slogans, such as “Eat concrete, lift porridge!” provide comic backing to the team’s misadventures, as he tries desperately to uphold antiquated ideals of bodybuilding while the world evolves around him.
5. Cynthia “The Sledgehammer” Stone (played by Tia-Clair Toomey) – A CrossFit Games champion and Sledgehammer enthusiast, Cynthia is known for her no-nonsense approach and gets roped into the crew as the voice of reason. She tries to bring balance to the chaos while using her unique training techniques with sledgehammers and tire flipping, hilariously juxtaposed against the absurdity of her teammates’ methods.

Plot: “Flexed Out” follows the chaotic journey of Max and his crew as they prepare for the Bicep Bonanza — a dystopian competition featuring bizarre contests like “Obstacle Course of Doom” and “The Slingshot Arm Wrestling Challenge.” Their training methods range from Max’s absurd “Shark Week” routines (lifting weights while wearing a shark costume) to Cynthia’s intense sledgehammer workouts that end up using increasingly unconventional objects. The mockumentary style captures their outrageous escapades, from failed promo videos featuring random celebrity cameos to disastrous “team-building” retreats that lead to absurd misunderstandings and humorous tribulations. As they face the inevitable competition day filled with ridiculous stunts and awkward confrontations with their rival team, unexpected friendships and a newfound sense of camaraderie shine through the madness.

Somewhere, Ben Stiller is crying.

I think you should stick with asking Jeeves instead of Chat GPT. That wasn’t a mockumentary plot at all. All that robot did was amalgamate the cheesiest aspects of film across the last four decades, ending up a few bikinis shy of being a USA Up All Night feature I would have watched in Jr. High.

The machine responsible for generating that aberration ought to be placed in a backyard pit and blasted to smithereens with a shotgun.

“The Soul is Greater Than The World” one of the greatest lifting films ever!

Pure intensity!!!

I’d never heard of this one but looks like it’s on YouTube, will need to check it out

Yeah it’s on tube. I had it on VHS back in the day.

Two other good ones are Svend Karson – Viking Power and the 2nd Magus Samuelsson strongest arms. His first one wasn’t as good. The 2nd one him and Svend are lifting together and Svend hands him a packaged #4 CoC gripper for the cert.

I don’t see anyone mentioned Blood and Guts.