Ed Corney
Encyclopedia
Ed Corney is an American
former professional bodybuilder
.
Mr. America
, IFBB Universe, IFBB Masters Olympia
60+ (twice) and is a member of the IFBB Hall of Fame.
In 1950, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard
and, after serving in New York City, moved out to California. It was there that he met bodybuilder Millard Williamson, who encouraged him to begin weight training.
At 160 pounds and age 33 (which is a very late age to begin bodybuilding), Corney entered and won his first contest in 1967, the Mr. Fremont, held in Northern California. His wins the following year included Mr. Heart of California, Mr. Northern California and Mr. Golden West.
He continued to climb the bodybuilding ladder with impressive wins at the 1970 Iron Man, the 1971 AAU
Mr. California, the 1971 IFBB Mr. USA, the 1972 IFBB Mr. America and the 1972 IFBB Mr. Universe
that was held in Baghdad, Iraq.
Corney achieved even broader public recognition as a result of his appearance in both the book and movie versions of Pumping Iron
. He was pictured on the cover of the book and on the posters for the movie. In the film we see him not only training alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger
with an absolutely mind-numbing intensity, but also flowing flawlessly from one of his classic and unique poses to the next as Arnold comments, "Now that's what I call posing."
Corney's pioneering posing transitions distinguished him from his peers at the time, and his incredible stage performances are still revered and imitated to this day.
In 1994 Corney returned to competition. He won the 60+ division of the Masters Olympia
in both 1994 and 1995, placed 11th overall in 1996 and took second in the 60+ division in 1997. He also competed in 1998 in the only Masters event ever to be held at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic.
Corney remains very active in the sport to this day. In 1999 he suffered a heart attack while undergoing shoulder replacement surgery. A blood thinning medication that was given to him to treat the heart attack caused him to suffer two strokes. After a short period in a coma and some time using a wheelchair, Corney fought his way back to health. The wheelchair is now gone, donated to a worthy local charity, and Corney is back at the gym seven days a week. He is a fixture at various annual bodybuilding events like the Mr. Olympia Expo and the Arnold Classic Expo, and he continues to counsel young athletes through personal training sessions near his Central California home and public lectures.
Mr California - AAU, 5th
Mr Northern California - AAU, Winner
1969
Mr Western America - AAU, Winner
1970
Mr America - AAU, 11th
Mr California - AAU, Most Muscular, 2nd
Mr California - AAU, Did not place
Iron Man, Winner
1971
Mr America - AAU, 4th
Mr America - IFBB, Short, 1st
Mr California - AAU, Most Muscular, 1st
Mr California - AAU, Winner
Mr USA - IFBB, Short, 1st
Mr USA - IFBB, Overall Winner
Universe - IFBB, Medium, 3rd
1972
Mr America - IFBB, Short, 1st
Mr America - IFBB, Overall Winner
Mr International - IFBB, Short, 1st
Universe - IFBB, Medium, 1st
Universe - IFBB, Overall Winner
1973
Mr World - IFBB, Medium, 1st
1974
Mr International - IFBB, Short, 1st
Mr World - IFBB, Short, 1st
1975
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd
Universe - Pro - IFBB, 2nd
World Pro Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd
1976
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 3rd
1977
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd
Olympia - IFBB, 3rd
1978
Night of Champions - IFBB, 4th
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 4th
Olympia - IFBB, 7th
1979
Canada Pro Cup - IFBB, Did not place
Florida Pro Invitational - IFBB, 7th
Grand Prix Pennsylvania - IFBB, Did not place
Night of Champions - IFBB, 8th
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 9th
Pittsburgh Pro Invitational - IFBB, 8th
Universe - Pro - IFBB, 5th
World Pro Championships - IFBB, 5th
1980
Grand Prix Miami - IFBB, 6th
Grand Prix Pennsylvania - IFBB, 6th
Night of Champions - IFBB, 4th
Olympia - IFBB, 11th
Pittsburgh Pro Invitational - IFBB, 6th
Universe - Pro - IFBB, Did not place
World Pro Championships - IFBB, Did not place
1981
Olympia - IFBB, 13th
1983
Olympia - IFBB, 14th
1989
Super Bowl of Bodybuilding - PBA, 4th
1994
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, Masters 60+, 1st
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, 10th
1995
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, Masters 60+, 1st
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, 11th
1996
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, 11th
1997
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, Masters 60+, 2nd
1998
Arnold Classic - IFBB, Masters, 10th
2004
IFBB Hall Of Fame
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional bodybuilder
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
.
Bodybuilding career
Ed Corney is a legendary bodybuilder from the Golden Age of bodybuilding and is widely regarded as the greatest poser that the sport has ever known. He has won the IFBBInternational Federation of BodyBuilders
The International Federation of BodyBuilders is a competitive bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by brothers Ben and Joe Weider and is the highest level of competitive bodybuilding in the world. Currently, the IFBB consists of seven different sub-divisions for different competitors ,...
Mr. America
IFBB Mr. America
IFBB Mr. America was a bodybuilding contest organised by the International Federation of BodyBuilders . It was first held in 1949 and in direct competition with the AAU Mr. America...
, IFBB Universe, IFBB Masters Olympia
Masters Olympia
The Masters Olympia was an international bodybuilding competition which was held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilders . The competition was created by Joe Weider in 1994 as a venue for former champions to continue to compete at the highest professional level into their later...
60+ (twice) and is a member of the IFBB Hall of Fame.
In 1950, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
and, after serving in New York City, moved out to California. It was there that he met bodybuilder Millard Williamson, who encouraged him to begin weight training.
At 160 pounds and age 33 (which is a very late age to begin bodybuilding), Corney entered and won his first contest in 1967, the Mr. Fremont, held in Northern California. His wins the following year included Mr. Heart of California, Mr. Northern California and Mr. Golden West.
He continued to climb the bodybuilding ladder with impressive wins at the 1970 Iron Man, the 1971 AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
Mr. California, the 1971 IFBB Mr. USA, the 1972 IFBB Mr. America and the 1972 IFBB Mr. Universe
World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships
The World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships is a male bodybuilding contest organised by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness and first held in 1959. The name was changed in 1976 to avoid confusion with the NABBA Mr...
that was held in Baghdad, Iraq.
Corney achieved even broader public recognition as a result of his appearance in both the book and movie versions of Pumping Iron
Pumping Iron
Pumping Iron is a 1977 docudrama about the world of bodybuilding, focusing on the 1975 IFBB Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia competitions and the 100 days leading up to them. The film was inspired by a book of the same name, written by Charles Gaines and George Butler...
. He was pictured on the cover of the book and on the posters for the movie. In the film we see him not only training alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
with an absolutely mind-numbing intensity, but also flowing flawlessly from one of his classic and unique poses to the next as Arnold comments, "Now that's what I call posing."
Corney's pioneering posing transitions distinguished him from his peers at the time, and his incredible stage performances are still revered and imitated to this day.
In 1994 Corney returned to competition. He won the 60+ division of the Masters Olympia
Masters Olympia
The Masters Olympia was an international bodybuilding competition which was held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilders . The competition was created by Joe Weider in 1994 as a venue for former champions to continue to compete at the highest professional level into their later...
in both 1994 and 1995, placed 11th overall in 1996 and took second in the 60+ division in 1997. He also competed in 1998 in the only Masters event ever to be held at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic.
Corney remains very active in the sport to this day. In 1999 he suffered a heart attack while undergoing shoulder replacement surgery. A blood thinning medication that was given to him to treat the heart attack caused him to suffer two strokes. After a short period in a coma and some time using a wheelchair, Corney fought his way back to health. The wheelchair is now gone, donated to a worthy local charity, and Corney is back at the gym seven days a week. He is a fixture at various annual bodybuilding events like the Mr. Olympia Expo and the Arnold Classic Expo, and he continues to counsel young athletes through personal training sessions near his Central California home and public lectures.
History of Competition Titles Won
1968Mr California - AAU, 5th
Mr Northern California - AAU, Winner
1969
Mr Western America - AAU, Winner
1970
Mr America - AAU, 11th
Mr California - AAU, Most Muscular, 2nd
Mr California - AAU, Did not place
Iron Man, Winner
1971
Mr America - AAU, 4th
Mr America - IFBB, Short, 1st
Mr California - AAU, Most Muscular, 1st
Mr California - AAU, Winner
Mr USA - IFBB, Short, 1st
Mr USA - IFBB, Overall Winner
Universe - IFBB, Medium, 3rd
1972
Mr America - IFBB, Short, 1st
Mr America - IFBB, Overall Winner
Mr International - IFBB, Short, 1st
Universe - IFBB, Medium, 1st
Universe - IFBB, Overall Winner
1973
Mr World - IFBB, Medium, 1st
1974
Mr International - IFBB, Short, 1st
Mr World - IFBB, Short, 1st
1975
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd
Universe - Pro - IFBB, 2nd
World Pro Championships - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd
1976
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 3rd
1977
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 2nd
Olympia - IFBB, 3rd
1978
Night of Champions - IFBB, 4th
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 4th
Olympia - IFBB, 7th
1979
Canada Pro Cup - IFBB, Did not place
Florida Pro Invitational - IFBB, 7th
Grand Prix Pennsylvania - IFBB, Did not place
Night of Champions - IFBB, 8th
Olympia - IFBB, LightWeight, 9th
Pittsburgh Pro Invitational - IFBB, 8th
Universe - Pro - IFBB, 5th
World Pro Championships - IFBB, 5th
1980
Grand Prix Miami - IFBB, 6th
Grand Prix Pennsylvania - IFBB, 6th
Night of Champions - IFBB, 4th
Olympia - IFBB, 11th
Pittsburgh Pro Invitational - IFBB, 6th
Universe - Pro - IFBB, Did not place
World Pro Championships - IFBB, Did not place
1981
Olympia - IFBB, 13th
1983
Olympia - IFBB, 14th
1989
Super Bowl of Bodybuilding - PBA, 4th
1994
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, Masters 60+, 1st
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, 10th
1995
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, Masters 60+, 1st
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, 11th
1996
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, 11th
1997
Olympia - Masters - IFBB, Masters 60+, 2nd
1998
Arnold Classic - IFBB, Masters, 10th
2004
IFBB Hall Of Fame
See also
- List of male professional bodybuilders
- List of female professional bodybuilders
- List of people from Hawaii
External links
- Ed Corney's Official Web Site
- photographic listing of Masters Olympia winners
- Ed Corney's Scenes in Pumping Iron
Further reading
- Gaines, Charles. Pumping iron: the art and sport of bodybuilding. Photos by George Butler. Designed by Martin Stephen Moskof. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974. ISBN 0-671-21922-7.
- Kight, Pete. (1978, February/March). Ed Corney. Muscle Digest. 2(1), pp. 50-52, 54.