Samir Bannout
Encyclopedia
Samir Hassan Bannout is an IFBB
professional bodybuilder.
title in 1983. At that time, only 6 men had held this most prestigious title since the contest was first introduced in 1965. Many of them, obviously, held the title for several years, Bannout won it just once, a distinction shared with Mr. Olympia Chris Dickerson. Samir has appeared on the covers of many fitness and bodybuilding publications, including Strength and Health, MuscleMag International, Muscle Digest, Flex, Muscle Training Illustrated, Muscle and Fitness, Muscle Up, IronMan and Muscular Development magazines.
Samir Bannout first moved to Detroit, Michigan
, in the United States
. He competed at the amateur level and achieved IFBB pro status by winning his light-heavyweight class at the 1979 IFBB
World Amateur Championships. By this time Samir had already relocated to Santa Monica, California
. Bannout took 4th place at the 1982 Mr. Olympia contest and returned the following year to finally take home the title in 1983. The contest was held in Munich, Germany that year and the trophy awarded him is called a "Sandow" named after Eugen Sandow
.
The extreme muscular definition that Bannout was able to achieve in his lower back region helped to shape "Lebanon Cedar" when referring the shape made visible during a back pose on the competition stage.
After placing 6th at the 1984 Olympia, he was suspended for three years by the IFBB as punishment for his participation at the rival federation, WABBA's, World Championship competition.
Samir Bannout was never able to get a top six placing again at a Mr. Olympia contest despite competing at the event many more times. In 1990 he won his second IFBB pro show, the IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Invitational. His professional career lasted for 17 years.
Today Samir Bannout lives in Los Angeles, California
with his wife Randa and three children Lea, Jesse, Sergio. He was inducted to the IFBB Hall of Fame
in 2002.
| colspan = 3 align = center | Mr. Olympia
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by:
Chris Dickerson
| width = 40% align = center | First (1983)
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by:
Lee Haney
International 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 ,...
professional bodybuilder.
Biography
Known as "the Lion of Lebanon", Samir Bannout won the Mr. OlympiaMr. Olympia
Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness . Joe Weider created the contest to enable the...
title in 1983. At that time, only 6 men had held this most prestigious title since the contest was first introduced in 1965. Many of them, obviously, held the title for several years, Bannout won it just once, a distinction shared with Mr. Olympia Chris Dickerson. Samir has appeared on the covers of many fitness and bodybuilding publications, including Strength and Health, MuscleMag International, Muscle Digest, Flex, Muscle Training Illustrated, Muscle and Fitness, Muscle Up, IronMan and Muscular Development magazines.
Samir Bannout first moved to Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He competed at the amateur level and achieved IFBB pro status by winning his light-heavyweight class at the 1979 IFBB
International 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 ,...
World Amateur Championships. By this time Samir had already relocated to Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. Bannout took 4th place at the 1982 Mr. Olympia contest and returned the following year to finally take home the title in 1983. The contest was held in Munich, Germany that year and the trophy awarded him is called a "Sandow" named after Eugen Sandow
Eugen Sandow
Eugen Sandow , born Friedrich Wilhelm Müller, was a Prussian pioneering bodybuilder in the 19th century and is often referred to as the "Father of Modern Bodybuilding".-Early life:...
.
The extreme muscular definition that Bannout was able to achieve in his lower back region helped to shape "Lebanon Cedar" when referring the shape made visible during a back pose on the competition stage.
After placing 6th at the 1984 Olympia, he was suspended for three years by the IFBB as punishment for his participation at the rival federation, WABBA's, World Championship competition.
Samir Bannout was never able to get a top six placing again at a Mr. Olympia contest despite competing at the event many more times. In 1990 he won his second IFBB pro show, the IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Invitational. His professional career lasted for 17 years.
Today Samir Bannout lives in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
with his wife Randa and three children Lea, Jesse, Sergio. He was inducted to the IFBB Hall of Fame
IFBB Hall of Fame
The IFBB Hall of Fame was established in 1999 to honor outstanding athletes and officials in the sport of bodybuilding.-1999:*Carla Dunlap*Cory Everson*John Grimek*Lee Haney*Rachel McLish*Sergio Oliva*Reg Park*Bill Pearl*Steve Reeves...
in 2002.
Bodybuilding titles
- 1974 Mr. Universe, Medium Class 7th
- 1976 Mr. Universe, Middleweight 12th
- 1977 Mr. International, Middleweight 2nd
- 1978 Mr. International, Middleweight 2nd
- 1979 Best in the World, Amateur 1st
- 1979 Canada Pro Cup, N/A
- 1979 World Amateur Championships, Light Heavyweight 1st
- 1980 Grand Prix California 4th
- 1980 Grand Prix Pennsylvania 7th
- 1980 Night of Champions 10th
- 1980 Mr. OlympiaMr. OlympiaMr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness . Joe Weider created the contest to enable the...
15th - 1980 Pittsburgh Pro Invitational N/A
- 1981 Grand Prix California 7th
- 1981 Grand Prix New England 6th
- 1981 Night of ChampionsNight of ChampionsNight of Champions is a bodybuilding contest held every year in New York City, USA. It began in 1978 and is considered one of the top professional bodybuilding events, with the top five finalists qualifying for the Mr. Olympia contest....
10th - 1981 Mr. Olympia 9th
- 1982 Grand Prix Sweden 2nd
- 1982 Mr. Olympia 4th
- 1983 Mr. Olympia 1st
- 1984 Canada Pro Cup 5th
- 1984 Mr. Olympia 6th
- 1984 World Grand Prix 5th
- 1985 WABBA World Championship 1st
- 1986 WABBA World Championship 1st
- 1988 Grand Prix England 10th
- 1988 Grand Prix Italy 9th
- 1988 Mr. Olympia 8th
- 1989 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic 4th
- 1989 Grand Prix Finland 6th
- 1989 Grand Prix France 8th
- 1989 Grand Prix Germany 5th
- 1989 Grand Prix Holland 5th
- 1989 Grand Prix Spain 5th
- 1989 Grand Prix Spain (2nd) 5th
- 1989 Grand Prix Sweden 3rd
- 1989 Mr. Olympia 9th
- 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Disqualified
- 1990 Grand Prix England 6th
- 1990 Grand Prix Finland 5th
- 1990 Grand Prix Italy 6th
- 1990 Houston Pro Invitational 3rd
- 1990 Mr. Olympia 8th
- 1990 Pittsburgh Pro Invitational 1st
- 1990 NABBA World Championships Professional 2nd
- 1991 Mr. Olympia N/A
- 1992 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic N/A
- 1992 Grand Prix Germany 11th
- 1992 Mr. Olympia 16th
- 1993 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic 13th
- 1993 Ironman Pro Invitational 13th
- 1993 San Jose Pro Invitational 10th
- 1994 Grand Prix England 14th
- 1994 Grand Prix Germany 13th
- 1994 Grand Prix Italy 12th
- 1994 Grand Prix Spain 12th
- 1994 Mr. Olympia 19th
- 1996 Masters Mr. Olympia 6th
See also
- Mohammad BannoutMohammad BannoutMohammad Ali Bannout , informally referred to as Moe Bannout, is a Lebanese IFBB professional bodybuilder...
- List of male professional bodybuilders
- List of female professional bodybuilders
- Mr. OlympiaMr. OlympiaMr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness . Joe Weider created the contest to enable the...
- Arnold ClassicArnold ClassicThe Arnold Classic, renamed Arnold Fitness Weekend, is an annual bodybuilding competition, named after Arnold Schwarzenegger. It takes place in late February or early March in Columbus, Ohio, United States.-History:...
- Ironman Pro InvitationalIronman Pro InvitationalThe Ironman Pro Invitational is a IFBB bodybuilding contest held every year. It began in 1990 and is considered one of the top professional bodybuilding events, with the top five finalists qualifying for the Mr. Olympia contest....
- Night of ChampionsNight of ChampionsNight of Champions is a bodybuilding contest held every year in New York City, USA. It began in 1978 and is considered one of the top professional bodybuilding events, with the top five finalists qualifying for the Mr. Olympia contest....
External links
- Samir Bannout Official Website
- Samir Bannout Bodybuilding Gallery
- MuscleSport Radio interview with Joe Pietaro, 11/25/08
| colspan = 3 align = center | Mr. Olympia
Mr. Olympia
Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness . Joe Weider created the contest to enable the...
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by:
Chris Dickerson
| width = 40% align = center | First (1983)
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by:
Lee Haney
Lee Haney
Lee Haney , is a former American IFBB professional bodybuilder most famous for being the current joint record holder, along with Ronnie Coleman, for winning the most Mr...