# Happy Birthday to Ed Corney!



## Curt James (Nov 9, 2011)

Ed Corney is widely regarded as the greatest poser that the sport of bodybuilding has ever known. Ed won the IFBB Mr. America, IFBB Mr. Universe, IFBB Masters over 60 Olympia (twice) and is a member of the IFBB Hall of Fame. 

As a classic bodybuilder of the Golden Age, he continues to serve as both a spokesman and ambassador for the sport.  *Ed was born November 9, 1933 in Hawaii. *





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In 1950, he enlisted in the U.S. 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, 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.  

Ed 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 Ed not only *training along side 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".  





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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. *






Pumping Iron - The Movie: a huge step forward in Ed Corney's public recognition:  *"It was after I took the Universe title in Bagdhad," he said,"that Arnold Schwarzenegger talked me into turning professional and competing in the 1975 Mr. Olympia contest that was staged in Pretoria, South Africa. 






My performance there was fair I suppose. I placed second to Franco Columbo in the under 200 pounds class. . . But I learned a lot about myself in that contest. "I never dwell on negatives. Right after the results of the contest were announced, I made up my mind to do much better next time around. 






My concentration is such that defeatism doesn't stand a chance. I have a very strong mind."  He admits Pumping Iron, the book and the movie, did much for his self-confidence. Which is not surprising when you consider a picture of him with his arms raised overhead decorates the cover of "the best-selling sports book in history." 

Besides, when it came to publicising the movie it was Corney who was again called upon to model for posters. "When Frank Zane, Arnold and I appeared at the Whitney Museum of Art in New York," he says with due pride, "it was my picture that was used to advertise the symposium. All of it has helped get my name before the general public and I have benefitted from the publicity.  "His appearance in the 1976 Mr. Olympia contest was strictly forgettable, nevertheless. He offers an explanation: "I completely mistimed my training for that one," he says, caressing his thick mustache with his right forefinger. 






"I peaked out too early for that contest. It's something many fellows do, a mistake, and you'd think with my experience I would know better. But we are all susceptible. I was so damn confident after my placing in South Africa, people were paying me all kinds of nice compliments, I was doing a lot of personal appearances and there were the standing ovations everywhere I appeared. Yes, I lost my head, lost sight of my goal. . . blew the whole damn thing." But Corney being Corney, there was no time for tears or regret or blaming it all on crazy judges. No, the day after the 1976 Mr. Olympia Ed took himself to a quiet place to meditate, to contemplate his bodybuilding future, consider where he might have gone wrong. *

Ed Corney: Comes back stronger and sharper for the ' 77 Olympia - his positive philosophy pulls him through:  *Corney took stock of himself, you might say. He made radical changes! For the 1977 Mr. Olympia contest Ed Corney turned up weighing 174 pounds, three pounds lighter than he was the year before. "But I was bigger than ever before," he says, eyes alight with the glow of achievement, of satisfaction. "I was much sharper, my definition was so much better. I really though I'd have done better in that contest. But you listen to what the judges have to say at the end of the day and you abide by it. That's the name of the game. It's the way things are and you try to play by the rules or get out. I'll be back in '78 better than ever. You wait and see!"  

Ed Corney is no spring chicken. He has been married four times, has an 18-year-old daughter has been bodybuilding close to twenty-five years. Still the matter of age never enters his mind."People are always saying how fantastic I look at forty-five and I sometimes wonder what the hell they expect. 






I feel great, as I have al ways felt. My energy is not as good as it was when I was nineteen or twenty, but then at my age I don't do the crazy things I did back then either. . . I don't need that kind of energy anymore. My energy comes from my head these days. . ." And he laughed.

Bodybuilding is more than just sport to Ed Corney. For awhile now it has been synonymous with his existence. Hear him: "It has been good for my mind and body. Bodybuilding has also been my saviour. Kept me out of trouble."I remember once that I lost my cool, something to do witha bad marriage. Hey, I was going to do something really desperate. But then I got a grip on myself, decided I was going to put my everything into bodybuilding, you know, I set myself some new bodybuilding goals. . . so as to occupy my time, my energies. 

Well, I was able to put the negative stuff out of my system."  I told him something Ken Waller had said right after the 1977 Mr. Olympia contest. Ken had expressed the view that the contest had been watered down to the point where it was no longer the true test of a man's status in bodybuilding, not in the sense of having the best developed physique. 

The way Waller saw it, the Olympia was little more than a popularity contest nowadays.

Corney considered the view. Then he said, "Well, Kenny is entitled to think whatever the hell he likes. But I hope he's not thinking about the reaction to my posing. I did not have any of the magazine publicity that he and the others out there in Southern California got each month. In fact,for a whole year nothing whatever was written about me. It never bothered me, however. I just made up my mind I was going to be in the greatest possible condition and then I'd leave the rest to the judges. I should point out that publicity is fine only if you can live up to it on the day of the big contest. Obviously, some people can't do that!"*

Ed Corney | Bodybuilding champion's official website: Classic bodybuilder of the golden age. IFBB Pro Masters Olympia, Mr. Universe, Mr. USA and Mr. America winner | Pumping Iron posing legend & muscle man.*


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## markeemark85 (Nov 11, 2011)

Happy B day


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