joe weider

In 1947, Joe and Ben had to move their base of operations from Montreal, Quebec, Canada to New Jersey. The move was a result of increased publishing and distribution which was much easier to accomplish so close to New York City.

In 1946, Ben and Joe founded the International Federation of Body Builders. Now the federation has affiliates in over 170 countries worldwide. Ben Weider, Joe’s brother, was the president of the federation from 1946 to 2006.

Upon realizing that there were no national body-building competitions in Canada, Joe and Ben created their first national body-building competition, “Mr. Canada.”

In October 1945, the first “Muscle Power” was published. It featured JackLaLanne on the front cover. Pictured is an early issue featuring Reg Park.

In March 1941, “Your Physique” appeared on newsstands for the first time.

In August 1940, when he was only 17, Joe published his first fitness magazine entitled, “Your Physique.” In the first issue, Joe wrote his own editorial, “Vitamins for the Body-builder.”

Joe began lifting weights as a teenager in Quebec as a way to defend himself against being bullied. He soon began competing in body-building competitions and from there fell in love with the little known sport.