Background
Grimek was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the son of Slovak immigrants George and Maria Grimek, peasants from the village Ústie nad Oravou in western Slovakia.
Grimek was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the son of Slovak immigrants George and Maria Grimek, peasants from the village Ústie nad Oravou in western Slovakia.
Throughout his career he carried the nicknames "The Monarch of Muscledom" and "The Glow." Besides his bodybuilding exploits, in which he was never defeated, Grimek also represented the United States in weightlifting at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. In 1948, at 38 years of age, Grimek defeated Steve Reeves at the NABBA Mr. Universe contest in London.
He retired from bodybuilding undefeated.
John was featured in many bodybuilding articles and magazines, as well as being photographed in bodybuilding magazines. Despite his retirement, Grimek continued serious training for many years, and was still able to perform squats with over 400 pounds for repetitions in his late 60s.
Grimek died in York, Pennsylvania. He was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 1999.
1939 York Perfect Manitoba 1946 Most Muscular Manitoba In United States of America The following measurements are from 1940/1941: Height: 5"8½" Weight: 195 lbs.
Neck: 17 inches Arm: 17.5 inches Forearm: 14 inches Chest: 47 inches Waist: 31 inches Thigh: 25 inches Calf: 17 inches Wrist: 8 inches Ankle: 9.8 inches.