Bodybuilding in Germany
Bodybuilding in Germany has a long history that goes back to 1812, when Friedrich Ludwig Jahn started Turnverein, promoting gym-based training for muscle building. By the 1870s there were about 1,500 gymnasiums in Germany where people trained, and German competitors began to take part in international contests. In 1992, the Ms. Olympia contest in Chicago featured 20 competitors, including at least one from Germany.
The modern national body for the sport was founded in 2003 by Berend Breitenstein and soon joined the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation. Frank Guenther won the men's world championship in 2003, and Frank Kaeger won in 2007. In 2009, Sabine Streubel won the WNBF Pro World Championship in the women’s category. In 2012, the German federation switched its affiliation to the Drug Free Athletes Coalition and ended its relationship with the WNBF. National championships are tested with polygraph examinations and urine analyses for winners. Germany is part of the European Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, and its national federation is recognized by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness as the country’s official bodybuilding body.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 00:16 (CET).