Friday, November 4, 2011

Top Muscular Man - Bertil Fox, British former IFBB professional bodybuilder

Bertil Fox (born November 9, 1951) on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Kitts is a British former IFBB professional bodybuilder. Fox immigrated to London, England, with his family when he was only one year old. He then moved to Northampton. He did not return to St. Kitts for more than 40 years. He once said, "I'm 100% British. I think, I act and talk like an Englishman, not like someone from the West Indies."

Encouraged by a cousin to take up bodybuilding, Fox won the 1969 Junior Mr. Britain at 18. He went on to win nearly every major bodybuilding contest outside of the IFBB, including the 1976 AAU Mr. World, the amateur 1977 NABBA Mr. Universe and the professional NABBA Mr. Universe in 1978 and 1979. Joe Weider sponsored Fox's move to Los Angeles in 1981, and he competed in IFBB contests for the next 13 years. The late Bill Reynolds, then FLEX Magazine editor-in-chief, gave Fox the nickname "Brutal" for his high-volume and extremely heavy training.

The 5'8" 230-pound Fox lacked back width and thigh sweep, but the colossal chest, delts, traps and arms he sported more than 20 years ago would hold up on any-stage today. He was touted as a future Mr. Olympia, and there's no telling what he may have accomplished had he joined the IFBB five years earlier.

Fox placed second in two IFBB shows - the 1982 Night Of Champions and the 1983 Swiss Grand Prix (beating Lee Haney) and he finished fifth in the 1983 Mr. Olympia (his second of five Mr. O appearances) but by the mid-1980s he was past his prime. He competed in 12 IFBB shows from 1984 to 1994, but he was typically too smooth to make an impact.

Retiring from the stage, he returned to St. Kitts to open Fox's Gym.