Bodybuilding guru dies

Joe Weider, a legendary figure in bodybuilding who helped popularize the sport worldwide and played a key role in introducing a charismatic young weightlifter named Arnold Schwarznenegger (pictured with Weider) to the world, died Saturday at age 93. Weider’s publicist, Charlotte Parker, told The Associated Press that the bodybuilder, publisher and promoter died of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. “I knew about Joe Weider long before I met him,” Schwarzenegger said. “He was the godfather of fitness who told all of us to be somebody with a body. He taught us that through hard work and training we could all be champions.” He relentlessly promoted Schwarzenegger, who won the Mr. Olympia title a record seven times. – AP