Jusup Wilkosz – Complete Profile: Height, Workout And Diet

Jusup Wilkosz was a German professional bodybuilder who competed in the 1970s and 1980s era of bodybuilding. Wilkosz is one of the key figures in the history of German bodybuilding and is best known for winning the 1980 Mr. Universe competition. This article explores his complete profile, biography, competition history and more.

Jusup Wilkosz (Bodybuilder)

Born – November 8, 1948

Birthplace – Heilbronn, Germany

Residence – Stuttgart, Germany

Died – November 19, 2019 (71 years)

Nickname – Sepp

Height – 6’0” (185 cm)

Competition weight – 253 pounds (115 kg)

Off-season weight – 260 pounds (119 kg)

Arms – 22” (56 cm)

Chest – 58” (147 cm)

Waist – 32.5” (83 cm)

Thighs – 30” (76 cm)

Calves – 19.5” (49 cm)

Jusup Wilkosz Biography

Early Life

Jusup Wilkosz was born on November 8, 1948, in Germany. He was inclined towards physical activities while growing up and gravitated towards bodybuilding at a relatively young age. While he was actively participating in different sports as a teenager, Wilkosz started focusing on weightlifting training and transitioned to bodybuilding when he was 17. He built a magnificent physique for his age in a relatively short time and laid the foundation of a bodybuilding career.

Bodybuilding Career

Wilkosz was able to build a stage-worthy physique by the time he was 20 and started competing in the regional scene. His efforts in the gym ensured that competitive success came to him with relative ease and the German bodybuilder won the 1979 German Bodybuilding Championships.

The victory turned him into an overnight sensation and Wilkosz soon became a foremost representative of the German bodybuilding scene. Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger was always one of the biggest influences in Wilkosz’s life and his physique motivated the German bodybuilder to pursue the career in the sport.

Following his 1979 victory, Wilkosz came in touch with Schwarzenegger and went on to become a close friend of his. The duo trained together several times and Arnold could be seen by Wilkosz’s side during his bodybuilding career.

During a short but successful competitive bodybuilding career spanning nearly eight years, Wilkosz competed in a total of 12 shows. 1979 proved to be the most successful years of the German bodybuilder’s career when he won three pro shows other than the German Bodybuilding Championships.

He competed on the Mr. Olympia stage five times and achieved top six finish on three occasions. His best standing came in 1984 when Wilkosz finished third at Mr. Olympia. Winning the 1980 Mr. Universe competition undoubtedly marked the single most remarkable achievement of Wilkosz’s professional bodybuilding career.

While everything appeared to be going well on surface, Wilkosz was dealing with a lot of troubles in his personal as well as professional life. The German bodybuilder had to consistently deal with training injuries that made his path that much difficult and had an adverse impact on his career as a whole.

Additionally, his wife fell sick and passed away in 1989, pushing Wilkosz in a dark phase in his life. With his bodybuilding career cut short by injuries, personal loss with wife’s passing and a combination of other factors caused financial turmoil in Wilkosz’s life. He had to move in to live with his sister during this tough time and vanished from the public eye.

Wilkosz overcame all the obstacles in his personal and professional life over the next few years and was all set to make a comeback at the 1994 Masters Olympia. However, another injury forced him out of the competition.

This proved to be the final blow to Wilkosz’s bodybuilding career and he never returned to competition in the following years.

Death and Legacy

Jusup Wilkosz passed away on November 19, 2019 at the age of 71. The news of his passing was posted on his personal Instagram account by his sister and close friends.

“Dear friends, today Barbara, Jusup’s sister and Arlette & Jochen, good friends of Jusup, write to you. We are taking care of Jusup’s Instagram page together. It is with great sadness that we inform you that Jusup left us today. We will always remember his empathetic nature, loving nature and big heart. Jusup lives in all of our hearts. – Barbara and family, Arlette & Jochen,” the caption to the post read.

See the original Instagram post below:

Jusup Wilkosz is widely regarded as one of the best representatives of German bodybuilding. His massive physique and unparalleled work ethic earned him the moniker ‘German Zeus’ at the peak of his career. With his conduct and competitive success, Wilkosz inspired an entire generation of youngsters to take up bodybuilding as a possession and helped further the progress of the sport.

A novel loosely based on Wilkosz’s life was published in Germany with the title Was bleibt. Die Reise des Jusup W. (English meaning – ‘What remains: The journey of Jusup W.).

Competition History

1986 Mr. Olympia – 12th place

1984 Mr. Olympia – 3rd place

1983 Grand Prix World – 3rd place

1983 Grand Prix Sweden – 3rd place

1983 Grand Prix Switzerland – 4th place

1983 Mr. Olympia – 6th place

1982 Mr. Olympia – 10th place

1981 Mr. Olympia – 6th place

1980 IFBB Pro Mr. Universe – 1st place

1979 Mr. Universe – 1st place

1979 World Amateur Championships – 1st place

1979 German Bodybuilding Championships – 1st place

Jusup Wilkosz Workout

Jusup Wilkosz is often described as one of the hardest-working bodybuilders of his generation. His training philosophy focused on maintaining consistency of efforts and discipline. Wilkosz was a huge believer in having solid fundamentals more than any other aspect of training and diet.

Wilkosz put a huge emphasis on working with basic compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench press with correct form and technique for making the gains. However, he was not restrictive about exercise selection and used a wide variety of compound and isolation movements to further his training journey.

While Wilkosz was one of the taller and most muscular bodybuilders of his time, he did not play the size game and paid minute attention to getting the right proportions, aesthetics and balance in his physique.

To improve the training intensity, Wilkosz employed methods like drop sets and supersets.

Wilkosz paid equal, if not more, attention to cardio as well. He was a big believer in the benefits of cardio for performance longevity, heart health and overall health and well being.

Jusup Wilkosz Diet

The discipline Jusup Wilkosz followed in his training regimen reflected in his dietary practices as well. He did not adhere to any overly restrictive or fad diets but focused on maintaining a balanced diet rich in protein, carbohydrates, fats and other essential nutrients as well as minerals and fibre.

Wilkosz’s diet plans and meals are not available. However, looking at the physique he built, there is no doubt that he did the right things to fuel his body and powered his workouts with the right diet.

To Conclude…

Jusup Wilkosz embodied the true spirit of hard work, discipline and consistency. While injuries and personal tragedies stopped the German bodybuilder from realizing his true potential, nobody can change the fact that Wilkosz was one of the greatest bodybuilders of his generation and inspired millions around the world to adapt a fitness-oriented lifestyle.

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