Albert "Al" Beckles (born July 14, 1930, as stated by Albert himself on John Hansen’s Bodybuilding Legends podcast) is a former IFBB pro bodybuilder and
Mr. Universe. He is a three-time New York City ‘Night of Champions’ winner. He is celebrated for being competitive at the top level in his fifties.
Bodybuilding career
Beckles was born in
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...
but immigrated to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. In the mid-1960s, he won several British regional titles before winning the 1969 and 1970
NABBA Mr. Britain titles.
In 1971, Beckles joined the
IFBB, earning the overall at the IFBB "Mr. Universe."
Beckles was one of the most active participants in bodybuilding history, having been in over 100 contests. In 1982, at the age of 52, he won the Night of Champions competition in New York.
Beckles’ 13 forays into the IFBB
Mr. Olympia have yielded six placings among the top five, including coming second to
Lee Haney
Lee Haney (born November 11, 1959) is an American former IFBB professional bodybuilder. Haney shares the all-time record for most Mr. Olympia titles at eight with Ronnie Coleman and is regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders to ever grace th ...
in 1985 at the age of 55.
In 1991, at the age of 61 years, he won the Niagara Falls Pro Invitational.
Personal life
Beckles currently resides in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
.
Beckles is a "
pollo-vegetarian", which means he eats
poultry
Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, ...
but no red meat.
"Albert Beckles: the vegetarian muscle man you should know"
Generation Iron Fitness Network.
Statistics
Height: 5'7
Weight: 218 lb
Neck: 18
Waist: 31
Thigh: 28
Calf: 16¾
Arms: 21
Chest: 50
Contest history
References
External links
Albert Beckles Photos
1930 births
Living people
Barbadian emigrants to England
Barbadian sportspeople
Black British sportsmen
British bodybuilders
British emigrants to the United States
British expatriate sportspeople in the United States
People associated with physical culture
Professional bodybuilders
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