Andreas Münzer (October 25, 1964 – March 14, 1996) was an Austrian
professional bodybuilder
Professional bodybuilding or pro bodybuilding can refer to bodybuilding for an income and/or possessing qualifications such as an IFBB or Wabba International Pro Card.
A professional bodybuilder may be one who earns his or her primary income from ...
known for his extremely low
body fat levels and early death. He was featured in
''Flex'' twice and ''Muscle Magazine International'' once.
Biography
Münzer admired fellow Austrian bodybuilder
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
. He attempted to imitate Schwarzenegger, eventually meeting his hero at the
Arnold Classic competition in 1996. While competing, he used a variety of
ergogenic aids, such as anabolic steroids, including large amounts of potassium-sparing
diuretics, possibly leading to his death in 1996.
After months of stomach pain, Münzer was admitted to a hospital on the morning of March 12, 1996. By 7pm, doctors had decided to operate to stop bleeding from his stomach, but his liver and kidneys
failed shortly afterwards. His condition by this point was too severe for a
blood transfusion, and he died on the morning of March 14. The autopsy gave the cause of death as dystrophic multiple organ failure.
Some of the specific autopsy findings were an extremely muscular physique with an almost complete absence of
subcutaneous fat, a liver that contained numerous table tennis ball-sized tumors (with half the liver consisting simply of a crumbly mass that was similar to
polystyrene
Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It is a ...
), shriveled testes, and cardiac
hypertrophy (Münzer's heart weighed 636g; a normal man's heart usually weighs 300–350g).
Münzer's electrolytes were also out of balance, and his potassium levels were extremely high. Traces of about 20 different drugs were found, along with acute toxicity (perhaps caused by a stimulant). Schwarzenegger sent a wreath to Münzer's funeral in Styria, with the message: "A last greeting to a friend."
Competitive stats
* Weight: 239 lbs (108 kg)
* Arms: 21 inch (53 cm)
* Chest: 58 inch (147 cm)
* Height 69 inch (175 cm)
Competition history
* 1986 European Amateur Championships (MiddleWeight) - 6th
* 1987 World Amateur Championships (Light-HeavyWeight) - 3rd
* 1988 World Amateur Championships (Light-HeavyWeight) - 3rd
*
1989 Mr. Olympia
The 1989 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held on September 9, 1989, at Sala Dei Congressi in Rimini, Italy.
Results
The total prize money awarded was $170,000.
Notable events
*Lee Haney
Lee Haney (bo ...
- 13th
* 1989 World Games (HeavyWeight) - 1st
* 1990
Arnold Classic - 3rd
* 1990 Grand Prix Germany - 3rd
*
1990 Mr. Olympia
The 1990 Mr. Olympia contest was an International Federation of BodyBuilders, IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held on September 15, 1990, at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago, Illinois.
Results
The total prize money awarded reached $20 ...
- 9th
* 1991 Arnold Classic - 9th
* 1991 Ironman Pro Invitational - 3rd
*
1991 Mr. Olympia
The 1991 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held in September 14, 1991 in Orlando, Florida. The score was tied after prejudging between Dorian Yates
Dorian Andrew Mientjez Yates (born 19 April 1962) is an Eng ...
- 16th
* 1991 Pittsburgh Pro Invitational - 4th
* 1993 Arnold Classic - 7th
* 1993 Grand Prix Germany (2) - 2nd
* 1993 Grand Prix Germany - 4th
* 1993 Night of Champions - 2nd
*
1993 Mr. Olympia
The 1993 Mr. Olympia contest was an International Federation of BodyBuilders, IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held on September 11, 1993, at the Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia.
Results
The total prize mo ...
- 9th
* 1994 Arnold Classic - 5th
* 1994 Grand Prix France - 8th
* 1994 Grand Prix Germany (2) - 5th
*
1994 Mr. Olympia
The 1994 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held on September 10, 1994, at the Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Results
The total prize money awarded was $275,000.
Notable events
*Dorian Yates won ...
- 9th
* 1995 Arnold Classic - 4th
* 1996 Arnold Classic - 6th
* 1996 San Jose Pro Invitational - 7th
See also
*
List of male professional bodybuilders
*
List of female professional bodybuilders
This is a list of female professional bodybuilders. All people listed here have an IFBB pro card.
A
* Jennifer Abshire
* Heather Armbrust
* Lisa Aukland
* Rachita Reddy Agumamidi
* Rachana Reddy Agumamidi
B
* Fannie Barrios
* Christ ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
Münzer's competition history* posing at the 1993 Mr Olympia competition; includes a brief interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Munzer, Andreas
1996 deaths
Professional bodybuilders
Austrian bodybuilders
Drug-related deaths in the United States
1966 births
World Games gold medalists
Competitors at the 1989 World Games