Charles Gaines Dies at 84, Leaving 'Pumping Iron' Legacy That Helped Launch Schwarzenegger
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 22
Charles Gaines Dies at 84, Leaving 'Pumping Iron' Legacy That Helped Launch Schwarzenegger
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 22
Summary
Charles Gaines, the writer behind the 1974 book and 1977 documentary "Pumping Iron," died Tuesday at 84, his daughter Greta Gaines said; no cause was disclosed.
"Pumping Iron" helped pull professional bodybuilding into the mainstream by chronicling Arnold Schwarzenegger's rivalry with Lou Ferrigno in the battle for a Mr. Olympia title.
Schwarzenegger, a seven-time Mr. Olympia and five-time Mr. Universe winner, said Gaines' search for "new frontiers" helped him discover bodybuilding and bring the sport into the limelight.
Beyond bodybuilding, Gaines published numerous books including "Stay Hungry," later adapted into a film that gave Schwarzenegger his first movie role, and adventure writing drawn from travels worldwide.