Author Charles Gaines, Who Popularized the World of Bodybuilding with 'Pumping Iron,' Dies at 84
The writer and outdoorsman wrote more than 25 books and helped turn bodybuilding and paintball into mainstream pursuits.
- Author Charles Gaines, whose 1974 book and 1977 documentary "Pumping Iron" helped bring professional bodybuilding into the mainstream and introduce Arnold Schwarzenegger to the world, died Tuesday at age 84.
- Gaines collaborated with George Butler to write "Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding," which became the basis for their 1977 documentary centering on the rivalry between Schwarzenegger and fellow bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno for the Mr. Olympia title.
- Beyond bodybuilding, Gaines wrote the 1972 novel "Stay Hungry," later adapted into a film, and co-invented the team sport of paintball in the early 1980s with Wall Street trader Hayes Noel.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger honored his "lifelong friend" on social media, writing "I'm lucky that he was always looking for new frontiers," and crediting Gaines with launching his Hollywood career through "Pumping Iron."
- Across his career, the prolific author wrote more than 25 books. Gaines is survived by his wife, artist Patricia Ellisor Gaines, and his three children, Latham, Greta, and Shelby Gaines.
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He was 84 years old. The 1974 book led to the creation of a documentary that made Arnold Schwarzenegger known all over the world.
Charles Gaines, the American author who popularized bodybuilding with the book and documentary ‘Pumping Iron’, has died at the age of 84. The project also marked the international breakthrough of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
'Pumping Iron' author Charles Gaines, whose book and film popularized the world of bodybuilding, dies at 84
<p>NEW YORK — Charles Gaines, the author whose book and documentary "Pumping Iron" helped bring professional bodybuilding into the mainstream and introduce Arnold Schwarzenegger to the world, has died. He was 84.</p><p>Gaines died Tuesday, according to Greta Gaines, the author's daughter. She did not reveal a cause.</p><p>"You always marched to your own drummer and inspired everyone around you to do the same," she wrote in a tribute to her fathe…
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