Bill is considered one of the founders of modern bodybuilding. Named the 21st Century’s Best Built Man, he served as a coach or mentor to dozens of eventual champions and has been elected to numerous Halls of Fame. Bill trained Apollo astronauts in the 1960s and was the first bodybuilder to write training manuals. His book Getting Stronger has sold more than 350,000 copies in the United States alone. He is a 5 time Mr. Universe award winner and even came back from retirement at age 41 to win the title, having been a vegetarian for nearly a decade at that point. Bill is legendary for his 3 am workouts at his home gym in Oregon which are open to all who want to attend. At 80 years, Bill continues to train with his wife Judy every morning from 3:30 to 7 am.

Bill encouraged Sri Chinmoy from Sri Chinmoy’s humble beginning in 1985. They established a very close friendship and communicated almost daily during Sri Chinmoy’s most intense years of training.

“What Sri Chinmoy has done in his weightlifting is an absolute miracle. He is a man of unique strength, a spiritual man exemplifying mind over matter. He is not merely lifting a dumbbell – he is trying to lift the attitude of the world.” – Bill Pearl