Hulk Hogan's Body Transformation

May 2024 ยท 13 minute read

Entering the 80s, the pro wrestling business was a regional product. This meant several different promoters controlled certain territories throughout the country as well as internationally. In the 1980s, Vince McMahon demonstrated a vision quite different from the way his father had previously done business with the family wrestling promotion. The younger McMahon had a startling vision of taking pro wrestling from a regional product to a national, if not global one. To do so, McMahon needed a star the likes of which the sport had never seen who could connect with not only traditional wrestling fans, but also a more general audience and in particular the kids he hoped to hook on his product. Enter, the one and only Hulk Hogan.

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Hogan and his star power would be the proverbial rock upon which Vince McMahon would build his church on. One of Hogan's main selling points during his height in popularity was his jaw-dropping physique. Throughout the years though, The Hulkster's physique has fluctuated quite a bit. This is especially evident through photographs.

UPDATE: 2024/03/11 11:30 EST BY MICHAEL CHIN

While a lot of wrestlers are remembered for their physiques, Hulk Hogan is in a class of his own. After all, as the classic wisdom Bruce Prichard has cited on his Something to Wrestle podcast has attested over and over, the standard for major shows was that "Hogan must pose." That meant that the last image fans would have to lend an event the feeling of a "happy ending" was Hogan going through a series of flexes and poses to show off his muscles while the crowd went wild. Later, after wrestling's steroid scandal, The Hulkster visibly slimmed down but nonetheless maintained a ripped look. Hogan has aged relatively gracefully as well, including keeping up an impressive look for someone his age. It will be interesting to see how he continues to age, though, and how fans reconcile The Hulkster to come with their old memories.

Hulk Hogan During His Childhood

Hulk Hogan Looked Like A Pretty Average Kid

Every hero has an origin story, right? Well, Hulk Hogan is no different. Long before the rise of Hulkamania, Hogan himself was once a "Little Hulkster," saying his prayers and taking his vitamins in hopes of one day growing up to be big and tall. In hindsight, it's stunning to see pictures like these of a young Hogan, knowing what he would eventually become.

In these pictures, there aren't any real hints or signs that this child would grow up to be so physically imposing. However, during adolescence, Hogan would hit a growth spurt which would bless him with not only height but mass as well.

Hulk Hogan In His Teen Years

Hulk Hogan Started To Look More Like Himself In His Teenage Years

Like most teenage boys, a young Hulk Hogan would eventually see his body transform significantly. Gone were the days of Hogan being a scrawny young kid playing baseball. Now, Hogan was a bit of an awkward teenager with a growing physique. Hogan's interests would shift around this time as well.

In his adolescence, Hogan would grow very interested in rock music. He would even learn to play the bass guitar and had a band called "Ruckus." While Hogan's musical interests continued to grow, so did his body. So much so, that Hogan would eventually be approached about possibly stepping into the ring as a wrestler. The rest is history.

Hulk Hogan Early In His Career

Hulk Hogan Was Already A Big Man By The Time He Got Going In Pro Wrestling

After being discovered for the wrestling business by The Brisco Brothers, a young Hulk Hogan would begin training under the legendary Hiro Matsuda. Hogan would make his pro wrestling debut in 1977 and quickly started working the territory loop. He'd work the Alabama and Memphis territories as well as Japan and The AWA.

At the time, Hogan's physique was naturally impressive. He wouldn't be at his peak yet as far as total size but as is obvious from these photos, he was still very impressive. After paying his dues all around the world, Hogan would eventually step into the role of a lifetime as Vince McMahon's top star.

Hulk Hogan At His Most Muscular

Hulk Hogan Looked Absolutely Huge At The Dawn Of His Main Event Run

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The 80s were a special time in America when everything seemed possible and everything was larger-than-life. Vince McMahon wanted his wrestling promotion to embody the decade. McMahon wanted his promotion and his characters to seem straight out of a comic book. Hulk Hogan fit that bill perfectly.

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By the mid-80s, Hogan was arguably at his physical peak. He was as big as a house and had the charisma to go along with one of the most impressive looks of the era. As is evident by many pictures from this time, Hulkamania and his "24-inch Pythons" were truly running wild in the wrestling business.

Hulk Hogan In The Late 80s/Early 90s

The Latter Stages Of The Original Hulkamania Run Produced Some Of The Most Iconic Images Of Hulk Hogan

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The late 80s and early 90s are when everything began to shift for WWE and Hulk Hogan. Heading into the new decade, pro wrestling was starting to lose some of its luster from the 80s. As wrestling's top star, this reflected poorly on Hogan. To try and combat the slumping numbers, McMahon and Hogan tried to reemphasize Hogan's impressive physique.

This time, though, they wouldn't be touting a natural physique. It's been well documented that at this time, Hogan, and many other performers, were taking steroids. Steroid use is obvious in many pictures like these from the time. The mass coupled with the definition and vascularity wasn't normal but it certainly made people look.

Hulk Hogan In WWE In 1993

Hulk Hogan Was Noticeably Trimmer When He Returned To WWE In 1993

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After the United States government tried coming after Vince McMahon for alleged steroid distribution in the early 90s, things changed in WWE. Dramatically, to say the least. For any fans that were willing to believe that steroids weren't running rampant in WWE during the 80s, the truth was painfully obvious now, and that was especially true in regards to Hulk Hogan.

During Hogan's 1993 run with the company, he looked smaller than he ever had in the public eye. Everything about Hogan was significantly smaller at the time. His pecks, delts, and biceps no longer looked like they were about to burst. As can be seen in these pictures from 1993, "The Hulkster" looked human and vulnerable during this time.

Hulk Hogan's WCW Years

Fans Grew Used To A Trimmer Hulk Hogan In WCW, While He Also Got Some Of His Size Back

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In 1994, one of the most unthinkable things in pro wrestling history happened when Hulk Hogan chose to sign with WCW. Hogan's star power would catapult WCW from a mostly Southern promotion into the national consciousness. Early into his WCW run, Hogan worked hard to get his size back.

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While he got bigger than he was at the end of his WWE run, Hogan was still a far cry from his peak WWE self while in WCW. This wouldn't be too much of a problem though as Hogan would spend the majority of his time in WCW playing the role of a cowardly heel. The new millennium would see Hogan land in a familiar place and his physique shift yet again.

Hulk Hogan In WWE In The 2000s

Hulk Hogan Enjoyed A Brief Career Renaissance Built On Nostalgia

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By the time Hulk Hogan was brought back into WWE in 2002, he was well past his physical prime. Still, Hogan was a huge draw with fans. Many of his WWE fans were loyalists and hadn't seen Hogan for eight years while he was in WCW. Upon returning to WWE, Hogan was in surprisingly great shape.

During his showdown with The Rock at WrestleMania 18, Hogan hit a flex that made some fans wonder if they had been magically transported back to the 80s. Alas, that physique wasn't maintainable for Hogan. By his 2005 and 2006 runs, Hogan was starting to show his age more--still in good shape, but a bit deflated and worn down.

Hulk Hogan's TNA Run

Hulk Hogan Only Worked A Handful Of Matches In TNA

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Hulk Hogan signed with TNA in 2009. Hogan's TNA run was mostly in a non-wrestling role as he swung from babyface to heel and back around again, trying to give the rub to talents including Abyss, Jeff Hardy, and Bully Ray along the way. The run was severely polarizing, with many fans not only considering it a flop, but one that set TNA back for them proving overly ambitious and losing their identity.

Hulk Hogan did enter the ring a few times in TNA. His highest profile match came opposite Sting at Bound For Glory 2011. The match had its moments and there's a reasonable case to be made that it was actually better than their more famous collision at WCW Starrcade 1997. Nonetheless, an over-the-hill Hogan looked out of place during a match with Sting. Unfortunately, TNA would be Hogan's last hurrah inside the ring for a reasonably high profile wrestling promotion.

Hulk Hogan In Modern Times

Hulk Hogan Continues To Show Up On WWE TV Sporadically

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There's perhaps no saying truer than "Father Time is undefeated." For now, athletes like Tom Brady and LeBron James are defying that logic, much like Hulk Hogan did for many years. Eventually, though, Father Time will come out on top, just like in Hogan's case. Even the most impressive physical specimens break down eventually.

Today, at 70 years old, "The Hulkster" is still in impressive shape for his age. In 2020, he shared a picture of himself and said he was back at his high school sophomore weight. He's had a few health scares but for now, remains in good health.

Hulk Hogan's Physical Future

Hulk Hogan Used To Call Himself Immortal, But He Isn't Getting Any Younger

There's little question that Hulk Hogan's image and legacy are largely intertwined with his physique. Not totally dissimilar from a global celebrity like Arnold Schwarzenneger or a comic book character like The Incredible Hulk, Hogan is synonymous with being muscle bound to the extreme, achieving a musculature most mere mortals can only dream about. Time marches on, though, and while Hogan remains in impressive shape to this day, the longer he lives the less realistically he'll be able to maintain such an impressive physique.

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Unlike the unfortunately high number of Hogan's contemporaries who died young (some even in their primes) and often as not turned into shells of their former selves physically before they passed, The Hulkster has maintained and if he has the good fortune to continue his life without any major catastrophes, he'll likely remain bigger and in better shape than the average person of his age. These are some of the benefits of the incredible shape he was in his prime, not to mention how successful his career was, allowing a level of affluence that facilitates a healthy lifestyle as long as Hogan puts in the effort to pursue it.

With his wrestling days well in the rearview now, it'll be interesting to see where Hogan's physique goes from here. Whatever choices Hogan makes and however kind father time chooses to be, memories of his iconic poses will live on through time as a legendary part of wrestling history.

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