Claude Groulx
Claude Groulx is an ex-professional bodybuilder from Montreal, Canada, best known for his victory at the 2003 Masters Olympia and a 3rd-place finish at the 2001 New Zealand Grand Prix.
He began bodybuilding at 20, training with a friend to pass the time. That casual start became a 12-year competitive career spanning more than 40 shows — 38 of them professional — culminating in his signature win at the 2003 Masters Olympia.
ATHLETE STATISTICS
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
BIOGRAPHY
Bodybuilding Beginnings
Claude grew up in Verdun, Montreal, and first picked up weights at 20, training in the gym with a friend just for fun. After two years of consistent training, his physique had improved enough that his gym owner asked if he'd ever considered competing. He entered his first show, Mr. Montreal, soon after finishing college — and placed 2nd.
Earning His Pro Card
Determined to win, Claude returned to Mr. Montreal the following year and took the title. Over the next three years he won every amateur show he entered — the Quebec States, the Eastern Canada Championships, and the 1992 Canadian Championships Overall. He took 1993 off to refine his conditioning, then came back in 1994 at 202 lbs to win the Canadian Championships and earn his professional card.
Life as a Pro
Claude made his professional debut at the 1995 Night of Champions, placing 11th. Over the following nine years he competed in 37 professional shows, with his defining moment coming at the 2003 Masters Olympia — a win at age 40. He retired from competition in 2004 after the GNC Show of Strength Pro.
Overcoming Adversity
Three weeks before the 2002 Mr. Olympia, Claude suffered a sciatic nerve injury that put him in the hospital, costing him conditioning and a 16th-place finish. Rather than let the setback end his career, he came back a year later in his best shape yet — winning the 2003 Masters Olympia.
COMPETITION PHOTOS
Training
In the off-season Claude trained on a regular four-day split. Preparing for a show, he trained twice a day — one muscle group in the morning, another in the evening, with cardio worked in during the final four weeks of prep.
His idols were Arnold Schwarzenegger early on, and later Lee Haney and Dorian Yates — whose back development he considered "outstanding."
Nutrition
Claude kept his diet clean year-round — lean proteins like fish, chicken, and ground turkey, with rice, vegetables, and fruit as his primary carbohydrate sources. Bread, potatoes, and pasta stayed off the plate.
Cheat meals were reserved strictly for the off-season, with high-intensity cardio brought in when he needed to drop fat quickly.