Who is Corinna Cory Everson?
One of the most well-known names in bodybuilding history, Corinna “Cory” Everson was the first woman to win the Ms. Olympia competition six times.
Corinna Cory Everson was an outstanding athlete in high school and always seemed destined for greatness; she smashed nearly all of the records and was the first multi-sport champion in the school’s annals.
The legendary bodybuilder, however, didn’t always have it easy; during the 1981 IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championship, she almost lost her career.
Here is her account:
Body Measurements of Corinna Cory Everson
| Full Name: | Corinna Cory Everson |
| HEIGHT: | 5’8″ (172.5cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 155 – 165lbs (70.3 – 74.8kg) |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| PROFESSION: | Professional Female Bodybuilder |
| ERA: | 1980 |
Accomplishments
Awards
- 1999 IFBB Hall of Fame
- 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award (Arnold Classic)
- 2008 National Fitness Hall of Fame
Competition History
1980
- Ms. Mid America – 1st (Tall and Overall)
- American Couples – 3rd
1981
- Ms. Midwest Open – 1st (Tall & Overall)
- Ms. Central USA – 1st (HW and Overall)
- Couples America – 1st
- American Championships – 11th (MW)
1982
- Ms. East Coast – 1st (MW)
- Bodybuilding Expo III – 2nd (MW)
- Bodybuilding Expo Couples – 2nd
- AFWB American Championships – 5th (HW)
- IFBB North American – 1st (MW and Overall)
- IFBB North American Mixed Pairs – 1st
1983
- Bodybuilding Expo IV – 1st (MW and Overall)
- Bodybuilding Expo Mixed Pairs – 1st
- U.S. Bodybuilding Championships Couples – 1st
- AFWB American Championships – 8th (HW)
- NPC Nationals – 2nd (HW)
1984
- American Women’s Championships – 1st (HW and Overall)
- NPC Nationals – 1st (HW and Overall)
- IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
Ms. Olympia
- 1985 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
- 1986 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
- 1987 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
- 1988 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
- 1989 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
Acting & TV Career
1986
- The Morning After
1991
- Double Impact
1996
- The Adventures of Brisco County. Jr
1994
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
- Natural Born Killers
1995
- Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
- Ballistic
1996
- Strange Luck
- Tarzan: The Epic Adventures
- Goode Behavior
- Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
- Felony
1997
- Home Improvement
1998
- Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
2005
- Charmed
Author
- 1986 Strength Training for Beauty Volume 3
- 1987 Superflex: Ms. Olympia’s Guide to Building a Strong & Sexy Body
- 1991 Back in Shape
- 1991 Cory Everson’s Workout Perigee Trade
- 1994 Cory Everson’s Fat-Free & Fit Perigee Trade
- 1998 Cory Everson’s Life balance Perigee Trade
Biography
Young Years
Even as a young girl, Corinna, who was born and reared in Wisconsin (USA), showed a natural ability for sports. She excelled in badminton, gymnastics, and track & field.
She quickly established herself as one of the first multi-sport winners in her school, shattering multiple records and proving that she was destined for greatness in the sport.
She consequently received admission to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she decided to major in physical education.
Beginning A Fitness Journey
Corrina continued to succeed in sports while attending college. She competed in the American Pentathlon three times, winning the trophy each time.
However, she didn’t become interested in weightlifting until she made friends with a beginner bodybuilder. For the first time in her life, Corrina began her fitness adventure here, exercising mostly for appearance rather than just performance.
Initial Show And Injury
It wasn’t long before Corrina found herself posing on stage in the 1981 IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championships after winning her first contest (the 1980 Ms. Mid America). But it didn’t come to the happy finish she had hoped for.
Corrina experienced a sudden ache in her left foot as she was performing for the judges. She tried to ignore the discomfort but was eventually taken to the hospital for immediate care.
Blood clots were found to be the cause of her pain, and she narrowly avoided having to have a limb amputated.
Despite this, Corrina was undeterred and was more determined than ever to compete again and establish herself as a successful female bodybuilder.
Reappear On Stage
Corrina didn’t hesitate to enter new competitions after fully recovering from her injuries and going back to the gym. The future fitness celebrity competed in a whopping 13 shows over three years, winning 8 prizes in the process.
She didn’t, however, really establish herself as the top female bodybuilder in the world until 1984.
Olympia, Ms.
Corinna Cory Everson qualified to compete in the 1984 Ms. Olympia after winning the 1984 NPC Nationals, the most prestigious competition in the business.
The future legend faced out against Rachel McLish and other famous female athletes. She yet persisted despite this.
After winning the competition and being declared the winner, Corrina departed the stage. She was thrust into the limelight and was hailed as the best bikini athlete in the entire globe.
Producing History
For the next five years, Corinna dominated the female bodybuilding division. During this time, she won every Ms. Olympia competition, becoming the most successful female athlete in history in the process.
Training
Corinna Cory Everson is well recognized for having a figure that is ideally proportional, and she is adamant that lifting weights in the gym is the way for women to do the same.
The fitness icon used to like working out many muscle groups at once, except her legs.
Exercise Routine
Corinna’s training schedule from 1984 to 1986 is as follows:
Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
- Bench presses (warmup) 3 x 8-15
- Bench presses (work sets) 5 x 8-15
- High- or low-incline dumbbell presses 3 x 8-10
- Seated dumbbell presses or
- Behind-the-neck presses 3 x 8-15
- Lateral raises 3 x 8-15
- Upright rows 3 x 8-15
- Bent-over laterals 3 x 8-15
- Dips or pushdowns 3 x 8-15
Legs
- Squats (warmup) 3 x 8-15
- Squats (work sets) 5 x 8-15
- Leg presses or hack squats 3 x 8-15
- Leg extensions or lunges 3 x 8-15
- Lying leg curls or standing leg curls 3 x 8-15
- Donkey calf raises 3 x 15-25
- Standing calf raises 3 x 15-25
- Seated calf raises 3 x 15-25
Back and biceps
- Bent-over rows (warmup) 3 x 8-15
- Bent-over rows (work sets) 5 x 8-15
- Lat pulldowns 3 x 8-15
- Low-pulley rows or
- One-arm bent-over dumbbell rows 3 x 8-15
- Standing barbell curls 3 x 8-15
- Concentration curls or cable curls 3 x 8-15
Abs
- Pulldown crunches 3-4 x 25-40
- Decline sit-ups 3-4 x 100
- Leg raises off bench 3-4 x 20-40
Nutrition
Corinna Cory Everson did not adhere to any stringent or restrictive eating regimens when dieting; she believes that this is what causes people to overeat before beginning a diet and to develop too much body fat.
Corinna doesn’t feel that obtaining an ideal body leads to a limited lifestyle, so she urges others to maintain a clean diet without doing so.
Influences And Idols
While serving as the 6x Ms. Olympia Champion, Corrina looked forward to many athletes; she notably mentions Rachel McLish, Gladys Portugues, and Carla Dunlap as sources of inspiration. Today, Corrina is a female fitness icon.
She lists various male bodybuilders, such as Lee Haney, Bob Paris, Rich Gaspari, and Matt Mendenhall as her key influences; they frequently drove her to the gym and encouraged her to train with them.
What Corinna Everson Teaches Us?
Although Corinna Cory Everson was always a very talented athlete, she also had the necessary drive and motivation to succeed.
She began her adventure with a blood clot injury that could have ended her career, but she bounced back to become the first female athlete to break records.
If there is one thing we can take away from Corinna, it is that you must put in a lot of effort regardless of your genetic potential.
Although she began her journey in better shape than most, Corinna continued to put in a lot of effort to further sculpt one of the most famous figures in bodybuilding history.