Who is Danny Padilla?
The Giant Killer, sometimes known as Danny Padilla, is a former champion bodybuilder. He started working out in 1958 and was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2009, solidifying his spot among the sport’s greats.
Short Career of Danny Padilla
Danny Padilla is regarded as one of the greatest athletes in the history of the lightweight category and is renowned for his flawlessly balanced physique. He had a distinguished career and won many championships while competing well into his late 50s.
But life hasn’t always been easy for The Giant Killer; in 1974, he was disqualified from competing in the Mr. Universe contest because of unfair height discrimination.
“Back then, we participated out of a love for the game. Yes, we had some earnings, but they paled in comparison to what men now receive.
Body Measurements of Danny Padilla
| Full Name: | Dennis “Danny” Padilla |
| DATE OF BIRTH: | 1951 |
| ERA: | 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 |
| PROFESSION: | Bodybuilder |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| ALIAS: | The Giant Killer |
| HEIGHT: | 5’2″ (157.5cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 165-175 pounds (74.8 – 79.4kg) |
“A lot of people refer to me as one of the legends, and I believe this is because they saw me perform in the 1981 Olympia and were impressed by the state of my body at the time.”
Accomplishments
1972
- Junior Mr. America – AAU, 8th
1973
- Mr. America – AAU, 15th
- Junior Mr. America – AAU, 15th
1974
- Mr. America – AAU, 18th
- Junior Mr. America – AAU, Did not place
- Mr. World – AAU, Short, Did not place
1975
- Mr. USA – IFBB, Short, 1st
- Mr. USA – IFBB, Overall Winner
1976
- Mr. America – IFBB, Short, 1st
- Mr. Universe – IFBB, Lightweight, 2nd
1977
- Mr. America – IFBB, Overall Winner
- Mr. America – IFBB, Lightweight, 1st
- Mr. Universe – IFBB, Lightweight, 1st
1978
- 1978 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, Lightweight, 3rd
- 1978 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, Overall, 6th
- Professional World Cup – IFBB, 2nd
- USA vs the World – IFBB, Lightweight, 1st
1979
- Best in the World – IFBB, Professional, 5th
- Florida Pro Invitational – IFBB, 3rd
- Grand Prix Pennsylvania – IFBB, 5th
- Night of Champions – IFBB, 2nd
- 1979 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, Lightweight, 5th
1980
- Grand Prix Miami – IFBB, 3rd
- 1980 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, 10th
1981
- 1981 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, 5th
1982
- Night of Champions – IFBB, 5th
- 1982 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, 12th
1983
- Night of Champions – IFBB, 9th
1984
- World Pro Championships – IFBB, 7th
1985
- 1985 Mr. Olympia – IFBB, 16th
1986
- World Pro Championships – IFBB, 13th
1990
- Grand Prix England – IFBB, 5th
- Grand Prix Finland – IFBB, 4th
- Grand Prix France – IFBB, 5th
- Grand Prix Germany – IFBB, 7th
- Grand Prix Holland – IFBB, 7th
- Grand Prix Italy – IFBB, 4th
- Niagara Falls Pro Invitational – IFBB, 2nd
- Night of Champions – IFBB, 3rd
1991
- WBF Grand Prix – WBF, 10th
1994
- Olympia – Masters – IFBB, 7th
2000
- Olympia – Masters – IFBB, 10th
2009
- Inducted into the IFBB Hall Of Fame
Biography of Danny Padilla
Young Years
Danny Padilla, who was born in 1961 in New York City’s Big Apple, grew up with an older brother and a cousin who routinely worked out in the gym. He had always been fascinated by fitness, even as a young child.
He had seen a bodybuilding magazine with Larry Scott on the cover while out on a stroll with his father. He was motivated soon immediately and becoming Mr. Universe and Mr. America quickly became his desire.
At the age of 7, Danny knew what he wanted to do with his life.
The Gym Entry and the First Competition
When he was old enough, Danny started working out every day of the week and quickly developed a passion for the gym. He was still focused on being the finest in the business even at this stage.
Danny Padilla had begun his journey to legendhood by the time he was 19 years old, in 1970. While still a senior in high school, he won his first prize and emerged as Mr. Rochester, the town’s champion.
This gave him even more inspiration to excel.
Local Triumphs and a National Setback
He was elated by his first triumph and set out to obtain as much experience as he could.
He decided to enter other regional competitions, and soon he was performing in more shows. He ruled his neighborhood between 1970 and 1972, winning the titles of Mr. Buffalo and Mr. Syracuse.
He was eager for more after establishing his position as upstate New York’s champion. Between 1972 and 1973, he decided to enter the junior Mr. America and Mr. America contests. He had the opportunity to fulfill a goal he had had since beginning his training.
The future Giant Killer fell short of his mark, finishing no higher than eighth.
He attempted to bounce back over the following year from these setbacks, but he failed at the 1974 AAU World Championships. Danny was in excellent shape, yet he fell short of placing. But it wasn’t due to his physical appearance.
The judges informed him during the competition that while having excellent proportions, he was too short to be a successful bodybuilder. The winner was a sportsperson who hadn’t even shaved his legs.
Replacing IFBB with Mr. USA
At the AAU World Championships, the judges had dealt Danny a severe blow, but he never let it affect him. He was primarily focused on winning more competitions.
At the age of 23, Danny decided to start over by joining the IFBB in 1974.
He made up his mind that 1975 Mr. USA would be his first competition in the federation and upped his game to get in top shape. To win his first national competition, he was more motivated than ever.
Although Danny had just been anointed king of upstate New York, he was completely unaware of what was going to occur.
By far the largest competition he had ever competed in, Mr. USA 1975 saw him competing with the biggest personalities in the business for the first time.
He left having won the lightweight division. He had finally won a national title after years of developing a balanced physique. But his greatest accomplishment was winning the overall title by defeating competitors like Robby Robinson, Franco Columbu, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Moving to California and the Pumping Iron Debate
Danny Padilla was living the high life for the following year after defying the odds and winning Mr. USA. His reputation rose as a result of his victory and he received a lot of publicity.
He immediately rose to fame as the cover star of the magazines he had read as a youngster. And soon after, he received an invitation to train in Los Angeles to get ready for the Mr. Universe competition.
Just in time for “Pumping Iron” filming, Danny flew into the state of California. But he only received misfortune, not renown.
He made the trip to Pretoria, South Africa, in 1975, eager to compete in his first Mr. Universe competition. He was confident he could take the lightweight title. But just before the competition, a catastrophe happened.
The IFBB granted Mike Catz his final opportunity to win before his retirement because they believed it would be better for two heavyweights to represent America.
Danny has been left out in the cold despite his tireless preparation for the contest. He felt discouraged but not defeated because he knew he still had a chance to win the award if he could just compete.
He went swiftly and entered the stage to represent Portugal. He gave it everything, regardless of the flag.
Danny competed in the lightweight division to the last round before being eliminated.
The IFBB refused to let the occurrence shown in the movie, therefore in addition to being disqualified from the competition, the Giant Killer was also removed from the movie “Pumping Iron.”
Later, this series of events would give rise to one of the largest scandals in the history of bodybuilding.
They disqualified me to spare the organization from what they believed would be the “embarrassment” that my prospective victory for Portugal would bring about.
Becoming Mr. America and Mr. Universe
After experiencing his largest setback yet, Danny returned home and spent the rest of 1975 healing. But he didn’t stay away from the sport for very long.
Danny had crafted one of the most well-balanced physiques in bodybuilding by the time he was 26 years old, in 1977. In his weight class, he recovered to win the Mr. America competition and bring home the prize.
He also took home the top prize in the same contest. A lightweight had never previously defeated a middleweight or a heavyweight to win the championship.
Danny had, at last, realized his longtime ambition. Although he was now Mr. America, he continued.
In the same year, after winning the lightweight division, he was named Mr. Universe. By the time he was 29 years old, Danny had defied the odds and excelled in his field.
He was unaware that he had equaled a legend’s accomplishment, though. Only Frank Zane had ever won both the Mr. Universe and the Mr. America competitions before Danny did it.
1978 – 1991
Danny entered the prestigious Mr. Olympia contest six times over the ensuing 13 years. He was never able to duplicate the success of 1977, though. He competed in a whopping 26 shows during this time, finishing in the top 3 eight times.
In 1991, when he was 40 years old, Danny decided to stop competing once more. He continued to work out in the gym, however and kept up his ripped appearance.
Return to the Masters and Induction into the Hall of Fame
Danny relished his three years in the background. He couldn’t help but make a return, though.
He entered the Master’s division in 1994, Mr. Olympia, at the age of 43. Following his finish in the top 10, he participated in his final competition, the 2000 Mr. Olympia.
Even though Danny’s story didn’t have a happy conclusion, he once again finished in the top 10. After a tremendously successful 30-year career, he said the stage farewell with that final performance at the age of 47.
It wasn’t long before his accomplishments were formally acknowledged, and he had left behind a legacy that will be difficult to match. In 2009, Danny received recognition for his contributions to the sport and dedication by being inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame.
“I train 6 days a week, training each body part twice a week. It’s the old dinosaur training regiment that Arnold and I did back in the day.”
Training of Danny Padilla
Danny has consistently worked out six days a week to build and maintain his remarkable physique. He workouts every body part twice a week and likes a higher rep range every set.
Danny hasn’t changed his regimen since he began, and he still uses the same push-pull technique that he did when he worked out with Arnold at his peak. He used to jog three times a week for five kilometers back in the 1970s.
Exercise Program:
His exercise regimen would resemble this:
- Monday – Chest, and Back
- Tuesday – Arms and Shoulders
- Wednesday – Legs
- Thursday – Chest, and Back
- Friday – Arms and Shoulders
- Saturday – Legs
- Sunday – Rest
“The Protein drinks I’ll do 2-3 times a day to help me gain some weight. I usually use these with a lactose free non-fat milk and a little frozen yoghurt.”
Nutrition of Danny Padilla
The Giant Killer has maintained the same diet since his bodybuilding career took off, much as he has with his workout regimen.
He always made sure to have a diet high in protein (80 grams daily) and low in fat; he didn’t pay attention to his carbohydrate intake and consumed as much as he need to feel energized. However, he just ate fruits, veggies, brown rice, and yogurt—no other carbs.
To maintain a high metabolism, Danny attempts to eat ten little meals every day. He also tries to drink as much water as he can to stay hydrated. It’s interesting that the week before a show, he would only eat 1000 calories.
“In the two weeks leading up to the event, I kept track of my calorie intake. The first week, I consumed 1500 calories, and the last week, I consumed 1000.
I was too weak in the final ten days before the show to lift weights or do aerobics. I just relaxed as much as I could while working at the store with my father.
“Arnold was the Best. He was the first tall man to have a nearly complete physique, which was unheard of in those days.
Influences and Idols
Since Danny thought Arnold Schwarzenegger was the first tall bodybuilder with a complete physique in the 1970s, he cited him as his primary inspiration.
Sergio Olivia, on the other hand, is regarded by him as the greatest pound-for-pound bodybuilder the sport has ever seen.
Due to his incredible symmetry and size, he views Ronnie Coleman as the finest bodybuilder of the modern era.
“Arnold was the Best. He was the first tall man to have a nearly complete physique, which was unheard of in those days. Arnold has made a lot of contributions to bodybuilding and is still developing as a person today.
Sergio Olivia must be mentioned since, in my opinion, he was one of the best bodybuilders ever, pound for pound. Ronnie Coleman would be the greatest now. He is outstanding because he is enormous, well-cut, and most significantly, symmetrical.
“I believe that one of the biggest advantages of bodybuilding is that it acts as a fountain of youth. I’m a 53-year-old man with brown hair that isn’t gray, and overall, I’m in very excellent shape.
From Danny Padilla, What Can We Infer?
Any aspiring bodybuilders who are of a shorter height should look up to Danny. Danny Padilla is 5’2″ tall and has seen and done everything.
Even after the AAU judges told him he would never make it, he never let his height stop him from becoming one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time.
If there is anything we can take away from The Giant Killer, it is that success comes from never losing sight of your goals, no matter how difficult things may become along the way.
Minutes before the 1975 Mr. Universe contest, Danny was informed that he would not be permitted to compete, but he persisted in trying to take home the trophy.