Editing Franco Columbu

{{short description|Sardinian bodybuilder and actor}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox bodybuilder
| name             = Franco Columbu
| image            = Franco_Columbu_anni_70.jpg
| caption          = Columbu, {{c.|1970s}}
| nickname         = The Sardinian Strongman<ref name="m&f">{{cite web|url =https://www.muscleandfitness.com/athletes-celebrities/news/two-time-mr-olympia-franco-columbu-dead-78|title =Two-time Mr. Olympia Franco Columbu Dead at 78|first =Anthony|last =O'Reilly|website =Muscle & Fitness|date =August 30, 2018}}</ref>
| birth_name       = Francesco Maria Columbu
| birth_date       = {{Birth date|1941|08|07}}
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|2019|08|30|1941|08|07}}
| birth_place      = [[Ollolai]], [[Sardinia]], [[Kingdom of Italy]]
| death_place      = [[San Teodoro (OT)|San Teodoro]], [[Sardinia]], Italy
| height           = 5 ft 5 in<ref name=r1>{{cite web|url=https://www.greatestphysiques.com/male-physiques/franco-columbo/|title=Franco Columbu - Greatest Physiques|website=greatestphysiques.com|date=July 27, 2016 }}</ref>
| weight           = Contest: {{convert|185|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}<br />Off season: {{convert|195|lb|kg|abbr=on}}<ref name=r1/>
| bestwin          = IFBB Mr. Olympia
| bestwinyear      = 1976, 1981
| predecessor      = [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] {{nowrap|(1975, 1980)}}
| successor        = [[Frank Zane]] (1977) <br />[[Chris Dickerson (bodybuilder)|Chris Dickerson]] (1982)
| yesorretiredyear = Retired after 1981 Mr. Olympia
}}

'''Francesco Maria Columbu'''<ref name="gallura">{{cite web|url =https://www.galluraoggi.it/san-teodoro/franco-columbu-morto-san-teodoro-30-agosto-2019/|title =Addio a Franco Columbu, il Terminator italiano: muore per un malore a San Teodoro|website =Gallura Oggi|date =August 30, 2019}}</ref> (August 7, 1941 – August 30, 2019) was an Italian-American [[bodybuilder]] and actor.

Originally a boxer, Columbu won the [[Mr. Olympia]] in 1976 and 1981, and competed in the [[1977 World's Strongest Man|inaugural edition]] of the [[World's Strongest Man]] in 1977, where he placed fifth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deadliftworkouts.com/deadlifting-massive-strength/|title=Deadlifting For Massive Strength?|website=deadliftworkouts.com|access-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref> He also had an acting career and authored numerous books on bodybuilding and nutrition. Columbu was inducted into the [[IFBB Hall of Fame]] in 2001, [[International Sports Hall of Fame]] in 2013<ref>{{cite web |title=2013 International Sports Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://sportshof.org/2013-hall-of-fame/ |website=www.sportshof.org |author=Dr. Robert Goldman | date=March 12, 2013 | access-date=July 14, 2023}}</ref> and received the [[Arnold Classic]] Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.<ref name="heavy" />

==Early life==
Columbu was born on August 7, 1941, in [[Ollolai]] on the island of [[Sardinia]], [[Fascist Italy (1922–1943)|Italy]]. He was a son of shepherds Maria Grazia Sedda and Antonio Columbu. He said in 1982: "I was always skinny. Until I was 11, I got beat up a lot. Then one day, I started beating people up. Nobody could touch me." He worked as a shepherd while training as a boxer. He won over 30 fights as a boxer before quitting the sport in favor of weightlifting and bodybuilding, stating: "Boxing's too rough on your face and head."<ref name="nyt">{{cite web|url =https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/02/sports/franco-columbu-dead.html|title =Franco Columbu, Bodybuilder and Schwarzenegger Friend, Dies at 78|first =Daniel E.|last =Slotnik|website =[[The New York Times]]|date =September 2, 2019}}</ref>

Columbu moved to Germany at a young age for work,<ref name="gallura" /> and met [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] in 1965 at a bodybuilding competition in [[Stuttgart]], Germany.<ref name="asyt">{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msf8JMVku7Y&t=1m42s  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Msf8JMVku7Y| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|title=The 51 Year Bromance: Arnold and Franco |last=Schwarzenegger |first=Arnold |date=October 31, 2016 |website=YouTube |access-date=April 21, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="gmv">{{cite web |url=http://www.gmv.com.au/default.asp?pageid=HOME&template=CONTENT&sid=283 |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger's competitive bodybuilding history 1963-1966 |website=GMV Productions |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref> Columbu formed a lifelong friendship with Schwarzenegger,<ref name="twsJun11a">{{cite magazine|title=Ahhnold!? |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |quote=One crowd that Arnold has stayed with for a while are old bodybuilding friends, a faithful circle that includes Franco Columbu, the Sancho Panza of Schwarzenegger's early days, who says Arnold is running for Governor to give something back to the country that has been so good to him. 'He wants to do a big, beneficial thing, more than a movie—like straightening out this problem in California.' |date=August 18, 2003 |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030818/narnold2.html |access-date=June 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707111558/http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101030818/narnold2.html |archive-date=July 7, 2011 }}</ref> and was Schwarzenegger's [[best man]] for his marriage to [[Maria Shriver]] in 1986 and godfather to their daughter Christina.<ref name="twsJun11d">{{cite news |title= Maria Owings Shriver Wed To Arnold Schwarzenegger |newspaper= The New York Times |quote= Maria Owings Shriver, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Sargent Shriver of Washington, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, a son of Aurelia Schwarzenegger of Graz, Austria, and the late Gustav Schwarzenegger, were married yesterday in Hyannis, Mass.&nbsp;... Dr. Franco Columbu served as best man. |date= April 27, 1986 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/27/style/maria-owings-shriver-wed-to-arnold-schwarzenegger.html |access-date= June 11, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url =https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/franco-columbu-dead-bodybuilder-arnold-schwarzenegger-best-friend|title =Franco Columbu dead: Bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger best friend was 78|website =[[Fox News]]|date =September 1, 2019}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite web|url =https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/01/arnold-schwarzenegger-pays-tribute-to-best-friend-franco-columbu-who-dies-aged-78|title =Arnold Schwarzenegger pays emotional tribute as 'best friend' Franco Columbu dies|first =Michael|last =McGowan|website =[[The Guardian]]|date =September 1, 2019}}</ref> Columbu and Schwarzenegger remained very close friends until Columbu's death, with Schwarzenegger stating in 2016, "He was my favourite training partner four decades ago and he is my favourite training partner today."<ref>{{Citation|title=Franco and Arnold are...<!-- ellipsis in the original --> Still Hungry|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7pOvT9fQ98 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/i7pOvT9fQ98| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=April 25, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Athletic career==
With Schwarzenegger, Columbu moved to [[California]] in the late 1960s to train and work with [[Joe Weider]].<ref name="nyt" /> Weider provided them with a place to live and an $80 ({{Inflation|US|80|1969|fmt=eq|r=-1}}) per week stipend.<ref name="twsJun11e">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/08/national/08ARNO.html?hp|title=Ethnic Issues in Recall Play Out at Latino Parade|first=Charlie|last =LeDuff|newspaper=The New York Times|quote=Mr. Schwarzenegger and a friend from Europe, Franco Columbu, were brought to California by Joe Weider, the bodybuilding guru, who sponsored them, giving them a place to live and an $85 a week stipend. The stipend was not enough to live on, said Mr. Columbu, who arrived in Santa Monica in June 1969. Mr. Columbu said last week in an interview that to make ends meet, he and Mr. Schwarzenegger began a bricklaying and patio business called European Brick Works in 1969.|date=September 8, 2003|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309092800/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/08/national/08ARNO.html?hp|archive-date=March 9, 2014}}</ref> The stipend was not enough to live on, so to support their bodybuilding careers, they began a bricklaying company named European Brick Works in 1969.<ref name="guardian" />
[[File:Franco Columbu Sardegna anni 70.jpg|thumb|Columbu posing in Sardinia {{c.|1970s}}]]
At {{height|ft=5|in=5}} and a competition weight of around {{convert|185|lb|kg|0}}, Columbu won the [[International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness|IFBB]] Mr. Europe and Mr. Universe titles in 1970, and the 1971 IFBB Mr. World. He won the lightweight class of the [[1974 Mr. Olympia|1974]] and [[1975 Mr. Olympia|1975]] IFBB [[Mr. Olympia]]s, before winning the overall competition for the first time in [[1976 Mr. Olympia|1976]].<ref name="ifbb">{{cite web|url =http://www.ifbbpro.com/franco-columbu/|title =Franco Columbu|website =International Federation of BodyBuilding|access-date =September 3, 2019|archive-date =March 7, 2021|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20210307154125/http://www.ifbbpro.com/franco-columbu/|url-status =dead}}</ref>

Columbu participated in the [[1977 World's Strongest Man|inaugural edition]] of the [[World's Strongest Man]] in 1977. He placed fifth, behind four men who outweighed him by around {{convert|100|lb|kg|0}}.<ref>{{cite web|url =https://www.muscleandfitness.com/flexonline/training/even-stronger-they-look-franco-columbu|title =Even Stronger Than They Look: Franco Columbu|website =Muscle & Fitness|first =Greg|last =Merritt|date =December 28, 2013}}</ref> During the event, he [[Knee dislocation|dislocated]] his left knee while carrying a refrigerator on his back.<ref name="nyt" /> The injury kept him out of competition for a few years, and he received a reported $1 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|1|1977|r=1}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) in compensation.<ref>{{cite book|first =Mark H.|last =McCormack|title =The terrible truth about lawyers: how lawyers really work and how to deal with them successfully|url =https://archive.org/details/terribletruthabo00mcco|url-access =registration|page =[https://archive.org/details/terribletruthabo00mcco/page/190 190]|publisher =Beech Tree Books|date =1987|isbn =978-0-688-06621-5}}</ref> Columbu returned to win the [[1981 Mr. Olympia]] then retired from competition.<ref name="ifbb" />

Known for his strength, Columbu's [[clean and jerk]] record was {{convert|400|lb|kg|0}}, his [[bench press]] record was {{convert|525|lb|kg|0}}, his [[Squat (exercise)|squat]] record was {{convert|655|lb|kg|0}}, and his [[deadlift]] record was {{convert|750|lb|kg|0}}.<ref name="m&f" /><ref name="nyt" /> He was named in ''[[The Guinness Book of Records]]'' in 1978 for bursting a [[hot water bottle]] by blowing into it, which he achieved in 55 seconds.<ref name="heavy">{{cite web|url =https://heavy.com/sports/2019/08/franco-columbo-dead/|title =Franco Columbu Dead: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|website =Heavy|first =Paul|last =Farrell|date =August 30, 2019}}</ref>

==Acting, writing, directing, and producing careers==
Columbu appeared as himself in the 1977 bodybuilding docudrama ''[[Pumping Iron]]''. He was the bodybuilding coach for [[Sylvester Stallone]] in the film ''[[Rambo: First Blood Part II]]'' (1985),<ref>{{cite news |last=Marbella |first=Jean |date=October 28, 1985 |title=Dr. Rambo Sylvester Stallone's Body-Beautiful Status for His John Rambo Character Portrayal Had a Little Help from the Real Man Behind the Muscle, Bodybuilder/Chiropractor Franco Columbu |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1985-10-28-8502170296-story.html |work=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |access-date=August 31, 2019}}</ref> and had roles in films that starred Schwarzenegger, including ''[[Conan the Barbarian (1982 film)|Conan the Barbarian]]'' (1982), ''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984), and ''[[The Running Man (1987 film)|The Running Man]]'' (1987).<ref>{{cite news |last=Horswill |first=Ian |date=September 3, 2019 |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger tribute to best friend bodybuilder Franco Columbu |url=https://news.theceomagazine.com/lifestyle/schwarzenegger-tribute-franco-columbu/ |work=CEO Magazine |access-date=September 3, 2019}}</ref> In addition, Columbu's name appears during the opening credits of Schwarzenegger's ''[[Last Action Hero]]'' as the director of fictional film ''Jack Slater IV''.

Columbu's later films, also as a writer and producer, included the cult film ''[[Beretta's Island]]'', (1993), ''Doublecross on Costa's Island'', which he also directed and ''Ancient Warriors'' (2003). These three films were almost entirely shot in his homeland of Sardinia. He was also featured, as an actor, in the low budget production of ''{{ill|Dreamland - La terra dei sogni|it}}''.<ref name="nyt" />

==Personal life and death==
Columbu lived in [[Los Angeles]] from the 1970s. He was a licensed [[chiropractor]], earning his degree from [[Cleveland Chiropractic College]] in 1977.<ref name="heavy" /> He appeared in television commercials and magazines advertisements for Vitalis "Super Hold" hairspray in 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Merritt |first=Greg |date=2019-11-04 |title=5 Things You Didn't Know About Franco Columbu |url=https://thebarbell.com/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-franco-columbu/ |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=The Barbell |language=en-US}}</ref> Columbu returned to his hometown of Ollolai in Sardinia every year towards the end of August to attend the local festivities.<ref name="ortobene">[https://www.ortobene.net/martedi-ollolai-funerali-franco-columbu/ Martedì a Ollolai i funerali di Franco Columbu] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115075900/https://www.ortobene.net/martedi-ollolai-funerali-franco-columbu/ |date=November 15, 2021 }} L'Ortobene</ref> Columbu became a [[naturalization|naturalized]] citizen of the United States in 1983.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/1063631:3998?tid=&pid=&queryId=09215e8e98c61c961741e25d1b43e2af&_phsrc=Ksm811&_phstart=successSource |title=California, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1843-1999 for Francesco Maria Columbu |author=<!-- Not stated--> |website=AncestryLibrary.com |publisher=[[Ancestry.com]] |access-date=2023-01-29 |url-access=subscription |quote=Name: Francesco Maria Columbu; Petition Age: 42; Record Type: Naturalization Petition; Birth Date: 7 Aug 1941; Birth Place: Italy; Petition Date: 15 Dec 1983; Petition Place: Los Angeles, California, USA; Petition Number: 49375.}}</ref>

On August 30, 2019, after feeling unwell while swimming off the coast of [[San Teodoro, Sardinia]], Columbu died during transportation by helicopter to a hospital in [[Olbia]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lanuovasardegna.it/olbia/cronaca/2019/08/30/news/annegato-a-san-teodoro-il-culturista-attore-franco-columbu-1.17873884|title=Il culturista ed attore Franco Columbu annegato|website=La Nuova|language=it|access-date=September 1, 2019|archive-date=November 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115075902/https://www.lanuovasardegna.it/olbia/cronaca/2019/08/30/news/annegato-a-san-teodoro-il-culturista-attore-franco-columbu-1.17873884|url-status=dead}}</ref> at age 78.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://fitnessvolt.com/franco-columbu-dies-78/ |title=Legendary Bodybuilder Franco Columbu Dies, Age 78 |last=Hall |first=Derek |date=August 30, 2019 |website=Fitness Volt |language=en-US |access-date=August 30, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/italian-actor-bodybuilder-franco-columbu-dies-at-78-1235911|title=Italian Actor, Bodybuilder Franco Columbu, Dies At 78|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=August 31, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/devastated-arnold-schwarzenegger-pays-tribute-to-bodybuilder-friend-franco-columbu-11798401|title='Devastated' Arnold Schwarzenegger pays tribute to bodybuilder friend Franco Columbu|website=[[Sky News]]|language=en|access-date=August 31, 2019}}</ref><ref name="nyt" /> A funeral was held in his birthplace, Ollolai, on September 3, 2019.<ref name="ortobene" /> A memorial was held in Los Angeles on October 6, 2019.

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
| 1976
| ''[[Stay Hungry]]''
| Franco Orsini
| Uncredited
|-
| 1977
| ''[[Pumping Iron]]''
| Himself
|
|-
| 1980
| ''[[The Hustler of Muscle Beach]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/126365/The-Hustler-of-Muscle-Beach/overview|title=The Hustler of Muscle Beach (1980)|quote=The hero's get-rich-quick scheme gets him into hot water when he selects a most unusual candidate for his protégé. Several real-life male bodybuilders appear onscreen, including Franco Columbu and Frank Zane, but the film's ad campaign focused on the bikini-clad female contestants.|access-date=June 11, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710015023/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/126365/The-Hustler-of-Muscle-Beach/overview|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Hal Erickson|author-link=Hal Erickson (author)|date=2015|archive-date=July 10, 2015}}</ref>
| Himself
|
|-
| 1980
| ''[[The Comeback (1980 film)|The Comeback]]''
| Himself
|
|-
| 1982
| ''[[Conan the Barbarian (1982 film)|Conan the Barbarian]]''<ref name="nyt" />
| Pictish Scout
|
|-
| 1984
| ''[[The Terminator]]''<ref name="nyt" />
| Future Terminator
|
|-
| 1984
| ''Getting Physical''
| Himself
|
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Don Rickles]]: Rickles on the Loose''
| Himself
|
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Predator (film)|Predator]]''
| Medic
| Uncredited
|-
| 1987
| ''[[The Running Man (1987 film)|The Running Man]]''<ref name="nyt" />
| 911 Security Officer #2
|
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Last Man Standing (1987 film)|Last Man Standing]]''
| Batty
|
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Big Top Pee-wee]]''
| Otto the Strongman
|
|-
| 1990
| ''Perduta''
| L'americano
|
|-
| 1992
| ''Il ritmo del silenzio''
| Nerescu
| Also executive producer
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Beretta's Island]]''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/121254/Beretta-s-Island/overview|title=Beretta's Island (1993)|quote=Beretta (Franco Columbu) is an ex-Interpol agent. Imagining himself retired, Beretta returns to active duty when his friend is killed. His quest for justice takes him all the way to Sardinia. Going undercover, Beretta gets enmeshed in a vicious drug-smuggling operation. Watch for Arnold Schwarzenegger in a cameo.|access-date=June 11, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007043003/https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/121254/Beretta-s-Island/overview|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Hal Erickson|author-link=Hal Erickson (author)|date=2013|archive-date=October 7, 2013}}</ref>
| Franco Armando Beretta
| Also producer and writer
|-
| 1994
| ''Taken Alive''
| Enrico Costa
| Also producer and writer
|-
| 1997
| ''Doublecross on Costa's Island''
| Enrico Costa
| Also director, producer, and writer
|-
| 1998
| ''Hollywood Salutes Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Cinematheque Tribute''
| Himself
|
|-
| 2002
| ''Raw Iron: The Making of Pumping Iron''
| Himself
|
|-
| 2003
| ''Ancient Warriors''
| Aldo Paccione
| Also producer
|-
| 2008
| ''Why We Train''
| Himself
|
|-
| 2010
| ''Muscle Beach then and Now''
| Himself
|
|-
| 2011
| ''Dreamland La Terra dei Sogni''<ref name="nyt" />
| Frank Graziani
|
|-
| 2015
| ''One More Round''
| Franco Turelli
|
|}

==Achievements==

===Bodybuilding titles===
<!-- Unsourced
*1966 Mr Europe, 4th
*1968 [[NABBA Mr. Universe]] (most muscular)
*1969 [[IFBB Mr. Europe]] (medium
*1969 NABBA Mr. Universe (most muscular)
*1969 NABBA Mr. Universe (short)
*1969 [[IFBB Mr. Universe]] (short)
*1970 IFBB Mr. Europe (short & overall)
*1970 [[AAU Mr. World]] (pro short)
-->
*1970 IFBB Mr. World (short)<ref name="ifbb" />
*1970 IFBB Mr. Universe (short & overall)<ref name="ifbb" />
*1971 IFBB Mr. World (short & overall)<ref name="ifbb" />
*[[1974 Mr. Olympia]] (lightweight)<ref name="twsJun11c">{{cite news|author= Mary Stevens|title= Throw Away The Excuses, Turn On The Vcr And Shape Up|newspaper= [[Chicago Tribune]]|quote= ...&nbsp;is a comprehensive men's workout designed by two-time Mr. Olympia Franco Columbu. The workout can be used with or without weights and should help to flatten the stomach, narrow the waist and eliminate unflattering ''love handles''.|date= February 5, 1988|url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/02/05/throw-away-the-excuses-turn-on-the-vcr-and-shape-up/|access-date=June 11, 2010}}</ref>
*[[1975 Mr. Olympia]] (lightweight)<ref name="twsJun11c" />
*[[1976 Mr. Olympia]] (lightweight & overall)<ref name="twsJun11c" />
*[[1981 Mr. Olympia]]<ref name="twsJun11c" />
<!-- Unsourced
===Powerlifting titles===
* Champion of Italy
* Champion of [[Germany]]
* Champion of Europe
-->

===World's Strongest Man===
*[[1977 World's Strongest Man|1977]], fifth place<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://theworldsstrongestman.com/the-worlds-strongest-man-classics-franco-columbus-tragic-fridge-race/|title=The Worlds Strongest Man Classics 1977 - Franco Columbu's tragic fridge race|last=Pratt|first=Rob|date=June 2, 2015|website=World's Strongest Man|language=en-US|access-date=September 1, 2019}}</ref>

===Powerlifting records===
* [[Bench press]], {{convert|525|lb|kg|0}}<ref name="nyt" />
* [[Squat (exercise)|Squat]], {{convert|655|lb|kg|0}}<ref name="nyt" />
* [[Deadlift]], {{convert|750|lb|kg|0}}<ref name="nyt" />
<!-- Unsourced
===Boxing===
* Amateur Boxing Champion of Italy
presidential 
Il Presidente della Repubblica Italiana Ha convertito
Francesco Maria Columbu Cavaliere Ufficiale Roma 25 Agosto 1988
-->

==See also==
*[[List of male professional bodybuilders]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|first1=Franco|last1=Columbu|first2=George|last2=Fels|title=Winning Bodybuilding|url=https://archive.org/details/winningbodybuild00colu|url-access=registration|date =1977|publisher=Contemporary Books|isbn=978-0809281091}}
*{{cite book|first1=Franco|last1=Columbu|first2=George|last2=Fels|title=Coming On Strong|date=1978|publisher =Contemporary Books|isbn=978-0809275656}}
*{{cite book|first1=Franco|last1=Columbu|first2=Anita|last2=Columbu|first3=R. Rozanne|last3=Knudson|title=Starbodies: The Women's Weight Training Book|url=https://archive.org/details/starbodieswomens00colu|url-access=registration|date=1978|publisher=Dutton|isbn=978-0525475279}}
*{{cite book|first1=Franco|last1=Columbu|first2=Richard|last2=Tyler|title=Winning Weight Lifting and Powerlifting|date=1979|publisher=Contemporary Books|isbn=978-0809274284}}
*{{cite book|first1=Franco|last1=Columbu|first2=Richard|last2=Tyler|title=Weight Training and Bodybuilding: A Complete Guide for Young Athletes|date=1979|publisher=Wanderer Books|isbn=978-0671330064}}
*{{cite book|first=Franco|last=Columbu|title=Franco Columbu's Complete Book of Bodybuilding|date=1982|publisher=Contemporary Books|isbn=978-0809259830}}
*{{cite book|first1=Franco|last1=Columbu|first2=Lydia|last2=Fragomeni|title=The Businessman's Minutes-a-Day Guide To Shaping Up|date=1983|publisher=Contemporary Books|isbn=978-0809255795}}
*{{cite book|first1=Franco|last1=Columbu|first2=Lydia|last2=Fragomeni|title=The Bodybuilder's Nutrition Book|date=1985|publisher=Contemporary Books|isbn=978-0809254576|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/bodybuildersnutr00colu}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=0173378}}

{{s-start}}
| colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Mr. Olympia]]'''
{{s-bef | before=[[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] | rows=2 |}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[1976 Mr. Olympia|Overall Champion]] | years=First (1976)}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Frank Zane]]}}
|-
{{s-ttl | title=[[1981 Mr. Olympia|Champion]] | years=Second (1981)}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Chris Dickerson (bodybuilder)|Chris Dickerson]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Mr. Olympia winners}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbu, Franco}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Italian bodybuilders]]
[[Category:Italian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Italian people of Sardinian descent]]
[[Category:Italian powerlifters]]
[[Category:Italian strength athletes]]
[[Category:Male powerlifters]]
[[Category:People from the Province of Nuoro]]
[[Category:Professional bodybuilders]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Sardinia]]