Francis Benfatto
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A GLOBAL LEADER IN LIFESTYLE ENHANCEMENT
Benfatto Enterprises and PPM Training Academy
PPM CREATOR
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Born in Casablanca, Morocco, on June 7, 1958, Francis Benfatto, nicknamed “The Sphinx,” relocated to France in 1971 at 15. In addition to being impressed by Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger and French bodybuilders Leon Cesarion and Serge Nubret, he was inspired by his father’s commitment to training with barbells and dumbbells in his own small gym.
Benfatto entered his first bodybuilding contest in 1976 at 17 years old. A decade later, after competing around the world, he placed high at the 1987 World Bodybuilding Championships in Madrid, Spain, where he was discovered by Mr. Olympia founder Joe Weider and offered the opportunity to compete as a professional in the IFBB Pro League of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness. For Benfatto, it was a dream come true.
IFBB Pro Francis Benfatto is repped by Sports Manager Andrew Oye Creative Services, ACCSELerator
In May 1988, Benfatto made his professional debut at the Night of Champions in New York City, facing competitors who outweighed him by nearly 50 pounds. He went on to compete at the prestigious Mr. Olympia contest in 1990 and 1991. In 1993, he retired from bodybuilding competition but continued to work as a highly sought-after and marketable fitness model. His aesthetics would create some of the most iconic photographic images in bodybuilding history. In 1997, he left the United States of America to return to France. In 2003, he made a bold move to South Africa, where he launched his sports-nutrition brand Benfatto Nutrition.
Benfatto performed and presented at many exhibitions and seminars, in high demand — then, as he is now — for his artistic-posing expertise, Golden-Era legend status, and training and nutrition knowledge. After 13 years of retirement, he launched a highly publicized and lauded comeback to competitive bodybuilding at the 2006 Australian Grand Prix, challenging some of the world’s young, rising talent, at a striking 48 years old, 5’6” and 200 pounds. “I was probably in the best shape of my life,” he recalls, dismissing the so-called limitations of age.
An ambassador for longevity, he founded Benfatto Enterprises in 2009, accepted the duty of Global Leader in Lifestyle Enhancement, and encourages others to lead long, healthy lives. Based on his own journey and decades-long experience, he shares his wisdom as a philosopher of human performance; improvement as a function of slow, sustained progression; and the development of mental qualities (courage, willpower, determination, discipline) and physical qualities (strength, power, stamina). These elements form what he calls the “puzzle of life.”
To help people everywhere build their puzzles and unlock their optimal health potential, Premier Lifestyle Coach Francis Benfatto founded the Benfatto PPM Training Academy and partnered with Director of Program Development Andrew Oye to present the Progressive Performance Methodology: The Gold Standard in Fitness Training. Contact us for more information.
PROGRESSIVE PERFORMANCE
A bodybuilding legend makes target-muscle training accessible to the masses.
"Man’s proper stature is not one of mediocrity, failure, frustration or defeat, but one of achievement, strength, and nobility. In short, man can and ought to be a hero."
— IFBB Pro Francis Benfatto
CEO, Benfatto Enterprises + Benfatto PPM Academy
"As we developed the PPM Trainer's Manual, I referred to Benfatto as 'The Professor'— a fitness philosopher using the mind's wisdom to help others reshape their bodies"
— Master Trainer Andrew Oye
VP, Benfatto Enterprises + Benfatto PPM Academy
IFBB Pro Francis Benfatto is repped by Sports Manager Andrew Oye Creative Services, ACCSELerator