Josef Edwin “Joe” Weider who was a scrawny kid who sculpted himself with bodybuilding during the Great Depression and then created an empire of muscle magazines, fitness equipment, dietary supplements and Olympic-style contests featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, died on Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Weider was 93 years old. He is considered the father of modern bodybuilding.

His longtime publicist Charlotte Parker, said the cause was heart failure. Mr. Weider, throughout a major part of his adult life may not have been the 97-pound weakling of the comic books, who got tired of having sand kicked in his face by bullies. However, growing up in Montreal, he despised being roughed up by hooligans. He eventually discovered bodybuilding in a magazine and live by its gospel for life.

Applying the knowledge he has gained, he developed a V-shaped torso with bulging biceps and incredible abs comparable to Michaelangelo’s David. Until he was 70s and 80s, Mr. Weider was muscular and jut-jawed.

Mr. Weider moved to the United States as a young man and founded many of the world’s most popular bodybuilding magazines. This roster includes Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Men’s Fitness and for women, Shape. The reach of his publications was at one point a total of 25 million readers and in its pages was photos of greased bodybuilders and Hollywood stars like Sylvester Stallone, Cher and Mr. Schwarzenegger.

Not limiting himself to magazines as a medium to spread the word of bodybuilding and healthy living, Mr. Weider together with his brother Ben founded the International Federation of Body Builders, which sponsors the Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia contests, as well as other competitions for men and women featuring the best bodies. It has established affiliates in some 170 countries.

The Weider brothers promoted fitness as a lifestyle and bodybuilding as an international sport. In 1968, Mr. Weider took to his wings a young Austrian bodybuilding champion named Arnold Schwarzenegger. He paid him $100 a week to write articles for his magazines that endorses Weider products. The future actor and politician also won Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia titles the same year.

It was noted that Weider-sponsored athletes seems to win the contests with suspicious regularity. However, no proof of fixes was forthcoming.

In a statement posted on his Facebook Page honoring Mr. Weider, Mr. Schwarzenegger said, “He advised me on my training and my business ventures, and once bizarrely, claimed I was a German Shakespearean actor to get me my first acting role in ‘Hercules in New York,’ even though I barely spoke English.” The Weider protégé continues that “He was there for me constantly throughout my life, and I will miss him dearly.”

Mr. Weider is survived by his wife, Betty Brosmer, herself a leading pioneer in women’s health and fitness.