Ervin Liebert: a pioneer of Estonian bodybuilding
Ervin Liebert is one of the founding figures of Estonian bodybuilding and an outstanding strength athlete who helped bring athletic gymnastics into Estonia’s sporting culture in the 1960s and 70s. His story takes us back to a time when strength training was still new to Estonia — and follows one of the men who helped it take root.
Who is Ervin Liebert?
Ervin Liebert was born on 26 December 1939 in Tallinn. He graduated from Tallinn Secondary School No. 10 (now Nõmme Gymnasium) and, in 1959, from a secondary school for working young people. He went on to study at the University of Tartu, graduating from the Faculty of Physical Education in 1965 and in English philology in 1973. Both an athlete and a humanities scholar, he brought this combination to his writing, describing strength exercises with almost poetic precision.
One of his best-known passages, still frequently quoted today, reads:
Day by day, we have less need to get around on foot, and machines do more and more of our work for us. Yet let’s face it — we have inherited our ancestors’ appetites. No wonder, then, that every so often we have to slide the weight a little further along the scales at the sauna or punch new holes in our belts. No wonder? Quite the opposite! — it is a sorry state of affairs when, after turning 25, we are already embarrassed to take our shirts off at the beach, or — worse still — no longer embarrassed at all!
These lines were written almost half a century ago, but they sound as though they were written yesterday.
Ervin Liebert’s weightlifting career
Before dedicating himself to bodybuilding, Ervin Liebert built a successful career in weightlifting. In 1962, he became Estonian champion in the middle heavyweight category (90 kg), followed by the heavyweight category (110 kg) in 1964. In the intervening year — 1963 — he broke the Estonian middle heavyweight record twice in the press and twice in the clean and jerk, while breaking heavyweight records no fewer than 15 times. These numbers speak for themselves: this was an athlete whose fitness came from systematic training and tracking his results over many months.
In 1965, he set a Dünamo all-Union record in the heavyweight clean and jerk — 183 kg. His personal best total across the three lifts stood at 442.5 kilograms (142.5 + 120 + 180), set back in 1963.
Liebert worked as a weightlifting coach at Dünamo in 1964–1968 and at Kalev in 1968–1985. His athletes included weightlifters Alar Seim and Olev Viktor. From 1975–1985, he served on the presidium of the Weightlifting Federation.
Ervin Liebert and the birth of Estonian bodybuilding
In the 1970s, bodybuilding was still in its infancy in Estonia. Athletic gymnastics — as it was known then — needed an advocate who could explain the science behind it while also getting people into the gym. Ervin Liebert took on that role. From 1979–1992, he was president and coach of the Tallinn Athletic Gymnastics Club.
He wrote two books that shaped several generations of Estonian strength athletes: “Athletic Gymnastics” (1968) and “The ABC of Athletic Gymnastics” (1975). These were more than collections of exercises: they explained why exercises should be performed in a particular way and how training needs to go hand in hand with nutrition and recovery. Even by today’s standards, these books were surprisingly forward-thinking.
From 1985, Liebert worked as a chess coach at Tallinn Chess School — chess had long been his second passion. His chess students included Riho Liiva.
Video interview with Ervin Liebert
We met Liebert at the chess center. We had barely stepped through the door when a lively voice greeted us: “You must be looking for me. Come on, let’s go upstairs.” Neither his manner nor his brisk pace gave any hint that he was nearly 80 years old. As we climbed the stairs, he chatted away without pause — as naturally as straightening his back before the next set.
In the video interview, Ervin Liebert talks about how his sporting journey began, how he found his way into bodybuilding and what Estonian bodybuilding was like in its early days, when everything was still in its infancy.
FAQ: Ervin Liebert and his legacy
When was Ervin Liebert born?
On 26 December 1939 in Tallinn. His first major achievements came in the early 1960s, when he was barely over 20 years old.
What books did Ervin Liebert write?
Two main books: “Athletic Gymnastics” (1968) and “The ABC of Athletic Gymnastics” (1975). Both remain cornerstones of Estonian strength sports history.
What was Ervin Liebert’s greatest sporting achievement?
His Dünamo all-Union record in the heavyweight clean and jerk, set in 1965 — 183 kg. He also won Estonian championship titles in two consecutive years in two different weight categories.
Author: Peep Reinart
Come work out! ArtGym
