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Kim Wood, the National Football League’s first full-time strength and conditioning coach, died Tuesday after battling a brief illness. He was 80 years old.
The Cincinnati Bengals announced his death, calling him “an innovator who helped transform the bodybuilding industry” while playing a prominent role on the Bengals’ sidelines.
He was employed by the Bengals from 1975, Paul Brown’s final season as the team’s head coach, until 2002.
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Wood was an adamant opponent of steroids at a time when they had risen to prominence in sports and bodybuilding, two of Wood’s niches. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
“I lost a great friend, a great coach, a great guy,” legendary Bengals defensive lineman Tim Krumrie said.
“He believed in hands and forearms and grips,” added Anthony Munoz, reflecting on what Wood thought about the importance of a firm handshake. “He was on the cutting edge of core work and arm strength. He understood the game so well. He understood what part of your body needed to really be emphasized to be the best.”
“Everyone who knew him recognized what an extraordinary personality he had,” said Brown’s son Mike. “He was fun and interesting to be around. He was outgoing. He was always full of ideas and projects. He attracted people. The players loved being around him, as did everyone else.”
Kim Wood was a pioneer in bodybuilding in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (Cincinnati Bengals)
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As weight training took off in the late ’60s and early ’70s, Wood became a major force in the industry, first at Nautilus and then with his own company, Hammer Strength, helping to transition strength training from free weights to machines. He then made his mark in the world of professional wrestling, assisting former Bengals special teams player Brian Pillman in his in-ring career.
Wood was an adamant opponent of steroids at a time when they had risen to prominence in sports and bodybuilding, two of Wood’s niches.
“He was extremely anti-steroids, which I loved,” Munoz said. “He took care of his players. For him, it was all about working hard, eating the right things. He was totally against chemicals.”
Wood was employed by the Bengals from 1975, Paul Brown’s final season as the team’s head coach, until 2002. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
Krumrie was training when he learned of Wood’s death Wednesday. Regarding the rower, he said he did “a few extra pull-ups” for his former coach.
