Don't forget, Eddie Brock was a chump to begin with (at least in the comics).
He didn't get ripped until after the incident where Spider-man proved him wrong, after which he took up weight lifting to relieve stress.
After Spider-man gets rid of the symbiote, it tries to get back with him in a church tower, but the sound from the bells weaken it and it crawls off to supposedly die. Thats when it combines with Eddie Brock, who in one story line is at the church praying for God's forgiveness because he's going to kill himself (had cancer). The symbiote reverses the effects of the cancer though, so they're both saved by it.
Eventually, Broc k sells it to some rich guy, who gives it to his son, but his son is a pussy so the symbiote leaves him, and the son dies. After Brock hears this, he slits his wrists in an alley, and you're left to believe he dies. The symbiote actually bonds with the Scorpion after that, and this is where the comic is now. It's going to be revealed though that Eddie didn't die, and Venom will return.
Did some reading up the other day