Eugen Sandow (Yes, “Eugen”) was one of the earliest “old school” strongmen to tour Europe, and later the United States in the late 1800s, showing off his immense strength and his bodybuilder’s physique. He is known as the “father of bodybuilding”.
He performed all kinds of strongman stunts throughout Europe and later in the United States and was considered to have the best physical appearance and the most strength of ANYONE during his time.
In his book, Sandow on Physical Training, written in 1894, he says much the same as is said today about the lack of physical training and the poor state of fitness of the general population. He said: “For those even whom we are pleased to call the ‘flower of our population,’ we have systematically and intelligently done next to nothing in the way of physical culture.”
While much of the book is autobiographical, and much of it is devoted to the heavy duty dumbbell and barbell training for bodybuilding and strength, he writes about fitness for the average person as being necessary, but not as intense in effort, as that needed to develop a strong and muscular body. He suggested that a pair of five pound dumbbells are all the average person needs to stay healthy. He put it this way: “The use of dumbbells of only 5 lbs in weight, for the earnest and systematic manipulation of these, he affirms, is sufficient for the due development for all muscles and groups of muscles apportioning, at least, to the upper part of the body, while by confining the would-be athlete to these medium-sized bells, no risk of injury is run, and the average man can be kept in the perfection of health.” Isn’t the English language great.
He goes on to say: “Yes it is health rather than strength that is the great requirement of modern men at modern occupations; it is not the power to travel great distances, carry great burdens, lift great weights, or overcome great material obstructions, it is simply that condition of body, and that amount of vital capacity, which shall enable each man in his place to pursue his calling, and work on in his working life, with the greatest amount of comfort to himself and usefulness to his fellow-man.” (Whew!)
And again: “Yet it is not strength, so much as health, that is the crying want of our time. It is stamina, and the power, in each of us, to do our daily work with the least friction and the greatest amount of comfort and ease.”
Enough of the 1894 English.
All said, isn’t that the essence of what we, as 21st Century seniors, want from a regimen of exercise? While overall strength is desirable and even important, don’t we really want our HEALTH first? Most of us want to look lean and trim, but big muscles aren’t the answer most of us seek. We want to be able to live a long time and enjoy the experience of being alive as long as we are alive. Plus, our muscles will develop in size and strength, even using five pound dumbbells.
Many of the American pioneers of health and fitness were disciples of Eugen Sandow. The first real American “health pioneer”, Bernarr Macfadden, was a direct disciple of the teachings of Sandow, and often used him as an example in his publications. Macfadden was followed by his own disciples: Paul Bragg (first health food store), Charles Atlas (most popular fitness program of all time), and Jack LaLanne (one of the first gyms, designer of exercise equipment, and TV fitness host), all of whom were major influencers of modern thinking in the field of health and fitness. Much of what we do today was taught by the old timers . . . and the science is only now beginning to catch up with what they were doing and saying.
As for Eugen Sandow, we can be grateful for his approach to Health and Fitness for the common man and woman, even though his renown is for his own powerful strength, and as one of the first true devotees of exercise for bodybuilding in the Western World.
You can pick up Sandow’s book on Kindle for $0.99 (that’s right 99 cents) on Amazon.com.
Thank you for reading.