Muscle, Smoke, & Mirrors Volume I
By Randy RoachAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2008 Randy Roach
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4343-7677-0Contents
Dedication.............................................................................vAcknowledgements.......................................................................viEditor's Notes.........................................................................xForeword...............................................................................xiPreface................................................................................xiiIntroduction...........................................................................xviiPart 1 PHYSICAL CULTURE................................................................1Chapter 1 - Origins of Physical Culture................................................3Chapter 2 - 20th Century Physical Culturists...........................................25Chapter 3 - Physical Culture and the World of Health...................................42Chapter 4 - Nutrition, Disease, and the Dietary Templates..............................56Part 2 THE IRON GAME...................................................................73Chapter 5 - The Rise of the Iron Game..................................................75Chapter 6 - The Players of The 1930s...................................................102Chapter 7 - Nature's Law...............................................................120Chapter 8 - The Rise of Modern Bodybuilding............................................134Chapter 9 - Dan and Joe and the Origins of the IFBB....................................149Chapter 10 - Muscletown Nutrition......................................................169Part 3 THE 1950s.......................................................................191Chapter 11 - Hi-Protein, High-Protein, Hi-Proteen or Miracle Food?.....................193Chapter 12 - Miracle Food or Manipulation?.............................................212Chapter 13 - Diverging Philosophies....................................................224Chapter 14 - Sport or Pageant?.........................................................246Chapter 15 - Who Are Th ose Guys?......................................................265Chapter 16 - Th e Psyche of the Bodybuilder............................................280Chapter 17 - Old School Bodybuilding Nutrition.........................................292Chapter 18 - 1950s Science - The Good, the Bad & the Ugly..............................312Chapter 19 - The Pink, White & Blueand the Red.........................................326Part 4 THE 1960s.......................................................................345Chapter 20 - The Transitional 1960s....................................................347Chapter 21 - Westward Through ChicagoLand..............................................364Chapter 22 - Muscle, Pills and Powders.................................................379Chapter 23 -The Cream Rises to the Top.................................................400Chapter 24 - Muscle, Cows, and Chickens................................................419Chapter 25 - Muscle, Mind and Myths....................................................435Chapter 26 - Muscle, Blood and Glands..................................................456Chapter 27 - Eat More Lift More........................................................468Chapter 28 - Muscle, Fats and Heart Attacks!...........................................482Chapter 29 - Muscle, Brains and Brawn..................................................499Epilogue...............................................................................509References.............................................................................511Index..................................................................................528
Chapter One
Origins of Physical Culture
With the great number of veteran bodybuilders who participated in this project, the inevitable question posed to them was, "When did they feel that the actual practice of bodybuilding began?" Not surprisingly, many responded with the view that modern bodybuilding started with the great John Grimek. He was the most prominent physique star of the 1940s and early 1950s, both in and out of competition. The size of his physique was a significant leap forward in musculature that set the bar for those who would dare to follow. His was also the era that saw the rise of the 2 most domineering factions in the industry: the Hoff man (York) and Weider organizations. For several decades, these camps would be at war with each other battling for supremacy over bodybuilding.
Weider, Hoff man, and Grimek did not create the sport, but merely picked up the slow-moving baton and ran with it towards a questionable finish line. Before these men, there were others who go back further in time to an era of strongmen and performers who developed the hardware, tools, and other attributes that helped lay the foundation for the Game.
Between the 20th century bodybuilding power players and the earlier strongmen pioneers, there was another man, a standout, a focal point, a connection between old and new. This man displayed his physique worldwide, wrote books on strength training, published a health magazine, ran what is considered to be the first major physique contest, and whose very image forms the body of the trophy for the coveted Mr. Olympia title over 100 years after its creation. This is the legendary Eugen Sandow.
Born Friederich Wilhelm Mueller (1867-1925) in Prussia, now part of Germany, Eugen Sandow is considered by many to represent the true origins of modern bodybuilding. Even though the term "bodybuilding" was allegedly first coined by a Boston YMCA instructor back in 18811, Sandow and the other men of strength and muscle flourished under the banner of "Physical Culture."
Physical What?
With some debate, 21st century modern bodybuilding still operates, categorically, as a sport. Sport, along with athletics, recreational activity, and physical education are just some of the terminologies used to express various avenues of exercise. Worldwide, there are leagues, organizations, and even charters to assure the privilege and right for all to engage in exercise through organized sports. The Oxford Dictionary defines "sport" as:
Any highly structured, goal directed physical activity governed by rules, which has a high level of commitment, takes the form of a struggle with oneself or involves competition with others but which also has some of the characteristics of play. Sports involves either vigorous physical exertion or the use of relatively complex physical skills by individuals whose participation is motivated by a combination of the intrinsic satisfaction associated with the activity itself and the external rewards earned through participation.
This may be an accurate definition of what sport used to represent. However, looking at how competition has moved to the forefront in high level amateur and professional sports, it's hard to argue against amending this definition with the addendum "and to win at all costs." Considering the antics of team owners, coaches, managers, athletes, and even the fans themselves, this would truly reflect a more complete definition of "sport."
The growing role of business, fame, fortune, national pride, and politics has long clouded the image of sport in the eyes of the visionaries and idealists. These men and women see a higher value and a need for organized sports for more than just the "win at all cost" concept. Their ideals are apparent in mission statements such as the 1992 European Sports Charter:
'Sport' means all forms of physical activity, which, through casual or organized participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels ...
Still acknowledging the need for competition, the framers of this charter envisioned a harnessing of that competitive aspect. To them, sport was to be governed in such a manner that it could serve as a vehicle for personal growth in terms of establishing relationships and a mental well-being. The essence of their statement borrows from the classical Greek philosophy of "a sound mind in a sound body."
This maxim or principle is not new. The essence of the European Sport Charter, along with the concept of sport, grew out of an umbrella term still known to some as "Physical Culture." This mid-19th century phrase is defined by The Oxford Dictionary as "The sum total of a society's activities and attitudes connected with physical development and education."
Alan Radley, author of " The Illustrated History of Physical Culture" (2001) stated that ancient India can claim the earliest complete form of Physical Culture. Radley wrote, "In fact, the first records of physical culture were found in India ... These were the Yogic exercises that were first described in the Yoga Sutra by Pantanjali."
He further commented:
Yoga represents a very complete system of physical culture, and was developed with exercises intended to benefit all parts of the body. Yoga considers the whole organism and all the indications are that it was one of the first systematic training systems developed by man. The Yoga Sutra was first practiced more than five thousand years ago ... In Yoga, the concept of good health always means mental, moral, and psychic health as much as physical.
Although Radley expands the tenets of Physical Culture to include that of the spiritual realm, his definition still coincides with The Oxford Dictionary by implying a strong societal or cultural influence on the mind-set of those who participate in exercise of the body and mind in the pursuit of personal development. We can assume from this that the aspects of Physical Culture would vary from culture to culture. Recognizing this tremendous potential for variance in definition due to ethnic influences, the effect of so much cultural integration, as demonstrated in North America, must be taken into consideration.
With awareness of such diversity, it would be conjectured that the development of one's Physical Culture would come to derive more from individual persuasion over that of a single national influence. It is not our intent to examine extensively just what makes us who or what we are, but much of our very nature is often expressed through our own personal Physical Culture. Exercise, diet, hygiene, educational, and spiritual pursuits all play significant roles in shaping the impact of our individual presence. Obviously from these variables alone the philosophical permutations are tremendous in terms of governing one's own Physical Culture.
For many, life may be as simple as a strong, banal focus on purely the physical, with little or no exploration of any other horizons. However, for some in the pursuit of a richer enlightenment, it's a constant seeking of a symphonic balance between the conditioning of the body, the cultivation of the mind, and a continuous unfolding growth of the spirit, all the while maintaining a harmony with their natural environment. In actuality, everyone practices their own Physical Culture whether or not they're even aware of its meaning. A number of our pioneers of bodybuilding referred to themselves as " Physical Culturists" with their own constituted framework of the term.
Why all the fuss over philosophy and yoga? What does this have to do with bodybuilding and its nutritional legacy? It is important for those new to the sport to understand the mindsets of the bodybuilders. The general public has long since accepted the use of weight training for several decades now.
Nevertheless, serious bodybuilding has remained an enigma to the vast majority of society. It is necessary to help the reader understand the extent of the philosophical variances existing within the sport, some which have contributed to this public alienation. The span from a health, inner balance, and harmony quest to a "win at all cost" agenda demonstrates a significant transition in attitude. This change would affect the diet and habits of the Physical Culturists as they evolved through the 20th century and splintered into bodybuilding factions of much diversity.
As stated earlier, the phrase "Physical Culture" has only been around since the mid-19th century. However, the concepts and disciplines it encompasses have been around for millennia. Bodybuilding grew out of these very disciplines. Eugen Sandow rose to fame as a star of Physical Culture in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Although Sandow exhibited enough of the attributes to represent our focal point as "Father of Bodybuilding," he was not by any means the first to lift weights.
It may be surprising to many that most of the wares of today's bodybuilding industry, such as personal training, aerobics classes, dumbbells, barbells, weight machines, gurus, and mail order courses, were established in the 19th century. Sandow was simply the first to contribute to this arsenal and then capitalize on the fruits of his labour by showcasing his physique to the world.
Cultural Influences
Lifting heavy objects to get stronger goes back several thousand years to combat training in China, Egypt, India, and later Greece and Rome. It is beyond our purpose to establish a complete history and evolution of diet, or to engage the argument of vegetarian versus meat-eating origins. Nor is it a necessity to step through the centuries to pick out every clue and artifact pertaining to diet and exercise since the most dramatic changes for our purposes transpired during the 20th century. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to point out some renowned figures and cultures of the past that have maintained their impact over time. To some, these characters come with a cloud of mythology, but to various cultures they are very real. Regardless, their stories have survived the centuries.
When writing on any historical aspect of weight training, it is difficult to ignore the major influence of ancient Greece and Rome. As we mentioned earlier, the Greek philosophies have left their mark throughout our society. Both empires were well known for their appreciation of aesthetics in the human physique. Their detail for bodily proportion, perhaps even more with the Greeks, was drawn as much from mathematics as from anatomy. Many of their paintings and sculptures show homage to their revered gods and heroic athletes.
Ori Hofmekler, in his book " The Warrior Diet" (2001), commented on the Roman attitude towards aesthetics:
Roman people had a very strict, aesthetic concept of physical appearance. They had their own unique style, which they called cultus. Cultus involved body washing, hairstyling, beard trimming, and especially, eating adequately ... Gluttony was considered a disgrace, and obesity an humiliating weakness.
Hofmekler's approach to diet was through the use of short cycles of food deprivation followed by plentiful compensation. He based his system on what he believed was an historical pattern of strategic (often forced) meal planning as practiced by the warriors of the past. He went into significant detail on the dietary customs of the ancient Roman Empire and distinguished the differences in food selections and meal patterns between the socio-economic classes.
According to Hofmekler, the soldiers of the Roman army were small, but athletic and agile, probably weighing no more than 135 lbs. (61 kg). They were constantly on the move and their diet could vary according to the circumstances. Ideally, they preferred high quality protein foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and cheese, with carbohydrates playing a secondary role. However, frequent protein shortages would often elevate carbohydrates such as barley and other grains to the forefront.
Although Hofmekler's Roman soldiers may have been lean and agile, it appears that the gladiators of that time were not. Contrary to tales of sinewy athletes eating the hearts of lions before battle, Roman gladiators, according to later research, may have been over-weight vegetarians. Palaeoanthropologists from the Austrian Archaeological Institute analyzed the remains of 70 gladiators from an ancient site at Ephesus near Selsuk in Turkey and came to some interesting conclusions.
A process known as elementary microanalysis was used to assess the mineral remains of the bone cells to determine the main foods that constituted the diet of these long deceased warriors. Supposedly, the low levels of zinc and high concentrations of strontium appear to give scientific validity to a diet dominant in grains and fruit. The researchers speculated that the higher density bones they analyzed indicated larger men who most likely put on layers of fat to help absorb punishment during combat.
Whether a gladiator, soldier, athlete, or citizen, the Romans had an appreciation of Physical Culture, but not to the extent of their contemporary Greeks whose roots preceded them by centuries. In fact, much of the essence of the Physical Culture aspect of life was borrowed from the Greeks. During the height of Roman rule, Greek philosophers and physicians would often teach in Rome. Galen, a 2nd century AD Greek physician, held prominent positions within the Roman Empire.
Trained at the best medical schools of that ancient era, Galen was very advanced in anatomy, physiology, and animal dissection. He is considered a pioneer in experimental methodology in medical investigation. Many of his observations were accurate and he has been credited as the originator of the practice of monitoring a patient's pulse. Galen served as a physician to gladiators and had developed exercise programmes which incorporated the use of very early hand-held weights to increase strength. Again, Galen borrowed this notion of early weightlifting from his Greek ancestors.
A Big Jump in Protein
Most all history lessons on bodybuilding make mention of the great 6th century B.C. champion wrestler Milo from Crotona, a Greek colony in Southern Italy. He won several Olympic and Pythian Games. In fact, he was 5-time Olympic champion from 532 to 516 B.C. Milo is said to have built his strength by carrying a young bull or heifer (about a 500 to 800 lb. difference between the two) on his shoulders daily for 4 years until it was full grown. As the animal grew, so did Milo. As the story goes, he carried the bull the length of the Olympic stadium, killed and ate it within a day. Considering that the average bodybuilder eats about 250 grams of protein daily, Milo consumed a year's worth in 1 day!
A more conservative, but still outrageous menu for this strength athlete was 20 lbs. (9 kg) of meat daily, along with 20 lbs. (9 kg) of bread, and 18 pints (8.2 L) of wine. That's about a week's worth of protein for today's athlete. No wonder Milo is regarded by many to be the father of both progressive weight training and a high protein diet. Some eyebrows may be raised over the quantity of alcohol consumed by Milo. The lures of the grape would prove to be a mighty challenge for many of the strongmen through the years.
Regardless of how much of that cow Milo consumed, the addition of meat to the ancient Greek athlete's diet is credited to a long distance runner, Dromeus of Stymphalos in the 5th century B.C. The Greek's earlier fare was believed to have been from fresh cheese, figs, and wheat, but after Dromeus, the athlete's intake was amended with heavy quantities of beef, pork, and goat. He is considered by some writers as one of our sport's first nutritionists.
Historian Alan Radley has written on our Western Physical Culture roots from ancient Greece. He agreed that strength training for physical competition was getting started around the time of Milo in the 6th century B.C. Records show that very heavy stone objects were either thrown or lifted. One stone weighing 1,056 lbs. (480 kg) bore the inscription, " Emastas, the son of Critobulus, lifted me off the ground."
In his research, Radley acknowledged the higher consumption of food by the Greek athletes. He noted Milo's feats, along with the practice of other athletes eating up to 2 lbs. (0.91 kg) of flesh food at 1 meal. He was quick to reference Aristotle's labelling of this practice as gluttony. Radley recorded what he felt was the typical Greek diet that consisted of bread, vegetables, barley cakes, fish, and feta cheese. The rich consumed more chicken, pork, or lamb. (Continues...)
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