Tuesday, February 24, 2009
| One cool cat Zabo Zoszewski training his famous abs with the Roman Chair. He was said to do 500-1000 reps of this exercise every day. Zabo won "Best Abs" in every contest he entered, including four times in the AAU Mr. America contest and three times in the Junior Mr. America Contest. |  Zabo and the Roman Chair |
Labels: Abdominal Exercise, Abdominal Strength, Abdominal Training, Best Abs, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Irvin Zabo Koszewski, Roman Chair, Zabo
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Walt MarcyanWalt Marcyan was a great lifter, bodybuilder and hand balancer during the early Santa Monica Muscle Beach days. Walt first picked up a barbell and started training when he was 19 years old and shortly afterwards won the Central AAU Light Heavyweight Lifting Championship.
He followed that up by winning the northwest, Pacific, California, Pacific Coast and Illinois State lifting titles. Walt possessed unusual strength in a number of lifts, above he just missed a one-arm snatch of 210 pounds (at a bodyweight of only 180.)
Marcyan was also the inventor of several pieces of training equipment and his "Marcy Gym" line is still going strong today.
Labels: AAU, Golden Age Bodybuilder, hand balancer, Hand Balancing, Marcy Gym, Muscle Beach, one arm snatch, Walt Marcyan, weightlifting
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Monday, April 07, 2008
Chest Expanders It's hard to tell from this angle but I believe that's 1945 AAU Mr. America Clarence "Clancy" Ross demonstrating one of the very best chest expander exercises.
Just another example in the long line of Champions who have built their strength from using them.
Labels: 1945 Mr. America, Back Exercise, Back Press, Bodybuilding, Chest Expander Exercise, Chest Expander, Clancy Ross, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Mr. America, Shoulder Exercise
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Monday, March 24, 2008
Melvin WellsMelvin Wells was a great bodybuilder during the 1940's and 50's.
He won the "Most-Muscular" title but finished second in the 1949 AAU Mr. America contest to Jack Dellinger. He repeated this feat the next year, finishing second at the 1950 AAU Mr. America contest, this time to John Farbotnik. but again winning the "Most Muscular" award.
Wells did eventually win a contest, finishing first at the 1951 "Mr. Strength and Health" contest.
What is most interesting about Melvin Wells though is that he didn't lift barbells and dumbbells, he lifted rocks in an unheated garage at his home in Buffalo, New York.
Labels: AAU, Bodybuilder, Bodybuilding, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Jack Dellinger, John Farbotnik, Melvin Wells, Mr. Strength and Health, Mr.America Contest, Rock Lifting
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Friday, March 21, 2008
Frank Leight - Mr. America 1942Frank Leight, AAU Mr. America 1942, with some classic globe barbells and kettlebells on the cover of the July, 1942 issue of Strength and Health Magazine.
Frank Leight finished 2nd in 1940 (losing to John Grimek and 3rd in 1941 (again behind Grimek, and Jules Bacon)before finally winning the Mr. America contest himself in 1942.
Labels: AAU, Bodybuilding, Cover, Frank Leight, Globe Barbell, Golden Age Bodybuilder, John Grimek, Jules Bacon, Milo Kettlebell, Mr. America, Strength and Health Magazine
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Wednesday, March 19, 2008
 John McWilliams | Many people have wondered exactly how it was that John McWilliams built such big arms... The reasons for that should be as straightforward as can be: a)Genetics b)Progressive resistance exercise I hear dumbbell curls are a good bicep exercise -- looks like they worked well enough for John McWilliams. Can't do much about your genetics,but you certainly CAN use this great exercise to build bigger arms. |
Labels: Arm Development, Bicep Exercise, Big Arms, Bodybuilder, Bodybuilding, Dumbbell Curls, Globe Dumbbells, Golden Age Bodybuilder, John McWilliams
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Friday, February 08, 2008
Armand Tanny's Favorite Exercise: The One Arm CleanArmand Tanny (brother of Vic Tanny) was a very successful bodybuilder in the late 40's and 50's, and a regular at the original Santa Monica Muscle Beach scene.
Tanny competed in many major bodybuilding contests and won the Pro-Mr. America in 1950. His favorite exercise was one you don't often see these days: the one arm clean.
Its hard to tell how heavy the bar is loaded to in this shot -- I'd say at least 225 or so, and you sure won't find any bodybuilders who could do that these days.
Labels: Armand Tanny, Barbell, Bodybuilding, Feat, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Mr. America, Muscle Beach, One Arm Clean, Pro Mr. America, Vic Tanny
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
| The well-known bodybuilder John McWilliams wrote his own arm development course entitled "Big Arms for You" which he advertised in Iron Man Magazine for years. As you can see, his arms were quite impressive. -- McWilliams wasn't all show though, he also had a 710 pound deadlift to his name. |  John McWilliams - Big Arms For You |
Labels: Arm Development, Bicep Exercise, Bicep Workout, Big Arms, Bodybuilder, Bodybuilding, Deadlift, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Iron Man Magazine, John McWilliams, Strength Author, Training Course
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
 Reg Park | There's not too many folks who are instantly recognizable from the back but any iron fan knows that this is undoubtedly Reg Park. Here's Reg pressing a pair of 110-pound dumbbells at the original Muscle Beach. I sure couldn't think of anyone better than Reg to play Hercules in the movies. ... The two-dumbbell press is a great shoulder builder, as you can see. |
Labels: Bodybuilding, Dumbbell Press, Dumbbell Exercise, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Hercules, Muscle Beach, Reg Park, Reg Park Workout, Shoulder Exercise, Two Dumbbell Press
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Friday, February 01, 2008
| Originally from Hazard, Kentucky, Ron Lacy was the winner of the 1957 AAU Mr. America Contest. He also won the 1955 Mr. Kentucky Contest and finished first in the medium class in the NABBA Mr. Universe contest. Ron was also well known for his leg development and once squatted 300 pounds for 50 consecutive reps. |  Mr. America 1957 Ron Lacy |
Labels: AAU, Bodybuilding, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Mr. America, Mr. Universe, NABBA, Ron Lacy, Squat Workout
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Harold ZinkinHarold Zinkin, shown here on the cover of the June, 1947 issue of Strength & Health Magazine, won the 1941 "Mr. California" bodybuilding contest and was a fixture on the original Santa Monica Muscle Beach scene where he thrilled the crowds with feats of strength, hand balancing and acrobatics.
Zinkin later invented the Universal Gym Machine.
Labels: Bodybuilding, Cover, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Hand Balancing, Harold Zinkin, Muscle Beach, Strength and Health, Universal Machine
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Monday, December 10, 2007
 Bill Pearl | Bill Pearl is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, having won many different bodybuilding titles over his colorful career. Something you may not realize though is that Bill also began performing traditional feats of strength such as license plate ripping (pictured), chain breaking, spike bending, card tearing and even Nail Driving because he "felt that he should BE as strong as he looked." |
Labels: Bill Pearl, Bodybuilding, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Strongman Feat
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, November 11, 2007
| Dave Draper is one of the best known "Golden Age" Bodybuilders from the California Bodybuilding Scene in the 1960's and 1970's. Known as "The Blonde Bomber", he sure would not look out of place on the beaches of Santa Cruz (even though he was originally from New Jersey.) Here's a look at his winning contest history: |  Dave Draper |
Labels: Bodybuilding, Dave Draper, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Mr. America, Mr. Universe, Mr. World
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
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