Joe Weider Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

The Strong Arm Method!

Posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 by John Wood

Another look at Joe Weider’s “HELL-BENT FOR LEATHER N’ LEAD” manly bracelets. Wonder how many youngsters saved up their paper route money and sent away for a set of these? You don’t even have to train! All you do is put them on and wear them throughout the day and your arms will start oozing 100% more power!

1967 IFBB Mr. Universe

Posted on Thursday, June 20th, 2019 by John Wood

A look at Joe Weider shaking Sergio Oliva’s hand on the winner’s platform of the 1967 IFBB Mr. Universe contest. This event was held at Montreal’s Paul Sauvè Arena and the Jr. and Sr. Mr. Canada contests were also held in conjunction. Vic Downs, winner of the “Most Musclular” award, is on the left. Christopher Forde, 4th in his class, is at the right. Frank Zane, fresh off a win in the Mr. Eastern United States, finished third in the tall class.

Here’s the complete results:

1967 IFBB MR. UNIVERSE

Overall Winner: Sergio Oliva (Chicago, Ill.)

Most Muscular: Vic Downs (Toronto, Canada)

Best Physique / Short Class:
1. Rick Wayne (London, England)
2. Rock Stonewall (Chicago, Ill.)
3. Dennis Gauthier (Montreal, Canada)
4. T. Kanazawa (Hiroshima, Japan)

Best Physique / Tall Class:
1. Sergio Oliva (Chicago, Ill.)
2. Vic Downs (Toronto, Canada)
3. Frank Zane (Tampa, Fla)
4. Christopher Forde (Trinidad, W.I.)

Most Muscular / Short Class:
1. Elliot Gilchrist (Grenada, W.I.)
2. Pierre van den Steen (Brussels, Belgium)
3. Mitsuo Endo (Tokyo, Japan)
4. Eino Akkila (Sweden)

Most Muscular / Tall Class:
1. Vic Downs (Toronto, Canada)
2. Glen Wells (Nassau, Bahamas)
3. Conrad Laframboise (Toronto, Canada)
4. David Sheppard (New York, N.Y.)

Iron Boots

Posted on Monday, May 20th, 2019 by John Wood

Iron Boots are just as effective today for the very same reaseons they were “back in the day”: they are extremely portable and allow you to do a variety of exercises that are all but impossible with any other form of equipment. Here’s an ad for Joe Weider’s Iron Boots from the early 1960’s. Betcha didn’t realize that demonstrating is none other than eventual multiple-time Mr. Olympia winner Frank Zane?

The Joe Weider Dial-A-Body Course

Posted on Wednesday, September 26th, 2018 by John Wood

Now HERE’S a little-known piece of strength history that you probably haven’t seen before. I have to hand it to Joe Weider, he certainly kept things interesting. Need to build up your calves, or pump your shoulders, or lose weight? Don’t flip through a booklet, get yourself the Dial-A-Body course and just twist the dial to the appropriate area and follow the directions. There’s Dave Draper, Larry Scott and The Master Blaster himself lending a little extra inspiration. On the back you could find nutrition information and a complete listing of muscle-building foods. Joe copyrighted this apparatus in 1968. A “gimmick” for sure, but still pretty effective if you actually did the work.

Antonino “Argentina” Rocca

Posted on Tuesday, March 6th, 2018 by John Wood

Antonino “Argentina” Rocca was one of the greatest pure athletes to ever enter the squared circle. His incredible jumping feats and aerial maneuvers left an indelible mark on the world of pro-wrestling. His signature move was the “Argentine Backbreaker” although it was flying dropkick after flying dropkick which often put his foes down for good. Rocca was trained by Stanislaus Zbyszko. It should also be noted that this magazine was published by none other than Joe Weider.

The Guy On The Float…

Posted on Thursday, October 19th, 2017 by John Wood

The Guy On The Float Who Gets My Vote is The WEIDER-TRAINED MAN!

Ahh, if nothing else, Joe Weider’s advertisements were fun to read… and certainly a tale as old as time: more muscles=more girls. There’s certainly some truth to that from an evolutionary standpoint. This was still when the Master Blaster’s home base was in Union City, New Jersey. The sweet set of weights from the afor-mentioned advert included a barbell, weight plates, dumbbell handles, a set of Iron Boots, some kettlebell handles, collars, a wrist roller, a neck harness, workout charts from the world’s greatest bodybuilders — certainly enough to get the job done and become “a real American He-man, ready for anything!” Remember: a Weider-trained man is ALL ACTION! Thanks Joe!

Joe Weider, Lifting a Globe Barbell

Posted on Tuesday, September 8th, 2015 by John Wood

Here’s Joe Weider, The ‘Master Blaster’ himself lifting a pretty awesome globe barbell at a weightlifter gathering in Montreal sometime in the 1930’s. The only weight stated was “over 200 pounds.”

Muscle Builder Magazine #1

Posted on Thursday, September 11th, 2014 by John Wood

In August of 1953, Joe Weider began “Muscle Builder” magazine, featuring 1949 AAU Mr. America Jack Delinger on the cover. If you wanted to know how the great muscle champs of the day trained, this was the place to go, check out the roll call of contributors: Clancy Ross (Mr. America, Mr. USA), Floyd Page (Professional Mr. America), Steve Reeves (Mr. World, Mr. America), Alan Stephan (Mr. America), Leo Robert (America’s Most Muscular Man), Ed Theriault (Mr. America, Mr. Canada, World’s Best Developed Man) Juan Ferraro (Mr. Universe, Mr. Europe), Abe Goldberg (Mr. North America) ~ and many others!

The Weider ‘Double Tension’ Krusher

Posted on Friday, August 22nd, 2014 by John Wood

Didn’t everyone have one of these (or something like it) as a kid? According to the ad:

“This exerciser is SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED to quickly develop the powerful crushing muscles of the arms, chest, shoulders, back, grip and legs which ordinary apparatus does not reach. The secret is ‘short range’ action, an amazing muscle building principle which concentrates exercise tension in short movements, forcing new growth, power and muscularity into the body. Results are so dramatic that they can be seen in a few days. The patented ‘variable tension’ feature allows you to interchange springs and to set the exercise resistance at a strength which suits you best.”

Better start saving your allowances and paper route money now…

The Sandow Trophy

Posted on Sunday, August 17th, 2014 by John Wood

Just over a century ago, Eugen Sandow held the very first physique contest ever, which was known simply as “The Great Competition.” The first place prize for this contest was a magnificent gold statue of Sandow himself, holding a globe dumbbell. Second and third place were the same statues, only comprised of Silver and Bronze respectively. The bronze Sandow statue would later become the first place prize in the 1950 NABBA Mr. Universe contest, eventually won by Steve Reeves.

Several decades later, Joe Weider and the promoters of the Mr. Olympia contest decided to honor Sandow and Bodybuilding’s past by resurrecting a version of this statue for their first place trophy. The first Mr. Olympia winner to take home a Sandow statue was Frank Zane in 1977.