From Oldtime Lifting to Muscles of Iron

By Robert Drucker

It wasn't very long ago when I conceived of the idea of designing, creating, and running my own web site. My original thought was to build a site devoted to old-time radio building, an interest I have had for several years. The goal was to show hobbyists how to build their own radios, much like the old-timers did. This topic still interests me, but for now it is on hold.

I also contemplated devoting my first web site to travel and outdoor adventure. And, it seems, I never really got away from this desire. My recent trips to Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Oregon provided some cool pictures for Oldtime Lifting, and they inspired me to write some of my best articles, including How to Build Neck and Body Power, Does Heavy Duty Training Work?, and Hepburn, Super Power, and the One Arm Press.

I had even considered devoting my first web site to the art and science of web site development. There was only one problem with this plan — I knew nothing about building web sites. This realization intimidated me a bit, so I decided to run away from this idea hard and fast.

In the end, I made a decision to build a first web site and devote it to old-time bodybuilding and weightlifting, a topic that certainly interests me. Other than having no money to spend, no understanding of how to make, operate, and maintain a web site, no programming team to work out the technical details, no knowledgeable friends to help, and a necessity to keep working a full-time job, I could not see any problem with this goal. So, I pursued it with total enthusiasm.

Finally, on March 5, 2009, after three months of hard study, design work, programming, and extensive trial-and-error, Oldtime Lifting hit the World Wide Web. The new site featured two articles, both which were pulled from my archives. One of them, Reflections on Man Power, was originally written for The Dinosaur Files, but it never appeared there. Nonetheless, it remains a personal favorite.

During the nine months that have rolled by since its inception, Oldtime Lifting has grown tremendously in depth and popularity. I'll take some of the credit for this, but credit must also be given to Paul Wade and Logan Christopher for their superb and article contributions. Brooks Kubik and the Dinosaur Community have also been instrumental in bringing success to this site.

However, no amount of help from Paul, Logan, or Brooks could have lifted Oldtime Lifting off the ground had it not been for the interest and encouragement of you readers. A few regular visitors have consistently provided thoughtful comments and words of encouragement. Thanks!! A little encouragement here and there always helps in a big way to keep the motivation factor high.

The success of Oldtime Lifting has been very gratifying, and I have gained a great deal of practical experience running this site. But, soon Oldtime Lifting will give way to a newer, better, and more powerful site — one that will offer readers more information about muscle building and physical culture than ever before. The new site is called Muscles of Iron, and I think that you are really going to like it.

Muscles of Iron will involve an entirely new format and structure. For example:

  1. It will be structured as a journal and issued quarterly. Each issue will feature an editorial, in-depth articles, letters from readers, and other features you would expect from a top-class publication. An archive will also be available so that back issues can easily be accessed. A PDF option for each issue may also be a possibility.
  2. Only subscribers will be able to access the site articles and special features.
  3. The new site will feature a mail management system that will allow readers to subscribe (or unsubscribe) to the site, to log in and out of the site, to receive update and supplementary information via email, to view email archives, and to change account settings.
  4. Various forms of physical training will be investigated, including Olympic-style lifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, bodyweight training, and kettlebell training. In short, any system of training that builds strength, muscle, and health may be featured in Muscles of Iron, whether old or new.
  5. Each issue will have a special feature, such as a how-to-build-it article, an inspiring story, or advice from a special guest.

Muscles of Iron will go live on March 16, 2011 with the Spring and first issue. At this time, you will be able to subscribe and read this new journal by going to www.musclesofiron.com. I will also post a sign-up link on Oldtime Lifting shortly before the launch date.

In addition to my new work for Muscles of Iron, I will continue writing for the Dinosaur Files. As many of you know, I have been writing a series of articles for this newsletter, and these articles cover the history of weightlifting and bodybuilding in Kentucky and other nearby states. This is an exciting project, and there is a tremendous amount of useful information coming from it. The guys I have been interviewing and writing about are all top notch, and many of them have held state records in Olympic-style lifting. Others have made high marks in bodybuilding or powerlifting.

As for Oldtime Lifting, I will keep this site on the web as an article repository, but I no longer will add content to it on a regular basis. Oldtime Lifting has been great, but it's time to move on to bigger and better things, and that's exactly what we will do with Muscles of Iron. Hopefully, I'll see you there on March 16.