Muscles of Iron
Strength, Health, Physical Development, Inspiration, and Know-How
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Born on August 22, 1867, Maud Powell established herself as one of the greatest American violinists the music world has ever known. In an article she once wrote for a magazine, the virtuoso offered inspiring girl musicians the following advice:
“The girl with talent, or even genius, has nothing to do with greatness or success until her studies are completed. But, day by day she may and, indeed, must excel in her task; that is to say, she must do it better than the average – her standard must be head and shoulders above the normal.”
Maud’s words offer sound advice, and it would serve the strength athlete well to live by them. Public domain photograph.
A few years ago I started my first website, Oldtime Lifting, because I wanted to ensure that the great lifters of the past and their training methods would not be forgotten. I enjoyed running this site and, from what I could tell from the many emails that I received, a lot of people liked reading the blog posts and articles that I placed on it.
Eventually, Oldtime Lifting molded into Muscles of Iron as my desire to provide more general training and fitness information evolved. This successor site allowed me to explore new topics and to provide readers with a broader view of strength achievement. And, today, much of what is featured on Muscles of Iron reflects my view that a sound body should always be paired with a sound and educated mind. Far too many exercise enthusiasts and writers stress only the physical aspects of building the body, and this approach, in my opinion, can never produce results of significant worth, no matter how much muscle is gained.
Over the last several months, I have spent a considerable amount of time questioning and re-examining the “truths” of muscle building, those spelled out by the great masters of both yesterday and today. While hitherto I considered the fundamental training methods advocated by my favorite promoters of strength to be sacrosanct, much internal reflection and in-house experimentation have forced me to reconsider my thinking. Some things I am now doing in my training would seem to many to be unorthodox to say the least. But, the results I am enjoying, both mentally and physically, have proven to me that sometimes it pays to question the establishment. For the time being, I will not elaborate on how I am currently training; my “research” is still in the infant stage of development, and I want to postpone elaborate discussion of this topic until my understanding is more refined and more complete.
Like my training program, my writing interests are continuing to evolve as well. I am finding myself writing more about self cultivation and human achievement and less about fighting gravity. This trend reflects my position that effective muscle building should always center around mental stimulation and on mental betterment more so than on mere physical training. And, I have found that by studying the lives of high achievers, regardless of their field of specialty, I train with more zeal and achieve better results.
And, now for some news: In line with my expanding interests, I have made a decision to stop writing blog posts on a regular basis, and the one you are now reading will be my last in the routine. But, there is no need for alarm. Elimination of post writing will allow me more time to focus on developing better, more polished, and more elaborate articles, and this is what I want and plan to do. I also plan, in the near future, to consolidate and expand selected old posts into new full-feature articles. Book writing can also be seen on the horizon, but this ambition must temporarily take a backseat to my engineering responsibilities.
My current thinking is that I’ll post one detailed article on Muscles of Iron about every other month, somewhat more often when I receive worthy contributions. I also plan to establish a small backlog of articles so that I can display a release schedule on this site. That way, you will know when an anticipated article will be available for reading. As for the current schedule, I will post the article based on my experience as a student at the University of Kentucky on June 29, my 49th birthday. So please keep this date in mind. I previously stated that this article would be up by next week, but circumstances have forced me to postpone its release. I apologize for the delay.
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
A native of Hanover County, Virginia, Henry Clay moved to Lexington, Kentucky at the age of 15 in November, 1797. In Kentucky, Clay established himself as a prominent lawyer, politician, and orator. His skill took him to the Senate and to the House of Representatives, both as a representative of Kentucky. He also served three terms as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and he was Secretary of State from 1825 to 1829. Abraham Lincoln often remarked that Henry Clay was his idol and mentor. Public Domain Photograph.
Over 160 years ago, Henry Clay, one of the most powerful statesmen in U.S. history, gave a remarkable speech at the National Law School at Ballston Spa, New York. At one point during his presentation, the “Great Compromiser” revealed what is perhaps the ultimate formula of success. He said,
“Constant, persevering application will accomplish everything. To this quality, if I may be allowed to speak of myself, more than to anything else, do I owe the little success which I have attained. Left in early life to work my own way alone, without friends or pecuniary resources, and with no other than a common education, I saw that the pathway before was long, steep and rugged, and that the height upon which I had ventured to fix the eye of my ambition, could be reached only by toil – the most severe, and a purpose – the most indomitable. But shrinking from no labor, disheartened by no obstacles, I struggled on. No opportunity, which the most watchful vigilance could secure, to exercise my power, was permitted to pass by unimproved.”
Although Clay spoke these auspicious words to a group of law students, they apply equally and just as powerfully to students of strength. And, if you apply Clay’s formula of success to your muscle-building program, you will be on your way to making the best gains in the gym you possibly can.
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
Completed in 1860, Barrett Gymnasium was the first facility of its kind at an American college. And, it was at this facility that modern physical education was born at the collegiate level. Public domain photograph.
In 1854, W. A. Stearns was inaugurated as president of Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Soon after, he observed that excessive emphasis on scholastic studies was discouraging students from exercising and keeping physically fit. He also determined that several students were having trouble concentrating on their studies because they lacked stamina and physical energy.
Alarmed by what he viewed to be a health crisis, Stearns orchestrated the erection of the first college gymnasium in America, and the doors to this facility were opened in 1860. The new exercise building was named Barrett gymnasium in honor of Dr. Benjamin Barrett, a philanthropist who most liberally contributed to the president’s cause. Although subpar compared to today’s standards, the Barrett gymnasium did much to improve the health and mental stamina of thousands of students, and it’s construction helped to trigger a fitness movement across America’s collegiate lands.
The Platt Gymnasium was built in 1884, and a natatorium was added in 1906, to address growing fitness and sports-training programs at Amherst College. Public domain photograph.
The interior floor space at the Barrett gymnasium was rather small, on the order of 30 by 60 feet. In addition, the gymnasium was built without artificial lights or heating. It was speculated that this Spartan arrangement was of deliberate construction to discourage use of the gym during dark hours and to encourage students, during scheduled training hours, not to loathe around. The idea was that the students would be forced to maintain a steady exercise cadence in order to keep warm.
As the foreseen Barrett gymnasium was under construction, President Stearns worked with his Board of Trustees to establish a college-wide fitness program, from which two primary training requirements evolved: (1) “The main object shall not be to secure feats of agility or strength, or even powerful muscles, but to keep in good health the whole body;” (2) “All students shall be required to attend on its exercises for half an hour designated for the purpose at least four days in the week.”
The first director of Barrett gymnasium was J. W. Hooker, M.D. He was a graduate of Yale College, an established gymnast, and a remarkably strong man. Ironically, despite his impressive physical credentials, Hooker’s health deteriorated relatively rapidly after becoming Professor of Hygiene and Physical Education, and he resigned from this new position in June, 1861.
Hooker’s resignation opened the door for Edward Hitchcock, a graduate of Harvard Medical School. In August of 1861, Dr. Hitchcock assumed the leadership role at the Barrett gymnasium, and subsequently he did much to take the college’s physical fitness program to new heights. A main accomplishment of his at the gymnasium was the implementation of anthropometry, a sophisticated method of taking physical measurements to monitor muscular development. From anthropometric measurements on students, Dr. Hitchcock advised exercises to provide all-round development.
In 1884, Pratt gymnasium was built as a needed replacement for the relatively small and out-grown Barrett gymnasium. The new building cost $60,000, a sum that was about 10 times greater than the price tag of the original facility. An additional $50,000 was spent in 1906 to extend the Pratt gymnasium with a swimming and training room. Two members of the Pratt family, both graduates of Amherst College, provided much of the needed funds for these two constructions.
The Amherst method of training was based not on building super-sized muscles, but rather on developing fitness, health, and athletic grace. And to meet this objective, various forms of exercise were promoted, both inside and outside of the gymnasium. Activities practiced included gymnastics, running, jumping, weight throwing, and hurdling. This approach built many sports champions at Amherst, and it gave the school numerous records in running, shot put, hurdling, high jumping, broad jumping, and pole vaulting. In addition, for many years following the establishment of the Amherst training method, the small college was a big force in football and in baseball.
Although the training methods and techniques that were promoted at Amherst College produced numerous sports champions, the success of their athletic program was secondary to the enormous success the school had in promoting physical education and the well-being of ordinary students. And it is to W. A. Stearns, the former president of Amherst, that American students today owe a debt of gratitude for the marvelous training facilities and fitness programs they enjoy across college campuses.
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
P.S. I expect to have the aforementioned article about my experience as a student at the University of Kentucky posted in about three weeks. Thanks for your patience.
Hobbies have always played an important role in my strength-building workouts. Without them, I would not be able to maintain the drive and enthusiasm necessary for hard training. For many years, four wheeling and working on my Jeep were among my favorite extracurricular activities, and both were great fun. Here, I am driving my ’95 Wrangler YJ along a riding trail in the beautiful foothills of Eastern Kentucky. Photograph circa 1997 by Shelia Brock.
While I was driving back to Louisville yesterday from a short trip, I happened to catch a small portion of The Dave Ramsey Show on the radio. In addition to hosting a radio show, Ramsey is the author of various financial-advice books and courses, including the top seller, Financial Peace.
During his radio program, the talk-show host asked his audience a very suggestive question. It was this: “How many bored people do you know who are happy?” And then, after a brief pause, he replied succinctly, “That’s right, not a single one!”
Ramsey continued by explaining that his method for fostering happiness is to stay busy, especially by engaging in things that he loves to do. I too find that staying busy is an important component of staying happy. For when you allow yourself to become bored, the waves of personal fulfillment flatten very quickly.
We all need to and have the right to be happy. But, you must create your own happiness by finding things that satisfy your heart and soul; nobody else can do that for you. One key for establishing happiness is to have a hobby that you enjoy. This simple step can eradicate boredom and put an extra sparkle into your life.
Hobbies build interest and trigger triumphs of enthusiasm, and I have never known a dedicated hobbyist to lack energy or will. Whether committed to playing music, learning a foreign language, collecting coins, restoring antique clocks, or to something else, an enthusiast almost always derives priceless joy from his or her devotion.
So if you are bored, why not start a new hobby and see what happens? You can study the history of the city you live in, learn how to play a guitar, plant and maintain a flower garden, take up karate, or build your own strength equipment. It doesn’t matter what you choose to do; what matters is that you do something that you enjoy and which keeps you busy. This formula may be simple, but it is a profound happiness builder.
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
Master Teruyuki Higa is a genuine champion from Okinawa, Japan, and he co-starred in “Fist Of Fear, Touch Of Death,” an autobiography movie of Bruce Lee. Photograph by Joe DiBella.
Mike Talish has written an outstanding new article for MOI readers about his quest to preserve authentic fighting styles and techniques practiced in traditional Okinawan karate. Mike’s article is also a tribute to his teacher, Master Teruyuki Higa, owner of the Okinawa Kenpo Karate School in Long Island, New York.
As you will learn in Mike’s article, Higa Sensei teaches karate not as a sport, but as a means to protect yourself in a “real-life” encounter. And, equally important, the teachings of Master Higa promote self confidence, respect, discipline, humility, inner drive, and personal achievement. For this reason, Mike’s article is of great benefit not only to students of the martial arts, but to anybody who seeks to better him or herself.
Here is a link to Mike’s new article:
Dedicated to Dedication and Traditional Karate
Update
My family and I just got back from a wonderful vacation in Charleston, South Carolina, and I will soon get back to a writing frenzy. First up will be an article about my experience as a freshman college student at the University of Kentucky. I’m really looking forward to writing this, and it’s going to be a bit different. Next up will be the first article for Operation Home Gym Overhaul. And, sooner or later, an article about Charleston and our two recent visits there is bound to surface. Additionally, Chris Bostick is working on a new article for MOI about making strength equipment with easily obtainable hardware. I certainly can’t wait to read it. Also, Paul Wade and the Dragon Door folks have released Volume I of a new Convict Conditioning DVD/manual instruction series, and we’ll soon take a look at the many muscle-building goodies that it features. We’ll also preview Volume II of the series, which is brand new and not yet on sale.
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
Katie Sandwina is shown here holding up her husband and son, Theodore. Theodore grew up to be mighty strong – just like his ancestors for generations past. At the time that this photograph was taken (1912), Katie was 25 years old and she weighed 210 pounds. Public domain photograph.
Once described as “Europe’s queen of strength, beauty, and dexterity,” Katie Sandwina was one of the most remarkable figures of strength ever to walk the planet. Born in 1887 in Bavaria, Katie came from giant stock. Her father was a rather tall man, and he was once considered the strongest man in Germany.
As a young woman, Katie astonished the world as a show person with remarkable feats of strength. Never before her time had patrons witnessed such sensational and novel demonstrations of human physical ability. Often billed during her prime as “the strongest woman in the world,” it should be said that Katie was one of the strongest persons in the world – man or woman.
In memory of Katie Sandwina, Peter Yates has written a tribute article about this wonderful woman exclusively for MOI and the new Women of Strength Series. Read it and you will find out why she was truly a unique and remarkable person.
Before I give you the link to Peter’s new article, I want to pass on some sad news. Bob Kennedy, the health and fitness icon, passed away on April 12th after suffering from cancer. Through MuscleMag International and his many books, Kennedy was a huge influence in the bodybuilding world, and the works he left behind will undoubtedly continue to guide us strength folks for years to come. The world is a better place thanks to Bob, and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him. May he rest in peace.
Here is the link to Peter’s new article:
Katie Sandwina – Queen of Strength and Beauty
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
Abraham Lincoln was fascinated with strength, and he would have been eager to wrestle against George Washington had their lives crossed. Public domain image.
During the autumn of 1958, challenger Abraham Lincoln faced off with incumbent Stephen Douglas in a series of seven public debates across Illinois for a seat in the U.S. Senate. During these verbal battles, many topics were discussed, but the main issue of debate was slavery. Lincoln argued vehemently for the equality of human rights; Douglass supported the Dred Scott Decision, a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that declared that no slave or descendant of a slave could be a U.S. citizen, have constitutional rights, or sue in Federal Court.
Following these seven debates, Douglas won re-election to the Senate by a large margin. However, his victory came with a great price. Many extremists in the South turned against the Senator after learning that during the debates with Lincoln in Illinois he stated that new territories of the United States need not have slavery despite the Dred Scott Decision. This factor, along with Lincoln’s rapid rise of popularity in the North following the debates, helped to get the tall contender elected as U.S. President in 1860.
Like Lincoln, during his prime George Washington was enormously strong and a fantastic wrestler. The General also had stupendous physical endurance, and it was said that he could outlast perhaps anybody on foot. Public domain image.
During the midst of debates with Senator Douglass, a gentleman by the name of James Grant Wilson had been introduced to Lincoln in Springfield by Judge Treat, one his father’s friends. This introduction led to a rather interesting conversation between the Judge and Lincoln. Judge Treat informed his tall acquaintance that George Washington Parke Custis, George Washington’s step grandson, had recently told him during a recent visit to Arlington, Virginia that the first U.S. President may have been the strongest man of his generation. And, after hearing that Washington had never been thrown during a wrestling match, Lincoln had this to say to the Judge:
“It is a rather curious thing, my young friend, but that is exactly my record. I could outlift any man in Southern Illinois when I was young, and I was never thrown. There was a big fellow named Jack Armstrong, strong as a Russian bear, that I could not put down; nor could he get me on the ground. If George was loafing around here now, I should be glad to have a tussle with him, and I rather believe that one of the plain people of Illinois would be able to manage the aristocrat of old Virginia.”
I should point out that Lincoln considered himself as one of the “plain people,” an opinion he was very proud to hold. Honest Abe once stated, “I think the Lord must love the plain people; he has made so many of them.”
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
P.S. In case you have missed them, Parts One through Three of the Abraham Lincoln and Strength Series can be accessed via the Site Map menu.
Frederick E. Schacht was a star football player, medical doctor, and coach. As a coach, he led Kentucky State College (now the University of Kentucky) to an impressive 9-1 season in 1904. Unfortunately, Dr. Schacht became seriously ill shortly after the 1905 football season, and he died on December 1, 1906 at the age of 31. The cause of his death could not be verified, but some have suggested that he fell victim to Bright’s disease. Public domain photograph.
Frederick E. Schacht was the football coach at Kentucky State College (now the University of Kentucky) during the 1904 and 1905 seasons. Before becoming a football coach, Schacht served with the 13th Minnesota Volunteers during the Spanish-American War, attended the University of Minnesota where he starred as a running back on their football team, and worked as a physician in Seattle, Washington after graduating with a degree in medicine.
During his football days at Minnesota, Schacht was known as “a terror on offense,” and he was “hailed throughout the west as the greatest tackle of a decade.” On one occasion, despite suffering from three broken ribs, Schacht refused medical attention, and he led his team to a tie with Michigan. This was the first game that Michigan did not win in nearly three years.
Coach Schacht, bottom row at right, poses with his winning Kentucky State College football team, 1904 season. Only two of the ten teams that State College faced managed to score against them. Public domain photograph.
With Frederick Schacht aboard, Kentucky blossomed and became a powerhouse team. During the 1904 season, the first under their new coach, State College won 9 of their 10 games, and they scored a total of 271 points while allowing their opponents to amass just 15 total points! The only blemish came when Cincinnati defeated Kentucky State College 11-0. However, this loss triggered the mighty coach into a vengeance, and his determined squad clobbered Georgetown College 35-0 and Central College 81-0 a few games later. And, during the final game of the 1904 season, nearby and rival Kentucky University (now Transylvania University) gave up 22 points to State College, but at least they managed to get four points on the score board. If you do the math, you’ll see that Kentucky University was only the second (and last) team to score against Kentucky State College during the 1904 season; eight opponents failed to score any points.
Dr. Schacht had a knack for bringing out greatness in people. He stressed to his players that “work wins,” and he showered them with his enthusiasm for the game of football. As put in the 1906 edition of The Kentuckian, the coach “. . . had the ability to put giant spirits in little men, and football hearts into the heavier weights.” Thus, hard work, heart, and enthusiasm were key to Schacht’s success, and they can give you success in whatever endeavor you seek to excel in as well.
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
P.S. Coming soon to MOI is a new and outstanding article from Mike Talish about Master Teruyuki Higa and the preservation of authentic karate. Master Higa is the founder of the Okinawa Kenpo Karate School in Uniondale, New York, and he is definitely a person you can learn good things from. Also, coming to MOI soon is a feature article about my experience as a freshman student at the University of Kentucky in 1981. My first year as a college student proved to be a major turning point for me, and the origin of Muscles of Iron can be traced back to what I learned and observed on the Kentucky campus.
Dan Lurie, circa 1945. What amazing muscularity he had! Photograph via Your Physique magazine.
Tomorrow, April 1, is Dan Lurie’s 89th birthday, and I am happy to say that he is doing well. Dan was once one of the most muscular men in America, the leader the Dan Lurie Barbell Company, a contributor to Your Physique and Muscle Power, and the publisher of Muscle Training Illustrated, Karate Training Illustrated and other sport magazines. Dan was also a noted television personality and a trainer of world champions. And, most importantly, over the years Dan has helped thousands of people around the world gain greater health and strength through his relentless and ongoing devotion to humanity. So, happy birthday Dan, and thank you for continuing to make this world a better place for all of us.
Rob
P.S. If you haven’t done so already, you may want to check out this special article that Peter Yates wrote about Dan Lurie last year: Lunch With a Legend.
Peter Yates demonstrates the opening move from Xing Yi Quan’s Dragon form. Photograph by Boris Litvinov.
My family and I just got back from a fantastic day trip to Lexington, Kentucky. We took a guided tour of Ashland (where Henry Clay lived from 1806 until his death in 1852), walked through some historic neighborhoods, and took a stroll across the campus at the University of Kentucky. We also did plenty of shopping and good eating. It was tons of fun, and I got some really good photographs for upcoming articles.
Henry Clay was one of the greatest statesmen in USA history, Kentucky’s first significant national figure, and Abraham Lincoln’s idol during his youth and manhood. And, I’ll have more to say about this remarkable Kentuckian on MOI in the near future. I’m also going to post some great stuff about Dr. Robert Seager, an award-winning historian and author whose teachings at the University of Kentucky had a tremendous influence on me and on hundreds of other people. However, for now I am going to turn things over to Peter Yates. Peter has graciously written a new article for us about what are known as “forms” in the martial arts. A form, or fighting set, is a combination of drills, techniques and moves that when learned properly can prepare you to defend yourself from attack readily and effectively. However, as Peter explains in his new article, learning bad forms or learning forms improperly can give you a false sense of security and invite trouble. You can learn more about forms and “the role of prearranged fighting sets in traditional East-Asian combat arts” here:
Form, Function, and Prearranged Fighting Sets
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
PS – Mike Talish has also written a new article for the Martial Arts Series. It is a dedication to Master Teruyuki Higa, a highly renowned instructor and the leader of the Okinawa Kenpo Karate School in Long Island, New York. This fascinating new article from Mike will be posted on MOI soon.
Eugen Sandow’s great strength was a product of both his physical prowess and his supreme mental fitness. Public domain photograph.
Mental fitness comes from possibility thinking, and it shows itself through happiness, drive, energy, independence, self-esteem, and good fortune. However, when your mind lacks fitness, your drive is stifled, your spirits are weakened, and your life energy is zapped.
When you are mentally fit, your thinking is clear, focused, and harmoniously in phase with opportunity. You are in control of your destiny, and you have peace of mind. But, when you are mentally unfit, your thoughts guide you away from success and toward a deep ocean of doom and despair. And, opportunities are obscured, hidden from view by an insidious darkness generated by your own mind.
To be successful in any endeavor, including strength training, a person must continually flood his or her mind with growth-building thoughts and be on guard against detrimental ones. Growth-building thoughts build courage, stimulate action, and direct you in line with the accomplishment of a worthwhile goal. And, the more growth-building thoughts you flood your mind with, the more mental fitness you will build and the greater the success will be that you reap. In contrast, thoughts of limitation and condemnation destroy mental fitness and bring forth mediocrity, self-defeat, and tribulation.
Thoughts dictate our mood, set the tone for action or inaction, and lead us to supremacy or failure. Which direction you go depends on the type of thoughts you generate and process in your head. If you provide a fertile ground for growth thoughts, you will likely procure self-fulfillment and progress. But, if you foster thoughts of limitation in your mind, you will form mental chains that will hold you in the gutters of life, destroy your self-respect, and provide a death-blow to your self-esteem.
To be most effective, growth thoughts must not only be generated, they must become ingrained so deeply in your mind that they permeate into your subconscious and guide your daily habits. And, to what extent this dual process occurs is determined solely by the extent of your mental fitness.
Fortunately, everybody can improve their mental fitness, and below I list 50 ways to do so. And, although this list is not exhaustive, the suggestions given are based on sound principles of success that have brought harmony and happiness to thousands of people throughout the ages. Perhaps, one or more items on this list will provide a special spark in your own life.
50 Ways to Build Mental Fitness
- Set reachable goals based on your true desires and talents.
- Develop a written plan to reach your goals.
- Go after what you want with full force.
- Concentrate on the most important things.
- Work with total focus.
- Read biographies of great achievers.
- Keep a tranquil mind and maintain your composure at all times.
- Keep your mind open to new ideas.
- Study Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
- Take up a new hobby or develop a new interest.
- Spend quality time with your family.
- Relax and introspect for at least for 30 minutes each day.
- If you must criticize, make sure you do so constructively and humanely.
- Keep your mind focused on the positive.
- Practice healthful living habits.
- See the good in everybody you meet.
- See yourself successful in your mind’s eye each day.
- Learn to manage stress.
- Take responsibility for your life – do not blame others.
- Learn to turn setbacks into golden opportunities.
- Excel in your chosen profession.
- Seek knowledge from others.
- Learn from the past, but live in the now.
- Compete only against yourself.
- Use your energy for positive actions, not for worrying.
- Make a decision and act.
- Aim for results, but not for perfection.
- Solve problems rationally and systematically.
- Forgive somebody if they make a mistake.
- Tap into the unlimited power of a “MasterMind” group.
- Enjoy and appreciate what you have in life.
- Listen to various styles of music.
- Surround yourself with people who motivate you.
- Realize that the most important things in life cannot be bought.
- Free yourself from the fear of failure or rejection.
- Find a mentor from whom you can learn and benefit from.
- Don’t wait for opportunities to strike — create them.
- Treat yourself and others with respect.
- Work systematically, smart, and hard.
- Learn something new each day.
- Try to view things from a different perspective.
- Look at things from somebody else’s point of view.
- Do not be afraid to admit when you are wrong.
- Be a self builder.
- Keep your ego in check.
- Give deserved praise frequently.
- Perform volunteer work on a regular basis.
- If things don’t work with one approach, try another.
- Persevere.
- If you feel like giving up, refer to rule Number 49.
Important Announcement
There is a part of me that wishes very much that I could work full time on the development of MOI and book writing. I greatly enjoy writing about strength training and success development, and there are literally hundreds of topics that I would like to further explore and uncover on this site in the future. For now, however, my true calling is in engineering, and I recently accepted an opportunity in this field that will require that I drastically slow the pace here at MOI. As such, for the foreseeable future I may only be able to post one writing a month or so. However, even though the posting pace will be slower, the best is yet to come. So, please stay connected.
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
To those who get it, building strength equipment is a fun and rewarding activity. For best results, a project should begin with a conceptual drawing. Building details can then be added and evaluated. Here, a proposed “lat machine” is shown – still in the infant stages of design. Eventually, this machine will be built as part of Operation Home Gym Overhaul, a series coming to MOI this spring.
Recently, I received an email from a fellow who asked me, “Why would anybody want to build his own strength equipment?” And after asking this leading question, he proceeded to tell me a zillion reasons why hand-built training gear couldn’t possibly be as good or as safe as the store-bought stuff. But, his main complaint was that making something from scratch requires time and effort. And, besides, he pointed out, “Who has the tools needed to build something?”
The saddest part is that this negative email did not stand unique in my inbox. I regularly receive feedback from people who seem to go out of their way to tell me what an idiot I am for recommending that something be built rather than bought. I am informed that the type of hand-made structures that I promote are “time wasters”, “dangerous”, “stupid looking”, “inferior”, “weird”, “nothing so great”, “nothing to brag about”, “garbage”, “impractical”, “unstable”, “a piece of junk”, and — my favorite — “okay for amateurs.” I also receive plenty of criticism colored with some rather choice words, but I’ll spare you from the boring details.
Speaking of criticism, let’s divert for a second to talk about this so often hated judgment of merit. I’ll then get back to the main purpose of this post. It is not bad to be criticized; in fact, criticism should be desired. Why? Because, criticism and success go hand and hand. Success requires fresh ideas and unorthodox solutions to “unsolvable” problems, both factors which are guaranteed to draw criticism and tons of negative remarks from traditionalists and jealous distractors. This is why you should always check your criticism barometer. If it is reading high, this is a good indication that you are doing things right. But, if it is reading low, you may want to question if you are living up to your true potential as a creative force.
So why build anything, strength equipment or otherwise? This is a good question; but, if you don’t already know the answer chances are that you just don’t get it and never will. Nevertheless, I provide 10 good reasons to build your own strength equipment below just in case you are one of those rare individuals who have a mind open enough to consider something outside of the norm. Here they are:
10 Good Reasons to Build Something
- It is fun;
- It stimulates and preserves your intellectual capacity;
- It provides you with new knowledge and skills;
- You end up with something that you can be proud of;
- It allows you to express and develop your creative and artistic abilities;
- It is challenging and mentally rewarding;
- It captures your unique personality into the final product;
- It gives you something unique, something which only you possess;
- Only hand-crafted work can be tailored to meet your unique and specific needs;
- It adds variety and new spice to your life.
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
I received the following email a few days ago from Alan Southworth. You may want to check out the provided link – great article and really good website.
Thanks Alan for providing this excellent reference to MOI readers.
Rob
Email from Alan:
Hello Rob,
Since contacting you and Peter [Yates], I have been prompted to mention someone that Peter will remember well, our own strong man William James Hunt (Bill Hunt). To all who knew him, Bill was a legend in his lifetime, known for his many strong-man acts and records, and also as the king of grip strength. I was privileged to have known Bill quite well, and many years ago managed to lift his ‘special dining chair’ by the one leg.
However, rather than repeat an already excellent written resume of the man, I would like to refer MOI readers to the website of David Gentle and his article on Bill Hunt, King of Grip Strength [link provided below]. This piece gives an insight into the history and accomplishments of Bill.
I am fascinated by the many interesting articles submitted by MOI readers. Keep up the excellent work.
Kind regards
Alan
Bill Hunt, King of Grip Strength
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
Shown in this photograph is Richard Wagner, the famous German composer of the late Romantic era of music. Wagner was a titan of opera, and it was said by a famous musicologist that he also was a “obnoxious megalomaniac.” In any case, Mike Mentzer was very fond of Wagner’s compositions, and he often would listen to his great overtures, preludes, or orchestra interludes prior to a Heavy Duty training session. The extreme intensity of Wagner’s music really had Mike up in arms and ready to tear the weights apart by the time he visited the gym. Public domain photograph.
When I was in high school back in the late 1970s, Mike Mentzer had emerged as one of the best bodybuilders in the world, and through his many writings he had me questioning nearly everything I thought I knew about productive exercise. I can vividly remember the unparalleled thrill I experienced each month upon receiving a new issue of Muscle Builder in the mail. Back then, writings from Mike were featured in nearly every issue of the magazine, and I always anticipated his articles with great excitement. For an intellectual high, there simply was nothing quite like reading about Mentzer’s latest training ideas or thought-provoking analyses of bodybuilding tradition.
Through his writings, Mike taught me and thousands of other strength athletes not to accept broad generalizations, traditional beliefs, and dogma uncritically. He taught that truth can be determined only through sound reason and logic, and that many “established” practices in bodybuilding (and in all other fields) are based on unwarranted assumptions, false premises, and erroneous conclusions.
Mentzer stated that a person can never reach his or her full potential in any endeavor without first becoming intellectually self-sufficient. Only by learning how to judge and think independently, he emphasized, can a person learn to distinguish truth from falsehood and reach the zenith of his or her potential.
Central to Mike’s bodybuilding success was his broad scope of integrated knowledge. By conceptually molding, relating, and codifying key ideas from many seemingly unrelated fields of thought, he released the world of bodybuilding from the grip of the traditionalists with the establishment of his Heavy Duty training system. This system was nothing short of a muscle-building milestone, and it revolutionized our understanding of productive exercise.
The development of the Heavy Duty training system would not have been possible had it not been for Mike’s profound love of knowledge. He treasured nothing more than his enriching his mind with new ideas and gaining a deeper understanding of the world. Even his commitment to bodybuilding was a manifestation of his general quest to find truth and to broaden his conceptual range.
Mentzer was a prolific writer, and he was a master of the English language. I can think of no other author who has been able to match his clear, concise, and enthralling style of teaching exercise science. Be warned though, Mike possessed a prodigious vocabulary, and this is very apparent in his writings. For this reason, I strongly recommend that you have a good dictionary at hand before delving into any of his books or articles. I used to joke that Mentzer should have supplied a “Heavy Duty” dictionary as a companion guide to his training books.
Given that Mike Mentzer possessed a wide breath of knowledge, it should come as no surprise that he also possessed a deep and varied vocabulary. Words are the tools which allow us to express ourselves and gain an understanding of the world. And, as such, the attainment of knowledge requires that our vocabulary be enlarged and strengthened. This is why the most successful men and women almost always possess an unusual grasp of the meanings of words.
I will have more to say about Mike Mentzer and what he stood for in an upcoming article. In the meantime, this post should provide a glimpse of why he achieved such extraordinary success – not only in muscle building, but in life.
Thanks for visting,
Rob
Humor drawing by and courtesy of Chris “Sticks” Bostick. Under copyright.
I can’t say this often enough, so I’ll say it again today and many more times in the near future: MOI has become a top site thanks to the invaluable contributions made by readers. Without your continued insight, encouragement, feedback, photos, and article submissions, it would be nearly impossible to maintain the quality of this site. So thank you very much for your continued support.
Another superb drawing by and courtesy of Chris “Sticks” Bostick. Under copyright.
Now, speaking of contributions, Chris “Sticks” Bostick recently submitted to MOI a terrific and insightful email and several remarkable bodybuilding-humor drawings – each of which he created. With his permission, I assembled his email and drawings into a single article for MOI readers. And, as a special treat, in this article Chris shows you how to build a super swingbell at rock-bottom cost. He also illustrates how the swingbell can be used to build mighty arms.
Here is the link:
Bodybuilding Art, Strength Equipment, and the Swingbell
Thanks for visiting,
Rob
PS – Alan Southworth, who is a member of the Darwen Budo – Kai Karate Club, sent a nice email regarding Peter Yates’ recent article about Maurice Ainsworth. You can check it out on the Letters page. Peter Yates also submitted an insightful letter in response to Kevin Dye’s recent article about Mike Mentzer.