Strength and How to Obtain It [Paperback]

Eugen Sandow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 2002

Eugen Sandow - the most famous bodybuilder in the early days of the sport - not only invented the business of bodybuilding, but would go on to define the parameters of masculine beauty. After an early stint in a European circus, he met his mentor, Louis Attila, who helped turn the lean and wiry Sandow into a muscleman. Sandow's career as showman began with a successful publicity stunt in Amsterdam, which he was able to parlay into repeated public performances of strength. Early in life Sandow decided it wasn't enough to simply demonstrate his strength, but to actually display his muscular physique as though it were a work of art. He soon made his "Muscle Displays" the main feature of his stage show. As his European success grew, Sandow, always the promoter, had photographs of himself sold and distributed, with an unintended consequence: his photos become a sort of late 1800s soft porn among homosexuals. In the U.S., Sandow was able to use the emerging notion of muscular Christianity to connect physical strength with moral virtues - and thereby promote himself and the sport of bodybuilding.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eugen Sandow - the most famous bodybuilder in the early days of the sport - not only invented the business of bodybuilding, but would go on to define the parameters of masculine beauty. After an early stint in a European circus, he met his mentor, Louis Attila, who helped turn the lean and wiry Sandow into a muscleman.

Sandow's career as showman began with a successful publicity stunt in Amsterdam, which he was able to parlay into repeated public performances of strength. Early in life Sandow decided it wasn't enough to simply demonstrate his strength, but to actually display his muscular physique as though it were a work of art. He soon made his "Muscle Displays" the main feature of his stage show.

As his European success grew, Sandow, always the promoter, had photographs of himself sold and distributed, with an unintended consequence: his photos become a sort of late 1800s soft porn among homosexuals. In the U.S., Sandow was able to use the emerging notion of muscular Christianity to connect physical strength with moral virtues - and thereby promote himself and the sport of bodybuilding.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Fredonia Books (NL); Revised edition (December 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410101746
• ISBN-13: 978-1410101747
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,413,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The founder of body building, September 4, 2009

By 

Antti Piironen "Mineral man" (Finland, Helsinki) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Strength: and How to Obtain It (Paperback)

Eugen Sandow (1867 - 1925) is probably most known from Olympic body builder award that is a statue shaped like E. Sandow. He has, also, been the author that has been credited as celebrated as the founder of body building. This book is interesting in historical aspect, not as a training manual as it does not contain any good programs. It is written solely for educating tool for his timers about his physical culture and results and not for strenght training even one would like to believe so from its title.

The real interesting point is the bibliography of his life at the part II. Conserning only these aspects I give the book full 5 stars. For true strenght training manuals I say that his books: " "Body Building or the man in making" and "A Study in the Perfect Type of the Human Form" are good for giving set of exercises that are interesting to see or even to try.

7 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Strength and How To Obtain It: With Anaomical Chart, September 25, 2005

By 

Earl R. Schneider "Earl Schneider'book maven" (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Strength and How to Obtain It (Paperback)

The book came without the chart. The book by it's self isn't worth the paper it is written on, nothing but letters about how great the author is. Since I didn"t get the chart I returned the book for a refund.

1 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some good advice, November 9, 2006

By 

EXERCISE NUT "exercise freek" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Strength and How to Obtain It (Paperback)

If the reader overlooks the racial bias which the author has, and it is not very savory, and just remember when it was written, and see it as a exercise book (in fact one of the first exercise books) then there is some good advice in it especially for its time. But I gave the book 3 stars because of the author's bias.