Alan Calvert - The Truth about Weight Lifting: (Original Version, Restored)

Originator of Progressive Weight Lifting in America. Inventor of theMilo and Milo Triplex combinationdumbbells. Proprietor of the Milo Bar-Bell Co.

PUBLISHED BY OFaolain Patriot LLC, Copyright 2011info@PhysicalCultureBooks.com
Published in the United States of America

Theinformationcontainedinthispublicationisforhistorical and educational purposes only and is not designedto and does not provide medical, nutritional, or healthadvice, diagnosis, or opinion for any health or individualproblem. The material presented is not a substitute formedicalorotherprofessionalhealthservices froma qualified health care provider who is familiar with theunique facts of the individual, and should not be used inplace of a visit, call, consultation, or advice of a physicianor other healthcare provider.Individualsshouldalways consult a qualified health care provider about any health concern and prior to undertaking any new treatment. Thepublisherassumesnoresponsibilityandspecifically disclaims all liability for any consequence relating directly or indirectly to any action or inaction that a reader takes based on any information contained herein.

Be advised that no one should undertake exercises in the nature of those addressed in this book without priorconsultation with a physician. Nor does the publisher makeanyrepresentationsconcerningwhetheranyofthe exercises or suggestions provided by the trainers or physicalfitness specialists featured in this book would be effective

orappropriate forthereadersneedsorexpectations. The publisher expressly disclaims any and all responsibility and/or liabilities that might result from the uninformed or misinformed application of the techniquesidentified herein as well as for any unsupervised physical fitness training.

Finally, the publisher disclaims any and all liabilitiesarising from the use of any equipment featured in this book and makes no representations as to the utility, safety, oradequacy of the equipment generally or with respect to any specific purpose.

CHAPTER IIp.14Why we have so few good liftersprofessionals have killed sport byfakinghow lifters deceive audience byusingtrick andphoney dumbbellshow theystall off adangerous-looking amateur.

CHAPTER IIIp.25The STAN D ARD dumbbell liftsthe Snatch the SwingtheJerkthePresshowtheyare performed and the true Worlds Records in these events.

CHAPTER IVp.44Otherwell-knownliftstheone-armpressSandows favorite stuntMuscling outbells deadweight liftingharness lifting, etc

CHAPTER Vp.62Exhibition featsattractive and yet easy lifts with live weights supporting feats take with the publicBone strength vs. muscle strengthtrue test is how much a manliftsnot how much he supports.

American professionalstrong men rarely competethey only indulge in challenges for advertising purposes.CHAPTER VIIIp.85Who is the Strongest Man in the world?six or eight

claimants considered by an experthow to determine the Championthe man who is recognized as the present Title Holdernoman supreme most lifting records held by amateurs.

CHAPTER IXp.97Measurements offamousstrongmenoftenexaggeratedthe chest expansion fakehow size of mans head affects his appearance.

CHAPTER Xp.109Place weight lifting on proper footingappoint a BoardofControlmake professionals
lifts inpublicnevertakea
and amateurs prove theirprofessional liftersword regarding his lifts.

strengthen the body for heavy worksame method used by all famous Strong Menlifting a sport for young and oldany age between 15 and 45 a man at his best in heavywork between 30 and 40 famous William Tuerk createdWorlds Records when 42 years oldhammer throwers stay at top for years.

CHAPTER XIIp.130Difference between strength and powera good big manalwaysbeatsa good littlemanheavymen hold Recordshow much ought a 200-lb. man to lift?how muchought a 150-lb. man lift- -100 lbs. in one hand a boys featremarkable records of some 140-lb. lifters.
CHAPTER XIIIp.135
O ld superstitions regarding liftingwhat do you mean by muscle bound the slow, beefy, lifter out of datetakes an active man to do competition liftinggreat lifters usually fine jumpers.

CHAPTER XVp.157Interestinganecdotesaboutfamouslifterstheir methods intrainingviews regarding drinking,smoking, etc.

The purpose of this book is to describe some of thegreatest known feats of strength; how such feats are performed, which feats are genuine, and which feats are tricks,or fakes; also to endeavor to give the reader some idea ofwho are the strongest men of the present day and therecords to prove them so.

It has been the custom for a man who is writing a bookabout feats of strength, or the development of muscle, toopen the subject by relating some remarkable feats of the ancient athletes. We are gravely told, for instance, that therewas a certain Roman Emperor so strong that he would takean ordinary cobblestone in his hands and squeeze it to bits;and that some other equally remarkable athlete of the oldertimes would seize a wild bull by the horns and tear thesaid horns out by the roots. Such stories may be very interesting, but their truth is entirely dependent upon word of some authority who is dead and gone these centuriespast. We suppose that, like most other stories, they becamewonderfully magnified as they passed from mouth to mouth. Forhisown part, thewriter doesnotplacethe least credence in such tales. He fully believes that the men oftoday are larger and stronger than they have been before inthe history of the world. Moreover, he believes that thefeats of our present-day athletes and modern Hercules are far and away beyond the actual feats of the ancient heroes.

I find that there are a great many people who are firmly convinced that the present-day athletes are mere pigmies compared to the old Greeks or Romans. These people haveheard the old fairy tales so often that they have come to believe them true. In proof of my contention, that themodern man is larger and stronger than his forebears, I would like to call attention to the well-known fact that theaverage size man of today cannot possibly get into the suits of armor which are in the collections of the great Europeanmuseums; and yet these suits of armor are supposed to havebeen worn by the greatest heroes of the middle ages.

In dealing with feats of pure strength we regret to haveto admit that most of the strength records are held by European athletes. This does not mean that the European racesproducelarger andfiner menthanwebreedin America, but really indicates the fact that for the past 25years the European nations, especially the Germans and theAustrians, have taken as much interest in heavy athletics as we take in light athletics in this country. We would notexpect England, for instance, which has only a few hundred baseball players, to produce ball players equal to our big league stars, and as Germany happens to have about 100amateur weight-lifters where we have one, it is only natural that they should hold the records in that particular line of athletics.

So far we Americans have not distinguished ourselvesin any line of heavy athletics with the possible exception ofputtingtheshot.Thisisafeatwhichrequires considerable skill, in addition to size and bodily weight,and, as American amateurs have made a point of acquiring thecorrectforminthisparticularevent,theyhavesucceeded in making records.