Charles Atlas Today

by Donne Hale

I recently interviewed Charles Atlas for the editor of IRON MAN. He's no longer the youthful Adonis whose likeness in advertisements is so familiar to us all. We tend to forget that three generations have known this man's body and he's not so young. However, he's tremendously impressive at sixty-two and has a physique that would be considered wonderful for a man of half his years.

Everyone thinks of him only as the symbol for a huge mail order business, which he is today. They don't remember his glorious past and great achievements. Starting as a sickly immigrant boy, he built a body that was the most admired of his day. It was immortalized in some great pieces of statuary and served as a model for the foremost artists of the nation. He became powerful enough to perform as a strongman at Coney Island and was excellent at all the usual exhibition feats. During the 20's no book or magazine devoted to physical training was complete without his poses, while the fan mail reached movie star proportions. At his peak, he boasted a 17" neck, 17" biceps, 14½" forearm, 47" normal chest, 32" waist, 23¼" thigh and a 16¼" calf at a height of 5'10½", a bodyweight of 180 lbs. Never Herculean, his beautiful symmetry captured the title of "World's Best Developed Man" in 1921 and another award as "America's Best Developed Man" in 1922. After becoming a success in his business, he gradually grew less familiar to the public as an individual, though his name eventually became almost a part of the American language.

I've always admired this man's physique. To me, those smoothly molded lines were far more attractive than the huge bulges achieved by others. Frankly, though, I was prepared to find his present condition a poor imitation of his prize-winning past. Regardless of his activities, when a man is sixty-two, how much development can he be expected to retain? I was pleasantly disappointed, for this old-timer is even more sensational than the accompanying photos would indicate.

In appearance, he's handsome; his face is comparatively unlined, he has plenty of hair, his eyes are very clear and those gleaming teeth are natural. His voice is deep and he speaks in such an eager, vigorous manner that you immediately forget his age. When we started talking, Charles mentioned that he is just as vital, just as enthusiastic about life as he was thirty years ago. He claims he actually FEELS no older than he did in those early days and I believe he is sincere in saying that.

Of course, I realize that IRON MAN readers are interested primarily in muscular development, just as I am. Well, this is one perfect man whose measurements have changed little through the years. The legs are the same, his neck has lost only fractions. I taped his chest at 46'12", with a little tensing, and his biceps spanned an easy 16 1/4". His waist has gone up to 34", but height and weight are the same. Those aren't bad figures after three decades, are they?

The arms of Charles Atlas today, LOOK as if they are a full 17". His biceps are not high, but all the muscles are full and completely developed, way down to their insertions. (I noticed that every part of his body had this quality; each muscle group seeming to flow right into the next, with no break in the contour.) His back development is outstanding, with more mass than definition and plenty of shapeliness. I was particularly impressed by the erectus muscles, lying almost an inch deep on each side of his spine. Surely, this must be one of the reasons for his great youthfulness and physical ability. The trapezius are still huge while the latissimus, though not as large as I remember them from early pictures, retain a long, firm curve. His legs look very much as they did in his prime-not heavy, but trim and shapely. His calves are particularly outstanding, for I can't recall ever seeing more separation than he displays in these muscles.

I was a bit disappointed in his chest development for, after all, this has always been the Atlas trademark. His chest box seems as deep and full as it ever was, but his pectorals have deteriorated and detracted from the rest of the picture. Here is another argument in favor of limiting pectoral specialization. While young, this body builder regularly performed thousands of dips, training with Liederman. He mentioned that his pectorals were then as large as any he has ever seen, so it's obvious that they didn't stay with him as did the rest of his development. The waistline is his other weak point but, he assured me, its condition is not a result of age. Since he is no longer interested in posing he has cut down on abdominal work. I prodded his middle with my fingers, finding it solid as a rock under a layer of firm flesh. He is confident that he can trim it down two inches with sharp definition at any time he wished to concentrate upon it. I believe him and, come to think of it, a two inch gain in the waist over a period of thirty years is not bad at all!

With his round, unwrinkled neck and his perfect posture, Charles Atlas is a wonderful figure of a man. He walks in an erect, lithe manner, striding along as if he were really going somewhere; head up, chest out, shoulders back. I watched him running and this was a revelation. He uses a long stride, landing on the ball of his front foot and pushing off strongly from the rear. His entire upper body moves in rhythm with the legs and he travels along in a smooth, rolling movement with absolutely no jerkiness. Regardless of age, I have never witnessed a more graceful runner in action.

Naturally, I was curious as to what this fellow could do with his body today, and let me assure you, it's plenty! He can run three miles in twenty-one minutes, five miles in slightly slower average time. Swimming several miles at a stretch is easy for him. Just a few years ago, he swam around the edge of a ten mile lake. He still bends strap iron by gripping it in his teeth, pulling down on the ends, and twists or breaks spikes in his hands. A pullover, then press, in the wrestler's bridge with a two hundred pound man is no trouble for him, though it would stop most youngsters. He still balances, can press up handstands on anything he can reach and plays a strenuous game of badminton.

There has always been some question concerning the manner in which Atlas attained his physique. The majority in the muscle world believe that he was a barbell man, despite his protests to the contrary. Naturally, I questioned him about his training and the information he gave me was not only interesting, but convincing. When I bluntly asked him if he had trained with weights to develop his body, he replied, "At no time in my career, did I use barbells or iron dumbbells to increase my development. On several occasions I have accepted a challenge to lift a weight, as a test, and once pushed up 150 pounds with one hand from the shoulder. People who witnessed these rare attempts, have made much of the fact that they 'saw Atlas lifting'. No one, however, can truthfully state that they have known me to exercise with weights of any kind." In his youth he began training with a system of calisthenics, stretching and body resistance movements that he later developed into the famous Dynamic Tension. He also wrestled, did a great deal of running and swimming. These activities, with minor gymnastics, hand to hand balancing and posing, were to be his chief interests through the years. He occasionally boxed, played handball or practiced such strong man stunts as tearing cards and directories, bending iron, driving spikes. From that list, one thing is obvious-Mr. Atlas is certainly an all-round strength athlete whose muscles have been just as efficient as they've looked.

Generally, he still follows the same program as in his youth, although he doesn't train quite as strenuously. Every day, he goes through his routine of Dynamic Tension at home and has three good workouts a week at the New York A.C. During these two hour sessions, he runs several miles, swims, wrestles or boxes a bit. Then, after some mild gymnastics, a little balancing, perhaps some badminton, he's ready for the showers. He likes to finish off with a real deep massage, feeling this is essential for best results.

Understandably, his physique problems are very similar to those he had in the past. When young, his legs were always slow to gain bulk while his upper body seemed to grow almost overnight. Today it's the same and the only difference he notes is a greater tendency to lose his definition. I don't think his diet would be of particular interest, since it is so typical of that usually followed by bodybuilders. He did emphasize one point, however, he is a firm believer in natural foods and can't understand a man trying to improve his body while not supplying his system with adequate building material in the form of good nourishment. He feels that tea, coffee, alcohol and tobacco are obviously detrimental to health, so he avoids them entirely.

I was naturally curious about the strength feats performed by Charles during his long career. He mentioned several but was proudest of one he did at the age of forty-five. As a publicity stunt for the Pennsylvania Railroad, he actually pulled a loaded passenger coach along the tracks, by means of a rope attached to its front! There can be no question about this accomplishment being genuine, for it was filmed by newsreel cameras and witnessed around the world.

Though my subject was inclined to belittle his own deeds, he enjoyed reviewing his memories of the past and the greats he knew then. He chuckled as he told me about Earle Liederman's habit of buying collars too large and then forcing himself to grow into them. We also talked of Massimo, the most muscular man he ever knew, and his terrific power. Clevio used to cannonball the 180 pound Atlas into a high hand to hand balance, then do many slow repetition presses with him in that position. He also spoke glowingly of Joe Nordquest and his incredible arms. He saw Joe bent press 300 pounds with little trouble, but was more amazed by his trick of "running" a half mile on the beach, hopping on his one leg. Rolandow's body, he remembers, was splendid during his last years; in his seventies, he did a pullover with 250 pounds, then supine pressed it five or six times, just as an impromptu stunt. Charles' first idol was "Young Sandow", Adolph Nordquest. When this great appeared at the Columbia Theater with Joe Lambert, theirs was the most Herculean act he has yet seen. He wistfully recalled taking his lunch to the theater early in the morning, to stay through the entire day and countless performances. To him, Breitbart was the best at driving spikes and Warren Lincoln Travis a genuine, great all-round strong man. The most impressive feat he has ever witnessed? That was easy-Herman Saxon performing a one hand stand, then slowly muscling a 100 Ib dumbbell off the floor while maintaining the balance.

Like most old timers, Atlas thinks those were "the good old days". However, he believes the average man's health today is better than thirty years ago and that there are more well built men today than in his youth. He attributes this to keener knowledge of diet, greater facilities for exercise, the publicity given to muscular men and more sources of information. With the exception of Grimek, though, he doesn't consider today's top physique stars any finer than those in his early day.

John Grimek is in his opinion, the most beautifully built man he has ever known. Jim Londos ranks a very close second, surprising as that may be to modern body builders. When "Jeemy" first came to this country, he was almost as bulky as JCG, but had a graceful, flowing musculature that made his body look beautifully efficient. Atlas paused, after telling me this, and said, "In my home I have a statue of the Farnese Hercules. Every day, when I pass it, I marvel that this stone image is such a perfect replica of the living Grimek."

I wondered if Charles Atlas thought the present popularity of weight training in this country was a beneficial trend. His comments might be worth noting, as he said, "I think it's great! Regardless of the method used, anything that stimulates men to be conscious of health and to get more exercise, has to be good for the country. The biggest objection I find in weight training, is that so many barbell men do nothing else, when they should be wrestling, swimming, tumbling, running or boxing, to make their muscles useful. An 18" arm or 50" chest is of no importance. An efficient, strong, vigorous body that can really do things, and looks the part, should be the aim of every man."

You might think this youthful oldster would be about ready to take it easy and relax a little, but such is not the case. After three years of preparation, a new edition of Dynamic Tension will be published in the near future. Atlas is starting on a concentrated self improvement program that will bring his body to the peak of fitness during the next few months. His objective? To pose for all the exercise illustrations in his new course, showing his development in his sixty-third year.

During his lifetime this man has accomplished great things. He reached the heights of development himself and provided inspiration for thousands of others. He has been misunderstood by most of us and has been a victim of slurs by many. Today, at sixty-two, he possesses a body that would be impressive for a man of thirty but is eagerly looking forward to doing even more in the years to come. Surely, every body builder should be grateful for the example provided by this great of the past, a great of the present - Charles Atlas!

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- Charles Atlas is almost a legend over the world. He is also a real flesh and blood athlete and the pose at upper left shows him at 62, still vigorous and vital, with an infectious smile and charming personality. At right he is shown doing a hand stand which is still as easy as ever for him and he still does a lot of them.

- Here is one of our favorite photos of Atlas as a young man, showing his outstanding physique at its best. It was about this time that he twice won the title of "World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" in contests conducted by Bernarr MacFadden.

- Here is a photo (top) of the massive back of Charles Atlas at 62 years of age compared with the same back in photo below at about 30 years of age. You will notice little, if any, change. His back was supposed to measure 27 inches across in the photo below and was claimed as the widest muscular back in the world.

- Here is another back pose taken about a month ago at 62 years of age, which compares very favorably with one taken when he was about 30. Lower photo is another favorite pose showing the graceful, flowing lines of his well developed physique. All late photos taken by Donne Hale about a month ago in Miami, Florida with no special lighting or camera equipment.