Roark Posted October 30, 2001 Share Posted October 30, 2001 Charles Atlas, were he still alive, would be 109 years old today, but the Dynamic Tension left his body two days before Christmas, 1972. Before we pooh-pooh him as just another pre-TV infomercial peddler, keep in mind his experience with Paul von Boeckman's Indian club. For those not aware of Indian clubs, just think of an object shaped somewhat like a bowling pin: Super Athletes p 249: "He had an iron Indian club, about 20 inches high, that weighed between 80 and 85 pounds. Grasping this club at the small end with his hands close together (in baseball bat style), von Boeckman could readily lever it up and over his shoulder. But, evidently, for anyone else it was a terrific feat. Sandow, who tried it, couldn't budge the club from the floor. Charles Atlas, at a much later date, managed to tilt it slightly." A drawing of the method used appeared in Your Physique in October 1944, and shows the club slightly ahead of and centered between the lifters feet, sticking forward. Obviously, the lifter was not allowed to drag the club toward the body, but simply to try to lever it up parallel to the floor until clear of the floor, and then onto the shoulder. 80 to 85 lbs in a 20" range is one fat bowling pin, and the leverage must have been incredible! Somewhere (in America?) this iron Indian club probably still exists in a garage, or an antique store, or perhaps it is owned by someone who knows the treasure it is. Perhaps it is buried on a sunny beach, awaiting some bully to kick the sand off it into the face of yet another 98-lb weaking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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