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STRENGTH AND HOW TO OBTAIN IT,
STRENGTH AND HOW TO OBTAIN IT,
BY EUGEN SANDOW, WITH ANATOMICAL CHART, ILLUSTRATING EXERCISES FOR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT. REVISED EDITION. ILLUSTRATED WITH FULL PAGE PORTRAITS OF THE AUTHOR AND SOME OF HIS PUPILS. Reproduced from Photographs by Falk of New York, and Warwick Brookes of Manchester. London: GALE & POLDEN, Ltd. , 2, AMEN CORNER, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C., AND WELLINGTON WORKS, ALDERSHOT. TWO-AND-SIX NETT. Printed by Gale & Polden, Ltd., Wellington Works, Aldershot. Copyright—Gale & Polden, Ltd..
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INTRODUCTION.
INTRODUCTION.
In writing this book I have taken it as a commonplace that everyone—man, woman, and child—wants to be strong. Without strength—and by strength I mean health, vitality, and a general sense of physical well-being—life is but a gloomy business. Wealth, talent, ambition, the love and affection of friends, the pleasure derived from doing good to those about one, all these things may afford some consolation for being deprived of life’s chief blessing, but they can never make up for it. “But,” I am con
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NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
It is nearly two years since the first edition of “Strength and How to Obtain it” was published, and its success has been very gratifying to me. It plainly demonstrates that the people of my adopted country are gradually beginning to understand and appreciate what is meant by “physical culture,” and that my ideas are steadily taking root in productive ground. I am, therefore, encouraged to bring out a new edition of the book, which, I trust, will be an improvement upon its predecessor. Several c
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CHAPTER I. CONCERNING PHYSICAL CULTURE.
CHAPTER I. CONCERNING PHYSICAL CULTURE.
It is curious to me to look back a year or two and to reflect upon the change in public opinion upon this subject which has taken place in so short a time. When I first began to preach the “gospel of health and strength” the general tendency was to make fun of me. Some people called me a fool; others, a charlatan. Very few indeed took the trouble to see whether there was anything in my theories, and to test for themselves their truth or falsity. That was, so to speak, only yesterday; what an alt
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CHAPTER II. THE PROGRESS OF THE SYSTEM.
CHAPTER II. THE PROGRESS OF THE SYSTEM.
I have already remarked upon the satisfactory progress which the system has made during the last few years. It is probably well-known that my system has practically been adopted in the Army; although the method adopted in the Army gymnasia is not absolutely identical with that which I advocate, it is obviously based upon the same principles. People may be interested to hear that since I opened my first school, some eighteen months ago, amongst my pupils have been a great number of gentlemen, who
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CHAPTER III. THE STUPIDITY OF ENVY.
CHAPTER III. THE STUPIDITY OF ENVY.
The statement to which I refer is this—that though by my system a man may increase the size of his muscles, add to his bodily strength, and improve his physique, he does so at the expense of his vital organs. This statement has been freely bandied about by those who ought to be above such petty and stupid malice; men, who, professing to teach physical culture, are mostly quite ignorant of the very rudiments of the subject. Their reasons for such utterances are not far to seek; they are envious o
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CHAPTER IV. HOW TO EXERCISE.
CHAPTER IV. HOW TO EXERCISE.
In commencing the system of exercises described and illustrated by the anatomical chart, there are certain questions which every student naturally asks himself. Probably the very first of these questions is, “What part of the day ought I to devote to these exercises?” The answer to this question must depend on the pupil himself—on his leisure and on his inclination. Some persons find the early morning the best and most convenient time; others prefer the afternoon; and a third class, again, find
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CHAPTER V. MY “GRIP” DUMB-BELL.
CHAPTER V. MY “GRIP” DUMB-BELL.
This appliance is very simple and may be described in a few words. It consists of a dumb-bell made in two halves separated about an inch and a half from one another, the intervening space being occupied by a small steel spring. When exercising, the spring is compressed by gripping the bells and bringing the two halves close together, in which position they are kept until the exercise is over. The springs can be of any strength, and consequently the power necessary to keep the two halves together
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CHAPTER VI. THE MAGIC COLD BATH.
CHAPTER VI. THE MAGIC COLD BATH.
I am sometimes accused of being a bit of a faddist about the use of the cold bath, and possibly the heading of this chapter may give strength to that opinion. But its exhilarating and health-giving effects really justify the use of the adjective. The longer I live, and the greater my experience, the more am I convinced of its virtues. Let me advise every pupil after exercising, while the body is still hot, to take a cold bath. It does not matter how much he may be perspiring; the cold bath will
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CHAPTER VII. PHYSICAL CULTURE FOR THE MIDDLE-AGED.
CHAPTER VII. PHYSICAL CULTURE FOR THE MIDDLE-AGED.
It is scarcely necessary for me to say that the benefits to be obtained by conscientiously working upon my system are by no means confined to the young and vigorous. On the contrary, it is particularly suitable for the middle-aged, who are all too apt to suffer from the effects of the period of physical indolence which has succeeded their youthful activity. To such, the system should prove invaluable. It is quite a false notion to suppose that when once youth is passed exercise is no longer nece
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CHAPTER VIII. PHYSICAL CULTURE FOR WOMEN.
CHAPTER VIII. PHYSICAL CULTURE FOR WOMEN.
I am exceedingly anxious to remove the impression, which has, I fear, gained ground, that my system is not a thing for women. Now-a-days, when women have practically freed themselves from the antiquated ideas of a generation or so ago, there ought to be small difficulty in convincing them that to make the best of themselves, in a physical sense, is just as imperative a duty for them as for their brothers. Women go in for all sorts of sports and pastimes to-day; they bicycle, row, play tennis and
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CHAPTER IX. THE TABLES OF AGES.
CHAPTER IX. THE TABLES OF AGES.
From the following tables pupils of all ages will be able to see at a glance how many times the movements of each exercise illustrated by the anatomical chart should be practised daily. It should be clearly understood that the tables are only intended as a guide, and that they are not intended to arbitrarily fix the amount of work which the pupil should do. It is an absolute impossibility to lay down rules which will suit every individual case, and consequently pupils must, after taking the tabl
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CHAPTER X. MY SCHOOLS OF PHYSICAL CULTURE.
CHAPTER X. MY SCHOOLS OF PHYSICAL CULTURE.
The reader of the second part of this book will see how my professional career was thrust upon me. It came through no seeking of my own, after my defeat of Samson. I accepted it partly because the offers seemed too good to be thrown away, and partly because they enabled me to gratify a wish to see something of the world. My ambition, however, was always to form and build up a system for the service of others, rather than exhibit merely the results of that system in my own person. That ambition,
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CHAPTER XI. INSTRUCTION BY CORRESPONDENCE.
CHAPTER XI. INSTRUCTION BY CORRESPONDENCE.
None of my departments has shown a more gratifying development than has the correspondence department. Letters pour in from all parts of the world asking for advice and instruction in such numbers that I have been obliged to organise a special system and department for dealing with the enquiries of my many friends, who, owing to their living at a distance and to other reasons, cannot attend the schools personally. Every week many letters reach me from the Colonies alone—from India, Canada, Austr
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CHAPTER XII. SANDOW’S CHART OF MEASUREMENTS.
CHAPTER XII. SANDOW’S CHART OF MEASUREMENTS.
The figure will show pupils how to take their own measurements. They are advised to keep a careful record of these month by month, so they can see how they are progressing. The chest should be measured both with the lungs full of air and empty, as well as in its normal condition. Date when training commenced. ..................................................... Date on completion of course. ........................................................
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CHAPTER XIII. THE COMBINED DEVELOPER.
CHAPTER XIII. THE COMBINED DEVELOPER.
After considerable experience and exhaustive experiments with rubber machines, I have succeeded in inventing one which allows of a combination of dumb-bell and rubber exercises. Exclusive rubber exercise has not the effect of producing hard, firm, and supple muscles, therefore I have patented the detachable dumb-bell handles, which are simplicity itself. This developer can be so regulated as to prove equally beneficial to a weak man as to myself. From an economic point of view it stands alone, a
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CHAPTER XIV. HEAVY WEIGHT-LIFTING.
CHAPTER XIV. HEAVY WEIGHT-LIFTING.
It is not my purpose in this book to give anything beyond general directions for lifting heavy weights. You can become thoroughly strong and enjoy perfect health by means of the series of exercises already described. Heavy weight-lifting requires personal instruction; that instruction will be given to those who may desire it at my schools. Under qualified instructors it may be pursued without the risk of danger. Generally, however, it may be observed that to lift heavy weights it is desirable fi
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Letters and Photographs of Pupils.
Letters and Photographs of Pupils.
In the following pages will be found a selection from many thousands of letters which have been addressed to me by pupils who have already profited from my system of Physical Culture. Attention is specially directed to the measurements before and after training, showing the actual progress made in muscular development. Vachwen, Marlborough Road, Watford , March 11th, 1899 . Mr. Sandow. Dear Sir , I have just completed a course of lessons at your “School of Physical Culture,” from which I have de
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CHAPTER I. MY CHILDHOOD AND BOYHOOD.
CHAPTER I. MY CHILDHOOD AND BOYHOOD.
It is not necessary, as some may think, to be born strong in order to become strong. Unlike the poet, who, we are told, has to be born a poet, the strong man can make himself. As a child, I was myself exceedingly delicate. More than once, indeed, my life was despaired of. Until I was in my tenth year I scarcely knew what strength was. Then it happened that I saw it in bronze and stone. My father took me with him to Italy, and in the art galleries of Rome and Florence I was struck with admiration
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CHAPTER II. HOW I CAME TO LONDON AND DEFEATED SAMSON.
CHAPTER II. HOW I CAME TO LONDON AND DEFEATED SAMSON.
The years of my life between eighteen and twenty-one may be passed over with the remark that they saw a steady gain of strength and some occasional performances as an amateur athlete and wrestler. In 1889 I made the acquaintance of Aubrey Hunt, the artist, who was then at Venice. One of the most charming views in the neighbourhood was to be gained from the grounds of my villa near Ledo. Naturally Mr. Hunt wished to paint it, and it was a pleasure to be able to afford him the facility. One result
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CHAPTER III. I MEET GOLIATH.
CHAPTER III. I MEET GOLIATH.
At the end of my first engagement in London and the provinces, I went to Germany for a holiday. Driving out one day at Aachen, I met a veritable giant. He was a quarryman, and he was engaged in loading stones. So huge and extraordinary was his appearance that my horse positively shied at him. Imagine, if you can, this tremendous fellow: his head as huge and grotesque as that of any pantomime mask, with a nose the size of an ordinary fist. As for his own fist, it would have made more than three o
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CHAPTER IV. A PRESENTATION UNDER CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.
CHAPTER IV. A PRESENTATION UNDER CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.
After my engagement at the Royal came a holiday in Paris. It was there I met a very dear school friend, whom I had not seen since I was about ten years of age. My friend’s father was at this time German Consul at Paris. The incident which followed our meeting will be better explained by prefacing the story with the statement that as boys we were great billiard players. We were continually playing at each other’s houses, and, though we were such mere lads, we could even beat our fathers at the ga
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CHAPTER V. THE LIVING WEIGHTS.
CHAPTER V. THE LIVING WEIGHTS.
About this time there were many strong men. Each hall in London could boast of at least one. It was also a great weight lifting period. When I lifted my heaviest bell, 280lbs., the other strong men put out a placard stating that they were lifting 300lbs. By the time I had practised sufficiently to raise the weights I was lifting from 280lbs. to 300lbs., they came out with the statement that they were lifting 320lbs., and so their little game went on. For my part I was determined to introduce a n
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CHAPTER VI. ON THE “ELBE”: BOUND FOR NEW YORK.
CHAPTER VI. ON THE “ELBE”: BOUND FOR NEW YORK.
We come now to the year of the Chicago Exhibition,when I entered into a contract for an engagement in America, with Messrs Abbey, Scheffel, and Grau. An old friend and famous pianist, Martinus Sieveking, whom I knew years before in Belgium and Holland, accompanied me to the New World. Sieveking was a brilliant artist, but as a man he was exceedingly weak and delicate. He had no powers of endurance, and it was difficult for him to remain at the piano long at a time. “If I had only your strength,”
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CHAPTER VII. MY FIRST HOUR IN AMERICA.
CHAPTER VII. MY FIRST HOUR IN AMERICA.
First experiences are occasionally curious. You shall hear one of mine. Although the day we reached New York was the hottest that had ever been known in that great country of wonderful records, no heat, however extreme, could detract from the glories of New York Harbour, certainly the finest harbour I have ever seen. Numerous people, including, of course, the ubiquitous newspaper men, came on board to welcome me, bands were playing, and there was a gay and busy time generally. Having landed, I e
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CHAPTER VIII. INCIDENTS OF THE AMERICAN TOUR
CHAPTER VIII. INCIDENTS OF THE AMERICAN TOUR
A fortnight after my arrival in New York I commenced an engagement at the Casino, and after each performance, whilst I was still stripped to the waist, I gave lecture on anatomy and my system of physical culture in my dressing-room. These lectures were attended by many of the most notable people in America, the crowded audiences including several ladies. I demonstrated how each feat was accomplished, and let the people feel for themselves my muscles, to prove that whilst, when they were relaxed
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CHAPTER IX. MY LION FIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCO.
CHAPTER IX. MY LION FIGHT IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Perhaps the greatest, certainly the most thrilling, of all my experiences is that which I am about to relate. It is the story of my lion fight in San Francisco. I was performing in that western city at the time of the mid-winter fair, which followed the Chicago Exhibition. In connection with this fair Colonel Bone was exhibiting a great menagerie. One day he advertised a fight to the death between a lion and a bear. A tremendous tent, with accommodation for twenty thousand people, was erected fo
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CHAPTER X. FURTHER INCIDENTS OF THE TOUR.
CHAPTER X. FURTHER INCIDENTS OF THE TOUR.
At the end of my engagement in San Francisco I organised my own company for a holiday tour in California. What a lovely country is that; a country of perpetual summer and blue sky, of bright flowers and delicious breezes. Well do I remember our arrival in Los Angeles. Thousands and thousands of people came to meet our coach, the children smothering us with roses as though it were some battle of flowers. But, of course, there were rough journeys in America as well as pleasant ones. On the way to
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CHAPTER XI. MY DOG SULTAN. END OF THE TOUR.
CHAPTER XI. MY DOG SULTAN. END OF THE TOUR.
At this stage of the tour I will introduce, with the reader’s permission, my dog Sultan, the holder of seventeen first prizes. This dog, a handsome boar-hound, standing about thirty-four inches high at the shoulders and weighing some two hundred pounds, had been presented to me as a puppy by Prince Bismarck. Though I have never specially trained him, the dog has remarkable intelligence. My companion throughout my tour in America, he used to jump into the luggage van at every journey’s end to fin
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CHAPTER XII. MY PERFORMANCE AT THE PRESENT TIME.
CHAPTER XII. MY PERFORMANCE AT THE PRESENT TIME.
It may be useful, as a record, to indicate briefly the nature of the salient features of my recent performance at the London Pavilion, and since in the provinces. To begin with there is a tableau, arranged for the purpose of showing muscular repose, with all the muscles relaxed; muscular tension, with all the muscles as firm as steel; the abdominal muscles; the biceps, muscles of the inside of the upper arm; the triceps, muscles of the back of the upper arm; the deltoid, muscles of the shoulders
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CHAPTER XIII. MY MEASUREMENTS.
CHAPTER XIII. MY MEASUREMENTS.
As a supplement to the previous chapter it may be stated here, in answer to many inquiries, that my own measurements, etc., at the present time are as set forth below. The first edition of the book was written rather hurriedly, and consequently one or two trifling inaccuracies crept in. These are now corrected:— My strength, it may be added, is steadily increasing. If some one had told me two years ago that I should be able to perform the feats of strength that I now accomplish I would not have
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