Siciliano Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms Siciliano Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms The surname Siciliano comes from the name of the island of Sicily and was no doubt originally born by someone who came from the region. Siciliano Early Origins The surname Siciliano was first found in on the island of Sicily. Siciliano Spelling Variations Spelling variations of this family name include: Sicilia, Siciliano, Siciliato, Siciliani and others. Siciliano Early History Siciliano Early History This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Siciliano research. Another 246 words (18 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Siciliano History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Siciliano Early Notables (pre 1700) Siciliano Early Notables (pre 1700) Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Siciliano Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Siciliano Settlers in United States in the 19th Century Benedetto Siciliano, who was naturalized in Pennsylvania in 1892 Siciliano Settlers in United States in the 20th Century Alfonso Siciliano, aged 46, who emigrated to the United States from Molochio, in 1902 Angelo Siciliano, who was naturalized in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1904 Amedeo Siciliano, aged 3, who emigrated to America from Palermo, Sicily , in 1909 Achillo Siciliano, aged 44, who settled in America from S. Agato Goti, Italy, in 1914 Alfonso Siciliano, aged 21, who settled in America from Marigliano, Italy, in 1921 ...

(More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.) Contemporary Notables of the name Siciliano (post 1700) Contemporary Notables of the name Siciliano (post 1700) Robert Siciliano (b. 1968), American security analyst, author and media personality Dani Siciliano, American singer Citations Other References Annuaire Gï¿½nï¿½ral Hï¿½raldique Universel. Paris: Institut Hï¿½raldique, 1901. Print. Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Rome Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana 56 volumesr. Print. Bentley, Elizabeth P. Passenger Arrivals at the Port of New York 1820-1829. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1999. Print. Rolland, and H.V. Rolland. Illustrations to the Armorial Gï¿½nï¿½ral by J.B. Rietstap. Ramsbury: Heraldry Today, 1967. Print.

(ISBN 0-0900455-209). Gheno, Antonio. Contributo alla Bibliografia Genealogica Italiana. Bologna: Forni, 1924. Print. Crozier, William Armstrong Edition. Crozier's General Armory A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. New York: Fox, Duffield, 1904. Print. Glazier, Ira A. and P. Williams Filby Edition. Italians to America. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Print. Di Crollalanza, G.B. Dizionario Storico-Blasonico Delle Famiglie Nobili e Notabili Italiane 3 volumes. Pisa. Print. Guelfi Camajani, Piero. Dizionario Araldico 1940 Reprint Arnoaldo Forni. Milan: 1978. Print. Zieber, Eugene. Heraldry in America. Philadelphia: Genealogical Publishing Co. Print. ... The Siciliano Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives.

The Siciliano Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname. This page was last modified on 15 March 2016 at 12:47. Sign Up Charles Atlas | American bodybuilder | Britannica.com American bodybuilder Paolo Soleri Charles Atlas, original name Angelo Siciliano (born Oct. 30, 1892, Acri, Calabria , Italy —died Dec. 24, 1972, Long Beach , N.Y., U.S.), Italian-born American bodybuilder and physical culturist who, with Frederick Tilney and Charles P. Roman, created and marketed a highly popular mail-order bodybuilding course. Charles Atlas, 1938. Hulton Archive/Getty Images In 1904 Angelo Siciliano immigrated to the United States with his mother and settled in Brooklyn, N.Y. Skinny and weak, he suffered beatings by a neighbourhood bully and his uncle. The statues of Hercules and other mythological heroes that he saw in a local museum inspired him to build his body.

Too poor to afford barbells, he devised a system, later called Dynamic-Tension, that pitted one muscle group against another. Neighbourhood friends soon started likening him to a statue of Atlas . This association was then combined with the nickname “Charley” to form the name by which he eventually became famous. With his newfound muscles and confidence, Atlas joined the circus-vaudeville circuit and appeared in Coney Island sideshows, where he performed a variety of strongman feats. He also worked as an artist’s model for many sculpted works of classic American heroes on public buildings in New York City , Washington, D.C., and Cleveland, Ohio, and he won such titles as the World’s Most Handsome Man and the World’s Most Perfectly Developed Man at contests staged by physical culturist Bernarr Macfadden at Madison Square Garden in 1921 and 1922, respectively. Charles Atlas. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Assisted by Tilney, an English naturopath, Atlas employed Dynamic-Tension principles to develop a mail-order course that was the basis for a multimillion-dollar bodybuilding business.

Then in 1928, in partnership with Roman, he conducted one of the most-celebrated advertising campaigns in American history. Slogans such as “You can have a body like mine” were accompanied by photographs of the muscular Atlas clad in a leopard breechclout. The most famous image, however, was that of the 97-pound weakling who, after having sand kicked in his face at the beach, employs Dynamic-Tension to build a herculean physique and to challenge the beach bully. For generations, comic books and men’s magazines have carried Atlas’s advertisements, making his name synonymous with manly strength and muscular development. Charles Atlas. The Corrupt Beginning of The Muscle Industry and Bodybuilding | NattyOrNot.com by Truth Seeker . Just like every area of life, the fitness industry is also full of deception and lies geared towards the creation of a pyramid structure, where only those at the top benefit. Since the very beginning, the sport/beauty contest known as bodybuilding initiated on the bases of false claims, ignorance, con games, shallow desires and manipulation of the masses.

The market model was simple: create an attractive product that people would naturally want and make everybody believe that you have the secret to success. It worked like a charm in the past, and it still does. The beneficiary, however, was never the little man. photo by RyanMcGuire @ As people, we are sinners and narcissistic in nature. Thus, almost everybody is attracted to the idea of acquiring a nice muscular body. Very few things can flatter the ego more than admiration coming from others when you take your clothes off. The fact that women love big muscular upper bodies and men appreciate highly nicely shaped legs is not exactly hot news. Key individuals with great business sense were able to identify this and exploit the niche to the maximum. Many indicate the late 1890s as the beginning of bodybuilding since this was the time when Eugen Sandow started his muscle flexing shows in front of a crowd. I am not going to focus on that era exclusively, but a little historical flashback is necessary to understand the modern state of the industry. Eugen Sandow, born Friedrich Wilhelm Müller, was a strongman and a strength athlete admired greatly for his muscular development first and strength feats second.

It is safe to say that the records will remember him as the original initiator of fitness and bodybuilding motivation. With the rise of his popularity, and after the first official bodybuilding contest held in 1891 under the name of “The Great Show”, the interest in strength training increased immensely. The seed was sown and bodybuilding emerged as a commercial product. This is the time when very special men, eager to milk the ignorant and naïve crowd, emerged on the scene. In the 1920s, the personage of Angelo Siciliano, better known as Charles Atlas, appeared on the horizon. Promoted by “the father of physical culture”, Bernarr Macfadden, Atlas enjoyed phenomenal popularity among youngsters and people looking for ways to improve their lives by fighting physical imperfections and weakness. Rumor has it that Angelo Siciliano changed his name to Charles Atlas legally because “it sounds more American”. He also created a nice PR story that could touch the hearts of all skinny boys in the world and sell muscle building training courses. According to the official version, Atlas used to be a “weakling” bullied around by the big boys.

As it got more serious, he started lifting weights and became a strength fanatic, which helped him fight the unfairness of this world. Of course, just like in all commercials the whole point was to create drama and the illusion that people in similar position can get out of the trap by subscribing to the ideology provided by the muscle media back then. During the 1930s, bodybuilding grew a lot. Checking your biceps in the mirror became a commonly accepted behavior, and many groups of people lifting weights with the sole intention to build thick muscle commenced. During that decade, the popular Muscle Beach in Santa Monica was built. People went there to admire high-level muscle and strength performance. The first modern bodybuilding competition entered the register in 1939 under the name “America’s Best Built Man”. The governing body at that time was the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). It was a much different era back then. Bodybuilders were not strictly looking for mass and cuts. There were also points awarded for weightlifting performance, and the competitors were required to do well in both events if they wanted to win. In the beginning, this was the most prestigious contest ever.

The popular bodybuilder/weightlifter John Grimek quickly became a muscle celebrity by winning Mr. America (the new name of the contest) twice in a row. His personage was very important to the future of the muscle world because he was one of the lifters on which Dr. John Ziegler started experimenting with steroids. Grimek worked for none other than the entrepreneur and sports promoter Robert Collins “Bob” Hoffman, better known simply as Bob Hoffman. Bob Hoffman had a love for business, to say the least. He made a great profit from selling barbells to the hungry crowd looking for the road to muscle. As expected barbells represented “the ultimate way to get strong and build big arms”. Hoffman sold over 300, 000 weights sets as well as a ton of training programs. By 1946, millions of dollars were filling his bank account. How did it happen? One word: propaganda. In the 1930s, Hoffman launched Strength & Health magazine, which allowed him to reach many potential clients and establish a figure of authority. Due to people’s natural love for muscle, Hoffman gained enormous amount of influence over thousands of young men.

The magazine did contain a lot of useful information, thanks to the knowledgeable writers such as Bill Starr, but it also created the opportunity to put poison in the food of the unaware. In 1946, Bob Hoffman received a business visit from none other than Paul Chappius Bragg who was a nutritionist, and later on became known as the pioneer of America’s wellness movement. The goal was simple: it was time to sell nutritional products to the crowd through the magazine. Selling barbells was fine, but there was one big problem – iron lasts decades without breaking. On the other hand, supplements and food have a much shorter lifespan, which makes them a great profitable product people would buy month after month. This is what initiated the launch of one of the first bodybuilding supplements known as Hi-Proteen. In essence, the product was garbage consisting of soybean flour loaded with large amounts of sweeteners meant to make the damn thing consumable. The magic formula was supposed to help you gain weight fast, even though behind the scenes people knew very well that the massive gains, which started in the 1950s, were not due to protein nor training methods.

The substance that really pushed the muscle industry and weightlifting to a completely new level was synthetic testosterone on which was based the evolution of the whole bodybuilding movement. However, you cannot really sell steroids in a health magazine for obvious legal and practical issues. That is why Hoffman invested so much into the development of other explanations for the muscular and strength boom. One of those “explanations” was isometric training. In an article entitled “The Most Important Article I Ever Wrote” Bob Hoffman presented isometrics as the best way to train. The method was supposed to be extremely revolutionary and the ticket of American weightlifters back to the first place. Of course, in order to make a product successful you need good advertisement since the package is what sells. Consequently, the weightlifters Bill March of York, Pennsylvania, and Louis Riecke of New Orleans played the role of promoters. Hoffman used the reputation of the two to launch a line of products to the unaware. Later on, it was revealed that Bill March and Louis Riecke were using anabolic steroids, which hurt the credibility of the advertised training method. On June 1972, the strength coach Bill Starr exposed the deception in a published material entitled “Isometric Farce”.

He accused Hoffman of speculation with training courses and special equipment. While Bob Hoffman had an essential role in the world of bodybuilding, strength and fitness, there was another businessman willing to take it a step further. His name was Josef Edwin Weider, better known as Joe Weider. The muscle wars between Bob Hoffman and Joe Weider are comparable to the never-ending battle between Apple of Steve Jobs and Microsoft of Bill Gates. Similar to the two entrepreneurs from the Silicon Valley, Hoffman and Weider were two greedy men with enormous egos looking for profit in the same industry by placing emphasis on different concepts. It would be naïve to believe that either of the two cared about the public, even though Hoffman’s training approach appeared to be “more in tune with nature”. Hoffman based his philosophy primarily on functional strength and training for performance, while Joe Weider was more interested in physical development and hypertrophy. He is the reason bodybuilding splits and high volume training became popular. If it was Hoffman’s way, bodybuilders would still be doing full body workouts a few days a week, instead of 20 sets of “biceps”. He believed that big muscles are nothing but burden, if there is not real strength to back them up.

Creating a muscle building system was extremely important to Joe Weider. Thus, he came up with high volume routines. He did not care much about providing a valuable way to train. His main priority was the creation of a product he can promote as his own. Having his name on the logo was what counted the most. This is how the “Weider System of Bodybuilding” was born. However, Weider was not fully in charge of bodybuilding until 1946, when he and his brother Ben founded the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) in Montreal, Canada. The goal was to have more control over the bodybuilding industry since Hoffman had tremendous connections in the AAU. Today, the IFBB is the governing body of the sport, and all famous bodybuilders are under its wing and play by its rules. Sadly, the roots of the establishment suggest that at its heart the project supports a profit-based system based on ignorance and manipulations. Similar to Hoffman, Weider also had his own fair share of muscle media though which he promoted all kinds of products with extremely questionable benefits. He also used the bodies of popular bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger to back up gimmicky products.

The low value merchandise came with extremely deceptive claims such as: “I put 2 full inches on my arms – 3 inches on my chest and trimmed 4 inches off my waist in just 7 weeks…” For those of you who do not know, the mentioned results are hard to achieve even with steroids in such a short period. The crowd back then was even more vulnerable to corporate control because there was no alternative media, and firm belief in the mainstream authorities was already in order. Weider went as far as advertising special wrist bracelets, which were supposed to make your arms very strong. As expected, Arnold was the advertising model. Was he a natural bodybuilder? No. By the time Joe Weider was promoting Arnold in his booklets, testosterone and other steroids such as Methandrostenolone (Dianabol) were not only available but also widely used by all popular bodybuilders. Just like Hoffman, he could not afford to profit on steroids directly and that is why youngsters had to be dumbed-down to a level where bracelets and protein with horrible taste based on soybeans were accepted as the secret to muscle growth . The bodybuilders advertising the products did not care much. They were getting paid and receiving badly needed promotion.

Probably some of them were even stupid enough to believe in the bracelet thing. I will not be surprised at all, if that was the case. After all, many of your muscle heroes allowed the muscle cartel to exploit them and make millions on their backs. Since the times of Weider and Hoffman, bodybuilders have been putting their health, integrity and eventually life at risk while their pimps were making big bank. I am sorry to tell you the truth, but most of your muscle idols are shallow and self-absorbed sellouts. Today, the situation is not much different, and why would it be when the whole empire resides on the bases of smoke and mirrors. Ironically, some of the original magazines such as Muscular Development, which was Bob Hoffman’s bodybuilding media, and Flex Magazine, founded by Weider, are still here. Almost 90 years later nothing has changed. Hundreds of pages containing nothing but recycled material with a ton of shiny bottles advertised in-between, bodybuilders too intimidated to talk about drug abuse from fear of losing their sponsors, and a large amount of naive fans ready to steal from their moms’ purses in order to buy the latest bottle of God knows what.

The only thing different is that now you have Instagram which is helpful if you care to know what color are the new sneakers of Phil Heath. As expected, nobody wants to admit the lack of progress and perpetual repetition of the same cycle. It is much easier to live in deception. Lies are warm and tell you what you want to hear. If you ask a modern bodybuilder what he thinks of the current situation, he will probably tell you as follows: “I think we are doing great. The guys today are much bigger and in better shape too. Over the last decades, we have improved a lot. The times of Arnold were great. He will forever be my idol. I grew up watching “Pumping iron”. Nevertheless, thanks to the advancement of nutrition and training, the sport has improved way beyond the old level. I want to thank my fans, family and sponsors for supporting me. Without them I would not be the man I am today…blah, blah, blah” Nothing could be further from the truth but this world encourages politically correct statements like that. This is exactly what keeps the matrix going – slaves who love their servitude and cannot see how little control and free will they have left.

This world suffers from corporate fascism and bodybuilding does not make an exception. Corporate profits dictate the policy while our human nature faces extreme suppression. We have been degraded to bio-robots who live to buy things we are supposed to like and need. Our natural enthusiasm is been exploited and used as bait to create a grand illusion, which ultimately does not lead to progress but to dictatorship and loss of whatever character we have left. Corporate fascism consists of complete tyranny exercised by big corporations, which can do as they please completely unhindered by the government. Instead of introducing regulations protecting the people, the state gives companies the right to dictate the pace of action. Back in the day when Bob Hoffman and Joe Weider were building their muscle empires, they had “many brushes with the law” because of unbacked statements regarding the effectiveness of their supplement lines and the rest of the garbage products. There are rumors that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confiscated some of Hoffman’s products, but we all know that in the end, nothing happened and the deception remained undisrupted as seen even in modern days. The supplement companies of this era operate in the very same way.

Often the research done to show how effective a product is remains manipulated or at the very least, only the parts beneficial to the company reach the public. Why? Because in order for a study to take place somebody has to finance it, and that somebody are often the big pharmaceutical and supplement companies. As you can guess, they are only interested in research supporting their products. Why would you fund your own suicide? The issue is worsen by the unwritten corrupt and hypocritical rules working only in favor of big corporations. If you are an ordinary person caught with steroids, you can go to prison for a very long time in some countries. Ironically, even professional athletes fear similar consequences. Steroids are a wild card used against individuals who refuse to play by the rules. If you open your mouth too much, somebody will press the button and the crowd will eat you alive for “cheating”. However, as long as you are obedient and companies milk the naïve fans thanks to you, there is nothing to fear. You are under the umbrella of trust. The only ones who remain protected at all times, however, are the corporations. Do not doubt even for a second that they will able to get out of every situation.

Even if traces of rat excrements are found in their products, it will be justified somehow. Who knows? Maybe they are anabolic. None of this would have been possible if the mainstream muscle media was not corrupt. On official bodybuilding websites, you are not even allowed to write posts containing the word “steroids”. The moderators will immediately ban you, if you dare to start a steroid topic. That is why the users count on code words and slang to express themselves. The justification of such censorship is explained with the claim that steroids are bad for your health, and the company in question does not support drugs. Truth be told, nobody cares about your health. The mainstream companies are just trying to avoid financial losses and troubles with the law. Ironically, they have no problems using individuals on steroids to promote “great deals” straight in your face. Taking your money through manipulations is fine, but answering your concerns is not. You can ask what kind of protein powder is better: whey concentrate or isolate, but questioning the need to buy the product at all is a big no-no. You are not supposed to do it! Do not question anything! Do as we tell you! We are big and you are just a small and stupid “weakling”.

References: Bodybuilding history | JuicedMuscle.com Bodybuilding history Submitted by RonnyT on Sun, 2011-05-15 18:53 THE PIONEERS OF BODYBUILDING We all have a heritage. Our nationalities, our occupations and even our hobbies have their history. Where we´ve come from is a part of who we are. Pride is a part of it as well. Our differences often cause dissension. Nevertheless, it´s possible to cross ethnic and cultural lines via shared beliefs and interests which fuse our unanimity and camaraderie. The love of sports is such a catalyst. It brings people together with a common bond. Sports aficionados are known for their mutual devotion and reverence to the all time greats of a game. At times, they can be passionate to the point of fanatical when exuding their thoughts of how "it used to be." So why is it so few bodybuilders are familiar with the history of their own sport? Maybe it´s because bodybuilding isn´t as much of a spectator sport as it is an individual pursuit.

Since bodybuilding is also an activity which emphasizes the latest advancements in training, supplementation and performance enhancement, some may think it unnecessary to familiarize themselves with old and outdated methodologies. It´s also fair to note that many gym-going bodybuilders in the year 2000 are comparable in muscularity to some of the top competitors from the 1940´s. All too often, this leads people into thinking that our iron ancestors have little to offer to today´s young lions. Nothing can be further from the truth. Beyond the lessons to be learned, there´s a great and often engrossing history to the sport of bodybuilding. It´s uncertain how it all started, but the fascination with strength and muscularity dates back to the beginnings of recorded history. Folklore and myths are filled with stories of strong powerful men from the ancient Greeks (Hercules) to the bible. (Samson) But bodybuilding, as we now know it, has its roots at the turn of the 20th century. THE ARRIVAL The early 1900´s brought a tremendous import of Europeans to American shores in the hope of a better life, or more realistically -- a job.

These were a people who were accustomed to hard work whereas many of the more opulent Americans were growing soft from living the "easy" life. This made the influx of big, burly aliens the perfect candidates for manual labor. OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS Work which involved heavy lifting was the only recourse for most of the undereducated immigrants and competition for employment became fierce. This was the impetus which inspired a few entrepreneurs to exploit their manly attributes and "sell" the notion of getting stronger. Ads soon began popping up extolling the virtues of physical fitness. Catchy headlines that by today´s standards appear corny and quaint such as "Are You a Man Or Merely a Coat Hanger? (Charles McMahon) "I Make Men Strong" (Earle Liederman) and "Weakness is a Crime. Don´t be a Criminal!" (Bernarr McFadden), were featured in magazines and newspapers. Originally, these pitches were geared to the first generation foreigners who would benefit from a greater physical presence. Looking stronger meant being more likely to be chosen for work. It was a matter of survival. What many of the early muscle hucksters didn´t expect was that the allure of greater strength crossed over to the general populace.

The "blue bloods" wanted to overcome their "weakling" status. They wanted muscle too. And thus, the interest with bodybuilding had begun. BICEPS BECOME BIG BUSINESS Perhaps the first muscleman who can be regarded as a "superstar" was Eugene Sandow. Sandow was an early proponent of weight training who was featured in the wildly popular Ziegfield follies where he was billed as "The Strongest Man in the World." An overstatement to be sure, but the public ate it up! Be that as it may, Sandow, besides his remarkable muscularity, exhibited some extraordinary feats of strength. At one point in the show, he lifted a platform containing 19 people--and a dog! His sense of showmanship, along with Ziegfield´s flair for hyperbole, made Sandow all the rage. Suddenly, muscles were "in." EVERYBODY´S A 98 LB. WEAKLING ONCE Perhaps the most famous of all muscle promoters was a man named Angelo Siciliano, better known as Charles Atlas. Atlas marketed a mail order course which was a combination of isometrics, calisthenics and general health advice. It didn´t sell. Then Atlas tried a novel approach.

(With the help of promoter Charles Rodin and Dr. Frederick Tilney) He advertised in comic books and retitled the course "Dynamic Tension." It seemed as if he hit upon something. Before long, sales went through the roof! Atlas inadvertently discovered that even boys wanted to be more muscular. To many an insecure young man, Atlas´ promise of "getting a body women will desire and men will envy" struck a nerve. In many ways, Atlas´ course was selling hope. It worked. To this day, the Charles Atlas course sells into the millions each year. What´s especially interesting is that Atlas can also be considered the first "self help" guru! His course was filled with self empowering advice and affirmations. It extolled a basic philosophy of positive thinking. As antiquated as it may appear -- everything in the original Dynamic Tension course still holds up as sound advice. What also still rings true is Atlas´ motto: "Nobody picks on a strong man." CLASH OF THE TITANS The newfound interest in muscle which was sweeping the country prompted the physical culturist George Jowett to start what is considered the first bodybuilding magazine, STRENGTH.

Among Jowett´s students was a young man who had high aspirations, both as a strongman and a businessman. His name was Bob Hoffman. In 1932, Hoffman founded the York Barbell Club which became the home base of many of muscledom´s early practitioners, including John Grimek. He also started his own magazine; STRENGTH and HEALTH. Hoffman was highly instrumental in bringing Olympic weightlifting to the fore of the public´s consciousness throughout the 1930´s. Bodybuilding, on the other hand, held little appeal to Hoffman. He felt that muscles were a pleasant side effect to weightlifting but the pursuit of muscle alone was somewhat shallow. Another ambitious young man intent on beating Hoffman at his own game had different ideas. Joe Weider saw the appeal of muscle and he concluded correctly that it was the appearance of muscularity and its consequential sex appeal that inspired most men to work out. In 1938, with his life savings of seven dollars, Weider published a crude pamphlet with an emphasis on bodybuilding over weightlifting. He called it "Your Physique." That modest piece of literature launched an empire.

In ensuing years, Hoffman and Weider slugged it out in bitter rivalry--each vying for the bodybuilding community´s business with Weider always one step ahead. It´s doubtful either of them knew that the business of muscle building was about to get an unimaginable boost from the unlikeliest of places. It was around 1940 when a playground on a Santa Monica oceanfront was attracting hundreds, and eventually thousands of spectators each day. That small strip of land became known as Muscle Beach. THE RISE In many ways, Muscle Beach can be referred to as bodybuilding´s renaissance. The playground which had rings, a high bar and a platform was a natural attraction for young men looking to display their strength and athleticism. Before long, bodybuilders were migrating to the area to work out, debate training concepts and swap stories on the benefits of everything from goat´s milk and brewers yeast to the controversy surrounding "pressing while lying on a bench!" People from miles around would come to view all the beautiful bodies. But the inhabitants of Muscle Beach offered more than muscle. Juggling, tumbling, gymnastics, and odd lifts of strength were daily fare which provided free entertainment for the hoards of onlookers.

The level of acrobatic athleticism was astounding! Human pyramids and acts of impossible flexibility kept audiences mesmerized. Besides the showmanship and the fun, the performers wanted to eradicate the stigma that muscles were just "for show" and weight training wouldn´t cause one to become "muscle bound." They proved their point well. The Muscle Beach crowd advocated the weight training lifestyle as a testament to what the body is capable of accomplishing. THE FALL Along with the healthy bodies at Muscle Beach came healthy libidos. At a time when sexual mores were still very much puritanical, promiscuous behavior at the beach was rampant! People were discovering the sensuality of muscle. The playful spirit hit a stumbling block when the liberal behavior started getting out of hand. The sexual acts were getting more and more blatant. The then discreet gay community was openly letting their presence be known. Scantily clad women would brazenly parade in front of the podium where the bodybuilders were performing. The crowds were getting too large to contain. Things finally came to a head when a girl accused two of the beach bodybuilders of rape. Although all charges were dropped, the area residents were becoming embarrassed by the scandalous behavior and started complaining.

The latest tawdry allegations were the perfect opportunity for the local authorities to step in and close down Muscle Beach. MUSCLE FOR MR. AND MRS. EVERYONE One of the original Muscle Beach members was Jack LaLanne. Jack opened the first all purpose bodybuilding gym on the west coast. "People said I was crazy," recalls Jack. "But I proved them wrong." LaLanne designed many of the exercise machines himself and personally worked with each gym member. The gyms proved so successful that a fellow bodybuilder by the name of Vic Tanny decided to go national and open a chain of gyms across the country. He had the right idea but it was twenty years too soon. Vic´s lofty dream of profiting from bodybuilding proved to be a little too radical. The franchise went bankrupt less than two years after it opened. The novelty was wearing thin. People were enjoying the post war economic boom and getting back into the good life. The quest for bigger cars and homes replaced the desire for bigger muscles. It looked as if the fitness craze was finally over.

A NEW DAWN Just when it appeared as if bodybuilding was nothing more than a passing fad, a new Muscle Beach had sprung up just 15 miles down the road from its original location. Its inhabitants were bigger, stronger and more muscular than anyone before could ever have imagined. There was a new electricity in the air, and people flocked from all over the world to the small town of Venice to see and be a part of this young generation of giants who in comparison, dwarfed the musclemen of just a few years prior. It was the end of an era. And a new one was about to begin. By 1965, bodybuilding had gone "underground." The public had become bored with the ribald gaudiness of strong man acts and the pious blatherings of self-professed health enthusiasts. The political climate was changing. The Cold War was in full force and the fun loving scenarios of frolicking along the beach with glistening muscles seemed out of place with the stark political climate. The college educated younger generation valued higher thinking and social activism. Muscles were no longer in vogue.

In fact, bodybuilders were looked upon as quirky odd balls who were little more than fodder for many a hackneyed comedian´s night club act. The concept of building one´s body was dismissed by a large faction of the population who erroneously equated muscles with a lack of intellect. Nonetheless, there were those who realized the benefits of weight training and continued to do so. In southern California, not far from the original Muscle Beach, a cult of young men were taking the idea of muscle building to a new level. They incorporated a more analytical approach to training and nutrition. They upped the ante in terms of intensity and dedication to the pursuit of muscular development. To this new breed, muscles were no longer a means to an end, they were the end. There became an estrangement between the mainstream and the hardcore bodybuilder. This current herd of bodybuilders didn´t fit in. They were considered "freaks." And that suited them just fine. In the meantime, Joe Weider slanted his marketing to this modern day bodybuilder and all the young men who aspired to be like them. He hired the best built and best looking bodybuilders to endorse his products and presented the bodybuilder´s life as romantic and exciting.

According to Weider, muscles were the way to gain popularity and success! The approach wasn´t far from the very first promoters of bodybuilding. But its marketing was a lot more sophisticated. America was beginning a space program, so keeping in the spirit of the times, Weider claimed to use "Space Age Technology" wherever and whenever he could. The word science appeared abundantly through his magazines, MUSCLE BUILDER/POWER and MR. AMERICA. The Weider training system was deemed scientific. His supplements were scientifically formulated. He even added a special science wing to his operations. Men in lab coats were pictured in advertisements for his product line. An office door with a plaque that read "Research Clinic" was conspicuously featured in pictures of the Weider headquarters. Incidentally, that door led to a broom closet. A NEW PERSPECTIVE There were those who took the science of bodybuilding a little more seriously. Vince Gironda was gaining a reputation among a fringe society of progressive bodybuilders, as the real trainer of champions. Gironda, with nothing more than a high school education, can arguably be called the most intelligent and knowledgeable man in the history of bodybuilding.

Self taught in anatomy and kinesiology, Gironda, through insight, experimentation, observation and creativity, developed methods in training and nutrition that were not only innovative, they set the standard for bodybuilding protocol for the subsequent 40 years. In many cases, the theories he extolled are just now being fully understood. Vince´s students included Larry Scott, Mohamed Mackawy, Don Howorth and many of the day´s top celebrities. What Vince was to training, Rheo Blair was to nutrition. Blair was an eccentric young chemist who was the first man to experiment with different amino acid combinations. His goal was to fit the exact ratio of proteins present in human mother´s milk, which he believed to be the perfect food. Rheo Blair´s theories were regarded as quackery by many of the established medical factions, but in truth, Blair was way ahead of his time. Up until that time, protein supplements were made solely from cheap soy flour. Rheo used a blend of egg, whey, and milk solids. In short, Rheo Blair invented the modern protein supplement. MUSCLES IN THE MEDIA Bodybuilding popularity gained its second wind when a small independent foreign film was bought by Hollywood producer Joseph E.

Levine for release in the United States. Levine saw star quality in the man who played the title character. That man was Steve Reeves and the movie was "Hercules." Reeves was the personification of the ideal male. Not only was he incredibly handsome, he possessed a physique which, to this day, is considered by many to be as perfect as a male body can be. "Hercules" was a huge success and it spawned dozens of imitations. Before long, the "sword and sandal" epics which featured notable physique stars such as Reg Park, Lou Degni and Gordon Scott had run their course. Despite the short lived popularity of muscle movies, anyone who was obsessed with bodybuilding was still seen as an outsider. In 1973, the business of bodybuilding was losing ground. In an effort to circumvent the limitations of marketing to advanced bodybuilders, a former TV strongman by the name of Dan Lurie began selling 110 lb weight sets to department stores and supermarkets. This attracted a mostly fleeting audience of teenagers who would take up weightlifting as a curiosity and dismissed it shortly thereafter. Nevertheless, the scheme proved quite successful and Lurie was outselling his competition.

Both Hoffman and Weider´s sales were down. There couldn´t have been a worse time for another bodybuilding magazine to hit the market. Still, an ex-employee of Bob Hoffman took his ideals, his energy and his genuine love of bodybuilding and decided to put it all on the line by releasing his own publication. That man was Bob Kennedy and the publication was MuscleMag International. MuscleMag started as a modest monthly publication which continued to improve and thrive throughout the years. Today, it´s not only the most comprehensive magazine on the market, but it´s also the longest running bodybuilding magazine to date. (Weider´s magazine titles have changed throughout the years. Muscle Builder/Power was the forerunner to Muscle and Fitness.) Besides Weider, Bob Kennedy is the most successful muscle magazine publisher of all time. He´s also "one of the gang." He loves bodybuilding and still maintains his enthusiasm for new and interesting theories which will more effectively help people reach their bodybuilding goals. In fact, he is the inventor of the "Pre-Exhaust" principle of training which is a staple of many a successful bodybuilder´s routine.

What is also unique about Bob is that he is one of the most trusted and well liked personalities in the business. Bob Kennedy not only set a new standard in bodybuilding journalism, he proved that nice guys can finish first. THE TIMES, THEY ARE-A-CHANGIN´ In 1977, a documentary on bodybuilding hit the theaters. With virtually no backing for promotion, the film "Pumping Iron" went on to be a smashing success. It quickly became the highest grossing documentary to date due mostly to the charismatic performance of its star, Arnold Schwarzenegger. It´s fair to say that there´s bodybuilding before Arnold and there´s bodybuilding after Arnold. Pumping Iron launched a worldwide resurgence in the appeal of weight training and "Arnold Mania" had begun. Gyms memberships skyrocketed. At a time when movie producers declared "muscle movies" to be dead, Arnold Schwarzenegger single-handedly redefined movies, muscles and the public´s perception of the bodybuilder. A muscular body was now looked upon as a work of art. The garish novelty which a muscular man once represented was replaced by intellect and aesthetics. Muscle no longer connoted vanity and narcissism.

It symbolized discipline, focus, and self improvement. In other words, it perfectly matched the ideals of the time. Arnold´s fame crossed all boundaries. To the bodybuilding community, he exemplified the unobtainable goal. His massive size, along with outstanding symmetry, set a new standard. He also obliterated the misnomer of the bodybuilder as "all brawn and no brain." Arnold was sharp, witty and magnetic. He proved the American dream could indeed be a reality. Bodybuilding had found a new spokesman -- one who will, in all probability, never be equaled. DISCO AND D-BOL Concurrent with the renewed interest in bodybuilding came a heightened awareness of drug use. John Zeigler, a doctor who worked closely with the United States Olympic team, had discovered a way of manipulating the testosterone molecule, making it more anabolic and less androgenic and put it into a tablet form. He saw it as a tremendous tool in the advancement of physical improvement. He called it Dianabol. Unfortunately, Dianabol worked too well. The use, overuse and excessive abuse of steroids was changing the tides of bodybuilding once again.

The association with drug use was distancing the bodybuilder from the fitness enthusiast and bodybuilding was in danger of losing all the advancements it had made up until that point. The industry tried to "soften" its image. In the 1980´s, aerobics, yoga, and low fat recipes replaced much of grittier bodybuilding information. Everybody was an authority. Movie stars made exercise videos. Models wrote diet books. This trend proved to be both good and bad. Good, in the sense that it introduced many more people to the benefits of exercise. Bad, in the sense that much of the information wasn´t accurate. Through it all, it turned out that the bodybuilding lifestyle proved itself to be the most effective method for changing the shape of one´s body. WHAT GOES AROUND -- COMES AROUND In the ensuing years, weight training continued to gain popularity throughout the world. The once cult hobby is now recognized by leading medical authorities as the most effective method of controlling weight, staying healthy and living longer. To millions of people, it´s a way of life. Bodybuilding has gone through many changes. There have been innumerable men and women who´ve shaped it along the way.

It has also been a product of the changing tides, often dictated by ephemeral fashions -- for better and for worse. From the 1980´s to the 1990´s and into the new century, fads have come and gone. New theories, new apparatus and new magazines have made a splash -- then were gone as quickly as they appeared. But one thing has remained -- bodybuilding itself. The pursuit of a stronger, more muscular body remains because it´s an integral part of human nature. Just as muscle was admired by cultures long gone, it continues to captivate another generation and will continue to do so as long as people yearn to transform themselves into something greater. It doesn´t matter where you are in your bodybuilding journey, for as long as you have the desire to turn your body into the best it can be, you too are a part of bodybuilding´s great history -- a link in the long chain of devotees that started at the turn of one century and has led to the beginning of another. Bodybuilding´s past may not be common knowledge to a lot of people -- even bodybuilders. Nevertheless, its roots are deep and its had an impact on all of us...whether it´s realized or not.

Many great individuals have made it possible for today´s trainees to build their bodies into something that was considered inconceivable just a few short decades ago. We´ve reaped the rewards of their pioneering efforts. We owe a great debt to the men and women who refused to accept the negative connotations about bodybuilding which were flung their way and continued with what they believed in. It took a long time, but we made it. Today, if you´re a bodybuilder, you don´t have to explain yourself. Thanks to the understanding most people have about the benefits of weight training, your intentions are well understood -- and admired. Bodybuilding truly has a great heritage. Be proud of it. Charles Atlas the Bodybuilder - Bodybuilding Guide Charles Atlas the Bodybuilder video charles atlas Famous Bodybuilder Charles Atlas Charles Atlas , born Angelo Siciliano (October 30, 1892, Acri, Italy – December 23, 1972, Long Beach, New York), was the developer of a bodybuilding method and its associated exercise program that was best known for a landmark advertising campaign featuring Atlas's name and likeness; it has been described as one of the longest-lasting and most memorable ad campaigns of all time.

According to Atlas, he trained himself to develop his body from that of a "scrawny weakling", eventually becoming the most popular muscleman of his day. He took the name "Charles Atlas" after a friend told him he resembled the statue of Atlas on top of a hotel in Coney Island and legally changed his name in 1922. His company, Charles Atlas Ltd., was founded in 1929 and, as of 2010, continues to market a fitness program for the "97-pound weakling" [44 kg]. The company is now owned by Jeffrey C. Hogue. Born Angelo Siciliano in Acri, Calabria, Italy, in 1892, Angelino, as he was also called, moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1905, took the name Charles, and became a leather worker. He tried many forms of exercise initially, using weights, pulley-style resistance, and gymnastic-style calisthenics. Atlas claimed they did not build his body.

Atlas was inspired by other fitness and healthy nutrition advocates who preceded him; world-renowned strongman Eugen Sandow and Bernarr MacFadden (a major proponent of "Physical Culture"). As a youth, according to the story he always told, Siciliano had a bully kick sand into his face at a beach; at this time in his life, also according to the story, he weighed only 97 pounds (44 kg). Humiliated, the young Siciliano joined the YMCA and began to do numerous exercise routines, becoming obsessed with strength. According to several stories/claims while at the zoo and watching a lion stretch, he thought to himself, "Does this old gentleman have any barbells, any exercisers?...And it came over me....He's been pitting one muscle against another!" He concluded that lions and tigers became strong by pitting muscle against muscle. In 1921, Bernarr MacFadden, publisher of the magazine Physical Culture, dubbed Siciliano "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" in a contest held in Madison Square Garden He soon took the role of strongman in the Coney Island Circus Side Show.

In 1922, the now-30-year-old Siciliano officially changed his name to Charles Atlas, as it sounded much more American. He met Dr. Frederick Tilney, a British homeopathic physician and course writer who was employed as publisher Bernarr MacFadden's "ideas man." Atlas and Tilney met through MacFadden, who was using Atlas as a model for a short movie entitled "The Road to Health." Atlas wrote a fitness course and then asked Tilney to edit the course. Tilney agreed and Atlas went into business in 1922. Tilney himself had an extensive background in weight training. Watch a Video About Charles Atlas: FONDERIA USA - Charles Atlas Login CHARLES ATLAS Angelo Siciliano, better known as “Charles Atlas”, was an Italian-American bodybuilder and entrepreneur who is considered a founding father of modern-day body-building and fitness. Born in Acri , in the Calabria region, in 1892, ‘Angelino’ emigrated to the United States in 1904, at age 11, probably with his mother Teresa.

His father, Santo Siciliano, was a farmer and he came to the US six years before, in 1898, to join his brother Gennaro who lived in Fort William, Canada. Angelo grew up in Brooklyn, a skinny child who barely spoke English, teased and sometimes beaten by kids in his neighborhood, and by his uncle. As a young man, after he had sand kicked in his face by a bully lifeguard at Coney Island, he decided to change his life by improving his physique. During a visit to the Bronx Zoo he had an epiphany recalled in his biography "Yours in Perfect Manhood", by Charles Gaines and George Butler. Watching a lion stretch, Angelo thought, "Does this old gentleman have any barbells, any exercisers?...And it came over me....He's been pitting one muscle against another!" Using a system of isometric exercises, which he called "Dynamic Tension," he built up his body. His chest was an impressive 54¾ inches and his biceps measured 17 inches, measurements he maintained for the rest of his life. Friends said that he resembled a statue of Atlas and the name stuck. He legally changed his name to Charles Atlas.

His father went back to Italy and Atlas had to learn leatherwork to help his mother support the family, until he realized he could get better jobs as an artist's model and as a strongman on Coney Island where he tore telephone books in half and punched nails through blocks of wood with his bare hands. By the time Atlas was 25, he was posing as George Washington in Washington Square Park; as Civic Virtue in Queens Borough Hall; as Alexander Hamilton in Washington; as Dawn of Glory in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, and as Patriotism for the Elks' national headquarters in Chicago. He won a "Most Perfectly Developed Man" contest at Madison Square Garden in 1922. Atlas developed his own muscle-building mail order business through the use of advertisements in popular magazines. The ads were everywhere -- in comic books, in magazines, in practically every publication a young man may have liked. His company did so well that it emerged from the stock market crash of 1929 unscathed. In 1965 his wife, Margaret Cassano, died of cancer and he was so distraught he considered joining a monastery, but he kept going.

On December 23, 1972, Charles Atlas died in a Long Island hospital of a heart attack. He was 79 years old. He was selected by Forbes Magazine as one of the 20th Century's "Super Salesmen", and named one of the Most Influential People of the Twentieth Century by "Times Sunday Magazine." Charles Atlas - Wikidata Charles Atlas Cite this page This page was last modified on 28 August 2016, at 11:36. All structured data from the main and property namespace is available under the Creative Commons CC0 License ; text in the other namespaces is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. So You Want to Be a Muscle Man Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 8:34 AM, PST NEWS 2 out of 3 people found the following review useful: Clarence Ross Shines In This Short from United States 27 November 2010 Clancy Ross costars in this short.

He was the first truly massive body builder and beat Steve Reeves (who went on the play Hercules in several Italian movies) in the 1948 Mr. USA contest. I first met Clancy Ross in the summer of 1978 in-between semesters at California State University, Chico. I had gone to Chico State to box (as well as get a bachelor's degree) and realized after one year there that I did not want to continue boxing but needed something to take up the slack in the physical fitness department. I then ran into an old high school friend who was a body building instructor at Clancy Ross' Mr. America Club in Walnut Creek, CA. Arnold Schwarzenegger had come by for the grand opening a few months before. I've lifted weights to stay in shape ever since, achieving some impressive results at times, though not to the level of Clancy Ross. I remember Clancy saying that he had acted, mentioning "So You Want To Be A Muscle Man" and a commercial where he was shoveling coal into a furnace.

He said he also had an offer to play Tarzan but turned it down and for good reasons that out of respect for Clancy I do not think are appropriate to repeat suffice it to say as an on-line biography of him states "He did not like the prospects of the Hollywood lifestyle and returned to his roots in Oakland." Last Sunday, 32 years after I first met him I finally got to see Clancy in "So You Want To Be A Muscleman" after recently purchasing The (Complete) Joe McDoakes Collection on DVD. I watched it with one of his former employees, my old high school buddy mentioned above. We were both surprised at not only how good the Joe McDoakes short was but also what a laid back sense of humor Clancy had in this short and his surprisingly good acting. He was the highlight of the short. Clancy could have gone a lot further in Hollywood had he wanted to but as it was he opened several successful gyms bearing his name leading many to a lifetime of physical fitness, this author included. Was the above review useful to you?

2 out of 3 people found the following review useful: McDoakes Shows His Muscles So You Want to Be a Muscle Man (1949) *** (out of 4) Joe McDoakes (George O'Hanlon) gets tired of hearing his wife talk about how great their bodybuilding neighbor is so he decides to take a ten-week exercise program that will make him grow some muscles. As one would expect, this short takes a rather simple set-up and does some very funny things with it. I'm sure going into this film people are going to know what to expect and what type of laughs are going to follow but even though you know where the jokes is going you can't help but go ahead and laugh with it. This film has a lot of great jokes but one of the highlights is when Joe finally loses his cool and decides to pick a fight with the much larger neighbor. The pay-off to this sequence is extremely funny as is another scene where Joe tries to move a piano by himself. Clarence Ross was Mr. USA 1949 and he does a pretty good job in the role.

For most of the running time he's just flexing his muscles but he gets a few shots at comedy and actually delivers some laughs. O'Hanlon, as usual, is great and Phyllis Coates is in good form as Mrs. McDoakes. Was the above review useful to you? 0 out of 1 people found the following review useful: McDoakes meets Mr. America 6 December 2011 *** This review may contain spoilers *** IT IS THE DESIRE OF all red-blooded males (American or otherwise) of the world to build up their bodies with hard exercise, good dietary habits and clean living. The method has usually involved following the instructions of an outstanding physique exponent; such as the best known, CHARLES ATLAS & his "Dynamic Tension" method.* SO IT CAME to pass that our hero, Joe McDoakes, got the urge to build up his musculature via the progressive resistance method (Commonly called Weightlifting, or more properly, Weight Training). He sends for the lessons from Mail Order Exercise Guru, portrayed by Willard Waterman. JOE'S DESIRE TO build himself up is piqued by Alice's (Mrs.

McDoakes) obvious attention and reaction to their neighbor, Ellery. It is this man's mere presence in Bermuda shorts, bare chested and doing yard work that unleash an obviously sexual reaction to the neighbor in Joe's woman. This indication of a sort of natural selection oriented male rivalry leads Mr. McDoakes to invest his cash in a mail order correspondence muscle building program. BEING THE YEAR of 1949, there is no video instruction; but rather written text following along with verbal directions, recorded on phonograph records. The inspiration and step by step keys to a successful training regimen are meted out via the verbal method. THE ONE REELER takes every angle in making jokes by contrasting the relatively puny Joe to the bodybuilder, Ellery. The jokes, which were probably a little clichéd and "long in the tooth", even then they quite possibly went over a little better than they would today. The reason for this is that the Sport and Activity of Bodybuilding, using weights, spring cables, machines and related free hand exercises, is much better known now than it had been in those by gone days. Consequently, being much more familiar, the humor is less outlandish.

IN SUPPORT OF George O'Hanlon (as Joe), we have some talented and oft seen character actors in supporting roles. Veteran of many a movie of the '30's and so often a foil for the 3 Stooges in their long lived Columbia Shorts series, Fred Kelsey, appears as a delivery man. Television's first Lois Lane on THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, the beautiful,sexy and talented Phyllis Coates (woo, woo, woo, woo!), makes one of many appearances as Joe's spouse, Alice McDoakes. AS FOR THE role of "Ellery", the short states that it is introducing the AAU MR.America Title Holder of 1945 and the MR. USA (Professional) winner of 1949, Clarence "Clancy" Ross. This initial film appearance proved to be his Swan Song; for Mr. Ross' induction into filmdom was also his last appearance. He later returned to managing the circulation of the Oakland, California Newspaper and running his own Bodybuilding Gymnasium. Our rating = 2 1/2 Eightballs.

NOTE: * The sale of Physical Culture mail order courses date back to before the turn of the 19th to the 20th Century, to such instructors as Eugen Sandow (known as the "Father of Bodybuilding"), Wrestling Champion, Martin "Farmer" Burns and Sicilian immigrant, Angelo Siciliano-who was far better known by his professional name of "Charles Atlas". Although Atlas died in 1972, his course is still sold via the mails and over the internet! Was the above review useful to you?

Question: Bodybuilder Angelo Siciliano was better known by what name?
Answer: Charles Atlas