September29,2011AMan'sLife,LessonsInManliness

LessonsinManlinessfromCharlesAtlas

CharlesAtlas,LTDLetMeProvein7DaysThatICanMakeYouaNewMan!TheInsultThatMadeaManOutofMacHey,Skinny!YerRibsAreShowing!Itsanadthemajorityofreadersouttherecaneasilyconjureupintheirheads.Acartoonofaskinny,97-poundweaklingwhogetssandkickedinhisfacebyabeefcake,usesthemomentasinspirationtobuildhisbody,andcomesbacktothebeachtogivethebullyhisbelatedcomeuppance.Thenameassociatedwiththatimageisjustasfamiliarastheaditself:CharlesAtlas.Thatthesetwoimagesgohand-in-handmayhaveledyoutoseeAtlasthemanasacartoonishcaricature,ortoviewhiminthelightofthethousandsofsometimesshadymodern-dayfitnesshucksterswhohavetakenAtlasoldmail-orderbusinessmodelandrampeditupfortheonlineage.ButAtlaswasthattruerarity,amanequaltothemarketinghypetherealdeal.Hewasascrawnyimmigrantkidwhotransformedhisbodyandlaunchedafitnessrevolutionbycreatinga12-lessonexercisecoursethatwastranslatedintosevenlanguagesandadoptedbymillionsaroundtheworld,includingKingGeorgeVI,JoeDiMaggio,andRockyMarciano.EvenMahatmaGandhiwrotetoinquireabouttheprogramnokidding!Themail-orderbusinessAtlasstartedhasnowbeenaroundfor82years(althoughitscurrentlyrunbyothers

Atlasdiedin1972),andthousandscontinuetolooktohisprogramforawaytogetinshape.ForthemenwholostconfidenceinthemselvesduringtheGreatDepression,CharlesAtlaswasasourceofhopeandinspiration.Todayheremainsasymbolofvirilestrengthandvitality,andhislifeoffersusseverallessonsinmanliness.

CharlesAtlas,LTD

LessonsinManlinessfromCharlesAtlasTurnyourweaknessesintostrengths.CharlesAtlaswasbornAngeloSicilianoinAcri,Italyin1893.Whenhewasten,hisfamily

immigratedtoAmerica,andhelandedonEllisIslandnotspeakingawordofEnglish.LittleAngelosworeheddogreatthings,buthisprospectsdidntlooktoopromising.Hewasaskinny,sickly,slope-shoulderedboyeasypickingsforthebulliesinhistoughBrooklynneighborhood.CominghomeoneHalloweennight,abullybeathimwithabagofashes,knockinghimoutforanhour.Itseemedlikehewasbeatingthebrainsoutofme,Atlasrecalled.Whenhecameto,Atlaslumberedhome,crawledintobed,andsaidaprayer,tellingGodhedneverletanothermanbeathim.

YoungAngeloSiciliano:Areallife97-poundweakling.CharlesAtlas,LTDButthepummelingscontinued.Atage15,Atlasreallywasa97-poundweakling,andsaidhereallydidgetsandkickedinhisfacebyabeefylifeguardinfrontofagood-lookinggal.Whenheturned17,Atlasfinallyreachedhisbreakingpointandmadeithisgoaltochangehisbodysothathecouldfinallystandupforhimself.Heexperimentedwithdifferentexercisesanddevelopedhisownfitnessroutine,andwhenheemergedonthebeachaftermonthsoftraining,hisfriendswereastonishedathistransformation.YoulooklikethatstatueofAtlasontopoftheAtlasHotel!oneexclaimed.(Whenhelaterlegallychangedhisname,hepairedthatheroicmonikerwithCharlie,achildhoodnickname.)

CharlesAtlas,LTDFromanauspiciousstart,AtlasbuilthisbodyintoamanswhosemeasurementswouldbeburiedaspartoftheCryptofCivilizationatOglethorpeUniversity,whichwontbeopeneduntil8113.Heturnedhismosthated-weaknessintohismostfamousstrength.

Beopentoinspiration.HowdidAtlasgofromascrawnykidtowhatonescientistcalled,theabsolutemasculineideal?Frominspirationhereceivedatamuseumandazoo,respectively.WhileonaschoolfieldtriptotheBrooklynMuseum,AtlasgazedwithwonderatthestatuesofGreekgods,focusingparticularlyonthemuscularphysiqueofHercules.Heaskedhisteacherhowhecouldbuildasimilarbody,andhesuggestedthattheyoungmantryliftingweights.SoAtlasbeganadiligentexerciseprogram.Hecouldntaffordtobuyweights,sohejury-riggedsometogetherathomeandusedthemeverymorning.Butaftermonthsoftraining,hewasntatallsatisfiedwiththeresultshisbodywasstillleanandlanky.YoungAtlaswonderedhowtoproceed.TheanswercameashewaswalkingthroughtheBronxZooaplacehewouldoftengotothink.Ashestoppedtoadmirethelionexhibit,hesawthatjunglebeaststretch,andobservedthewayinwhichitsmusclesranaroundlikerabbitsunderarug.Thatswhenhislightbulbwentoff:Thelionwasstrongbuthadneverusedabarbelloranyexerciseequipment.Hesbeenpittingonemuscleagainsteachother!Atlasthought.Atlaswenthome,decidingtotrysomethingdifferentworkingoutliketheliondid.Hediscardedhisweightsanddevelopedanewexerciseprogramforhimselfthisonebasedonisometricexercises.Pushingonearmagainsttheother,push-ups,sit-ups,squats,leglifts,andsoon.

Atlasbusinesspartner,CharlesRoman,saidthatAtlascontinuedtoobserveanimalshiswholelife,alwaysonthelookoutforabitofinspirationonhowhemightimprovehisfitnessregimen.

Carveoutyourownpath.Manymenthesedaysareconstantlylookingtootherpeopletogivethemaplanforeveryaspectoftheirlives,butsometimesthebestplanistheoneyoucreateyourself!

Intheearly20thcentury,theuseofweightsandbarbellswasjustcatchingon,andbodybuildingwasafringemovementstrongmenwerecuriositieswhoperformedatcarnivalsideshows.ThatswhereAtlassawthemostfamousoftheoldtimestrongmenEugenSandow.AtlasusedSandowasinspirationandtriedliftingweightslikehishero.Healsoexperimentedwithpulleys,calisthenics,andotherexerciseprogramsthatwerepopularatthetime.

Whenyou'reasmanlyasCharlesAtlas,youcanwearleopard-printbriefstoo.CharlesAtlas,LTDWhenthesemethodsdidnotyieldtheresultshewaslookingfor,Atlasstoppedtryingtheestablishedregimens,andcreatedoneofhisown.Whileisometricexerciseshadbeenaroundforthousandsofyearsaspartofdisciplineslikeyoga,andwerepopularamongprofessionalstrongmen,itwasarelativelyunknownapproachtomostAmericans.Atlasself-reliantlyexperimentedwithandputtogetherhisownexerciseroutine.Andhewasabletoputthesetime-honoredexercisesintoaprogramthatcouldbefollowedbytheaveragejoe.Hecameupwithawaytomakefitnesstrulyaccessiblehiscoursewassopopularbecauseitrequirednoequipmentwhatsoeverandcouldbeperformedbyanyoneintheirownhome.Atlaswentagainstthegrain,andinsodoing,notonlyfoundsuccesshimself,butlaunchedawholeculturalmovement.

Alwaysseizeanopportunityespeciallywhenitstoworkforyourself.Havingaskillortalentdoesntautomaticallytranslateintosuccess.Afterbuildinguphisbody,Atlaslifedidntimmediatelychange.Hecontinuedtoworkasaleatherworker,beforequittingtotakeajobasajanitorandasideshowstrongmanatConeyIsland.Hewouldlieonabedofnailswhileanaudiencememberstoodonhisstomach,riptelephonebooksinhalf,andbendironbarsintoUs.Butthesekindsofstuntswerecommononthestrongmancircuit,andAtlasmighthavelaboredinobscurityforeverhadhenotbeennoticedbyanartistin1916.Thecommissioningofpublicstatueswasontheupswing,butartistswerehavingtroublefindingworthymodelstoposefortheirsculptures.WhentheartistspiedAtlasonedayonthebeach,heaskedhimtocomebacktothestudiotoposeforhim.Atlaswasunsureaboutdoingit,butdecidedtoseehowtheopportunityplayedout.Otherartistsheardaboutthemanwiththeincrediblywell-proportionedbody,andsoonAtlaswasingreatdemand,runningfromonestudiotoanother,andcollecting$100aweek.

CharlesAtlaswasthemodelfor75statuesthatcanbeseenallaroundthecountry.ButmodelingdidnotsatisfyAtlasgreatrestlessnessandambition.In1921,hesubmitteda

picturetotheWorldsMostBeautifulMan,photocontestwhichwassponsoredbythefounderofPhysicalCultureMagazine,BernarrMacFadden,andheeasilywonthe$1,000prize.Ayearlater,hewonMacFaddensWorldsMostDevelopedMancontest,beatingout775meninashowdownstagedpubliclyatMadisonSquareGarden.Thistime,theprizewaseither$1,000orascreentestforthestarringroleinanewTarzanfilm.Atlastookthemoney.HedidntwanthisfuturetobeatthemercyofHollywoodexecs;hewantedtostartownbusinessandbeinchargeofhisowndestiny.Awisechoiceafterall,whoremembersthenameoftheactorwhostarredinTheAdventuresofTarzan?

Behumbleenoughtoadmitwhenyoureinoveryourhead.Atlasinvestedhis$1,000insellinghisfitnesscoursebymail.Inthefirsttwoyearsofbusiness,severalthousandorderswereplaced,allowingAtlastoopenhisowngyminNewYorkCity.Butintryingtorunthetwobusinessesatonce,bothofthemfloundered.Atlasrealizedheneededtofocusonjustonethingpromotinghisexercisecourseandthathecouldntdoitalone.

CharlesAtlas,LTDIn1928,hisadvertisingagencyhired21-year-oldCharlesRomantohelpcreatebetteradcopy.RomancameupwiththeideaofgivingAtlasisometricexercisesasnappiernameDynamic-Tensionandformulatedthenow-famous97-lbweaklingadsandtheirmemorableheadlines.AtlascouldseethatRomanwasamarketinggenius,andheofferedhimhalfofhiscompany,ontheconditionthatRomanrunit.Theadmanagreed,andtherestishistory.RomancreatedirresistibleadcopyandbookedAtlaspromotionalgigs;Atlasshowedupwithhismusclesandcharisma.Thetwowereamatchmadeinheaven.

Practicewhatyoupreach.

AnenormouspartoftheappealofCharlesAtlaswasthathedidntjustsellhisprinciples,helivedthem.Liveclean,thinkclean,anddontgotoburlesqueshows,Atlaswasfondofsaying.Livingthecleanlifemeantnotonlyexercisingregularly,butkeepingyourroomtidy,gettingfreshair,eatinghealthyfood,andavoidingtobaccoandalcohol.Atlashimselfdidntsmokeordrink,andontherareoccasionsomeoneconvincedhimtocomeouttoanightclub,hedspendtheeveningsippingaglassofmilkandtryingtoconvinceotherpatronstoswaptheirbeerfororangejuice.Unsurprisingly,heheldNewYearsEvecelebrationsthatprovidedcarrotjuiceinsteadofchampagne.HewasalsoatirelesspromoteroftheBoyScouts.Anddespitebecomingamulti-millionaire,Atlaslivedmodestly;onlysplurgingwhenitcametohisbelovedwhitedouble-breastedsuits.

CharlesAtlas,LTDAtlaslifewasremarkablyscandal-free,andhisonlybrushwithcontroversy,farfrominjuringhisreputation,actuallyimprovedit.BobHoffman,whoownedtheYorkBarbellCompany,suedAtlas,claimingthatyoucouldntgetanAtlas-likephysiquewithjustisometricexercises(whichhecalledDynamic-Hooey)orseeachangeinyourbodyafterjust7days,andthatAtlaswasafake.ButtheresultingFederalTradeCommissioninvestigationfoundnoevidenceoffalseadvertisingorunfairtradingpractices,forcingHoffmantodrophisattacks.

Atlaswasalsoincrediblydevotedtohisfamilyandhiswife.Whenshepassedawayin1965aftertheir47yearsofmarriagetogether,Atlasgriefanddepressionweresoprofoundheconsideredjoiningamonastery.Buthisparishpriestconvincedhimtoreconsider,tellingAtlashislifesmissionliednotinthecloistersbutincontinuingtoinspireyoungpeople.

CharlesAtlas,LTDTheFatherwasnotflatteringthestrongman.Atthepeakofhispopularityinthe30sand40s,Atlasreceivedsomuchfanmailthatherequiredateamofnearly30womentoopenandsortit.Theletters,oftenwrittenbyyoungmen,camefromallovertheworldandexpressedsincereappreciationtoAtlasforchangingtheirlives.Despitehowlargehiscompanygotandupuntilhis60s,Atlasalwayswentintohisofficeintheafternoonstoanswersomeoftheletterspersonally,andsignallofthereplieshimself.Hewouldalsositandtalkwithfanswhocamebylookingforadvice.Ashegrewolder,berefusedtolethimselfgo,becauseheknewyoungpeoplelookeduptohim,andhedidntwanttobeahypocriteandabadexample.Sohekeptuphismorningexerciseroutine50kneebends,100sit-ups,and300push-upsandatage75,hismeasurementswerealmostidenticaltohismeasurementsatage30.HespentthelasttwoyearsofhislifereadinghisBibleandrunningonthebeach,anddiedatage79in1972.Sources:A&EBiographyModernDayHerculesCharlesAtlas:MuscleManbyJonathanBlack

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