Is there anyone out there who can remember the ‘Charles Atlas’ body building courses of the 30’s and 40’s?
It was a body building course that needed no equipment except perhaps a chair or two. A man from Italy named Angelo Siciliano started using this system in the 1920’s and changed his name to Charles Atlas in 1922. He actually formed the company in 1929. I was 12 when I sent off for it around 1944. it think it cost 25.00 and I paid it in 3 different payments. (I could be wrong about the price). The reason I did is because there was a older kid up the street that sent off for it about 6 months before and it really did work for him. It didn’t make big bulging muscles but just bigger smoother arms and legs and stomach abs. It was a regimen called ‘Dynamic Tension’. You can look it up online but it really worked. I did see a difference myself after a few weeks.
One exercise was putting a chair on each side of you and putting one hand on each chair and doing push-ups just like on the floor except using the chairs. Another was putting your arms out in front of you with one fist on top of the other. Then pretend you were climbing a rope but exerting by pushing down the bottom fist with the one on top. Alternate the left fist with the right fist every other pull. Picture yourself actually pulling yourself up a rope. Another was pushing your fists together in front of you really hard. If you try it you can see feel all the muscles you are using. I know it sounds weird trying to explain it but it really had effects. Think ‘Dynamic Tension’ and you will get it. Another part of the course, which sounds weird also, was to do this while in front of a mirror with no shirt. You can actually see your muscles being used which has a positive mental effect. I went online and found that it is still in business under ‘Charles Atlas Bodybuilding’. It did work but like anything, it takes perseverance.
One exercise was putting a chair on each side of you and putting one hand on each chair and doing push-ups just like on the floor except using the chairs. Another was putting your arms out in front of you with one fist on top of the other. Then pretend you were climbing a rope but exerting by pushing down the bottom fist with the one on top. Alternate the left fist with the right fist every other pull. Picture yourself actually pulling yourself up a rope. Another was pushing your fists together in front of you really hard. If you try it you can see feel all the muscles you are using. I know it sounds weird trying to explain it but it really had effects. Think ‘Dynamic Tension’ and you will get it. Another part of the course, which sounds weird also, was to do this while in front of a mirror with no shirt. You can actually see your muscles being used which has a positive mental effect. I went online and found that it is still in business under ‘Charles Atlas Bodybuilding’. It did work but like anything, it takes perseverance.
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