The Development of Physical Power

by Arthur Saxon

"I would say that, above all, I look for strength and power in a man, especially an athlete, quite regardless of muscular development. The fact that a man may have full physical development, but disproportionate power and energy has been proven to me so many times, that, in my book, I propose to aim at and instill the value of genuine power, without any attempt to obtain large increase in the dimensions of the different muscles. This means that I look upon as almost worthless the taking of different measurements for purposes of comparison from time to time, as is generally done by young men who train on the different systems which are now before the public. I shall teach you to judge a man by his capabilities as an athlete, whether a weight-lifter, wrestler or not, and not by the measurement of his biceps or chest. In the course of my travels I have met quite a number of physical culturists who have come to me to show their development, and whilst it must be admitted it has been splendid to look upon, yet it has also been evident to me that a number of such men have injured their health in an endeavour to squeeze the last fraction of an inch from out of their muscular development. My idea will be, and always has been, to leave the muscles to look after themselves, but I place a premium upon the possession of untiring energy, great staminal and vital power, and a sound constitution. That I myself possess such, I think my past records will show. Whether I can give you, dear reader, a percentage of my own strength and stamina, time will show, but I can at least place before you a method of training, simple though it be, which has brought me to the pinnacle of fame in the weight- lifting world. It is rather a new role to find myself a teacher, but I will do my best, taking it for granted that the persons likely to buy my book are already possessed of average strength, that they have no particular weaknesses or defects, and that strength and power is the aim, and not useless and artificially- swollen muscles, developed with the mistaken idea of gratifying the somewhat vain desire for personal glorification. I will not delude my readers with the idea, as many do, that anyone can be an abnormally strong man, nor with the statement that I commenced as an invalid and gradually worked up to my present strength. No ! I have always been strong, and I can only guess what it feels like to be weak. My strength is still growing and I glory in it. My methods may be simple, they may even be crude, and if they should not appeal to you, then I can only hope that the photos and other illustrations and matter describing my life and adventures will recompense you as items of interest for your outlay on this, my first book". - ARTHUR SAXON This is an original version, restored and re-formatted edition of Saxon's 1906 classic. Visit our website and see our many books at PhysicalCultureBooks.com

Genres: Fitness

108 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 55

Reviews

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's neat in that you get to see how the world's first great strongman trained (and ate!). And while Saxon's philosophy is certainly better than today's Roid Monkeys and Planet Fitness, some things certainly can't be done today that he did.

The best way to summarize his approach is that he sees weight lifting as "practicing" rather than "exercising." We practice our ability to lift heavy weights in strange ways on a regular basis. The result is that our body can do amazing (and yet real-world applicable) things.

The science of weight lifting equipment today, while much of it is useless, has made improvements. Even the simple kettlebell is technologically superior to many of Saxon's weights.

Diet:

Some of Saxon's eating habits, originating from old-world Germany, shouldn't be attempted today, yet the principle behind it is sound: don't worry about the small things that go into your system, macros, carbs, glutens, etc. If you are reasonably fit and have a brutal workout regimen, you can probably eat wholesome, down-home foods (eggs, butter, whole milk, stout beer) within reason and come away healthier.

Conclusion:

You can't simply "train the way Arthur Saxon did." He was a circus performer and that was his job. His basic lifts, supplemented with some modern technology, plus a form of his diet ,will benefit you.

And the book isn't worth the $11. Get it from a library.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read. It's interesting to get a glimpse into what strength and conditioning was like back in the 19th century. His explanations of the older lifts are great and the stories and news article about him are very interesting. A strongman indeed if there ever was. Quick read.