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Charles Atlas (October 30, 1892 – December 23, 1972), “self-made man”, trained himself to develop his body from that of a “scrawny weakling”, eventually becoming the most popular muscleman of his day. His company, Charles Atlas Ltd., was founded in 1929 and continues to this day marketing a fitness program for the “97-pound weakling”, it is now owned by Jeffrey C. Hogue. Image File history File links Information. ... Shortcut: WP:WIN Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia and, as a means to that end, also an online community. ... Shortcut: WP:CSD Current list: Category:Candidates for speedy deletion There are a few, limited, cases where admins can delete Wikipedia pages on sight. Non-admins can ask for an admin to delete such a page, either by listing it on speedy deletions, or by adding either a {{delete}} or... Charles Atlas is the name of: Charles Atlas, a bodybuilder originally named Angelo Siciliano Charles Atlas (filmmaker), a filmmaker and video artist (born 1949 [1] or 1958 [2] in St. ... is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “Exercise” redirects here. ... Professional Bodybuilder Gustavo Badell posing Bodybuilding is the process of maximizing muscle hypertrophy through the combination of weight training, sufficient caloric intake, and rest. ... Jeffrey C. Hogue is the current president of Charles Atlas, Inc. ...

History

Born Angelino Siciliano in Acri, in Calabria, Italy, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, at a young age. Initially a small, weak child, Siciliano worked hard to develop his physique, he tried many forms of exercise but none gave him the results he wanted. Atlas was inspired by other fitness and health advocates who preceded him. World renowned strongman Eugene Sandow and creator of “Physical Culture” Bernarr Macfadden set the stage for Atlas. Contemplating the strength of a tiger in a zoo, he then conceived the idea of “pitting one muscle against another”. This system was later dubbed “Dynamic-Tension” and turned him into a 180-pound man who was able to pull a 72 ton locomotive 112 feet along the tracks. He was given the nickname “Charles Atlas”, after the statue of Atlas on top of a hotel in Coney Island, New York which resembles the titan Atlas that held up the world. (He later filed for and received trademark status for the name.) He soon took the role of strongman in the Coney Island Circus Side Show. Location of Cosenza province in Italy Acri is town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of Italy Calabria · Communes of the province of Cosenza Categories: | ... Cliffside dwellings in Tropea. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... “NY” redirects here. ... Eugen Sandow Eugen Sandow, a pioneering bodybuilder of the Victorian era, was born Friederich Wilhelm Mueller in Königsberg, East Prussia on April 2, 1867 and died in 1925. ... Macfadden posing as David in 1905. ... For other uses, see Tiger (disambiguation). ... Giraffes in Sydneys Taronga Zoo A zoological garden, zoological park, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures and displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred. ... Dynamic Tension is the system of exercises popularized by Charles Atlas. ... In the 19th century, the term strongman refers to an exhibitor of strength (before strength sports were codified into weightlifting, powerlifting etc. ... For other uses, see Coney Island (disambiguation). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner as Violet and Daisy Hilton Side Show is a musical about Daisy and Violet Hilton, two Siamese Twins who make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930s. ...

Atlas began advertising his "Dynamic-Tension" program in comic books. Atlas’ "Dynamic-Tension" program consists of 12 lessons and one final perpetual lesson. His ad became iconic, presenting a scenario in which a boy is threatened on the beach by a sand-kicking bully while his date watches. Humiliated, he goes home and, after kicking a chair and gambling a ten cent stamp, subscribes to Atlas' "Dynamic-Tension" program. Later, the boy, now muscular, goes to the beach again and beats up the bully, becoming the “hero of the beach”. Girls marvel at how big his muscles are, and the ad states: “The insult that Made a Man out of Mac”. Bullying is the tormenting of others through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation. ...

The name "Dynamic-Tension" was coined by Mr. Charles P. Roman of Charles Atlas, Ltd. The Charles Atlas course "Dynamic-Tension" launched a major advertising campaigned aimed at young men between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five. His advertisements proclaimed the effectiveness of his program of turning "you into a new man." His most noticeable advertisement was the "Mac" advertisement in which Mac is transformed from a "scrawny boy" into Atlas' "muscular man." The "Mac" advertisement has been characterized as one of the single greatest advertisements of all time and launched Atlas into notoriety throughout the United States.

"As is true of all the exercises in Atlas's course, you can do these exercises almost anywhere." (Yours in Perfect Manhood, Gaines and Butler 1982)

Small Text== World's Most Perfectly Developed Man ==

Charles Atlas learned the exercises that were later called Dynamic Tension from Alois P. Swoboda's course ""Conscious Evolution" Atlas was later to say. "Everything that I know I learned from AP Swoboda."

After being bullied as a child Charles Atlas joined the YMCA and began to do numerous exercise routines. "He became obsessed with strength. One day he watched a tiger stretching in the zoo and asked himself "How does Mr. Tiger keep in physical condition? Did you ever see a tiger with a barbell?" He concluded that lions and tigers became strong by pitting muscle against muscle." (The 20th Century History With The Boring parts Left Out" D. Wallechinsky 1999)

In 1922, the publisher of the magazine Physical Culture dubbed him "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" in a contest held in Madison Square Garden. He was chosen by a cross-disciplined group of health and medical experts, educators, anthropologists, scientists and medical doctors who viewed Atlas as the "perfect male body" and placed his physical measurements on file for posterity. Atlas's physical measurements are buried in the Crypt of Civilization, a time capsule at Oglethorpe University. Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Contest may refer to: A contest, is an event in which two or more individuals or teams compete against each other, often for a prize or similar incentive. ... Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City, United States. ... Anthropology (from Greek: ἀνθρωπος, anthropos, human being; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the study of humanity. ... According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Crypt of Civilization is considered the first successful implementation of a time capsule. ... A time capsule is a historic cache of goods and/or information, usually intended as a method of communication with people in the future. ... Oglethorpe University is a private liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. ...

Likenesses

Charles Atlas's popularity grew throughout the 20th century. Atlas used his personal story as a marketing tool and had a strong following around the United States. His promises and personal anecdotes convinced the American people to follow his program. His " System of Health, Strength, and Physique Building" includes twelve lessons and one final "perpetual lesson". Each lesson is supplemented with photos of Atlas demonstrating the exercises. Beyond the physical aspect of his regiment his rhetoric and personal touch improved his likeness even more. He would add commentary that referred to the readers as his friends and gave them an open invitation to write him letters to update Atlas on their progress and stories. His products and lessons have sold millions and Atlas became the face of fitness.

Besides photographs, Atlas posed for many statues throughout his life, including, it has been said, the statue of George Washington in New York's Washington Square Park. Atlas was also an inspiration and a model for more recent body builders and fitness gurus including the current Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Atlas died of heart failure at age 80 after his daily jog on the beach. (It should be noted that his family had a history of heart attacks, so it was probably due to genetic inheritance.) At the time, people were still writing to him. George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Washington Square North. ...

Trademarks

Charles Atlas, Ltd owns the following trademarks: "Atlas; "Charles Atlas"; "Dynamic-Tension"; "Atlas Nutrition"; "Mr. Atlas"; "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man"; "97-pound weakling"; "Hero of the Beach"; and the cartoon strips "Insult that Made a Man Out of Mac" and "Hey Skinny!".

Pop culture references

• A&E Biography - Modern Day Hercules" - The biography of Charles Atlas and Charles Atlas, Ltd. The show can be ordered off Charles Atlas, Ltd. website.
• The song "Charles Atlas Song/I Can Make You a Man" from the rock and roll musical The Rocky Horror Show mentions Charles Atlas and his "Dynamic-Tension" course by name. The song also refers to a 98-pound weakling, a device that did not infringe Atlas' trademark on the phrase "97-pound weakling". The character of Frank N. Furter furthermore claims that Rocky Horror, another character who Frank created to be his new lover, "carries the Charles Atlas Seal of Approval".
• The song "I Can See For Miles" by The Who (on the album The Who Sell Out) is followed by a "commercial" for the Charles Atlas Course ("The Charles Atlas course with "Dynamic Tension" can turn you into a beast of a man.")
• The song "She's Your Lover Now (Just a Little Glass of Water)" by Bob Dylan, released on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3, refers to Charles Atlas in the line "Why must I fall into the sadness / Do I look like Charles Atlas?"
• The song "Mr Apollo" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band on the album Tadpoles parodies Charles Atlas' advertising, with lead-singer/writer Vivian Stanshall affecting a gruff butch voice. The song involves members of the band singing the praises of fictional body-builder Mr Apollo, while Stanshall alternately sings and offers no-nonsense motivational advice, such as "no tiresome exercises / no tricks / no unpleasant bending / wrestle poodles and win!"
• The song "Mr Superman" (Swingles II; lyrics by Tony Vincent Isaacs to the melody of Scott Joplin's 'Elite syncopations') whilst not referring to Charles Atlas directly, implies the connection. In the song, the 'hero', having done the course and having achieved nothing, thinks it's a fraud and becomes an expert in other fields and Mr Superman only in his daydreams. There are some poetic refences to "sand in the face".
• The Onion's compendium Our Dumb Century has a parody of the Charles Atlas "Hero of the Beach" cartoon advertisement woven into an article about US politician Adlai Stevenson confronting General William Westmoreland. Stevenson is described as having a 97-pound runt frame.
• In the Kurt Vonnegut novel Cat's Cradle, the religious leader Bokonon is a graduate of Charles Atlas' course.
• In the Futurama Season 2 episode "When Aliens Attack", Fry gets sand kicked in his face by a "professional beach bully" who asks for payment for his services after Fry has won the girl. Leela hits on him but he turns out to be gay.
• The song "Sand In My Face" by 10cc, on their debut album, is a detailed description of Atlas' legendary ads.
• The band A.F.I. have a song called "Charles Atlas" on their album "Very Proud Of Ya".
• The 1990 film Book of Love has Tom Platz playing a Charles Atlas-like character.
• Australian band The Fauves had a minor local hit with their song "The Charles Atlas Way".
• The song "Sunset Strip" by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters contains the line "I like riding in my Uncle's car, Down to the beach where the pretty girls all parade, And movie stars and paparazzi play the Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face game."
• In the Ren and Stimpy episode "Ren's Pecs", Ren seeks counsel from the bodybuilder "Charles Globe", who inspires him to get plastic surgery. Charles Globe, and the entire episode, are obvious spoofs of the story of Charles Atlas.
• In the 1966 postmodern Canadian novel Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen, Charles Atlas is parodied as "Charles Axis"
• In the DC Comics title Mystery in Space the main character, Comet, referring to an army of superpowered clones says "Physically those clones may make me looking like a 98-pound-weakling, but psychically I'm the Charles Atlas of this beach."
• An animated short on Monty Python's Flying Circus spoofed the Charles Atlas ad albiet with the bully using a cannon on the newly-muscular Mac character and getting the girl again in the end.
• In the DC Comics title Watchmen the character, Ozymandias (comics) advertises a workout regimen entitled the Veidt method. The advertisement appears on the back cover of comics featured within the graphic novel. The advertisement, which references the Atlas ads, promises to "Give You Bodies Beyond Your Wildest Imagination!"

Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... The Rocky Horror Show is a long running stage musical (opening in London initially, on June 19, 1973) that inspired the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ... The Rocky Horror Show is a long running stage musical (opening in London initially, on June 19, 1973) which inspired the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ... The Who are an English rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... Back cover The back cover of The Who Sell Out The Who Sell Out is The Whos third album, released in 1967. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... The Bootleg Series, Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991 is a compilation box set by Bob Dylan. ... The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (more often the Bonzo Dog Band or to fans simply the Bonzos) were the brainchild of a British art-school set of the 1960s. ... Tadpoles are a psychedelic rock band formed in 1990 in New York City by Todd Parker (guitars/vocals) and Michael Kite Audino (drums. ... Lifes like that sometimes, isnt it? — Stanshall prepares to sing The Sound of Music with the Bonzo Dog Band on Do Not Adjust Your Set. ... Scott Joplin (born between June 1867 – January 1868[1]; died April 1, 1917) was an American musician and composer of ragtime music. ... The Onion is a United States-based parody newspaper published weekly in print and daily online. ... Our Dumb Century is a satirical humor book written by the staff of The Onion and published by Three Rivers Press in 1999. ... This article is about Grover Clevelands Vice-President. ... William C. Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 – July 18, 2005) was an American General who commanded American military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak from 1964 to 1968 and who served as US Army Chief of Staff from 1968 to 1972. ... Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. ... For the string game, see Cats cradle. ... Bokononism is the fictional religion practiced by many of the characters in Kurt Vonneguts novel Cats Cradle. ... This article is about the television series. ... 10cc was a British pop band which achieved its greatest commercial success during the 1970s. ... AFI, in recent years short for A Fire Inside, is an American band from Ukiah, California. ... Book of Love is a 1990 film directed by Robert Shaye. ... Thomas Steven Platz The Golden Eagle born June 26, 1955 Bodybuilding accomplishments Tom Platz began his competitive bodybuilding carrer in the 1973 Mr. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their avant-garde progressive rock music. ... George Roger Waters (born September 6, 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, and composer. ... Ren and Stimpy are the eponymous characters of two cartoon television series created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi. ... Leonard Norman Cohen, CC (born September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Mystery in Space was a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics from 1951 to 1966, and later in 1980/81 (issues #111-117). ... Captain Comet (Adam Blake) is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino. ... This article is about the television series. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... For the 2009 film based on the comic book, see Watchmen (film). ... Ozymandias is a fictional character in the comic book series, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics. ...

External links

• http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Swoboda/swoboda.htm
• http://www.sandowplus.co.uk
• Charles Atlas at Find-A-Grave