WHO IS Earle Liederman?
Dear Friend,"If you had a tiny wart on your nose, you would worry yourself sick -- You would pay any price to get rid of it ...." was a quote from an advertisement for Earle Liederman's "Muscle Building Course", it begged you to "wake up and, come to your senses, as everyone despises the weakling!"
Earle E. Liederman |
Big deal you may asking yourself. But Earle Liederman authored perhaps the most
successful mail-order bodybuilding course ever, and set the bar high
for those who would follow after him. He is
undoubtedly one of the most influential names in the Iron Game, and a
pioneer of exercise and fitness. He
carved an immortal name for himself as a strength athlete and mail
order instructor. He was originally inspired by Eugen Sandow,
and he claimed many famous pupils including no less than the Great
"Charles Atlas", and George Jowett, among many others.
The Story BeginsThe New-York born son of poor Swedish immigrants, and although his early life was directed toward profession of Doctor of Medicine. He Did not pursue this path. Instead he Earned a Degree in Physical Education, and turned to being a Director of the New York board of Education.After trying his hand at Both Wrestling and Boxing he was finally discovered in 1910, by a Talent scout for a Vaudeville group. He began an eight year stint as a strongman, demonstrating his skills in, hand balancing, acrobatics lifting, and physique display. |
Wanting to take his message to a larger audience Earle put the exercises and ideas that he had used to develop himself in print, and designed a home study course which was updated several times over the years. It was an almost instant hit, pretty much like everything that happened when Earle put his pen to paper.
King of the Muscle Men
This wildly successful set of instructions, promoted the use of Body-weight exercises, isometrics, and combined them with the use of resistance cables and the chest-expander, (which by the way, is how some of the strongest individuals in the world have used to get strong, build endurance, and stay that way... Does the name the "Mighty Atom" ring a Bell?). The course also promoted the development of success in both business and social life.However he didn't stop there, his course went further on into advanced lessons which cover such tricks as one-arm chin, bending steel, diet and nutrition, and finally the instructions for training with a Bar-bell (try to find those anywhere, they are rarer than a rocking-horse shit). He went on to write some of the earliest books on body-building, and other such subjects including "Secrets of strength", "The Gateway to Health", "Endurance", and even (gosh, shocking!!!) Sexual practices and guidelines. Along with the content of his Course, his words are still as relevant today as it was back then, -- getting strong, building endurance, and gaining muscle is still the same process as it was back then, although without a lot of the introduced complexity and confusion that has been injected over the years. In the light of this his writing's seem like a breath of fresh-air.
The business went south, with the stock market crash of the late 20's, and along with it went pretty much everything else including his wife (a former Miss Alaska). However, it was still being sold on a much smaller scale , for many years later, in the back of various Muscle-Mags and related publications, for which he was a contributing author, albeit on a much smaller scale. His words were written in a style that excited, amused and inspired all at the same time.
The Weider Years
After moving to California in the 1940's, Earle became the Editor for Joe Weider's "Muscle Power", For almost 15 years, he was on fire, with his wit and style of writing, injecting his enthusiasm for Exercise and the Iron Game into Weider's Publications. He paved the way for Weidies publications to be the dominating force of the muscle-comic industry that it is today.After a split with Weider on personal grounds, Earle turned to writing articles for the major competitor of the Day - York's "Strength & Health". What I like most of all about Liederman's stuff is that he tends to be lot less long-winded than most of his contemporaries.
California - The Capitol of the World
Liederman may have just been one of the greatest inspirations for the west-coast body-building scene, and a helping hand in treading a path to California, that many others would follow. He literally attracted hundreds of bodybuilders to California with alluring descriptions of the Golden State, and Muscle Beach, in his writings.The sun finally set for Liederman when he was into his late 80s, his life was suddenly cut short after being involved in a tragic car accident. Apparently he was in the best of health, sound of mind, and still writing books into the sunset years of his life.
Take a good look around the website, and Learn more about what Earle Liederman taught in his books and courses.
Yours in real health and natural power,
Dr. Jon Coleman (PhD)
PS. Earle Liederman, knew what he was talking about, and "walked the walk". His wisdom is well preserved here on this site today, ready and available for your consumption.
About us
Funny thing about Dr. Coleman, is that he's pretty impressive. Most people naturally assumed he was born and bred in some fancy lad prep school in London, he was actually raised in the rough streets of Steel-town in the North of England.
Coleman has studied and taught many different methods of energy cultivation from various exponents of the martial arts, and yoga and meditation and has an inherent understanding of these esoteric methods and techniques. Jon is also fitness fanatic, and an expert in health, with a keen sense of history, and a belief in functional strength.
Other than that he is a PhD in physics, a researcher, he's at the top of his game. He made his smarts the old-fashioned way - he earned them. Although having failed many times, he never quit. How many people would throw in the towel after their first defeat, even if it meant throwing away a dream? I'd say 99.99% of the population. It takes someone special to fight for their passion regardless of how difficult it is. This is what persistence and belief in yourself can get you.
Turn Yourself into a PRODIGY
of Physical Strength
and Rugged Health