
In this section you will find reproductions of books and articles relating to the development of Bodybuilding from the early, pre Sandow, days right through to the middle of the 20th Century. Books in this section will generally be more broad based in their content although they may contain some exercise material.
Books and courses relating more specifically to strength development, bodybuilding and muscle control can be found in the Golden Age of Iron Men section on this site.
All material relating to Eugen Sandow, including books written by him are to be found in the Sandow section.
Books and courses relating to Maxalding, Maxick and Monte Saldo, including Maxick's famous 'Muscle Control' are to be found on the Maxalding website.
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The Lifting Cure
Mechanical Action for Physical Culture & The Cure of Disease
by David P. Butler
1868
PDF only  |

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How to Get Strong
and
How to Stay So
William Blaikie
New York 1879
Contributed by Gordon Anderson
Download here  |
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Professor Dowd's Original Health Exerciser (1878)
The first man to produce a bodybuilding exerciser in
America and his 3 year training experiment from 1878 to 1881
Contributed by Tony Holland |
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A Natural Method of Physical Training
Edwin Checkley
1894
Classic early handbook first published in 1890
Currently under construction |
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The Science & Art
of Physical Development
with Hints on the
Sandow System
W.R. Pope
London 1902
Contributed by
Gordon Anderson |
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Muscles of the Body
Published around 1947
by Link House - UK
Contributed by
John Digby
Download here  |
| There is much more material waiting to go into this section - please check back regularly |
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