What Is Tried & True?

Why Tried & True Fitness?

People often ask me why I think the “old-school” fitness and nutrition methods are better than the modern-day approaches.

Here’s my response:

Take a good look at the picture on the left.

That’s Charles Sipes, winner of the Mr. America contest in 1959.

You wouldn’t know it by looking at him, but Charles was actually underweight in high school and started weight training to build up his body for football.

It obviously worked.

At his peak, Charles weighed 220lbs of solid muscle. His arms measured 19-inches around. He could bench press over 500lbs, squat over 600lbs and curl over 250lbs.

Those numbers would be impressive today — but let’s remember that Sipes accomplished those feats over 50 years ago!

Before steroids, before creatine, before modern day muscle magazines, this skinny high-school kid transformed himself into a massively-muscled champion bodybuilder with superhuman strength as well.

And if you’re like me, you’ve got just one question: How?

Sipes isn’t the only guy who managed to build an incredible physique and record-setting levels of strength decades before the invention of steroids, supplements and over-priced exercise machines.

On this website, you’ll discover how these old-timers did it: How they trained, what they ate, and all the details you need to know so you can follow in their footsteps.

Because make no mistake:

You might never bench press 500lbs like Sipes did, but you can definitely build up your body, strip off body fat and gain strength. And you can do it naturally — like the old-time trainers did.

But there’s more to the old-time trainers than bulging biceps and quarter-ton bench presses. Unlike many of today’s modern bodybuilders, the old-timer trainers actually lived lives outside the gym.

Take Charles for example.

He didn’t get paid to train. He didn’t have any sponsorship deals or endorsement contracts. He was a blue-collar worker.

He had three daughters with his wife Mary and anyone with kids will tell you that finding time to train can be difficult. He played banjo and created exquisite oil paining masterpieces.

On top of all that, he volunteered his time every year for 20 years with the California Youth Authority. Charles would take groups of troubled teens into the woods for a month at a time. They would be forced to live off the land and learn to survive. All of these kids had been in jail before, but I’m told that 96% of these kids never returned to prison after spending a month in the wilderness with Charles.

Again, I can’t help but compare the feats of this man to today’s modern bodybuilder. Today’s modern bodybuilder cares only of himself. He avoids social interactions that he can’t control for fear of missing a meal. He never gives of himself, only takes from others. He has no meaningful relationships or any significant commitments that would compete with “gym time”.

You might think that perhaps I’m “glamorizing” the old-time trainers and demonizing today’s modern bodybuilders.

Fair enough. Let’s take a look at just a few of the ways that old-time trainers differ from modern bodybuilders and then you can decide for yourself how you would like to look and train.

The Difference Between Old-Time Trainers and Modern Bodybuilders:

A Case Study In Pictures

#1: The Old-Timers knew how to build a classic physique with classic proportions. Today’s modern bodybuilders sacrifice aesthetics for size.

The guy on the left is Steve Reeves. He is often held up as a model of perfect symmetry and for defining the way a man should look. Coincidently, his stats almost match perfectly with “The Greek Ideal”, a set of measurements that ancient Greeks would use when creating sculptures.

 

As for the modern bodybuilder on the right, I’m wondering if he can even see his toes.

#2: The Old-Timers possessed incredible strength and fitness. Today’s modern bodybuilders get winded walking up a flight of stairs.

Not only was Marvin Eder (left) incredibly strong, he was also incredibly fit. He’d run for miles in the mountains. Do you think the modern day bodybuilder pictured on the right will be running anywhere soon?

 

#3: The Old-Timers lived long, healthy lives. Many of Today’s modern bodybuilders die young.

Trevor Smith (picture left in silver shirt) died young at 33 years old. He built his body up over 400lbs at one point. He accomplished the goal of getting “huge” but he paid for it with his life.

 

Jack Lalanne (pictured on the right) never built his body to the size that Trevor Smith did. But at the time of this writing, Jack Lalanne is alive and well. Perhaps that’s an understatement. He’s 94 years old, works out for two hours a day and according to his wife — still has an active sex life.

#4: The Old-Timers built strength and muscle without drugs. Today’s modern bodybuilders rely on copious amounts of illegal steroids to get bigger.

Charles Sipes (left) built plenty of muscle with nothing more than hard work, heavy weights and good food.

Ronnie Coleman (right) built his body with hard work, heavy weights, good food… and buckets of illegal steroids.

#5: The Old-Timers built up their body with hard work and persistence. Some of today’s modern bodybuilders go under the knife to “buy” a better body.

Vince Gironda (left) and Dick Dubois (right) built strong and masculine pecs with hard work and heavy weights.

 

Below, you’ll see photos of a man (yes, that’s a man) who’s decided to try and take a short cut by getting “pec” implants.

#6: The Old-Timers continue to enjoy training later in life (and still look good too!) Many of today’s modern bodybuilders are forced to quit training in their older years.

Larry Scott as a young man, Larry Scott at age 64

 

These photos provide an interesting comparison. Larry Scott never achieved the sheer mass and volume that Arnold did (possibly because Arnold used heavier doses of steroids) but clearly he’s held up better throughout the years.

Arnold as a young man, Arnold at age 62

 

#7: Many Old-Timers found ways to build incredible physiques DESPITE being born with less than ideal genetics. Many of today’s modern bodybuilders were blessed with IDEAL genetics for building muscle. As a result, they don’t know what it takes for regular guys to build muscle.

At the beginning of this article, I told you that Charles Sipes began lifting weights because he was underweight for football. Many of the old-timers have similar stories about starting frail and weak and eventually building powerful physiques.

But many of the modern bodybuilders never know what it’s like to be skinny and weak. Because they were blessed with incredible strength and muscle right from birth.

Case in point: Modern bodybuilder Jay Cutler once said in an interview: “The first time I ever worked out I bench pressed 315 pounds. I was 16 and had never lifted weights before.”

Most “regular guys” will have to train for years to be able to bench press 315lbs. So it’s unlikely that modern bodybuilders can understand what it takes for the average Joe to build strength and add muscle.

#8: The Old-Timers understood that it takes time to build an incredible physique and they patiently built up their body over the years. Many modern day bodybuilders seek the quick fix.

Mike Dayton (left) built his incredible arms over many years of hard training. (He could actually do 100 one-armed chin-ups.)

 

The clown on the right decided to take a shortcut and inject massive amounts of illegal steroids directly into his biceps.

#9: The Old-Timers were humble and respectful. Many of today’s modern bodybuilders act like total douchebags.

The guy in the picture on the left is Maurice Jones, one of the strongest and most muscular men of his era. Yet, it’s nearly impossible to find pictures of him flexing or showing off his physique.

 

Why? Well famous fitness author John McCallum put it best:

“… You might see a broad and bulky gentlemen who is perhaps the best built, probably the best conditioned, and certainly the most modest man of all time. His name is Maurice Jones. He stands about 5′8, varies his weight at will between 205 and 235, and packs more pure muscle than any six people you’ll ever meet.

Maury, as he’s called, is a truly modest man. Getting his shirt off is like pulling teeth. Getting him in front of a camera is tougher than getting your old lady in front of a firing squad.”

- John McCullum, The Keys To Progress

Now compare the modesty of Maury Jones with the douchebags of today who can’t even keep their shirts on in a dance club.

#10: The Old-Timers made training a PART of their lives. Many of today’s modern bodybuilders make bodybuilding their ENTIRE life.

Charles Sipes worked full time, volunteered on camping trips with troubled youths, enjoyed artistic pursuits and still found time for training. Back then, the old-timers used training to enhance their lives. They did make training the cornerstone of their lives.

Compare that with modern bodybuilder Jay Cutler. He eats 12 - 14 meals per day and once gave an interview stating that he couldn’t even ride his motorcycle anymore. It just wasn’t worth going out for a cruise because he had to pack so many meals to take with him.

And despite all that, despite throwing away thousands of dollars on steroids and bogus supplements, many of today’s modern bodybuilders will never be as strong or look as good as Charles Sipes.

Note: This article appears in my book, The Tried & True Fitness Guide To Muscle & Might. To get the book, go here.