Book · 2010 · Biography & Autobiography
Mr. America
How Muscular Millionaire Bernarr Macfadden Transformed the Nation Through Sex, Salad, and the Ultimate Starvation Diet
- mentions
- 5
- person
- 1
- podcast
- 1
- episodes
- 2
- recommendations
- 0
Next from the book Mr. America. Perhaps inspired by the life-changing pamphlet of dumbbell exercises he'd received on his first visit to the Missouri Gymnasium, he published a four-page brochure describing how to use the McFaten exerciser.
Why people recommend it
Mr. America by Mark Adams is a biography exploring the life and times of Bernarr Macfadden, the early fitness pioneer often credited with shaping modern health and exercise culture. Robert Evans cited the biography multiple times on Behind the Bastards while examining the roots of the American fitness movement. During the episodes, Evans utilized the text to recount specific historical anecdotes and contextualize MacFadden's upbringing. For instance, he referenced the book to describe how MacFadden was sent to boarding school by his mother following a period of recovery during his youth. Evans also drew upon the biography to illustrate the tragic circumstances surrounding the health struggles of MacFadden's young son, who suffered severe physical convulsions as an infant. Additionally, the host used Adams's work to trace the broader historical backdrop of physical culture in America, noting early precedents such as Benjamin Franklin attributing his longevity to a temperate lifestyle and daily dumbbell exercises. Furthermore, Evans detailed MacFadden's promotional tactics upon arriving in New York, where the publisher organized physical culture matinees to court the press, and explained how an early pamphlet of dumbbell exercises eventually evolved into a regular publication for the burgeoning health advocate.
Every mention
Robert Evans Next from the book Mr. America. Perhaps inspired by the life-changing pamphlet of dumbbell exercises he'd r… 5
“And I'm going to quote from the biography Mr. America here. 11-month-old Byron, known within the family as Billy, was seated on his mother's lap. Suddenly, Billy tensed up, threw his head back, and began to contort his body as if overcome by a seizure.”
“And I'm going to quote from the biography Mr. America, which is about Bernard McFaden. One morning, not long after Bernard had recovered, his mother took him to St. Louis.”
“And I'm going to quote from the book Mr. America here. Though Americans had a history of importing fitness fads from the continent, Ben Franklin wrote in 1786 that he'd reached a ripe old age because I live temporately, drink no wine, and use daily exercise of the dumbbell.”
“He decides like, I've learned too much about starving myself and plagiarizing Jane Austin with the world from American Heritage. quote, Almost immediately after leasing an apartment in New York, McFaten presented a physical culture matinea and invited the press.”
“Next from the book Mr. America. Perhaps inspired by the life-changing pamphlet of dumbbell exercises he'd received on his first visit to the Missouri Gymnasium, he published a four-page brochure describing how to use the McFaten exerciser.”
