Who is Friedric Muller??

As HBB prepares something very special for the NPC Emerald Cup this year, it takes me back to days of previous NPC expo participations. Back to when my gracious friend, Debbie Dobbins, was still alive and at the top of her game. To the days when HBB, then M&G Manufacturing, created special charms and rings for the likes of then IFBB pro, Flex Wheeler. (Ok, I'm dating myself now.) It feels good to be back... and it made me start wondering...

Where exactly did the modern fitness craze emerge and how did it develop? Ok, admittedly, this must be the History major in me, but I just had to probe a bit. And in doing so, I stumbled upon an historical figure, perhaps well known to some, but previously not to me I dare say. I'm talking about one Friedric Muller? Ok, I can hear you now... Who is this guy? Or better yet, WHO CARES? (For those of you who DO know, bravo!)

Well if you are a bodybuilder, or into strength training and figure sculpting at any level, you might know him better as Eugene Sandow... or not. Eugene, fitness peeps, is considered the father of bodybuilding as we know it today.While he started out in Europe as a professional strongman, Sandow exercised his mind as well as his body. He is credited with starting the first bodybuilding magazine, Physical Culture, and with developing some of the first bodybuilding equipment. For Sandow, strength alone was not important; aesthetic symmetry was also valued in the tradition of the ancient Greeks. Our friend, Eugene's, legacy endures with his image represented on the Mr. Olympia statuette.

So there you have it. An interesting and important human being who left his mark on the fitness world over a hundred years ago. He had a passion, and he made a difference.

What will bloggers say about you, or me, a hundred years from now??

 QUOTE OF THE DAY:  Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.
                                                        Steve Jobbs


POWER WORD OF THE DAY: INNOVATE!