I just made an X/Twitter, follow me @: x.com/NattyLifeYT I'll be able to share some better resolution images and will likely also start uploading some of my videos there. It should be an easy place to get in touch if any of you want to DM me video suggestions or whatever.
Silver Era physiques are peak bodybuilding. Big but not grotesque, lean but not starving, muscular and strong. Basically the Superman/Captain America standard of the time.
@@santicruz4012 i would say early silver era is achievable by most people and i would say it should be the standard. Late silver era relies too much on genetics and possibly even roids
lol, these are still elite level physiques, mostly Unattainable for the average gym rat, that's the part you ppl don't get, just because these dudes looked like that without drugs, IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN LOOK LIKE THAT WITHOUT DRGS, lol
Hello PG. When I started bb in 1955 the vacume pose was quite common. There some who could totally isolate their abdominals and move them right to left! How they did that I will never know. BB in those days was about the 'husky' physique so no one could kick sand in your face!!!. Cheers.
I remain fully and completely impressed by the ability of whoever that man was. I've noticed in some of the older pictures that men do a variation of stomach vacuum's. I wonder why they stopped? To me that's pretty cool.
@@EmorettaRobinson It's got some popularity in classic physique (although that's not really classic per se). CBum is pretty famous for his vaccuum right now but some others do it as well. No one's getting as crazy as #6 there though.
@@EmorettaRobinson probably too much visceral fat these days to pull it off which is why so many modern bodybuilders have guts. I can't do much of a vacuum and when I got a DEXA scan I found out there was at least 4lbs of visceral fat in there, no wonder I felt so much resistance whenever I tried.
Very true for aesthetics. But you gotta love the creativity and techniques of the bronze era. They invented such great stuff with no resources. Those two eras are the peak strength and body building sports.
Silver era are literally the best looking in my eyes. Maybe it is because they are actually healthy. Like, we've evolved to distinguish healthy from unhealthy.
Thank you for your videos, you make a 50 year old very happy. I've been training since I was 17 and always looked up to the bronze and silver era bodybuilders.
Dude this is what I’ve been saying for a couple years now!!! A prime example if Jeff Albert’s on the 3dmj channel, a monstrous looking natural physique that would literally impress anyone roided or not, but then I saw a video of him competing at worlds and the guy looked like a zombie with muscles, still jacked but just looked like he was dying, if he was two to three percent fatter I think he would of looked so much better than his most peeled state, but because of the standards he would of never gotten a high placing if he did that, sad times for natural bodybuilding
@@RMJerich0 I feel pretty strong and healthy after a natural training session, as long as the other factors are in place also, i.e. eating and sleeping well. My bloods? they're good last I checked.
A friend of mine has magazines from the 30s-50s, and books going back to the early 1900s. The magazines rarely talked about diet and nutrition, except a funny article by Bob Hoffman who said he never met a happy vegetarian. They talked mostly about their training, and they ate what everyone else ate...maybe a little more in order to put on size, and less when they were preparing for a competition, and it was fat they usually cut back on. There is a book on training from the early 1900s written by Arthur Saxon. He dedicates exactly one chapter to diet --- it's one-page long and 2 paragraphs in length.
@@zerrodefex So, you're implying that today's bodybuilders need to get all juiced up on steroids because of seed oils and high fructose corn syrup? How is that healthier? Also, George Hackenschmidt in his book, "The Way To Live" talked way back in 1910 of his concerns of Big Food and the manner in which cattle was being raised and the processing of foods in general. So there were concerns 115 years ago about the quality of foods in our diet, which was about the time seed oils began to encroach into our diet.
Those were the times… I love silver era bodybuilding so much because these guys looked so masculine and aesthetic. Steve Reeves, John Grimek, George Eiferman, Reg Park, Clarence Ross, John Mcwilliams and many many more, they were the real deal and proved how big a person can grow without steroids. Long live natural bodybuilding and all the naturals around the world💪
I do think overlooking ab development was an oversight in that era. Abs are so important for aesthetics, they bring everything together. If we take Greek sculpture as a forerunner for bodybuilding, as Sandow did, many/most ancient statues of athletes, warriors have six packs. I think it is perfectly possible to have a six pack between 10-18% bodyfat even. I am currently at 19-20 and can still see top 4 abs. So i agree with everything you are saying, just think abs should not be ignored. They are an important muscle group for function and form.
Yeah I do agree with you actually, my personal preference for aesthetics is probably closer to the leaner side of the Silver Era. Around 12% bf could be the sweet spot for competition where you're not destroying your health, can still maintain good size, separation and get there with minimal dieting. A properly developed set of abs will absolutely pop at those levels and give a much more aesthetic look to the physique. It just has to be a case of finding some sort of balance which allows the sport to be pushed forward, but without sending competitors to the brink of death by chasing the standards of drug-fuelled shows. Sadly that ship has sailed lol but at least we can draw attention to it
@@NattyLifeYT I think natty bodybuilders think they have to choose between swole and shreds. I think there is a range where nattys can have it all too. 12% i agree it perfectly doable and if you have good abs, at this percentage they will shine, completing your look. No natty needs to go below 10%.
@@AtheistNihilist In terms of abs its still an aesthetic that depends on some people might like or not, some like shredded abs, some like buldge abs and some like flat abs.
I'd bet half the working men in America circa 1940 could tense up and display visible abdominal muscles. Nothing cool about being underfed. What was rare was muscular size. My dad (born 1920) was average height and went into the war
At least the silver era bodybuilders did not starve to death just to get lower body fat. They were men who sculpt their bodies to their liking. It's a shame of what bodybuilding has become 😢.
Irvin "Abs" Koszewski lived to be 85, keeping up his workouts and managing Gold's Gym as the beloved grandpappy of Muscle Beach. If there was a "Lifetime" division that randomly checked in on competitors every few months for a decade or longer, he'd have been the undisputed champ. Great video.
As a normie who's just trying to improve his body and looking for good examples of lifters who prioritize health, thank you. This was a powerful video, and your closing statement is very affirming. Also "butthole striations" is gold 🥇😂
Keep at it. It'll be far more than worth it. The body will ADAPT, not be forced to change at a lightning's pace. This will ensure healthy guts, healthy tendons and ligaments, strong, lifelong muscles, and more benefits. If any of the media around contemporary bodybuilding is influencing you badly, try not consuming it, and instead substituting by natural physiques, pictures of old, and so on, and so forth. What we "eat" culturally also shapes who we are, what we strive for, etc.
@@EmptyKingdoms you'r are full of bullshit. natural bodybuilding HAVE NOTHING to do with heathy gut, tendons and there is no thing like lifelong muscle. Dude, if you are just a kid writing this - study more. I bet you do no have real experience, but you can read it. But let me educate: any strength training, especially natural can and for most do: destroy your hormone levels, joints, tendons, it can destroy you "gut" if you do surpluss stupidly. It can affect your sleep, mental health and longevity. And those are FACTS. Doing natural bodybuilding or even powerlifting to get health BENEFITS, it harder than getting on the olympia stage with roids. Its nearly impossible for most people. If you dont believe me - do this for at least 5 years and check you health once a week. And just to clarify: doing 5 sets of chest a week with 10 Reps in reserve (could've done 20 to failure, do 10) - is NOT a bodybuilding, its fitness. Which gives you nothing at best. If you want to look athletic just do martial arts for fun. it gives you far more. Ive done both for more than 10 years each.
I really really love it, that People are starting to appreciate the Silver Era, the Healthy, the Strong, the Best era of bodybuilding…I hope in future more and more people will understand, that as a natural you can have Great,Strong and most importantly Healthy Physique.
So true! Even from an aesthetic standpoint, for average people's eyes these bronze era lifters look so much better. And even more, they were super athletic as well, they demonstrated fantastic agility and mobility even on stage. Today I'd organize shows randomly at around the middle of the cut, or even at the end of the gaining season.
I luv your videos on old/natural bodybuilders. Healthy bodies seemed more important then, something to espouse to no matter what age. When I see current bodybuilders/muscle freaks I look the otherway. Keep up the good work your doing, I'm sure it's changing people's perceptions of strong healthy bodies.
Just thinking on choices so far and really interested in go for a healthy way of dealing with bodybuilding, man. I think this year, I'll make it happen
Good video with a very sane and healthy take away as the point for both the physical and mental health side. Thanks and peace and positivity to everyone.
Venice Beach here!🏄♂️ In the 70's and 80's I use to see AND talk to Irvin "ZABO" K, ALL THE TIME! Super Market, Post Office, etc. He was known as MR. ABS and had won EVERY ABS trophy in EVERY contest he was in! RIP. 🙏🕊💙
Thank God for this channel I found long ago. Because of you Natty Life, everyday, I feel healthier than ever as I continue my natural bodybuilding journey. Better than being a roid one and not live to the age 50.
2:20, 2:30, and 3:30 are the ideal masculine male physique, imo. Massive, powerful, beefy, natural, NORMAL, healthy BF levels. Fat jacked strongman >> grotesque 4% BF, barely able to stand under his own power competition bodybuilder, all 👏day 🏋♂ long 💪🏻.
It’s funny how bodybuilding started as a way to harmonize fitness and aesthetics, but the contemporary sport seems to have neither. Beauty modeling at this point is closer to the original ideal, if largely in the aesthetics department. You’d be healthier and more attractive with moderate exercise, a %10-15 bodyfat ratio, and a good skincare routine.
Just finished You Are Stronger Than You Think by Borlest, and the tips on boosting testosterone are really eye-opening. Definitely something every guy should know
Loved the video! Phenomenal work. This is why I admire the silver era so much. The silver era bodybuilders look so amazing because they were healthy. They were eating sufficient amount of high quality food to gain size and strength. I really liked how they maintained most of their size during competitions and how the judges encouraged competitors to maintain healthy and sustainable levels of body fat. This culture of bodybuilding promoted a healthy lifestyle. Modern bodybuilding competitors starve themselves and reach unhealthy levels of body fat that they can’t sustain for more than a few weeks. The super shredded and veiny look is quite unappealing to me and most people who value health and longevity. The silver era was perfect. It was the peak of bodybuilding! It inspires me to train hard and live a healthy lifestyle. I want to look like the bodybuilding icons of the silver era. I look up to legends like Steve Reeves, Reg Park, Clarence Ross, John Grimek, George Eiferman and many more who achieved such remarkable achievements naturally and in a healthy manner. 💪
I always felt I was born in the wrong era (for bodybuilding). I have the ratios that look great as a natural, full large chest, small waist. People frequently tell me I am aesthetic. But the problem is these days, there’s literally physique inflation with all the steroid use and social media editing.
Just discovered your content, i'm a fan! I’m really interested in your perspective on not needing to get extremely lean on the natural stage. It’s true that some natural pros can achieve impressive leanness while retaining muscularity, but they’re definitely in the minority. Maybe for amateur levels, leanness shouldn’t be the main priority, but in the pro league, a higher standard of conditioning makes sense. Competitors don’t need to be ultra shredded (like showing every fiber in the glutes), but clean lines and solid conditioning are essential. It’s tough, though-when I competed in Pro Natural Bodybuilding, my hormones took a hit, and my testosterone levels stayed low for 4-5 months post-show. That’s the reality of getting that lean: the hormonal drop is almost unavoidable. That’s why, after competing, it’s so important to get back to a healthier body fat level.
3:01 actual natty marvel character, wow aquaman or tallish wolverine (wolverine being over 5'8 is essentially a complete impossibility) idk how tall this guy is
Bronze Age is my goal. I fucked up this year, had to quit the gym because of finacial reasons (fuck brazillian economy), but I'm getting back at it. With buckets of sand, but I'll do it this time.
I can't thank you enough for your work ! Seeing these great and healthy physics is really helpful to set realistic and natural goals ! Let's grind on our own standards.
hello I really enjoy your videos on old school training and all the different methods of the time. I have a question regarding the name Joe bonomo and and is vibro power methods was wondering if you no of him and and if yes could you possibly do a video about it. thanks for your time sincerely
As a female, I actually find the silver era men attractive. Bodybuilders now at peak lean are not sexy. Guess that's why I've always preferred strongman
Many of these Silver Era physiques would still turn heads today EVERYWHERE. Far lesser physiques turn heads nowadays; keep in mind world obesity levels, esp in the USA and the West. You literally need nothing except just a little discipline to have a strong and attractive body; not even protein powders or supplements.
Agree with the message, modern bodybuilding is an anorexia competition, unhealthy and honestly muscle at this point is not even relevant in a competition.
I don't believe that . Sometimes old trends become popular again. Maybe not in our lifetime or our son's but one day natural bodybuilding will be mainstream
with any niche sport, you need a superstar to get a spark. once you get a face, immediately develop another star (ideally with a contrasting personality) to boost a rivalry.
I'd recommend going to a bodybuilding show, all the positivity gushing out of the competitors is definitely felt afterwards. Photos don't do it justice.
I wish they would have a Natural BodyBuilding confederation where you could not body fat levels below 8%. Aiming for more muscular size and proportions.
If you look at earlier pictures of John Grimek, he had an eight-pack. Not a six-pack, an eight-pack. There's a pic of him somewhere where he's standing in a gravel pit holding a pole (supposed to be a spear, I guess) and he's showing off his abs. He probably weighed around 200 pounds at that time...not sure when the photo was taken, but it was pre-1941. As for the Bronze Age lifters, yes, some of them were pretty ripped, but they were nowhere near the size of the 1950's greats, they lacked chest development and their backs weren't anything to get excited over. Their legs were also somewhat underdeveloped. Bodybuilding has naturally changed over time, with size and symmetry and fairly low bodyfat (around 10%) in the 1950's/early 1960's to what it is now, less than five percent on contest day. Look at it it this way. At his peak, Arnold was around 7.5% BF (or a bit less) at six-one, 235 lbs. Nick Walker is around 5% on contest day at five-seven and 285 pounds. If Arnold were competing today, he might not even place in the top ten. Chemicals, it's all about chemicals, and that's just a sad thing.
5:29 100% agreed! To me personally, these modern Athletes don't look strong or impressive to me, they look physicaly sick. I simply cannot wrap my head around to understand why so many people (especially in the US of A) find this kind of body attractive. Why are such low body fat percentages and extreme amounts of muscle mass even desireable? What is this drive to go to the extremes and even risking your health and years of your life... just to look this way? To be honest, to me this is completely nuts. Don't get me wrong, i train for almost 35 years by now and over the years i have gained an amount of muscle mass, well beyond normal people. But the modern Bodybuilder physique is something i never considerd desireable. I have never understood the drive most people have, to shut their brains off and do what other people do (even before Social Media, but even this trend it has beome grotesque nowadays). In germany we have this expression of having a "gesunder Menschenverstand" ("a healthy human mind"), which you could translate as something like common sense (but it's not about a standard people have agreed on, it's more like a grounded sense of what's the norm). I get the feel that this sense got lost over time in societies all over the world. Sorry for the incoherent rant.
For sure, it's terrible. I spend most of my time looking at old school physiques while I'm researching for this channel, but then occasionally I will look up some modern physiques and competitions like I did today for this video. Every time I have the same reaction, just shock and disgust. From the drug use, unhealthy appearance, spray tan, thongs, posing, faces, EVERYTHING. I just can't understand how people went along with this. The sport has turned into an absolute disaster and I want to have nothing to do with it other than to speak out against the whole thing.
Silver era for a win.Even at golden era Arnold,Nubret and others were too lean you could tell right away roids are in.In silver era it would be really hard to tell that roids are in the house.
I think there's a bit too strong of a tendency for people to assume that because steroids were ostensibly born in 1936, everyone from that point on must have been on steroids. I'm very skeptical that bodybuilders in the 40s were on gear. Grimek for example definitely took steroids - but as far as Muscletown USA by John Fair is concerned, his first experimentations with steroids were in the 1950s.
Was Grimek part of the Ziegler test group with testosterone in the 1950s? I know there were several retired Silver-Era bodybuilders that took part in the experiment. But none of the Silver-Era guys took testosterone during the main time period of the Silver-Era. It's true that synthetic testosterone was first synthesized in 1936 but it was crude; extremely expensive & there was no long lasting esters developed yet. And the first anabolic steriod in the U.S. (Dianabol) wasn't developed until 1958 (CIBA Labs). There just isn't any evidence of testosterone use by the Silver Era bodybuilders during 1939 - 1955 time frame.
Excellent video & outstanding research. Very insightful & informative. 👍Those photos you compiled are worth gold. The one with them in their suits is amazing. Those were the true "muscle men" of bodybuilding. If I remember correctly, the philosophy of the Silver era was to train for #1) health, #2) strength & #3) appearance.
I’m 56 y old and I have always been lifting weights my bodybuilding was and still is done to be healthy and it shows. My peers suffer from a collaboration of heath issues, all of which could have been avoided if they did some sort of lifting. The old pictures of Steve reeves and others are borderline “Natural “ look at the Greek statues and you will see the difference between testosterone and overweight bodies. Cheers from Oz 🇦🇺
This is a great visualization. You can aesthetic looking not being a skeleton. I think making this physique popular again would be good for the kids and everyone else on social media.
you might find it interesting to look at the art of the inter-war period. a lot of the men and women portrayed back then were of a more healthy weight too. this is generally seen as a response to the ravages of WWI. I wonder if that had something to do with the standards of bodybuilding in the 40s and 50s. The judges would have grown up seeing those big, healthy figures of the 1920s and then seen the ravages of the great depression and WWII and concentration camps, etc., and would have been much more favorable to someone who looked like the fuller figures of their youth.
Seems like the judges didn't believe in killing yourself to win a contest. We should get back to that mindset. Bring back the fun. Functional Bodybuilding. It makes no sense to go after mass and dryness. End of the day, the guy with the least regard for health will have the best chances of winning. That's not a sensible starting position for a competition.
I think natural body building will be mainstream. Once people know enough about it and how to do it, its too good of an opportunity for the average person as a way to boost their viability as a mate.
John Grimek and Reg Park were peak bodybuilding Competitive anorexia is why I'm in strongman and will never do a natural bodybuilding show So many IPF guys that look so much better than so many natural bodybuilders Sure seeing striations in your jaw is neat but like.... You're 140lbs Be beefy don't be afraid of gaining weight Healthy bulking is the way I wanna look like a natty version of Bill Kazmaier lol
Nobody's talking about "they didn't examine your butthole for striations." Thanks bro I needed that good laugh after finishing Escape From The Planet Of The Apes
I just made an X/Twitter, follow me @: x.com/NattyLifeYT
I'll be able to share some better resolution images and will likely also start uploading some of my videos there. It should be an easy place to get in touch if any of you want to DM me video suggestions or whatever.
Silver Era physiques are peak bodybuilding. Big but not grotesque, lean but not starving, muscular and strong. Basically the Superman/Captain America standard of the time.
And mostly without roids
@@santicruz4012 i would say early silver era is achievable by most people and i would say it should be the standard. Late silver era relies too much on genetics and possibly even roids
yep,
@@santicruz4012 how exactly we know they didn't have steroids
@@cautarepvp2079 How exactly do you know they DID use them?
Wow. These physiques looked amazing honestly. Healthy, big, sustainable and not too far fetched for naturals worldwide
leaner is good
I would not have any expectation to look like a lot of these guys. They have amazing genes
lol, these are still elite level physiques, mostly Unattainable for the average gym rat, that's the part you ppl don't get, just because these dudes looked like that without drugs, IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN LOOK LIKE THAT WITHOUT DRGS, lol
Hello PG. When I started bb in 1955 the vacume pose was quite common. There some who could totally isolate their abdominals and move them right to left! How they did that I will never know. BB in those days was about the 'husky' physique so no one could kick sand in your face!!!. Cheers.
the ribcage/vacuum on #6 was absolutely freaky
I remain fully and completely impressed by the ability of whoever that man was. I've noticed in some of the older pictures that men do a variation of stomach vacuum's. I wonder why they stopped? To me that's pretty cool.
@@EmorettaRobinson It's got some popularity in classic physique (although that's not really classic per se). CBum is pretty famous for his vaccuum right now but some others do it as well. No one's getting as crazy as #6 there though.
yeah number 6 is CRAZY im suprised he didn't mention him
@@EmorettaRobinson steroids make many builders unable to do a vacuum.
@@EmorettaRobinson probably too much visceral fat these days to pull it off which is why so many modern bodybuilders have guts. I can't do much of a vacuum and when I got a DEXA scan I found out there was at least 4lbs of visceral fat in there, no wonder I felt so much resistance whenever I tried.
Silver era bodybuilders were peak bodybuilding physiques. Lean, full, aesthetic and good posing. I aspire to be like them
This has to make a comeback
The strength
The size
The health
Most importantly
The long term health mentality
will never
@@jmgonzales7701we will see
@@jmgonzales7701 and should not.
Its like saying NO to medicine. Lets just die of cold and sh
Well spoken!
Thank you so much@@janlibourel7803
Silver Era were as strong as they looked.
Very true for aesthetics. But you gotta love the creativity and techniques of the bronze era. They invented such great stuff with no resources. Those two eras are the peak strength and body building sports.
Silver era are literally the best looking in my eyes. Maybe it is because they are actually healthy. Like, we've evolved to distinguish healthy from unhealthy.
They weren’t natty.
Silver era weren’t natty.
@Usario321 but still way healthier right
Thank you for your videos, you make a 50 year old very happy. I've been training since I was 17 and always looked up to the bronze and silver era bodybuilders.
Your support is much appreciated brother 💪
Dude this is what I’ve been saying for a couple years now!!! A prime example if Jeff Albert’s on the 3dmj channel, a monstrous looking natural physique that would literally impress anyone roided or not, but then I saw a video of him competing at worlds and the guy looked like a zombie with muscles, still jacked but just looked like he was dying, if he was two to three percent fatter I think he would of looked so much better than his most peeled state, but because of the standards he would of never gotten a high placing if he did that, sad times for natural bodybuilding
Easy solution, just look at him the other 99% of his life then
Adhere to the Silver Era standards. Eat well, lift well, rest well, be healthy, strong and don't do roids!
how strong and healthy are you sir, after a natural training session?
I bet you dont even know your bloodwork though out the week or even month.
@@RMJerich0 I feel pretty strong and healthy after a natural training session, as long as the other factors are in place also, i.e. eating and sleeping well. My bloods? they're good last I checked.
Well if you’re that big then you’re probably overweight
Alex Eubank will be punching the air with this one! 🗣🔥🔥
A friend of mine has magazines from the 30s-50s, and books going back to the early 1900s. The magazines rarely talked about diet and nutrition, except a funny article by Bob Hoffman who said he never met a happy vegetarian. They talked mostly about their training, and they ate what everyone else ate...maybe a little more in order to put on size, and less when they were preparing for a competition, and it was fat they usually cut back on. There is a book on training from the early 1900s written by Arthur Saxon. He dedicates exactly one chapter to diet --- it's one-page long and 2 paragraphs in length.
They weren't being as flooded with seed oils, added sugar, and low-fat back then so it was easier to build a body eating a "normal" diet.
@@zerrodefex So, you're implying that today's bodybuilders need to get all juiced up on steroids because of seed oils and high fructose corn syrup? How is that healthier?
Also, George Hackenschmidt in his book, "The Way To Live" talked way back in 1910 of his concerns of Big Food and the manner in which cattle was being raised and the processing of foods in general. So there were concerns 115 years ago about the quality of foods in our diet, which was about the time seed oils began to encroach into our diet.
Bravo Dante! Awesome video and message! 🎉
Big thanks brother!!
Those were the times… I love silver era bodybuilding so much because these guys looked so masculine and aesthetic. Steve Reeves, John Grimek, George Eiferman, Reg Park, Clarence Ross, John Mcwilliams and many many more, they were the real deal and proved how big a person can grow without steroids. Long live natural bodybuilding and all the naturals around the world💪
I do think overlooking ab development was an oversight in that era. Abs are so important for aesthetics, they bring everything together. If we take Greek sculpture as a forerunner for bodybuilding, as Sandow did, many/most ancient statues of athletes, warriors have six packs. I think it is perfectly possible to have a six pack between 10-18% bodyfat even. I am currently at 19-20 and can still see top 4 abs. So i agree with everything you are saying, just think abs should not be ignored. They are an important muscle group for function and form.
Yeah I do agree with you actually, my personal preference for aesthetics is probably closer to the leaner side of the Silver Era. Around 12% bf could be the sweet spot for competition where you're not destroying your health, can still maintain good size, separation and get there with minimal dieting. A properly developed set of abs will absolutely pop at those levels and give a much more aesthetic look to the physique. It just has to be a case of finding some sort of balance which allows the sport to be pushed forward, but without sending competitors to the brink of death by chasing the standards of drug-fuelled shows. Sadly that ship has sailed lol but at least we can draw attention to it
@@NattyLifeYT I think natty bodybuilders think they have to choose between swole and shreds. I think there is a range where nattys can have it all too. 12% i agree it perfectly doable and if you have good abs, at this percentage they will shine, completing your look. No natty needs to go below 10%.
chris bumstead despite being not natty has all of this traits, great size, symettry and proportions.
@@AtheistNihilist In terms of abs its still an aesthetic that depends on some people might like or not, some like shredded abs, some like buldge abs and some like flat abs.
I'd bet half the working men in America circa 1940 could tense up and display visible abdominal muscles. Nothing cool about being underfed. What was rare was muscular size. My dad (born 1920) was average height and went into the war
At least the silver era bodybuilders did not starve to death just to get lower body fat. They were men who sculpt their bodies to their liking. It's a shame of what bodybuilding has become 😢.
Irvin "Abs" Koszewski lived to be 85, keeping up his workouts and managing Gold's Gym as the beloved grandpappy of Muscle Beach. If there was a "Lifetime" division that randomly checked in on competitors every few months for a decade or longer, he'd have been the undisputed champ. Great video.
As a normie who's just trying to improve his body and looking for good examples of lifters who prioritize health, thank you. This was a powerful video, and your closing statement is very affirming.
Also "butthole striations" is gold 🥇😂
Keep at it. It'll be far more than worth it. The body will ADAPT, not be forced to change at a lightning's pace. This will ensure healthy guts, healthy tendons and ligaments, strong, lifelong muscles, and more benefits. If any of the media around contemporary bodybuilding is influencing you badly, try not consuming it, and instead substituting by natural physiques, pictures of old, and so on, and so forth. What we "eat" culturally also shapes who we are, what we strive for, etc.
@@EmptyKingdoms you'r are full of bullshit.
natural bodybuilding HAVE NOTHING to do with heathy gut, tendons and there is no thing like lifelong muscle.
Dude, if you are just a kid writing this - study more. I bet you do no have real experience, but you can read it.
But let me educate: any strength training, especially natural can and for most do: destroy your hormone levels, joints, tendons, it can destroy you "gut" if you do surpluss stupidly. It can affect your sleep, mental health and longevity. And those are FACTS.
Doing natural bodybuilding or even powerlifting to get health BENEFITS, it harder than getting on the olympia stage with roids. Its nearly impossible for most people. If you dont believe me - do this for at least 5 years and check you health once a week.
And just to clarify: doing 5 sets of chest a week with 10 Reps in reserve (could've done 20 to failure, do 10) - is NOT a bodybuilding, its fitness. Which gives you nothing at best.
If you want to look athletic just do martial arts for fun. it gives you far more.
Ive done both for more than 10 years each.
Yep. Modern Bodybuilding is an abomination to what it was started for. I always say this, have faith and you will succeed. 👊🕊️
I totally agree...you used the correct word to describe it.."abomination"....mutant freaks.
I really really love it, that People are starting to appreciate the Silver Era, the Healthy, the Strong, the Best era of bodybuilding…I hope in future more and more people will understand, that as a natural you can have Great,Strong and most importantly Healthy Physique.
From Greek gods to hell's monsters, it's sad how unhealthy are the standards for bodybuilding today. But we must keep grinding bros💪🗿🍗
Well said!
I totally agree....from Greek God,s to mutant freaks.
From top human to ninja 🐢. But not 100% bodybuilders now looks bad. Natural bb still exist
chris bumstead is a greek god
From heros to henchmen
Goddamn Grimek was an absolute natural beast. Dude was literally peak male form.
So true! Even from an aesthetic standpoint, for average people's eyes these bronze era lifters look so much better. And even more, they were super athletic as well, they demonstrated fantastic agility and mobility even on stage.
Today I'd organize shows randomly at around the middle of the cut, or even at the end of the gaining season.
I luv your videos on old/natural bodybuilders. Healthy bodies seemed more important then, something to espouse to no matter what age. When I see current bodybuilders/muscle freaks I look the otherway. Keep up the good work your doing, I'm sure it's changing people's perceptions of strong healthy bodies.
chris bumstead is a greek god
When it comes to looking like a bad ass in a 3-piece suit no one in the bronze era could touch George Hackenschimt.
Living proof natties don't always look small in clothes
Silver Era was a great look
Thank you for indirectly encouraging me to continue my slow bulk 👍
You got this brother 💪
@@NattyLifeYTthanks man! Funny thing is my wife prefers me with some extra fluff too ha ha, and I love my food!
I'm not obese. I'm a permabulking full-natty Brah.
This channel is great bro, there's not enough people like you! This is what fitness should be about, not taking drugs.
Silver era bodybuilders were inspirational because it shows a natural limit.
Just thinking on choices so far and really interested in go for a healthy way of dealing with bodybuilding, man. I think this year, I'll make it happen
Never thought I'd subscribe to a channel like this, but good videos.
Good video with a very sane and healthy take away as the point for both the physical and mental health side. Thanks and peace and positivity to everyone.
Man those Silver Era bros look so fucking good, one look at that physique and you just KNOW this person is healthy as fuck, on top of looking so good.
Being natty and being accused of taking roids is the best compliment
It's like being accused of being a hacker in an online game while it's actually all skill
Good video, and in my opinion you explained the difference between modern bodybuilding today, and old school "Physical Culture!"
Venice Beach here!🏄♂️ In the 70's and 80's I use to see AND talk to Irvin "ZABO" K, ALL THE TIME! Super Market, Post Office, etc. He was known as MR. ABS and had won EVERY ABS trophy in EVERY contest he was in! RIP. 🙏🕊💙
Modern bodybuilding is a contest to be the most druged and u natural orc possible
I love your channel my friend. Keep the motivation going. That’s what helps us natural lifters.
Thank God for this channel I found long ago. Because of you Natty Life, everyday, I feel healthier than ever as I continue my natural bodybuilding journey. Better than being a roid one and not live to the age 50.
"They did not examine your butt-hole"
😆😆😆
I just spat out my rice cake😆😆😆
Brilliant dude😆
Love this channel ❤️👍
I spat out my rice cake! almsot as funny as examen your butthole! 😂😂😂
2:20, 2:30, and 3:30 are the ideal masculine male physique, imo. Massive, powerful, beefy, natural, NORMAL, healthy BF levels.
Fat jacked strongman >> grotesque 4% BF, barely able to stand under his own power competition bodybuilder, all 👏day 🏋♂ long 💪🏻.
It’s funny how bodybuilding started as a way to harmonize fitness and aesthetics, but the contemporary sport seems to have neither. Beauty modeling at this point is closer to the original ideal, if largely in the aesthetics department. You’d be healthier and more attractive with moderate exercise, a %10-15 bodyfat ratio, and a good skincare routine.
Great video and points well articulated. Thanks, Mr Natty!
4:02 We not gonna talk about that dude on the left then?
Valerio Pasqua, what a magnificent vacuum and rib cage. Bro certainly didn't skip his pullovers
Just finished You Are Stronger Than You Think by Borlest, and the tips on boosting testosterone are really eye-opening. Definitely something every guy should know
Just an amazing, awesome video. The healthy and strong look will never be eclipsed!
Loved the video! Phenomenal work. This is why I admire the silver era so much. The silver era bodybuilders look so amazing because they were healthy. They were eating sufficient amount of high quality food to gain size and strength. I really liked how they maintained most of their size during competitions and how the judges encouraged competitors to maintain healthy and sustainable levels of body fat. This culture of bodybuilding promoted a healthy lifestyle.
Modern bodybuilding competitors starve themselves and reach unhealthy levels of body fat that they can’t sustain for more than a few weeks. The super shredded and veiny look is quite unappealing to me and most people who value health and longevity.
The silver era was perfect. It was the peak of bodybuilding! It inspires me to train hard and live a healthy lifestyle. I want to look like the bodybuilding icons of the silver era. I look up to legends like Steve Reeves, Reg Park, Clarence Ross, John Grimek, George Eiferman and many more who achieved such remarkable achievements naturally and in a healthy manner. 💪
I always felt I was born in the wrong era (for bodybuilding). I have the ratios that look great as a natural, full large chest, small waist. People frequently tell me I am aesthetic. But the problem is these days, there’s literally physique inflation with all the steroid use and social media editing.
Just discovered your content, i'm a fan! I’m really interested in your perspective on not needing to get extremely lean on the natural stage. It’s true that some natural pros can achieve impressive leanness while retaining muscularity, but they’re definitely in the minority. Maybe for amateur levels, leanness shouldn’t be the main priority, but in the pro league, a higher standard of conditioning makes sense. Competitors don’t need to be ultra shredded (like showing every fiber in the glutes), but clean lines and solid conditioning are essential.
It’s tough, though-when I competed in Pro Natural Bodybuilding, my hormones took a hit, and my testosterone levels stayed low for 4-5 months post-show. That’s the reality of getting that lean: the hormonal drop is almost unavoidable. That’s why, after competing, it’s so important to get back to a healthier body fat level.
Silver Era was the best peak Natural bodybuilding.
3:01 actual natty marvel character, wow aquaman or tallish wolverine (wolverine being over 5'8 is essentially a complete impossibility) idk how tall this guy is
Bronze Age is my goal. I fucked up this year, had to quit the gym because of finacial reasons (fuck brazillian economy), but I'm getting back at it. With buckets of sand, but I'll do it this time.
Excellent work 👍💪💪
I can't thank you enough for your work ! Seeing these great and healthy physics is really helpful to set realistic and natural goals ! Let's grind on our own standards.
hello I really enjoy your videos on old school training and all the different methods of the time. I have a question regarding the name Joe bonomo and and is vibro power methods was wondering if you no of him and and if yes could you possibly do a video about it. thanks for your time sincerely
As a female, I actually find the silver era men attractive. Bodybuilders now at peak lean are not sexy. Guess that's why I've always preferred strongman
Oh steve reeves....how far we have fallen...
Wonderful video!
Many of these Silver Era physiques would still turn heads today EVERYWHERE. Far lesser physiques turn heads nowadays; keep in mind world obesity levels, esp in the USA and the West. You literally need nothing except just a little discipline to have a strong and attractive body; not even protein powders or supplements.
Agree with the message, modern bodybuilding is an anorexia competition, unhealthy and honestly muscle at this point is not even relevant in a competition.
This is very cool to see, especially from the viewpoint of the modern bodybuilding landscape. Your videos are a breath of fresh air.
I love this channel
I don't believe that . Sometimes old trends become popular again. Maybe not in our lifetime or our son's but one day natural bodybuilding will be mainstream
with any niche sport, you need a superstar to get a spark. once you get a face, immediately develop another star (ideally with a contrasting personality) to boost a rivalry.
This is what bodybuilder supposed to be. Not roided monster that about to explode.
Awesome channel! I have subscribed.
Los físicos de la época de Reeves, los mejores y más antiguos también y los físicos naturales de todas, todas. 💪✌️👍👍👍
I'd recommend going to a bodybuilding show, all the positivity gushing out of the competitors is definitely felt afterwards. Photos don't do it justice.
Bro is on a generational uploading streak
I wish they would have a Natural BodyBuilding confederation where you could not body fat levels below 8%. Aiming for more muscular size and proportions.
Jeff Nippard's current physique looks way better than any current natural bodybuilder on stage
Sounds like there's a prime opening for a whole other category of bodybuilding contests, judging by classic standards of aesthetics etc.
If you look at earlier pictures of John Grimek, he had an eight-pack. Not a six-pack, an eight-pack. There's a pic of him somewhere where he's standing in a gravel pit holding a pole (supposed to be a spear, I guess) and he's showing off his abs. He probably weighed around 200 pounds at that time...not sure when the photo was taken, but it was pre-1941.
As for the Bronze Age lifters, yes, some of them were pretty ripped, but they were nowhere near the size of the 1950's greats, they lacked chest development and their backs weren't anything to get excited over. Their legs were also somewhat underdeveloped.
Bodybuilding has naturally changed over time, with size and symmetry and fairly low bodyfat (around 10%) in the 1950's/early 1960's to what it is now, less than five percent on contest day.
Look at it it this way. At his peak, Arnold was around 7.5% BF (or a bit less) at six-one, 235 lbs.
Nick Walker is around 5% on contest day at five-seven and 285 pounds. If Arnold were competing today, he might not even place in the top ten.
Chemicals, it's all about chemicals, and that's just a sad thing.
5:29 100% agreed!
To me personally, these modern Athletes don't look strong or impressive to me, they look physicaly sick.
I simply cannot wrap my head around to understand why so many people (especially in the US of A) find this kind of body attractive. Why are such low body fat percentages and extreme amounts of muscle mass even desireable?
What is this drive to go to the extremes and even risking your health and years of your life... just to look this way? To be honest, to me this is completely nuts.
Don't get me wrong, i train for almost 35 years by now and over the years i have gained an amount of muscle mass, well beyond normal people.
But the modern Bodybuilder physique is something i never considerd desireable. I have never understood the drive most people have, to shut their brains off and do what other people do (even before Social Media, but even this trend it has beome grotesque nowadays).
In germany we have this expression of having a "gesunder Menschenverstand" ("a healthy human mind"), which you could translate as something like common sense (but it's not about a standard people have agreed on, it's more like a grounded sense of what's the norm). I get the feel that this sense got lost over time in societies all over the world.
Sorry for the incoherent rant.
For sure, it's terrible. I spend most of my time looking at old school physiques while I'm researching for this channel, but then occasionally I will look up some modern physiques and competitions like I did today for this video. Every time I have the same reaction, just shock and disgust. From the drug use, unhealthy appearance, spray tan, thongs, posing, faces, EVERYTHING. I just can't understand how people went along with this. The sport has turned into an absolute disaster and I want to have nothing to do with it other than to speak out against the whole thing.
Thanks for the great video! It is very inspiring
Love the video and content. I am subscribed.
THIS was real bodybuilding! Large, powerful, robust physiques without gear!
Silver era guys look the best 100% agree with you
Silver era for a win.Even at golden era Arnold,Nubret and others were too lean you could tell right away roids are in.In silver era it would be really hard to tell that roids are in the house.
I think there's a bit too strong of a tendency for people to assume that because steroids were ostensibly born in 1936, everyone from that point on must have been on steroids. I'm very skeptical that bodybuilders in the 40s were on gear. Grimek for example definitely took steroids - but as far as Muscletown USA by John Fair is concerned, his first experimentations with steroids were in the 1950s.
Was Grimek part of the Ziegler test group with testosterone in the 1950s? I know there were several retired Silver-Era bodybuilders that took part in the experiment. But none of the Silver-Era guys took testosterone during the main time period of the Silver-Era. It's true that synthetic testosterone was first synthesized in 1936 but it was crude; extremely expensive & there was no long lasting esters developed yet. And the first anabolic steriod in the U.S. (Dianabol) wasn't developed until 1958 (CIBA Labs). There just isn't any evidence of testosterone use by the Silver Era bodybuilders during 1939 - 1955 time frame.
This video needs to be the Manifesto of natural bodybuilng. We make our own standards
Beautifully said!
Agree with all you said!
Excellent video & outstanding research. Very insightful & informative. 👍Those photos you compiled are worth gold. The one with them in their suits is amazing. Those were the true "muscle men" of bodybuilding. If I remember correctly, the philosophy of the Silver era was to train for #1) health, #2) strength & #3) appearance.
I’m 56 y old and I have always been lifting weights my bodybuilding was and still is done to be healthy and it shows. My peers suffer from a collaboration of heath issues, all of which could have been avoided if they did some sort of lifting. The old pictures of Steve reeves and others are borderline “Natural “ look at the Greek statues and you will see the difference between testosterone and overweight bodies. Cheers from Oz 🇦🇺
This was the video I was looking for!!! Natty life with another banger! Keeping the natural community alive one video at a time. 💪
This is a great visualization. You can aesthetic looking not being a skeleton. I think making this physique popular again would be good for the kids and everyone else on social media.
you might find it interesting to look at the art of the inter-war period. a lot of the men and women portrayed back then were of a more healthy weight too. this is generally seen as a response to the ravages of WWI. I wonder if that had something to do with the standards of bodybuilding in the 40s and 50s. The judges would have grown up seeing those big, healthy figures of the 1920s and then seen the ravages of the great depression and WWII and concentration camps, etc., and would have been much more favorable to someone who looked like the fuller figures of their youth.
We can make our own standards, you are absolutely right ❤
Very well said Brother! Important message!
They look great!
Seems like the judges didn't believe in killing yourself to win a contest. We should get back to that mindset. Bring back the fun. Functional Bodybuilding.
It makes no sense to go after mass and dryness. End of the day, the guy with the least regard for health will have the best chances of winning. That's not a sensible starting position for a competition.
Been thinking this for a long time. It's a shame that natural bodybuilding doesn't reflect the Silver Era
off topic but the "a smaller coffin is your natty prize" guy got arrested
Well most elite athletes have a body fat percentage of 10-15. Sometimes even more for heavy lifters and shot put.
Love from india (assam) bro❤❤
Screw your steroids!!!
I think natural body building will be mainstream. Once people know enough about it and how to do it, its too good of an opportunity for the average person as a way to boost their viability as a mate.
John Grimek and Reg Park were peak bodybuilding
Competitive anorexia is why I'm in strongman and will never do a natural bodybuilding show
So many IPF guys that look so much better than so many natural bodybuilders
Sure seeing striations in your jaw is neat but like.... You're 140lbs
Be beefy don't be afraid of gaining weight
Healthy bulking is the way
I wanna look like a natty version of Bill Kazmaier lol
Nobody's talking about "they didn't examine your butthole for striations." Thanks bro I needed that good laugh after finishing Escape From The Planet Of The Apes