OMG the memories. I’d forgotten about all this stuff.
Man, I STILL HAVE THE PLASTIC WEIGHTS! I saw them the other day, they’re in the corner with all my other weights. How long they been there? What are they worth on ebay I wonder? Give them another 10 years. I had to hold two dumbells in one hand coz they were so little.
Hot Stuff! lol! remember that!
I had an original bullworker, the green one, before they invented the super bullworker with double straps lol - it would work OK if it was a bit better designed. Maybe hydraulics instead of a spring?
I also had an original metal spring “chest expander” what a bastard that was, the springs would grab and pinch your chest. Strangely, I really enjoy the modern elastic versions, not bad at all.
My first barbell was made in a foundry and when I bought it, I got metal blown into my eye from the furnace as I stood handing over my cash in the “showroom”. I was a kid and had to catch the train home. With two 20lbs plates and a 5 foot bar (all I could afford, sigh). But carrying that thing home on the train (the engineer thought I was stealing train wheels - I wish) then walking 2 miles with it on my shoulders was the hardest shoulder workout I have ever done. Sure, it wasn’t a lot of weight, but that was a hard way to carry it.
Dessicated Liver tabs - loved them. The P-450 really worked for me. Or maybe it was the B vitamins in it. Still, bit wary of eating liver these days.
Weider Anabolic Megapack - I think that stuff might have actually worked. Don’t know though I was eating all his stuff at once. Had a can of protein powder once and I swear, it had bits of hair and shite in it, I think the protein source was not egg, not whey, but hoofs and heels, chucked in a bath of acid. Must have got the floaty bits on the top.
I liked the Weider chewable protein though, and chewable carb tablets. Expensive, but tasty.
NOBODY did roids. Or at least, it was not mentioned, admitted, investigated, tested for, nor talked about. EVER. Oh except for Eastern European lifters. They ALL used it, whatever it was.
The thing is, back then, even with no money, no good equipment readily available, no good supplements, all that was needed was some good knowledge. You can make a tonne of natural food and need no supplements. You can make or make do with the bare minimum of equipment, using household (or building site) stuff.
All it takes is good knowledge.
But where the heck were you supposed to get it back then? Nothing but bullshit lying articles in self promoting mags steering you towards some gadget or supplement.
And that is true even back in the Atlas days.
Today, there is a tonne of great info. readily available yet people don’t go get it. How many people haven’t even dug through the GOLD articles in this site? And how many actually follow the advice? Hopefully everyone does, but people keep posting threads with questions that are easily answers with the search function.
Anyway great article, trip down memory lane.