Attached below is Bernarr McFadden’s classical book Vitality Supreme. Whilst McFadden wrote a number of works, Vitality Supreme is one of the more interesting publications. Luckily for us in 2014, it’s also free to download and free to read.
Vitality Supreme
Find out McFadden’s advice for strengthening your stomach, improving your diet and building inner strength. It’s a great book for the strength enthusiast and the physical culture historian alike.
So go on, download it now and enjoy it for yourself!
McFadden was also a promoter of occasionally training bare. He was influenced by the Prussian physcal culture education and training. Training skyclad was not uncommon at the turn of the last century.
When I was young, still recall some Y’s and private gymnasiums that limitedly allowed this for men. Long gone.
Fascinating isn’t it? One of those practices thats long since gone. As you say, it was certainly not uncommon and it’s interesting to see it was done as late as the 80s in some US gyms!