History of Iron Games
Iron games encompasses Weight-lifting, Power-lifting, Body-beautiful, Weight-training as an additional exercise and all activities in which athletes use weights as additional resistance in any exercise. These weights are made from steel or iron, and so the activity is called Iron-Game. The athletes engaged in iron games are obviously known as Iron-men or Iron-women.
There are three competitive sports in Iron Games. They are—Weight-lifting, Power-lifting and body-beautiful.
Arnold originated from Austria. He came to America in 1968 to make a career in body-building. He became the world champion many times. He is a popular personality in Hollywood. He is now popular in politics also, as he is elected the Governor of California. He has ruled the body-building industry for more than four decades. It is impossible to imagine the sport building without him. The popularity of Arnold among the people of the world is beyond imagination.
Within a short span other body-builders like Reg Park, Bill Pearl, Chuck Sipes, Jack Delinger, and George Eifferman emerged. Reg Park dominated the body-building scene for more than two decades by winning the title of Mr. Universe in 1951 and 1958 and professional Mr. Universe in 1965.
In 1920s and 1930s health and development of physique were closely connected. Weight training became the best way to produce greatest degree of muscular development in shortest possible time. The knowledge of training was limited. Men like Louis Coir and Sigmund Klein were popular. Klein had a beautiful muscular shape, balanced development of the muscles with a low body fat. He set up his own gym and also became a writer on training and nutrition. The era in which male physique would be judged purely on an aesthetic basis was still a few years away. Strength development by weight training was still somewhat suspicious in1930’s.
In the late 30’s many show brought the boxers, swimmers, weightlifters and athletes together. Along with their muscular development they would also display their flexibility through athletic feat. The weightlifting changed the contours of the body. Thus it began to create a strong impression on the judges.
In 1940, the AAU produced the first real modern bodybuilding event. Mr. America that year and the next was John Grimek who trained primarily by lifting weights. John Grimek, the great Olympic weight lifter created his magnificent muscles by weightlifting. He rarely volunteered this information.
He trained primarily by lifting weights in a gym. His posing routines were legendary. He could stay for more than thirty minutes at a time of doing poses, which involved extraordinary degree of strength, flexibility and coordination.
In the year 1943, Clarence Ross won the title of Mr. America. He is considered as the first modern body builder. During this era, distinction between competitive weight-lifting and weight training for muscle development had been clearly made. People of this era still were unacknowledged about this body-beautiful sport and its winners.
After Clarence Ross, Steve Reeves won the Mr. America title. He changed the scenario of body-building. He was considered as the right man at right place and right time. He was very handsome and had a symmetrical and magnificent physique. The crowd used to follow Reeves, when he would walk along the beach.After winning the prestigious title of Mr. America and Mr. Universe, Reeves acted in films like Hercules, The thief of Baghdad, etc. he became an International star due to popularity of his movies. By around 1950, Reeves was the only body-builder known to the common man.
This chain of body-builders continued through Larry Scott, Sergeo Oliva, Frank Zen, Franko Colombu, Dave Dreper, Freddy Ortiz, Harold Pool and Arnold. Arnold is the most popular and famous body builder of all. His coach, Dr. joseph wider, describes him as ‘one and only’ Arnold. Body builders like John Grimek and Sergeo Oliva were also weight-lifters of international level.