Greg Newton
08-07-2010, 11:28 AM
In another thread we were discussing the good doc of HIT, Powerlifting, and sports training fame. While Dr. Ken's methods and training history are totally antithetical to what we promote here, that doesn't disparage him as an author, a person, or as a human being. In fact, everything I've ever read about the man tells me he is a great guy. So in that spirit, let me quote Dr. Ken on Charles Atlas.
In the small town of Point Lookout where we lived, there were relatively few full time, year-round residents. Considered a summer beach community, many who stayed, or who were forced to live there through the winter months, like our family, did so without heat or hot water. There were substantial, year-round homes that of course made the ramshackle summer bungalows that others lived in pale by comparison and in one of these nice houses lived Mr. Angelo Siciliano.
He was a splendid looking gentleman, always neat, well groomed, and in great physical condition, even at what was to my teenaged judgment, his "older age." He jogged on the beach and lived quietly with his family and my father was insistent that I always refer to him as “Mr. Siciliano.” As I saw him daily, I was careful to do just that and not ever refer to him by his more famous and internationally known name of Charles Atlas.
Yes, “that” Charles Atlas was actually a neighbor, one of the nicest men, no, gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He was polite, had an air of intellect and “finish” about him although he was an immigrant “off the boat” as the old timers would say, and probably had no more of a formal education than my father did. He was always very encouraging once I made it known that I intended to become bigger and stronger.
That quote was from Dr. Ken's history of powerlifting; not so much as history but a rambling reminiscense of the various lifters, bodybuilders, and publishers he met in New York and California over the years. Thank you Dr. Ken for that nice summation of Charles Atlas.
Greg Newton
In the small town of Point Lookout where we lived, there were relatively few full time, year-round residents. Considered a summer beach community, many who stayed, or who were forced to live there through the winter months, like our family, did so without heat or hot water. There were substantial, year-round homes that of course made the ramshackle summer bungalows that others lived in pale by comparison and in one of these nice houses lived Mr. Angelo Siciliano.
He was a splendid looking gentleman, always neat, well groomed, and in great physical condition, even at what was to my teenaged judgment, his "older age." He jogged on the beach and lived quietly with his family and my father was insistent that I always refer to him as “Mr. Siciliano.” As I saw him daily, I was careful to do just that and not ever refer to him by his more famous and internationally known name of Charles Atlas.
Yes, “that” Charles Atlas was actually a neighbor, one of the nicest men, no, gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He was polite, had an air of intellect and “finish” about him although he was an immigrant “off the boat” as the old timers would say, and probably had no more of a formal education than my father did. He was always very encouraging once I made it known that I intended to become bigger and stronger.
That quote was from Dr. Ken's history of powerlifting; not so much as history but a rambling reminiscense of the various lifters, bodybuilders, and publishers he met in New York and California over the years. Thank you Dr. Ken for that nice summation of Charles Atlas.
Greg Newton