Eugen Sandow, 1900 Known as the father of bodybuilding , Sandow developed strength training techniques that are still used today. Among his many accomplishments, Sandow helped stage the world's first bodybuilding show in 1901 at England's Royal Albert Hall. Rykoff Collection/Getty Images
Eugen Sandow, circa 1900 In this photo, Sandow poses with a selection of weightlifting equipment. Rischgitz/Getty Images
A 1902 advertisement for Sandow's Magazine of Physical Culture Started by legendary bodybuilder Eugen Sandow in 1898, the publication is recognized as the world's first bodybuilding magazine. Jay Paull/Getty Images
Eugen Sandow, 1910 Sandow had a powerful legacy. Today, winners of Mr. Olympia receive a Sandow statuette: a small sculpture of Sandow himself. ullstein bild via Getty Images
Eugen Sandow, undated In this photo, Sandow strikes a pose while wearing a fig leaf and gladiator sandals. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
Katie Sandwina, 1895 In this photo, Katie Sandwina gears up to break a chain over her thigh. General Photographic Agency/Getty Images
Eugen Sandow, 1896 The German bodybuilder shows off his impressive strength by flexing his arms while sitting on a bicycle. Library of Congress - Getty Images
Strongman, 1900 A Russian strongman poses with his hands on his hips. Buyenlarge - Getty Images
Strongman, 1900 A bodybuilder shows off his back muscles in a sideways pose. Buyenlarge - Getty Images
Mr. Eggleton, circa 1905 The bodybuilder known as Mr. Eggleton was the manager of Eugen Sandow's physical school. Reinhold Thiele/Thiele/Getty Images
The Strongman Pose, circa 1900 A strongman in Russia strikes a pose. Buyenlarge/Getty Images
Strongman, 1900 A bodybuilder flexes his triceps, deltoids, and trapezius muscles. Buyenlarge - Getty Images
Lionel Strongfort, 1901 Strongfort was known for his "human bridge act," wherein a car carrying a half-dozen passengers would drive over a plank of wood set up like a see-saw over his body. ullstein bild via Getty Images
Strongman, 1900 A strongman from Russia participates in a tug of war contest. Buyenlarge - Getty Images
Strongman, circa 1900 A photograph of a strongman from Russia focuses on the bodybuilder's intensely defined ab muscles. Buyenlarge - Getty Images
Strongman, 1900 A bodybuilder displays a chest full of awards from different strength competitions. Buyenlarge - Getty Images
Strongman, undated In this undated photo, a strongman attempts to break a chain with his bare hands. Getty
Tom Joyce, undated Please don't try this at home. In this undated photo, strongman Tom Joyce resists the strain of four guys pulling a rope around his neck. "Tom performs his feats of strength as a hobby," according to the photo caption . Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
Strongman, circa 1900 A body builder from Russia dons a skintight leotard and gold belt as he poses flexing his muscles. Buyenlarge - Getty Images
Strongman, circa 1900 In this photo, a strongman performs for a crowd at the Place de l'Opera in Paris, France. adoc-photos/Corbis via Getty Images
Strongman, 1900 A bodybuilder, with an impressive mustache, wears the Bandolier of Victory for his physical achievements. Buyenlarge - Getty Images
George Hackenschmidt, 1902 George Hackenschmidt was a professional wrestler. He's also known as the father of the bench press and hack squat . S&G/PA Images via Getty Images
Young Strongmen, 1905 A group of young athletes, and members of the Jeffersonville Athletic Club in New York, pose in front of a sets of dumbbells. Kirn Vintage Stock - Getty Images
George Hackenschmidt, 1911 In this photo, Hackenschmidt performs a bench press in front of a crowd in Chicago. Chicago History Museum/Getty Images
George Hackenschmidt, 1911 Hackenschmidt lifts a barbell over his head with one hand on a deck by a body of water in Chicago, surrounded by a crowd of men. Chicago History Museum/Getty Images
William Murray, circa 1905 Winner of the Sandow bodybuilding competition around 1905, Murray was the "first recognizable bodybuilding champion," according to Physical Culture Study . Reinhold Thiele/Thiele/Getty Images
Strongman, 1910 In this photo, a strongman lifts a dumbbell over his head. Getty
Gus Lasser, 1920s Strongman Gus Lasser bends an iron pipe with his mouth. Getty
Strongman, 1921 A strongman pulls a car with his teeth outside of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C. Universal History Archive - Getty Images
Charles Atlas, circa 1920 Italian-American bodybuilder Charles Atlas famously transformed himself from a " 97-pound weakling " into one of the biggest names in physical fitness. He developed the ultra-successful bodybuilding program called " Dynamic Tension ," which focused on bodyweight and isometric exercises. FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Andre Reverdy, 1920s The strongest man in the world for his 115 pound weight, Andre Reverdy, was called "the vest pocket strongman" and competed in all the classic strongman feats, such as bending poles, ripping phone books, and pulling a car with his teeth. Here, he demonstrates his core strength by having women jump on his mid-section from a table. George Rinhart - Getty Images
Ivan the Great, 1924 The world's strongest strongman, Ivan "The Great" demonstrates his strength by holding a plank with five dancing couples on it. George Rinhart - Getty Images
Alfred Banks, 1929 French bodybuilder Alfred Banks demonstrates for a crowd how to bend a pipe. This skill became a common sign of strength during this time. Keystone-France - Getty Images
Charles Atlas, circa 1930 In this photo, Atlas demonstrates a piece of fitness equipment known as the "Electric Vibrator," which was a muscle-building tool, according to Getty Images . FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Charles Atlas and Dorothy Wilson, 1936 Actress and winner of the Most Perfect Model, Dorothy Wilson, poses with bodybuilder Charles Atlas. Bettmann - Getty Images
Relna Brewer, 1938 Female body builder Relna Brewer smiles on a beach as she holds a pole that she has bent. Bettmann - Getty Images
Charles Atlas, 1938 A suntanned Charles Atlas flexes his muscles while posing on a beach. The famous body builder was dubbed "the most perfectly developed man " in the late '30s for his toned physique. Bettmann - Getty Images
Galen Gough, undated After suffering a serious head injury in World War I that left him paralyzed in one arm, the Kentucky-born Gough reportedly healed himself through bodybuilding . He went on to become an actor and bodybuilder in the 1930s, renowned for strongman stunts like the one pictured here. Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
Galen Gough, 1934 In this photo, a 200-pound Gough holds firmly onto two horseshoes while seven women try to pull him out of place. Getty
A bodybuilder in the 1930s A bodybuilder strikes a pose in this photo from the 1930s. Underwood Archives/Getty Images
Steve Reeves, 1939 The bodybuilder-turned-actor was famous for his title role in the 1958 version of Hercules . Getty
Hans Luber, 1940 Strongman Hans Luber uses a strengthening device while training in the gym. Hulton Archive - Getty Images
Patricia O'Keefe and Wayne Long, 1940 A little girl exhibiting an unheard of ability of strength is able to carry 200 pound bodybuilder Wayne Long on her back. Bettmann - Getty Images
John Grimek, 1941 The two time winner of Mr. America, John Grimek, strikes a pose. Jack Tinney - Getty Images
Charles Atlas, 1945 Atlas flexing on the beach.
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