Profile: Bernarr Macfadden

Bernarr Macfadden, turn-of-the-century strongman turned media mogul was detailed in the previous post about the book Mr. America. As previously stated, he purportedly kept his physical prowess and vitality until his early-80s when he began to slow down. That’s an impressive accomplishment even by today’s standards, let alone in the far more challenging health landscape of the early 20th century. Here’s what we know about his health routines.

• Sleep, Mind, & Social: Macfadden was known for his intense social activism in health reform and education. He was a proponent of mental and physical self-improvement, often advocating for a positive mental attitude to complement his physical health practices.
• Exercise: Macfadden was a pioneer of physical culture, promoting rigorous daily exercise routines. He was an advocate for bodybuilding, various forms of calisthenics, and unconventional practices like fasting and nude sunbathing for health benefits. He rarely wore shoes.
• Diet: Macfadden was an advocate for natural foods, emphasizing a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while cautioning against processed foods. He was known for his fasting regimes to cleanse the body and promote health.
• Vices: No health vices but his personal life was a mess
• Metrics: Given the metrics available at the time this was limited to scales and physical fitness tests like strength tests, running tests, etc.
• Cosmetic: None
• Supplements: Macfadden was ahead of his time in advocating for natural supplements like cod liver oil but was skeptical of synthetic vitamins or supplements not found in nature.
• Experimental Treatments: Macfadden was famous for his experimental health treatments, including fasting cures, hydrotherapy, and other forms of natural therapy. He even ran health sanitariums where he applied these methods, some of which were controversial.

During his life he wrote over 100 books and some of the titles are a hoot. Below are my top 10 favorites. I’m particularly fond of “Be Married and Like it”.

1. Virile Powers of Superb Manhood. New York, Physical culture publishing company. 1900.
2. Power and Beauty of Superb Womanhood. 1901.
3. Vaccination Superstition. 1902.
4. Marriage: a Lifelong Honeymoon. 1903.
5. Physical Culture for Babies. 1904.
6. A Strenuous Lover. 1904.
7. Making Old Bodies Young. New York, Physical culture publishing company. 1919.
8. Truth About Tobacco. 1921.
9. After 40 – What?. 1935.
10. Be Married and Like It. 1937.

My Take:
Bernarr Macfadden was the real McCoy – an authentic health and fitness pioneer who lived by his principles and reaped the rewards in the form of exceptional physical health throughout his life. Remarkably, he achieved this during an era where maintaining one’s health was far more challenging than it is today. His unwavering commitment was the foundation of his longevity.

Takeaways for You:
The lessons from Macfadden’s life are simple yet profound:

• The foundational practices that worked for him remain effective today.
• The experimental treatments he championed are now largely dismissed as quackery or minimally effective.

The bottom line? Focus on the time-tested basics and avoid chasing unproven cutting-edge solutions until solid scientific evidence supports them.