The FIRST Bodybuilding Show was in 1901! [Full Doc] @BarbellFilms

Barbell Films In 1901, the world's first bodybuilding show took place, and it was organised by none other than Eugen Sandow, the father of modern bodybuilding. The competition was attended by 60 competitors, who each had to secure their place through a series of rigorous qualifier competitions, held across Great Britain. In the end, it ended up being a sellout success at London's Royal Albert Hall. Yet, difficulties faced by Eugen Sandow almost meant that the world's first bodybuilding show never took place. In this documentary, I take a look at how the competition came to be, from the build up, to the difficulties faced by Sandow, to the night of the event itself.

From setting the foundations for competitive bodybuilding, to the birth of the iconic Sandow Trophy, designed in the image of Eugen Sandow, the first bodybuilding show was a highly influential in the history of bodybuilding. Thanks to the name and star status of Eugen Sandow, the event gained attention from audiences worldwide, and put bodybuilding on the map. When looking at the legacy of Eugen Sandow, it's hard to not see the first bodybuilding show in history as his most impressive accomplishment.

-- VIDEO CHAPTERS --
0:00 | Intro
1:05 | The Competitors
1:51 | The Build up
2:40 | Sandow's Intentions
5:17 | The Delays
8:39 | The Judging Criteria
10:15 | The Prize
11:45 | The Attire
12:52 | The Competition
16:22 | The Winner
20:00 | The Impact
22:37 | The Lives of Murray, Cooper and Smythe
32:27 | More Thoughts on the Competitors
34:21 | The Future of Murray's Trophy
35:34 | Really the First?

Subscribe to Barbell Films: bit.ly/3q6YqN9

For all sources/music/more info: http://www.barbellfilms.co.uk

Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/barbellfilms

updated 10 months ago

The FIRST Bodybuilding Show was in 1901! [Full Doc]

Barbell Films 2023-11-26 | In 1901, the world's first bodybuilding show took place, and it was organised by none other than Eugen Sandow, the father of modern bodybuilding. The competition was attended by 60 competitors, who each had to secure their place through a series of rigorous qualifier competitions, held across Great Britain. In the end, it ended up being a sellout success at London's Royal Albert Hall. Yet, difficulties faced by Eugen Sandow almost meant that the world's first bodybuilding show never took place. In this documentary, I take a look at how the competition came to be, from the build up, to the difficulties faced by Sandow, to the night of the event itself.

From setting the foundations for competitive bodybuilding, to the birth of the iconic Sandow Trophy, designed in the image of Eugen Sandow, the first bodybuilding show was a highly influential in the history of bodybuilding. Thanks to the name and star status of Eugen Sandow, the event gained attention from audiences worldwide, and put bodybuilding on the map. When looking at the legacy of Eugen Sandow, it's hard to not see the first bodybuilding show in history as his most impressive accomplishment.

-- VIDEO CHAPTERS --
0:00 | Intro
1:05 | The Competitors
1:51 | The Build up
2:40 | Sandow's Intentions
5:17 | The Delays
8:39 | The Judging Criteria
10:15 | The Prize
11:45 | The Attire
12:52 | The Competition
16:22 | The Winner
20:00 | The Impact
22:37 | The Lives of Murray, Cooper and Smythe
32:27 | More Thoughts on the Competitors
34:21 | The Future of Murray's Trophy
35:34 | Really the First?

Subscribe to Barbell Films: bit.ly/3q6YqN9

For all sources/music/more info: http://www.barbellfilms.co.uk

Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/barbellfilms

The Victorian Eras FANCIEST Gym Chain

Barbell Films 2024-09-21 | In 1897, bodybuilder Eugen Sandow launched the Victorian era's fanciest gym chain, which took the country by storm during the physical culture movement. His success came thanks to his world-class (and at times dangerous) gyms, along with groundbreaking marketing strategies. Yet, the rise of Sandow's gyms was followed by a drastic downfall, caused by high profile accidents, salacious rumours, and war. To learn more about the wild rise and fall of the Sandow Institutes, check out my Youtube channel and watch my latest mini-doc!

The Sandow Institute, Britains Most Controversial Gym Chain

Barbell Films 2024-09-16 | In 1897, bodybuilder Eugen Sandow launched the Victorian era's fanciest gym chain, which took the country by storm during the physical culture movement. His success came thanks to his world-class gyms, along with groundbreaking marketing strategies. And yet, Sandow's claims and advertisements would also be the source of his undoing. His false claims of healing drew the criticisms of skeptics, and high profile deaths at his gym chain would cause him to come into conflict with Britain's Medical Community at the time. In the end, the Institute had a drastic downfall, caused by high profile accidents, salacious rumours, and war. In this film we'll uncover just how things played out.

-- VIDEO CHAPTERS --
0:00 | Intro
0:57 | The Empire of Eugen Sandow
1:50 | Eugen Sandow's First Health Club
2:49 | Appealing to the Target Market
3:23 | The Sandow Exercise Experience
4:10 | Membership Cost
4:26 | The Expansion of Eugen Sandow's Health Clubs
4:52 | How did Eugen Sandow Market his Fancy Gyms?
6:08 | The BOLD Claims of the Sandow Institute
7:12 | Eugen Sandow Elevating his Status
8:25 | The Problems with the Sandow Institute
10:25 | Eugen Sandow's Battle with the General Medical Council
11:58 | World War 1 (and a series of rumours) take hold
13:35 | The Sandow Empire Collapses
14:29 | How Sandow's first Health Club looks today

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For all sources/music/more info: http://bit.ly/4e4APWP

Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/barbellfilms

The HISTORY of Bodybuilding, Explained.

Barbell Films 2021-01-10 | Correction:
In this film I state that there were 52 competitors at Sandow's Great Competition. I made this vid a good few years ago and honestly can't remember where I got that number from. But having recently made an in-depth doc all about Sandow's Great Competition, I can safely say that there were 60 competitors and not 52!

Other note: It's been brought to my attention that the original footage shown at 8:00 and 8:39 was originally shot by Norm Komich, who I failed to mention in the credit line underneath. RIP to Norm, and very grateful to him for originally shooting this footage.

Bodybuilding has come a long way. In this video I'll explore the bodybuilding history timeline, from its very beginning.

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(Sections)

00:00 Intro
00:37 The Beginnings
01:28 The Father of Bodybuilding
03:02 The First Bodybuilding Show
05:57 The Silver Era Begins
06:44 The Origins of Steroids
07:55 IFBB vs AAU (and others)
08:22 Arnie Appears!
10:15 The Effects of Pumping Iron
12:12 Ms Olympia and the 90's
13:24 To Conclude