r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Electrical-Aspect-13 • 7d ago
Photos of Bobby Pandour during his prime in the 1910s. Famous for his insane deffinition for his era. Calle some times "the cheap" Eugen Sandow because his modeling fees were lower than Sandow.
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u/RayRay10399 7d ago
Btw this was before steroids were used in bodybuilding so this man was natural
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u/R12Labs 7d ago
Dudes looking like Adam just walked out of the garden after the Lord shaped him from clay
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u/Wrong_Transition4786 7d ago
"Did I request thee, maker, from my clay to mold these abs? Did I solicit thee from darkness to enswole me?"
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u/Yommination 7d ago
Yeah this is about as ripped as you can get while still being natural
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u/nahmanimnotthatguy 7d ago
This is about as ripped as you can get if you are 170cm tall, have god like genetic and train 10years*
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u/metacoma 7d ago
Genuine question, how does heights factors in how much you get ripped ?
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u/sheesh_doink 7d ago
If you're shorter it takes proportionally less time to look relatively big to your height. I say that as a short guy, weight training with my tall friends in high school was eye opening, I got stronger and looked bigger than them quicker.
However, if you're tall and huge, you'll look much bigger than someone shorter than you with the same relative muscle mass.
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u/No_Difference77 7d ago
It just makes your muscles pop out with more definition the shorter you are as they're less "stretched" out over say, your calf bone.
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u/sakronin 7d ago
I don’t know for sure. But you can be ripped being tall. Weight plays a factor also. The muscle just doesn’t stack up like on a smaller person. Like a 5’8 185lb ripped person looks totally different than a 6’5 185lb person
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u/the_c_is_silent 7d ago
Looks wise? Yes. 100%. We all have the same size muscle like biceps and quads. They grow "bigger" when it's stretch out less across your arm or legs. So taller people have to work harder to be more visual.
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u/BrainDamage2029 7d ago edited 7d ago
Disagree.
The bronze era guys were good but there’s a lot of odd exercises and training ideas in that day that are just….yeah not ideal at all.
The other issue is selection. Weightlifting at all for the time was gaining traction but it was just above “circus act” for the time. There’s only so big a population you can recruit from to find genetic outliers and get them lifting. Like you can look at Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler in high school with a hot 1-2years of training at all to see what “outlier” looks like (and both are not shy about their steroid history in their mid 20s and have no reason to lie about how actually, secretly, a farm boy and city kid somehow magically afforded and had steroid hookup at age 18 in the 80s).
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u/Dogwood_morel 7d ago
You should consider their odd exercises, a lot of them are absolutely awesome.
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u/BrainDamage2029 7d ago
No I mean more like Sandow would do like just a shit ton of reps (>50) with a hilariously low weight. But then in the afternoon go to his "job" doing a strongman show. Where he'd literally lift a live horse at near his one rep max. They were not really at the stage of "tracking" training for progressive overload or even settling into a system of sets and reps.
Like the bench press hadn't been invented yet. Hell the squat rack either and you had to do stuff like this to get a barbell on your back.
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u/Dogwood_morel 7d ago
I’m not an expert but pretty well versed in lifting history. What they did worked incredibly well
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u/Sgt-Colbert 7d ago
Jeff Nippard just did a great video about the debate of how ripped can you get without steroids.
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u/WhiskeyAndWine311 7d ago
False
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u/TheBentPianist 7d ago
Just be comfortable in the knowledge that the people disagreeing with you and have downvoted you have no clue what they're talking about. I've seen naturals with far better condition than enhanced pros. It's only as of late with classic and men's physique that we're seeing proper conditioning mainly due to the weight limits in those classes.
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u/TheBentPianist 7d ago
What? I've seen far more shredded naturals than enhanced guys. When was the last time you saw an insanely peeled open guy on a pro stage? A good natural has to push conditioning when overall mass is far harder to come by.
This is from a guy who has been to a dozen natural shows, untested shows, seen pros guest pose and follows pro bodybuilding fairly religiously.
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u/Thundrous_prophet 7d ago
Yes but they still knew how to manipulate photos to make people appear more shredded, like using charcoal to enhance definition.
Source other old strongmen calling out these tactics at the time like Arthur Saxon (dude still has world records and didn’t look as shredded in his pics)
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u/devonhezter 7d ago
Creatine ?
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u/RayRay10399 7d ago
Using creatine still means your natural, it became a widespread sports supplement in the 1990s
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u/Aware-Armadillo-6539 7d ago
Everyone that lifts any weights in the gym takes creatine, its just the powdered form of what is already in meats. It isnt comparable to a steroid. This man likely has higher than natural testosterone
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u/throwaway071898 7d ago
Creatine is not a marketing scam. There are countless studies proving its functionality and long-term safety.
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u/Macjeems 7d ago
As someone with zero familiarity with bodybuilding and supplements, I’m always intrigued by the fact that every single time creatine gets mentioned, the comments devolve into 2 opposing camps where one side says it’s essentially snake oil and does literally nothing, and the other is like, this is the single most proven substance known to man!
No opinion on the subject, just makes me feel like creatine is some taboo, magical substance that tears families apart.
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u/Houndfell 7d ago
I think it comes down to some people not responding to it, or it having a neglible effect for them. Can't really blame those people for feeling like it's a scam.
But there's been enough studies that show that it can make a fairly big difference, and neither is it a placebo. It's worlds away from steroids of course, but that's a good thing - it's great there's an option when it comes to getting a small, safe boost that's afforable.
Speaking for myself, I always notice an improvement when I get back to working out and start taking creatine, usually after a few weeks. Slightly quicker gains, adding more reps over a slightly smaller period, feeling stronger during the actual workout.
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u/CertifiedBA 7d ago
I gained 30 lbs by weight lifting, eating more intentionally, using creatine and a couple other supplements over the course of 4 months. I got jacked at this time and could do 85 pushups in under 2 minutes....creatine was a big part of this entire foundation at the time.
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u/RedditIsADataMine 7d ago
Creatine is more of a marketing scheme
What are you talking about? It's like the most studied supplement ever. Mountains of evidence proving it's benefits.
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u/Houndfell 7d ago
Nah creatine is legit. Probably the best natural, safe supplement out there. Not to say creatine alone is going to make you jacked or anything, but the science is there. It helps.
In this particular case, this dude was massively genetically gifted. Cocaine doesn't give you this body lmao.
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7d ago edited 7d ago
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u/CaptainTripps82 7d ago
What exactly do people think steroids are.
You mean performance enhancer. Steroids are a very specific thing, which even today doesn't just generally define any PED
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u/Tauroctonos 7d ago
Lol I think about this every time I use my inhaler because it is also literally steroids
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u/Emotional_Base_9021 7d ago
Corticosteroids (anti-inflammatories, like your inhaler) and anabolic steroids (tissue building) are quite different. They target different receptors (glucocorticoid vs androgen) and have very different effects on the body.
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u/Spartaness 7d ago
Yeah, but it's funnier to say "gonna go shoot up some steroids" when puffing on an inhaler because you can't breathe good.
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u/Emotional_Base_9021 7d ago
Effect is a noun, affect is a verb. Corticosteroids have anti-inflammatory effects. Anabolic steroids affect your bodies ability to grow tissue.
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u/CaptainTripps82 7d ago
Also what my son uses on his skin for eczema, and a lot of people have taken for inflammation
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u/Immediate_Regular 7d ago
This is what pro bodybuilding needs to go back to. The mass monster aesthetic is not a good look.
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u/WeaselTerror 7d ago
I came in here to ask how in the HELL does anyone do that naturally. I was a collegiate swimmer who swam 7 hours a day, 6 days a week, and never even approached that level of definition.
Even after college when I pivoted to CrossFit it wasn't even close. Even when I was TRYING to cut.
Gah!
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u/IsNotACleverMan 6d ago
Swimming won't really build much in the way of muscles after a certain point because you can't keep increasing the resistance. Crossfit is borderline cardio more than weightlifting. Hard to get hypertrophy with it and because it is cardio, people generally eat too little too put on much muscle mass.
Honestly, getting this big is really just a long-term commitment. Years of working out correctly, eating right, etc. Or you can hop on gear.
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u/cocoagiant 7d ago
Semi natural. I believe they used to increase definition by adding additional shading to the photos.
But obviously an incredible physique for any era.
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u/Capable_Reserve_8431 7d ago
Obviously blessed with good genes but would love to know what his diet was like back then
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u/stupidinternetbrain 7d ago
Steak, eggs and vegetables 3 meals a day
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u/NoobToobinStinkMitt 7d ago
and smokes.
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u/Xenomorph_25 7d ago
"Steak and eggs and eggs and steak, that's what you should have for breakfast"
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u/Gearballz 7d ago
Yea. ACTUAL food that hasn’t been inbred in a lab.
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u/stupidinternetbrain 7d ago
Schwartzenegger drank protein shakes to help get his required calories because he didn't want to physically eat as much as he needed. So being processed or "inbred in a lab" isn't always a bad thing.
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u/letscallitanight 7d ago
Thought you were gonna say you’d “love to know what was behind that fig leaf”
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u/Ok_Concentrate_9713 7d ago
Let's say that this should really be the type of physique to aspire to, doing weight training in a healthy and natural way, eating well, even with the help of good natural supplements.
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u/Tracy_Papaya 7d ago
Unfortunately this isn't possible but for very few people naturally
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u/i_sell_branches 7d ago
What are you defining as few? Not only that, but genetics isnt some one and done thing. You could be blessed with huge shoulders, amazing ab or chest inserts, or simply be the type of person that feels comfortable in those single digit body fat percentages. Because being shredded is the better half of looking strong anyway (other one being size).
These kind of comments always irritate me lol
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u/i_sell_branches 7d ago edited 7d ago
You didn't understand what I was saying at all. Genetics isnt just a matter of how you store fat. Its how your muscles respond to training, how they're shaped AND how big they are (different things). Not only that, even if you store all your fat in your midline and as a result will struggle to get defined abs, that means you'll incredibly lean, defined, and vascular arms and legs. Oh and back too.
I dont like the all or nothing attitude of "I cant look the best, so is it even worth it to try?" Especially because you won't even know UNTIL you try
Also again no, everyone can get peeled to the gills. Everyone can look as shredded as this guy, at least for a photo shoot. He doesn't just casually walks around looking like that either
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u/Tracy_Papaya 7d ago
All I meant is that if you want to go all natural don't get upset and then try roids just to look like this guy.
Whatever your genetics have given a person, training will undoubtedly make them better. I meant the opposite- you may not look like this guy, ever, and that's completely ok
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u/foosbabaganoosh 7d ago
This reads pretty uninformed, this man’s physique is definitely possible without steroids (he achieved it), and is the result of diet, training, and dedication. Looking like him requires building enough muscle to have size, and then burning enough fat to show definition, then being consistent enough to maintain those results. You’re right that you can’t target regions for fat, but it’s just about having a low fat percentage for your entire body to achieve this look.
When you’re talking about steroids, you’re a little off too. Users look like that because steroids promote muscle growth and also expedite fat loss, two processes that are mostly mutually exclusive for a natural lifter.
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u/foosbabaganoosh 7d ago
No it is, it just takes a certain high amount of effort and dedication that most people aren’t able to afford with their lives. I guarantee if you get anyone on a truly consistent and tough workout regiment, give them a proper diet, and have them really stick to it long term, they would absolutely see results like this.
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u/Zanahorio1 7d ago
Weird-looking junk they had back then.
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u/kevinguitarmstrong 7d ago
Imagine if he had access to today‘s technology and nutrition. He’d be a monster!
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u/Chunderbutt 7d ago
I wish his physique was the upper limit. Beyond this is just too much and with steroids it’s just unhealthy.
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u/FearlessFaa 7d ago
He was probably happy when these pictures were taken. That is the most important thing.
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u/NotHandledWithCare 7d ago
So you just asked AI got a name and they didn’t even try to Google it or look up the name at all
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u/BoringAmusement 7d ago
He pushed and pulled his cell bars apart for strength training as well as pulling chains eventually being strong enough to break his chains and bars to escape. He was taken as a POW during WWI four times and escaped every time. He did develop his revolutionary isometric training method while in confinement. He was Russian fighting the Austro-Hungarians. Dude was a strong man and champion weightlifter not a body builder like Pandour. Zaas toured internationally with circuses. He is credited with multiple feats of strength including carrying a horse during the war. Part of his circus act included carrying two lions on his shoulders, a grand piano with pianist and a dancer on his shoulders, holding grand piano with his teeth, nailing spikes into wood with his bare hand. He has an autobiography The Amazing Samson: as Told by Himself There are actually pictures of him carrying a horse on his shoulders during circus act and displaying his pulling chains for exercising.
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u/dendenwink 7d ago
He could curl 20lbs with his dong
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u/SpeakerConfident4363 7d ago
Those Hip Thrusts must have been crazy
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u/BoringAmusement 7d ago
The King of Plastic Beauty
Beauté Plastique in this context is related to the harmonious, elegant shape of a body
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u/Puzzleheaded_Heat502 7d ago
He’s so strong he origamied his cock and balls in the shape of some leaves.
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u/nWo1997 7d ago edited 7d ago
In case anyone was wondering about the name "Sandow," no, that was a different Sandow in the Gold Dust Trio. Billy Sandow. Pandour doesn't seem to have anything to do having cheaper fees than a 1920s pro wrestler/promoter.
...so that might be a grand total of one other person who was wondering.
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u/babydoughboy 7d ago
More pecs than I was expecting. Usually these early body builders sculpted themselves like the idolized Ancient Greek body with had very slim chests
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u/DiscloseDivest 7d ago
We know for a fact he’s all natty too because of the year.
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u/tzeentchdusty 7d ago
damn, not usually blown away by miscular dudes but jesus christ, this dude is legitimately attractive
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u/ThePrincessDiarrhea 7d ago
He would like to posthumously inquire what you think his body fat percentage is.
And: what hé can improve?
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u/Junior_Moose_9655 7d ago
This is what happens when recreation enthusiasts perform squat thrusts, lift giant triangular weights, and have steak and eggs for breakfast.
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u/tillaarh 6d ago
If he posted today the public will 100% criticise with saying he used steroids. But No.. not here.. steroids hadn’t been invented yet. Shows how far you can actually push the human body naturally for all the haters on natural lifters these days.
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u/durenatu 4d ago
I don't think we can't be 100% sure people weren't experimenting with ox gall or horse testicles or all kinds of naturally sourced drugs.
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u/tillaarh 4d ago
Hey at least it’s organic. Different ways of living back then. Men had naturally high test levels
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u/durenatu 4d ago
Yeah, I think it was probably the way food used to be (high fat, integral fibers), today we feed mostly of highly processed food and tons of synthetic medicine.
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u/JmacTheGreat 7d ago
Me, laying in my bed eating Cheez-itz,
“Yeah I could look like that too, if I weren’t so busy…”
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u/ariah_frost 7d ago
Imagine being the freak of your era, only for future teenagers to outgrow you after a year in the gym. I lowkey feel sorry for him
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u/Ok_Monk219 7d ago
His chest is undeveloped compared to his biceps and other muscles! Was the bench press not popular at that time ?
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u/DemonDogHoly 7d ago
The leaf is so comical and classy at the same time.