Steve Reeves’s “Building The Classic Physique The Natural Way” with John Little and Bob Wolff is a special book to me for several reasons. Steve Reeves was an idol of mine and I have always admired his physique. If one can be called the most perfectly developed and muscular man, Reeves has to be at the top of the list, or near the top in anyone’s poll. Another reason I like this book is because it mentions the Deaconess School in Helena, Montana. My grandmother worked at that school when Reeves attended. He was “one of her boys”, as she puts it. I have a picture of her with “her boys” and Reeves is one of them. While we lost Reeves in 2000, she lived to be 98 and died in 2010. And the last reason the book is special to me is that it reminds me of our phone conversations sometimes in the 1990s. If you want a motivational book on health and fitness, with lots of great photos of the god like Steve Reeves and some bio on him, this is a great book to have in your library.
The first part of the book is called “My Life in Bodybuilding” and it details a brief sketch of the life of the bodybuilder turned actor. In a few chapters you learn a little about her parents, her early years in Montana, and yes, my grandmother also remembered the 1935 earthquake, her move to California, how she discovered bodybuilding, early workouts, her time in the military, and his career as a bodybuilder. Unfortunately, the book does not enter his film career, but it is primarily a book about fitness, not just about Reeves.
The second part of the book, starting on page 45, is about the science of bodybuilding. The chapters are short and, like the first part of the book, there are extensive photographs of Reeves that, at the very least, should motivate anyone to exercise. The chapters focus on topics such as preliminary considerations, metallic aspects of training, training logic, classical physique, and routines for various parts of the body.
The third part contains additional training considerations, such as super-high intensity training, pyramid system, opposition exercise, muscle control and poses, the power of walking (when he grew up, Reeves focused a lot on his Power Walking), nutrition and loss of body. fat.
The fourth part is titled “Questions and Answers” and is filled with more motivating tips and photos. The questions about steroids remind me of when I asked you about steroids for a research article I was writing during my undergraduate studies in the early 90’s. I was against steroid use and it is one of the influences that prevented me from trying them. The book concludes with several appendices that share information on exercises, bodybuilding principles, awards and titles, one of his first workouts to be discovered, what the press said about Steve Reeves, and some impressions from mentors and friends.
Again, I don’t know how anyone could not be motivated to exercise by looking at the pictures in this book. It’s packed with solid basic training tips and some history on one of the most perfectly symmetrical and classic physiques in the world. If you are interested in Reeves or natural bodybuilding, this book should be on your shelf for you to read and use in your own quest for health and fitness.