Gilman Low

American strongman and vegetarian

Gilman Low

Occupation| Strongman

Gilman Low was an American physical culturalist, strongman and promoter of vegetarianism.

## Biography

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Low was a bodybuilder in New York City. He was one of the few physical culturists to advocate muscle-building properties of vegetarianism.[1] In the early 20th century, it was reported that Low would train for his weight-lifting feats by eating one light meal a day.[2] He also experimented with seven to fifteen day fasts. Low stated that he had increased strength during fasts. Osteopathic physician Irving James Eales took interest in fasting and Low's feats. He documented Low's fasts in his book Healthology, published in 1907.[2]

In 1903, Low demonstrated a million pound lift in front of witnesses at strongman Anthony Barker's gymnasium.[3] The million-pound lift was originally proposed by Bernarr Macfadden to Low in early 1902. Macfadden told Low that if he could lift 1,000 pounds 1,000 times as quickly as possible it would make a million-pound lift and if successful he would publish the results in his Physical Culture magazine.[4] Low established a world record by reportedly back lifting 1.6 million pounds over a thirty-five minute period.[1] His vegetarian diet in training for two months consisted of cereals, eggs, fruits, milk, nuts, whole wheat bread and plenty of distilled water.[3] The results were published in Physical Culture, in 1903.[3]

Low contributed articles to Bernarr Macfadden's Physical Culture.[5] He was also a talented illustrator.

Low was described as a rival of Eugen Sandow.[6]

## Selected publications

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* A Dieting Experiment (Physical Culture, 1902)
* The Greatest Lion Monarch of the Century (Physical Culture, 1903)
* The Ideal Male Figure (Physical Culture, 1903)
* The Medicine Ball as a Health Builder (Health: A Home Magazine Devoted to Physical Culture, 1905)

## See also

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* Lionel Strongfort

## References

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1. ^ a b Shprintzen, Adam D. (2013). The Vegetarian Crusade: The Rise of an American Reform Movement, 1817-1921. University of North Carolina Press. p. 195. ISBN 978-1-4696-0891-4
2. ^ a b Griffith, R. Marie. (2004). Born Again Bodies: Flesh and Spirit in American Christianity. University of California Press. pp. 111-112. ISBN 0-520-21753-5
3. ^ a b c "A Million-Pound Life". Physical Culture. 10: 201–203\. 1903.
4. ^ "How I Lifted 1,000,000 Pounds and How I Failed". The Washington Times (October 27, 1907).
5. ^ Fair, John D. (2015). Mr. America: The Tragic History of a Bodybuilding Icon. University of Texas Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-292-76082-0
6. ^ Whorton, James C. (1981). "Muscular Vegetarianism: The Debate Over Diet and Athletic Performance in the Progressive Era". Journal of Sport History. 8 (2): 58–75\. PMID 11614819.

## Further reading

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* "Gilman Low's Great Feat". The Vegetarian Magazine. 11 (2): 3–4\. 1907.

* v
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* e

Physical culture

Antecedents|

* Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths
* Friedrich Ludwig Jahn
* Johann Baptist Krebs
* Pehr Henrik Ling
* Franz Nachtegall
* Francisco Amorós y Ondeano
* Adolf Spiess
* Thomas Topham

Systems|

| Western|

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* Bert Assirati
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* Launceston Elliot
* Tony Emmott
* Juan Ferrero
* Eileen Fowler
* Bob Fitzsimmons
* Gustav Frištenský
* Edith Margaret Garrud
* Hermann Görner
* George Hackenschmidt
* Georges Hébert
* Oscar Heidenstam
* F. A. Hornibrook
* Thomas Inch
* John Lees
* Dan McLeod
* Jørgen Peter Müller
* Hartvig Nissen
* Reg Park
* William Pullum
* Joan Rhodes
* Eugen Sandow
* Arthur Saxon
* Clara Schlaffhorst
* Sokol
* Mary Bagot Stack
* Lionel Strongfort
* Maxalding
* Maxick
* Monte Saldo
* Vulcana
* Ronald Walker
* Emily Diana Watts
* Freddie Welsh

|

New World|

* Marguerite Agniel
* Charles Atlas
* Clarence Bass
* Sanford Bennett
* Pierre Bernard
* Mark Berry
* Joe Bonomo
* George Brosius
* Drexel Biddle
* Marie Bjelke Petersen
* William Blaikie
* Paul Bragg
* Alan Calvert
* Edwin Checkley
* C. Ward Crampton
* Jack Delinger
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* Carrica Le Favre
* Keene Fitzpatrick
* Mark Forest
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* Vince Gironda
* Joe Greenstein
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* Milo Hastings
* Roy Hilligenn
* Bob Hoffman
* George F. Jowett
* Annette Kellerman
* Siegmund Klein
* Jack LaLanne
* W. R. C. Latson
* Diocletian Lewis
* Gilman Low
* Dan Lurie
* Bernarr Macfadden
* Artie McGovern
* William Muldoon
* Ralph Parcaut
* Kid Parker
* Harry Paschall
* Bill Pearl
* Steve Reeves
* Leo Robert
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Indian|

| Bodybuilding|

* Manohar Aich
* Ramesh Balsekar
* The Great Gama
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* Ambika Charan Guha
* Jatindra Charan Guho
* Guru Hanuman
* K. V. Iyer
* Kodi Rammurthy Naidu
* Chandgi Ram
* Monotosh Roy

|

Yogic|

* Krishnamacharya
* Kuvalayananda
* Seetharaman Sundaram
* Shri Yogendra
* Tiruka
* Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao

Related|

* Battle of the Systems
* Fitness culture
* Gymnastics
* Muscular religion
* Yoga as exercise
* Natural hygiene
* Pilates

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