Tony Farrell II

Tony Farrell is basking in the sun on his back in his second appearance of the day.

 

Bulges Day

It's bulges day on the blog and we start with a repeat of a guy from five years ago.

He won a trophy at Muscle Beach.

 

Steve Reeves

Lest we forget, Bruce Bellas photographed dozens of bodybuilders with their pants on early in his career.  Here we have Steve Reeves on a slow crowd day at Muscle Beach in 1949.

 

Winner

Our trophy holder was one of the winners at an early Muscle Beach competition.

If you look closely, you can see two weight discos at center right.

 

Mr. Muscle Beach

That's Jackie Coey with Ed Fury in this 1953 photo made on Muscle Beach.  Ed was a big part of the scene there in the early 1950s, and he won the Mr. Muscle Beach title in 1951 and 1953.  I believe the photo below is from 1952 when he didn't win, but placed well enough for a trophy or two.

 

Boards

For a moment, I thought Bill Davidson was posing with a 

vintage surfboard or two, but those are just ordinary boards.

 

No surf trio

There is no surf, leaving me thinking this beach was on a lake.

 

Competitor

After he got out of the Navy in 1946, Bob McCune moved to the West Coast, first to the Bay Area where he studied a few semesters at Stanford U. on the GI Bill.  He was "discovered" in a San Francisco gym by some unknown advisor and told he should move to LA where the Muscle Beach scene was developing.  That let to competitive bodybuilding and his winning national titles in '47, '48, and '49, the latter being Mr. America.  This photo was made at Muscle Beach by an unknown.

This photo from an unknown competition shows Bob McCune at right 

and a guy named Steve Reeves at left.  I don't know who won.

 

Weightlifters, Part 2 - Muscle Beach Men as Weights

Part 2 of our Sunday weightlifting theme features scenes from the 

famous Muscle Beach where men are using other me as workout aids.  That's Doug Draper 

atop Hugo Labria.  Let that image take your dirty mind wherever.  It works for me.

I wish we had some photos of this scene taken from some different angles

This looks like it could have been a lot of fun with some minor rearrangements.

I can't tell if this is a human weight exercise or a stunt.

Hugo Labra is applying pressure to Dave Draper's back
to add to the resistance while an unknown guy stands by.

Weightlifting, Part 2 - Muscle Beach

In the period following World War II, Muscle Beach in Los Angeles became 

a mecca for bodybuilders who liked to strut their stuff.  Part 2 of today's 

weightlifting series features some of those men.  I don't know if the guy at 

right is applauding or standing by to catch the barbell if dropped.

Bruce of LA took this photo of Steve Reeves at Muscle Beach.

All kinds of beef here, but I'd really like to see more of the guy in the leopard trunks at left.

This guy knows what he's doing.

You have to give this guy credit for trying, but he might have received some teasing at Muscle Beach.