What Every Man Should Physically Be Able To Do

Every man should be able to save his own life.

A man should be able to swim far enough, run fast and long enough to save your life in case of emergency and necessity.'

The quote mentioned above comes from Earle E. Liederman, a renowned fitness pioneer back in the days of Charles Atlas.

Anyway, in order to 'save your own life' -as well as the life of a loved one, Liederman did NOT advocate bodybuilding or powerlifting.

Much of Liedermans' life-saving methods evolved around the development of 'strength-endurance' with bodyweight calisthenics.

'I've seen patients transform their bodies through the power of calisthenics, and you to can see improvements in your appearance and in your stamina.

And, by doing regular calisthenics, you will be lowering your risk of injury and building muscle that has been 'trained for function.'

Let's face it, big gigantic muscles may impress some people, but there is nothing more impressive than having the functional strength-endurance to do things with ease - including saving someone's life. Yours included.

Liederman's life-saving prescription is not very far off from my own. He wrote that a man should ...

* Be able to swim at least half a mile or more

* Be able to run at top speed for the length of two football fields

* Be able to jump over obstacles higher than your waist

* Be in condition to pull your body upward by the strength of your arms, until your chin touches your hands, at least 15 to 20 times

* Be able to dip between parallel bars or 2 chairs 25 times or more

"If a man can accomplish these things,' Liederman said, 'he need have no fear concerning the safety of his life should he be forced into an emergency from which only he alone may be able to save himself."