Page 118 - The Iron Games E-book

The Iron Games Strength Lifting

when sports coaches began to see that it was an excellent
addition to athletic and physical education programs.
Bodybuilding soon followed on the sandy shores
of Muscle Beach in Venice, California. Bodybuilding was
practiced by men and women who participated in
physique shows, weightlifting competitions, and
acrobatics demonstrations. This was when women’s
progression into weightlifting really took hold. This is
primarily contributed to the Nautilus machines. These
machines used variable resistance. The Nautilus variable
resistance machines hit the market in the 1970’s. The
machines were great because they were less intimidating
than free weights. They allowed people to lift light weights
easily, which was perfect for the woman who was just
starting out. The creator of the Nautilus, Arthur Jones,
preached a philosophy of training that gave people a road
map and instructions for the use of his machines. He
proposed a 20-minute workout three times a week that
included one set of 8 to 12 repetitions for each Nautilus
machine. Many people are still following his
recommendations today.
The innovation of the Nautilus machines inspired
a fitness revolution, and many different companies came
on the market with their own resistance machines. In the
1970’s, the aerobics revolution began, and it flourished
throughout the 1980’s. Women who had previously been
training with weights were now jumping and stepping in
huge proportions in aerobics rooms rather than going out
to weight floors. A hybrid of selector zed equipment was
the plate-loaded machine, which was introduced in the
later 1980’s. Hammer Strength was the first of these
machines. Entire body movement was the focus for these
machines, rather than specific body parts. The machines
felt natural and smooth, and they actually led to a
resurgence of lifting free weights. Women were coming
back into the weight room. It was also becoming
apparent, through research and anecdotal reports, that
resistance training produced huge benefits for those who

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