Peary Rader
Encyclopedia
Peary Rader was an early bodybuilder, Olympic lifter, writer, and magazine publisher from Nebraska
.
, and built his bodyweight up to 210 pounds within about a year (he eventually reached 220 pounds). He was victorious in a number of local and regional weightlifting
contests, and also became proficient at a number of other lifts (such as the one-hand clean) and feats of strength. Rader was the Midwestern Heavyweight Champion for seven years, with official lifts of 220 pounds in the one-hand clean and jerk
, 280 pounds in the two-hand clean and jerk, and a squat of 450 pounds (without support gear).
Rader married the former Mabel Kirchner in 1936; they had two sons, Jack and Gene. Shortly after being married, Peary and Mabel founded Iron Man
magazine, which was initially printed using a ditto machine that Peary had salvaged from the trash. Rader published Iron Man through the September, 1986 issue, which included a number of letters from prominent people in the field to celebrate the magazine's fiftieth anniversary. At its peak, the magazine had a circulation of 70,000. Rader himself published approximately 1300 magazine articles; most were in Iron Man, but some were also published in Strength Athlete (published by George Kirkley) and by Joe Weider
(Dellinger, 1994).
In 1986, Rader sold the magazine to John Balik, who repositioned it as a hard-core bodybuilding magazine. Rader also published Lifting News for many years.
Rader died on November 24, 1991.
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
.
Biography
Rader was born on October 17, 1909. He started lifting weights at age 12, but in 1933, he weighed just 128 pounds at a height of 5'11.5". Then he shifted his emphasis to heavy, high repetition squatsSquat (exercise)
In strength training, the squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads , hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body...
, and built his bodyweight up to 210 pounds within about a year (he eventually reached 220 pounds). He was victorious in a number of local and regional weightlifting
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
contests, and also became proficient at a number of other lifts (such as the one-hand clean) and feats of strength. Rader was the Midwestern Heavyweight Champion for seven years, with official lifts of 220 pounds in the one-hand clean and jerk
Clean and jerk
The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events .The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles...
, 280 pounds in the two-hand clean and jerk, and a squat of 450 pounds (without support gear).
Rader married the former Mabel Kirchner in 1936; they had two sons, Jack and Gene. Shortly after being married, Peary and Mabel founded Iron Man
Iron Man (magazine)
Iron Man Magazine is a publication which discusses bodybuilding, weightlifting and powerlifting. It was founded in 1936 by two Alliance, Nebraska natives, Peary Rader and his wife, Mabel Rader.-History:...
magazine, which was initially printed using a ditto machine that Peary had salvaged from the trash. Rader published Iron Man through the September, 1986 issue, which included a number of letters from prominent people in the field to celebrate the magazine's fiftieth anniversary. At its peak, the magazine had a circulation of 70,000. Rader himself published approximately 1300 magazine articles; most were in Iron Man, but some were also published in Strength Athlete (published by George Kirkley) and by Joe Weider
Joe Weider
Josef E. "Joe" Weider is co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilders along with brother Ben Weider and creator of the Mr. Olympia, the Ms. Olympia, and the now-defunct Masters Olympia bodybuilding contests...
(Dellinger, 1994).
In 1986, Rader sold the magazine to John Balik, who repositioned it as a hard-core bodybuilding magazine. Rader also published Lifting News for many years.
Rader died on November 24, 1991.