Otto Arco was one of the foremost figures in oldschool Physical Culture. Along with Eugen Sandow, Bobby Pandour, and George Hackenschmidt I would say that he was one of the most famous and crucial characters in oldschool Physical Culture as well as one of the most innovative. He’s somewhere in my Top 3 figures in the history of Physical Culture and maybe in all of fitness. He pioneered the concept and practice of muscle control, which undoubtedly led to our use and mindfulness of the mind-muscle connection. Today, we’re going to delve into the life and history of this amazing man.
The Life of Otto Arco
Not much of a biography is available on the Magician of Muscle. However we do have record of significant events in his life and, of course, in physical culture. Otto Arco was born Otto Nowosielsky in Poland. He was a world champion wrestler and was also rated “The Worlds Most Perfectly Developed Man” in 1913. Despite the fact that he was only 5’2” he won the Austrian wrestling title at the ripe old age of 22. He was considered the best pound for pound wrestler in the world. Achievements, Feats, and Life’s Work As stated above, Otto Arco was rated the World’s Most Perfectly Developed Man back in 1913. This was due to his classic build. He was extremely aesthetic. Especially for that time. In some instances his chest development seems to be better than Eugen Sandow’s. And he had a pretty impressive V-Taper with a low badyfat percent. I mean, the guy was shredded. And it doesn’t seem that he trained to be shredded, rather than to be a well-rounded Physical Culturist. Also stated above, he was the best wrestler in the world. Pound for pound. And won the Austrian title at the age of only 22 years old. All while only stand 5’2” and 138lbs. But even more impressive at that stature is the incredible feats of strength he had under his belt. At only 138lbs he could Clean and Jerk 280lbs. He could also do a Turkish Get Up with a 175lbs barbell in one hand. That’s all very impressive. But equally impressive was his ability of muscle control. Along with his hand balancing skills, which are showcased in the video below. And while you may be wondering just what the hell muscle control is, I’ll let him explain it to you in an excerpt from his book How to Learn Muscle Control: The main purpose of muscle-control is self-mastery. Muscle control involves far more than the mere ability to make the muscles contract. It teaches you to relax, which is sometimes even more important than contraction. It gives you a selective control, and therefore the ability to single out those muscles necessary to the work to be done, and only those muscles; leaving the antagonistic, or non-helpful, muscles relaxed.
This is one of my favorite disciplines in all of fitness. It’s fun and it is ideal for the goal of self-mastery. But beyond that, Otto stands out as one of my favorites because he was a multidisciplinarian. He was the epitome of what it means to be a Physical Culturist. Especially a well rounded one. He trained in muscle control, hand balancing, acrobatics and gymnastics, bodyweight training, and of course - weight lifting. This made him a jack of all trades and pretty much a master of them, too. This is the BarLords way. You don’t have to master any one calisthenics discipline or other physical discipline. But it comes down to being well rounded.
As far as his life’s works, Otto was an accomplished author. He wrote two best-selling Physical Culture books. Which were How to Acquire Super Strength and How to Learn Muscle Control. This is lent, or lends itself to, the fact that he was an accomplished trainer. He was in incredible shape well into his 60s. The books he wrote and methods he taught helped to shape the fitness world we live in today. Though some of it may be a lost art, or at least rare, it’s had a lasting impact on modern fitness. This is seen through muscle control being somewhat reincarnated as the mind-muscle connection. Though not as broad a discipline or as deep as muscle control, it undoubtedly survived out of muscle-control. And as with all oldschool Physical Culturists, we see a resurgence among being well-rounded and multidisciplinarian.
Legacy
All in all, Otto Arco has somewhat of a hidden legacy. To Physical Culturists and fitness historians he’s pretty well known. For his achievements, innovations, and accomplishments. Among others, he’s relatively unknown. However, his methods are a staple. Whether it’s isometrics and the mind-muscle connection, mastering handstand progressions, or becoming a multidisciplinarian, Otto Arco is one of the oldschool legends who set the precedent. To learn more about him check out the links in the “Further Reading” section and be sure to test out his methods for yourself. Yours in Bodyweight Badassery, BarLord
(Sorry for the music in this video)
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5/3/2024 07:50:59 am
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Shredded ShamanLifelong athlete and martial artist. I'm on a mission to bring back the good old days of Physical Culture and make this fit lifestyle a lot more enjoyable. Archives
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