Peary Rader | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1909-10-17)October 17, 1909 Peru, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | November 24, 1991(1991-11-24) (aged 82) Alliance, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Bodybuilder, magazine publisher |
Peary Rader (October 17, 1909 – November 24, 1991) was an American earlybodybuilder, Olympic lifter, writer, and magazine publisher fromNebraska. He was the founding publisher ofIron Man from 1936 to 1986.
Rader was born on October 17, 1909, inPeru, Nebraska.[1] He grew up nearHemingford inBox Butte County, Nebraska.[1] He started lifting weights as a teenager and later shifted his emphasis to heavy, high repetitionsquats, building his bodyweight up to 210 pounds within about a year (he eventually reached 220 pounds).[citation needed]
Rader was victorious in a number of local and regionalweightlifting 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-handclean and jerk, 280 pounds in the two-hand clean and jerk, and a squat of 450 pounds (without support gear).[citation needed]
Rader foundedIron Man, a bodybuilding magazine, in 1936. It was initially calledYour Physique.[1][2] At its peak, the magazine had a circulation of 40,000.[1][2] Rader publishedIron 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. In 1986, Rader sold the magazine toJohn Balik, who repositioned it as a hard-core bodybuilding magazine. Rader also publishedLifting News for many years.[3] He authored approximately 1,300 magazine articles; most were inIron Man, but some were also published inStrength Athlete.
Rader was the chairman of the National Body Building Association.[4] He was inducted into the Body Building Hall of Fame and the Power Lifting Hall of Fame.[4] In the 1950s, alongsideBob Hoffman andJoe Weider, Rader was a "pioneer" in the commercialization ofprotein as abodybuilding supplement.[5]
Rader married the former Mabel Kirchner in 1936; they had two sons, Jack and Gene.[6]
Rader died on November 24, 1991, inAlliance, Nebraska, at the age of 82.[1][2]