Edwin Checkley (1847–1925) was a British-born American athlete, physician, and the author of a book about strength-training. He was supposedly "one of the strongest men in America" in 1890.[1]
Life
Checkley was born in 1847 in London, U.K.[2] He emigrated to the United States in 1871, settling in Brooklyn, New York City.[1] He studied at the Long Island Medical College.[1] By 1890, he had become a long-distance bicycle rider; for example, he rode from New York City to Chicago.[3] That same year, he was "said to be one of the strongest men in America."[1]
In his 1895 book, A Natural Method of Physical Training, Checkley advocated light bodyweight exercises without dumbbells.[4][5] Nevertheless, the book inspired Alan Calvert, the founder of one of the first barbell companies in the world.[2]
