Young man at Coney Island beach wearing bathing suit lifting a barbell with both hands. Born into poverty in the Ozarks, Bernarr Macfadden, né "Bernard McFadden" was orphaned as a child. In his youth, he found solace in helping his adoptive father perform hard manual labor on the family's Missouri farm. Macfadden was inspired by a precursor to men's lifestyle magazine called Police Gazette. The tabloid is said to have inspired Macfadden to abstain from typical vices like drinking and smoking, choosing instead to practice boxing and wrestling. Macfadden was influenced by Physical Culture, a health movement that originated in Germany, the UK, and the US in the 19th century which combined bodybuilding, nutrition, and health practices.

A newsstand on the southwest corner of 32nd Street and Third Avenue. In 1899, Macfadden moved to New York City and began advertising himself as a personal trainer. He changed his name from "Bernard" to "Bernarr," which he thought sounded like a lion's roar and therefore, more masculine Macfadden moved to London for some time to invent a piece of exercise equipment that resembled a doorway cable machine, returning shortly after to found his own publishing house, Macfadden Communications Group. His company published dozens of magazines, including: True Story, a confessional tabloid, True Detective, of the true-crime genre, Photoplay, a movie magazine, and Sport, a precursor to Sports Illustrated. What would become his most notorious publication was Physical Culture, a health magazine with snobbish headlines like "Oh, You Unfit!"

Physical Culture Restaurant in the offices of the former Ocean Bank. The bodybuilder slash magazine magnate extraordinaire went on to open his own chain of restaurants, some of the first vegetarian venues in the country. Physical Culture, named for the health movement, served a variety of raw and steamed dishes containing many a fruit, vegetable, nut, and seed. Not a surprising menu designed by a man who called white bread "the stuff of death."

Close-up of large sign on Coney Island beach, "Polar Bear Club," smaller sign, "Ice water swimming, Sunday, 1 p.m.," "Happy New Year" banner. In addition to founding the country's first bodybuilding contest, Macfadden went on to found the Polar Bear Club, a renowned cold-water swimming institution that is the oldest winter bathing club in the country.

Close-up of sixteen members (nine men, seven women) of Polar Bear Club standing and sitting on Coney Island beach with a large sign on tall poles above them. The club is still active, it hosts swimming sessions every Sunday from November to April to raise money for local causes, continuing Macfadden's legacy. The jack of many trades lived to be 87 years old. Famously, his 81st birthday was spent parachuting.