| Edwin Checkley | |
| Birth Date: | 1847 |
| Birth Place: | London, U.K. |
| Death Date: | 1925 |
| Education: | Long Island Medical College |
| Occupation: | Athlete, physician |
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.
Checkley was born in 1847 in London, U.K.[1] He emigrated to the United States in 1871, settling in Brooklyn, New York City.[2] He studied at the Long Island Medical College.[2] 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."[2]
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.[1]
Checkley died in 1925.[1]