5 Health and Wellness Tips I Learnt From Steve Reeves

I first came across Steve Reeves as a kid when my dad played me a VHS tape of ‘Hercules Unchained’, an old sword and sandals film in which Reeves played the titular hero.

I remember being awestruck by the imposing presence and stature of the on-screen Hercules; I marveled at his colossal barrel–chest, broad shoulders and powerful legs, which all came together to form what - at the time - was the epitome of the perfect physique.

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The film – and Reeves – stuck with me through the years, and when I took up bodybuilding as a teenager, I decided to revisit this mythic figure from my childhood.

I picked up copies of two of his books, ‘ Building the Classic Physique the Natural Way ’ and ‘ Dynamic Muscle Building ’ (both of which you can find on the official Steve Reeves Society website ).



As well as providing lots of great information on training and nutrition from the ‘Golden Era’ of bodybuilding, as well as some magnificent photos of Reeves in his prime, both of these books also contain lots of pertinent old-school health and wellness advice, the majority of which has seemingly been lost over the years.

In an age where the sport is dominated by steroid use, dodgy supplements and unhealthily low body-fat, I feel it opportune to return to a time where bodybuilders valued health and wellness just as much as musculature.

With that in mind, here are five health and wellness tips I picked up from the great Steve Reeves which anyone can easily apply to their own fitness regimen.

5 Health and Wellness Tips I Learnt From Steve Reeves

Tip 1. Take cold showers

Steve Reeves started every day with a cold shower which he believed held manifold health benefits – and he was right!

Often referred to as a ‘Scottish Shower’, the practice of bathing in cold water is a proven way to improve energy, alertness and blood circulation, as the body, in response to the shock of cold water, deepens its breathing and increases its heart rate to warm you up by increasing oxygen intake.

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Cold showers can also improve your mood by stimulating noradrenaline secretion in the brain, to the extent that they are often prescribed by doctors as a treatment to those suffering from depression.

What’s more, taking a cold shower has also been shown to increase immune strength, testosterone levels, and has several metabolic and fat-burning advantages to boot.

So, time to eschew the hot tap and embrace the rejuvenating power of cold water – your body will thank you for it!

Tip 2. Eat lots of Honey

Steve Reeves and many other bodybuilders from the 1940s and 50s, such as John Grimek and Reg Park, consumed honey by the bucket load, believing it to be a ‘wonder food’.

Upon waking, Reeves started every day with a glass of warm water with honey and freshly squeezed lemon.

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He also generously spooned the stuff into his homemade protein shakes and consumed it voraciously during his infamous two to four-hour workouts to keep his energy levels up.

So, why did Reeves and his peers have such a love affair with this sweet golden liquid?

Well, first off, honey is an extremely effective and all-natural source of energy.

Studies have shown that honey’s treasure trove of unrefined sugar (glucose and fructose) delivers one of the most effective boosts of energy available anywhere, which is particularly effective during sustained high-intensity exercise, such as the mammoth full-body workouts Reeves used to build his physique.

Honey also has many other health benefits, from allergy alleviation and aiding sleep to suppressing coughs and colds, treating wounds and boosting memory!

Tip 3. Lots of Walking

Reeves swore by the health benefits of walking – and even wrote a book on the subject in 1982 entitled ‘ Power Walking ’.

While living on his ranch, Reeves would undertake 30 to 60 minutes of ‘power-walking’ (a form of walking involving long powerful strides and weighted resistance) every morning before hitting the weights.

Fact is, walking is a great form of cardio, and unlike interval training and metabolic conditioning, it doesn’t place a great deal of stress on the body and is low-impact, meaning, for those engaging in weightlifting and other high-intensity sports, that it won’t interfere with your rest and recovery (see point five) and cause the body to become over-trained.

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Reeves also believed walking to be a great stress-reliever – and, indeed, studies have recently shown it to be an effective way to combat anxiety and depression.

Tip 4. Soak up the Sunshine

In a list of healthy living practices compiled during his time in the US army in World War 2, Steve Reeves stressed the importance of exposing yourself to at least one hour of sunlight every day (and wearing sunblock).

While too much sunshine can harm the skin, Reeves was correct in asserting that sunlight in moderation can be very helpful for your health.

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For one, exposure to sunlight increases the brain’s production of a hormone called serotonin, which is linked with enhancing your mood and helping you feel calm and focused.

In addition, the sun’s rays are a great source of vitamin D, which is an essential building block for healthy bones and has also been linked to immune health and cognition.

In countries where sunlight is rare (I’m currently writing this article in a café in London, looking out on a miserable rain-drenched sky of grey), people can suffer from a deficiency in vitamin D.

In this case, vitamin D intake can be boosted via consumption of fish and eggs, or through vitamin D supplementation (which can be obtained very cheaply online ).

It has also been shown that those deficient in vitamin D can also experience an increase in testosterone levels after supplementation (full benefits of vitamin D supplementation here ).

Tip 5. Get adequate Sleep

Reeves and other bodybuilders from the ‘Golden Era’ placed equal emphasis on recovery and sleep as they did on weight training.

They would train with full-body workouts three times per week (Reeves favorite schedule was Monday morning, Wednesday evening, Saturday morning) to maximize recovery time, for, as they learned through experience, this is where the real muscle growth occurs.



With this in mind, Reeves, according to his peers, would retire early every night to make the most of this ‘recovery zone’, as he firmly believed that sleep was the body’s best recovery mechanism.

In an era where many of us lead busy, stressful lives, the importance of a good night’s sleep (8-10 hours uninterrupted) has been lost.

Truth is, no matter how ‘on-point’ your training and nutrition plan is, if you’re not getting a good night’s sleep in every night, you are selling yourself short.

As well as restoring brain function and alertness, adequate sleep also maximizes muscle recovery via protein synthesis and the release of human growth hormones.

Signing off

As he has explained in various interviews and publications, Reeves was someone who learned through intuition and trial and error.

This advice was not something he picked up from the latest scientific study or heard being bandied around in the gym changing rooms, these are tidbits that he found to work well through years of experience at the very highest level.

And while not all of us boast the genetics of Hercules himself and his levels of drive and determination, we can certainly action his advice and use it to enhance the effectiveness of our own fitness routines and overall well-being.



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About the author: Henry Croft

Henry is a fitness fanatic from the UK who enjoys heavy squats, martial arts and swimming. When not working out, he can be found watching his beloved English cricket team or bicep curling a foaming pint of real ale for reps… usually at the same time. He is also the editor-in-chief of bodybuilding blog gym-talk.com , which you can also follow on Facebook and Twitter .

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