So admittedly I am a massive fan of the World's Strongest Man competition having grown up watching clips from the 1980s and 1990s. As a child I marvelled at the strength of Geoff Capes, the 'Viking' Jón Páll Sigmarsson and I even had a soft spot for Rick 'Grizzly' Brown. There was one strongman however, who… Continue reading Forgotten Exercises: Kazmaier Shrugs
The basic concept of lying on a bench and taking a bar from arm's length to the chest and back is a very simple one. However, bench pressing with maximum efficiency and power is an extremely exacting art relying on many major and minor principles and utilizing the coordination of the many muscles involved. While there is… Continue reading Bill Kazmaier, ‘Bench Pressing Style And Technicalities’, Bill Kazmaier and the Bench Press (1981), 4-6
A bunch of us went down to the gym one time to watch Reg Park work out. He was in town doing a show. We lined up along the wall with our eyeballs hanging on our cheeks and tried not to look too jealous when he started lifting. Park walked in looking more like Hercules… Continue reading John McCallum, ‘Training for Gaining’, The Keys to Progress
Everything women have today has been earned through a tireless fight, equality in sports included. Since the dawn of time, women have been fighting for their right to participate in sports, get equal opportunities to compete and earn equal wages. Thanks to early advocates, today we have heroines like sisters Williams, Simone Biles and Megan… Continue reading Guest Post: A Brief History of Women Sports
This booklet will not only help you, the average man to become many times stronger than you are at present, but will give you the inside knowledge and information required for developing a body of dynamic muscular proportions. Let’s start off by dispelling a few misconceptions generally held of bodybuilding. Where muscle building is concerned… Continue reading FAQ, ‘Complete Muscle Building Course’ (c. 1970s)
This, admittedly, is an article promoted by the Covid-19 pandemic. For the past three months, gyms in my area have been closed or reopened on restricted times. The market for home gym equipment has seen unprecedented levels of demand and adjustable dumbbells are selling for two or three times their original value. Today's post looks… Continue reading The History of Powerblock Dumbbells
Today, we’re hearing about veganism more and more every day, but the truth is that this type of diet is not new at all. As a matter of fact, vegetarianism, veganism’s first cousin, can be traced to the Indus Valley AKA modern Pakistan some 5000 years in the past (3300-1300 BC). However, veganism appeared a… Continue reading Guest Post: A Short History of Vegan Diet
I am constantly fascinated with learning how strongmen and women trained. For me, one of the most interesting things about the history of fitness is learning how and why people trained, and for what reason. Today's post looks at Pat Casey, one of powerlifting's early celebrities. Pat Casey was one of the strongest men in… Continue reading The Pat Casey Workout (1963)
Conor's Note: The first part of this article was published on Wednesday. Please do check back! In the 1920′ s Coney Island described itself as ‘The Greatest Carnival Show on Earth’. Here, amongst the freaks, sawdust and tinsel, Travis was billed as ‘The Strongest Man in the World’. At each performance he would flash a… Continue reading David Gentle, ‘The Fairground Strongman Who Challenged the World.’ (Part II)
Today’s post comes primarily from the Ma Strength weightlifting book written by Manuel Buitrago, an expert on Chinese weightlifting techniques. I'm delighted to say that Manuel has offered to write a series of articles on the history of Chinese weightlifting so I would like to extend my thanks at the outset. This is a fascinating and… Continue reading Guest Post: History of Chinese Weightlifting Part 1: The Imperial Era
