Originally posted on The World History Archive and Compendium:
The gymnasticon was an early version of a type of exercise machine. This machine resembles the stationary bicycle of today. This is a 1798 engraving of…
Author: Conor Heffernan
Conor is currently researching Ireland's physical culture movement as a PhD student at University College Dublin. When not in the library or the gym, he likes to try his hand at writing....with mixed results.
Pumping Iron: The History of the Bench Press
The Bench Press, one of the most primitive and effective exercises in the weight room. Despite it’s much revered status, few of us know about the fascinating history of the bench press, a lift that evolved to suit the needs of a growing professionalism in competitive weightlifting.
Having previously examined the history of the squat, it only seems fair to look at the history of the gym rats favourite exercise.
Monuments of Strength: Paul Anderson
Memorialisation is a fascinating part of the human condition. From war to illness, cultures around the world have repeatedly sought to pay tribute to the good and bad of the human condition. Until recently, I […]
Guest Post: The History of Lacrosse. Who Invented Lacrosse?
The Origin of Lacrosse
Invented in the 1100s by the Native American tribes, Lacrosse was a game being played by the people who were based on plain states in the north which is present-day Canada.
Initially, this game involved hundreds of men who played the game using, a ball and sticksof different structures and they participated without using any protective gear. It was one of the most widely played team sport during its time. The people who took part in the native version of this game considered it as an athletic contest of great pride, spiritual significance, and skills.
Forgotten Exercises: The Rader Chest Pull
Having previously discussed the history of the squat exercise, today’s post examines the creation of the Rader Chest Pull, an exercise that Peary Rader, one of the Irongame’s biggest names in the twentieth-century, often used […]
Forgotten Exercises: The See-Saw Press
I was flicking through some old strength magazines during the weekend and came across a lift that I doubt many of us are familiar with. Called the ‘Seesaw’ press, it is essentially a standing dumbbell shoulder […]
The Secret of Rheo H. Blair’s Protein Powder
Having discussed Bob Hoffman’s (failed) attempts to create a protein powder that was both tasty and efficient, the time seems right to examine Rheo H. Blair’s famous protein powder from the mid-twentieth century.
Iron game historians will long be aware that Blair’s protein powder was the go to supplement for bodybuilders, average trainees and even Hollywood stars of the 1960s and 1970s. It was one of the first protein supplements and was highly regarded by others in the industry including Vince Gironda.
Heck, so highly regarded was Blair’s protein that it was credited with adding pounds upon pounds of muscle in a short space of time. Some bodybuilders spent months eating nothing but the protein powder alongside some vitamin capsules.
So what exactly was in Blair’s protein and what made it so special?
Reg Park – Basic Principles for Gaining Definition (1951 Article)
Whenever I hear some bodybuilders use the term “definition” I always feel like asking them just what they think it means. It is a loosely used word, with certain authorities in particular throwing it about without any deep thought of what the development of muscular definement entails, or if certain types of lifters actually CAN acquire it. In fact, it is common to hear many novices talk of definition development before they have even built the foundations of a good physique.
Lost Feats of Strength: Klein’s Tiger Push Ups
I love my PhD research. After three years, very few people can say that, but here I am. Now the reason for such positivity is not because a student recently gave me whiskey as a […]
The History of Fitness
There is an apparent correlation between industrial advancements and fitness when we look back at the history of humans. Early man had no locomotive to move around. Getting food was a task that involved walking, running, and skills that most of us in this new age cannot even fathom. What we call exercise now, was back then just the way of life.
