Category: Basics

Resources by Conor HeffernanApr 1, 20197:45 am

A Brief History of Steroids

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Humans are considered to be species that are hard working, competitive and ambitious in all walks of life. Especially when it comes to sports, athletes have been found to be curious and conscious of their performances since the beginning of civilization. Ever since life existed, people have been discovering distinct and incongruous materials to boost their energies from sesame seeds to pituri plant and hallucinogenic mushrooms all have been taken to improve the quality of performances over the years.

Intake of steroids dates back to 1800s, when people had reserved resources and neither was science was at the levels of advancements as it is today. In 1860s, there was a group of swimmers in Amsterdam who were caught to be on drugs for boosting and amplifying their performances. And from there on, there were many and uncountable events when athletes were charged guilty of being on stimulants to enhance their performances.

The History of Carbohydrate Loading

As a teenager the advice I got when it came to diet and exercise was often problematic to say the least. We lifted too heavy, with terrible form and took far too little rest. This, we were told, would make us better rugby players or something to that effect. When it came to diet, we were told to ‘carb load’ before big games or tournaments to make sure we had that competitive edge. For those of you experienced in such matters, you can probably guess what happened when a team full of 18 year olds were told to load up on carbs. Yep… we had big bowls of pasta, copious amounts of sandwiches and even potato waffles just to be safe. 18 year old me wasn’t complaining but it seemed like an odd concept even at the time.

Fast forward to today and I’ve played around with every diet imaginable from fruit fasting to keto. One area that has always perplexed me though is ‘carbohydrate loading’ before a big event. Nowadays my friends who run marathons continue to swear by it while those in the lifting community advise low to moderate carbs around workout times. Nutrition will always be a contested arena and to that end, today’s post explores the birth of carbohydrate loading as a scientific concept in 1967 and examine its remarkable rise in popularity soon after.

Resources by Conor HeffernanMar 27, 20199:48 am

Guest Post: The History of Personal Training and Its Role in Fitness Today

The career in personal training is a relatively new one. Sure, the ancient Greeks and other past civilizations had their athletic traditions, but they were mostly aimed towards keeping people fit for combat, not for personal reasons. Exercising for health and hiring fitness experts is a new practice less than 100 years old.

A typical personal trainer image that we have today, a person that works with clients in a gym, didn’t exist until the late 1900s. In general, fitness became popular through TV programs and celebrities who sparked the fitness movement. In the early days, no certificate was needed to become a personal trainer and to be recognized as a fitness professional. It was not until the 90s that the first certificate was created and that personal training became a sustainable job path. Today, we have many different certifications and excellent experts who do wonders for people’s fitness and health. However, in order to understand today’s importance of personal trainers and their role, we need to know the history of this career and where and how it all began.

Resources by Conor HeffernanMar 20, 20195:34 pm

The History of the Glute Ham Raise

Owing to the inquisitive nature of a PCS reader, I’ve finally gotten my act together, or at least come close enough to some semblance of normality, to go down the rabbit hole once again. The topic of todays post, is the rather more niche but nevertheless effective Glute Ham Raise (GHR) machine.

Having spent years devotedly using reverse hyperextensions and 45 degree back extensions, my own relationship with the Glute Ham Raise only began in the last twelve months. Since then I’ve made a point of trying as many different alternatives as possible. As is so often the case, I became too engrossed in using the machine that I forgot to look into its history. An email this month asking me about the GHR finally set me straight.

So without further ado we’ll crack into the history of the GHR. What is it? Who invented it and how did it become so damn popular?

Resources by Conor HeffernanMar 18, 20198:18 pm

Guest Post: The Condensed History of Surfing and Other Water Sports

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About 71% of the world is covered in water. It is the elemental and essential constituent of life, which is reflected in humans themselves as pretty much 50% to 70% of our bodies consist of H₂O alone. It is therefore far from strange that we are so fascinated with this element – the vast blue horizons and angry rivers that cut through the countryside. Humans are naturally inclined to enjoy water-related activities, and throughout their existence, civilization has given birth to numerous water sports – some of which are prominent while others have been altered or buried by the sands of time. If you are eager to learn about this topic, here is the condensed history of water sports.

Resources by Conor HeffernanMar 6, 20195:20 pm

FAQ, ‘Complete Muscle Building Course’ (c. 1970s)

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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.

Resources by Conor HeffernanMar 1, 201912:50 pm

Bill Starr, ‘Sex and the Barbell’, Defying Gravity How To Win At Weightlifting (New York, 1981), p. 24.

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I once wrote a piece for the “Behind the Scenes” section in Strength & Health magazine dealing with the subject of sex before competition. I thought that I was quite obviously tongue-in-cheeking the presentation and made the comment that lifters would do well to lay off sex during the final week before a meet. As it turned out, I was not obvious enough as I received numerous letters and a few phone calls from irritated wives. It seemed that many lifters took my advise as gospel and denied their ladies any sexual gratification in the week prior to the contest. I have often suspected that many of these lifters merely used my words as an ex-cuse and most likely were doing a bit of hankey-pankey on the side at my expense.

Biographies by Conor HeffernanFeb 27, 20195:44 pm

‘The Sandow Girl’, c. 1906

Source: The Sketch, 2 May (1906), 69. In the early 1900s, a travelling vaudeville show known as ‘The Dairymaids’ briefly toured across Great Britain and North America. As part of the performance, every night would see […]

Resources by Conor HeffernanFeb 20, 20194:13 pm

Guest Post: A Short History of Nutrition in Bodybuilding

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If you’ve been in the fitness game for any amount of time, you know that optimizing your nutrition is half the job. Even more importantly if you’re a bodybuilder, your diet plan can make or break your physique no matter how much time you put in the gym, or how well you sleep. Eating whole foods coupled with quality supplements such as protein and amino acidsin general can present a winning combination that will help you build muscle and lose fat. But is it really that simple?

Biographies by Conor HeffernanFeb 20, 201911:01 am

Guest Post: Jack LaLanne’s “My Daily Dozen” (1962, 1968)

Fitness guru Jack Lalanne’s “My Daily Dozen” pamphlet offers a short glimpse into the broad appeal of LaLanne’s early productions.

LaLanne’s popular television show is often thought of as being aimed at mid-twentieth century American suburban housewives who wanted to lose weight. But the charismatic LaLanne had a way of reaching out to a broad audience, including children. Published first in 1962 and revised in 1968, “My Daily Dozen” was an attempt to interest kids in exercise and healthy living. The simple booklet contains cartoon images and rhymes meant to make fitness fun and to encourage youth to move, eat well, and get rest. The back of “My Daily Dozen” contained a chart that allowed users to mark their fitness and hygienic activities on a daily basis.