The Bent Press was a staple for 'old school' strongmen and women seeking to show off their strength. The movement couldn't be simpler. Pick up a dumbbell or barbell from the floor. Get it to chest height and then slowly press it overhead while simultaneously moving yourself underneath it. Check out an iconic shot of… Continue reading The Bent Press: The Most Fascinating Lift
Remember that time Franco Columbu broke his leg carrying a refrigerator on his back? Pepperidge Farms remembers... I love strongman and strongwoman festivals. If you have been on this website for more than five minutes, this much is clear. I also love how chaotic and unorganised early strongman shows were. From heavy deadlifts with blocks… Continue reading Near Tragedy: When Bill Kazmaier Almost Killed O.D Wilson at the 1989 Pure Strength Contest
Now admittedly this is not the catchiest title I'm ever going to use but it hopefully conveys the purpose of today's post. Back when I started training, assisted pull up machines were a thing of scorn. Who, we would wonder, would bother with such an oddity? Couldn't individuals muster a solitary pull up by themselves?… Continue reading Who Invented the Assisted Pull Up Machine?
Arm training can be more complicated than larger body parts such as legs, back, or chest. If you think about it, your arms are relatively small in comparison to the rest of your body. When I first started training, I thought that in order to have great arms I needed to life as heavy as… Continue reading Guest Post: Colette Nelson, “The Ultimate Arms: Pro Training Secrets,” Reform, Issue 6 (June 2003).
Some time ago I published an article here on the 'death wish' in bodybuilding. For those who haven't read it, and shame on you, it focused on the most obvious problem with the sport I love - it is killing people. This isn't mere hyperbole. Over the past three decades, a significant number of bodybuilding… Continue reading Are Steroids Killing Bodybuilders?
“Variety is the mother of enjoyment.” –Benjamin Disraeli The crux of Rachel’s eminently successful bodybuilding philosophy is variety – in training, in diet, in everyday life! “By constantly changing my workouts, I am able to keep my muscles off balance. I shock them so they can’t adapt to a constant stress, and they are forced… Continue reading Guest Post: Bill Reynolds, “Rachel McLish says, ‘VARIETY IS MY SPICE OF LIFE!’,” Muscle & Fitness, April 1983, 78-81, 177-184
I love origin stories. And fitness is full of them. Eugen Sandow and the first major bodybuilding show of 1901. When women first competed in weightlifting at the Olympics. The first man or woman to lift/press/pull insert world record number here etc. etc. We also have those critical originators and thinkers who helped to popularise… Continue reading Pavel Tsatsouline, ‘Vodka, Pickle Juice, Kettlebell Lifting and Other Russian Pastimes,’ Milo, Vol 6, no. 3 (1996).
Late last year, in 2024, Bodybuilding.com did the unthinkable. They closed the infamous bodybuilding.com forum down. In an age of Tik-Tok and Instagram, younger readers may question why anyone should care. The answer lies in an interesting mix of influencers, trolls, questions about how many days are in a week (yes really!) and a community… Continue reading The Birth, Life and Death of Bodybuilding’s Most Important Forum
My 'new year' starts a lot earlier than most. While many will count January 1st as the dawn of a new year, I usually see August 1st as my new beginning. Teachers, lecturers, and parents, will know my pain. As an adult, who has never truly left the education system, my sense of time is… Continue reading What I Learned About Lifting in 2024
This, admittedly, is an article promoted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Like many during that time, gyms in my area were closed or reopened on restricted times. The market for home gym equipment saw unprecedented levels of demand and adjustable dumbbells were selling for two or three times their original value. Today's post looks at Powerblock,… Continue reading The History of Powerblock Dumbbells
