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
Nowadays kettlebell training is the staple of modern fitness due to its flexibility and effectiveness. Yet this form of unique strength training has a history much older than we originally thought, going far back in time and around the globe. The kettlebell, originally a tool of functional strength, is now a ubiquitous force in athletic… Continue reading Guest Post: The History of Kettlebell Training: From Ancient Strength to Modern Fitness
Earlier this month I had the privilege of speaking on the Iron Culture podcast about what strength means within the context of fitness. This comes off the back of an article myself, Eric, Adrian and Walter wrote (which is available here). Hopefully you enjoy 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXoForHmHOQ
Today we discuss a bouncing deadlift done with heavy weights. Yes, really. Now before anyone loses their mind remember two things about this website It is interested in the history of fitness I am not a doctor (well technically I am a doctor of history but 'Big Medicine' won't let me give medical opinions) So… Continue reading Forgotten Exercises: The Hopper Deadlift
We always knew women could never build muscles, at least not, uh, real women. Muscles belonged on men, and women didn't want any. They didn't need them, either, not for typing 70 words a minute, not for staying at home all day baking cakes for honeybun. But we also always knew women could never run… Continue reading Dan Levin, ‘Here She Is, Miss, Well, What?, Sports Illustrated, 17 March (1980), 64-75
