Carbohydrates... those omnipresent fruits, yams, grains and vegetables, are older than mankind. In recorded history, it appears that the Egyptian culture was the first to 'mill' their high-energy grain, removing fiber, as well as much of the nutrition. Bingo—mankind had its first refined carbohydrates. Sugar was first introduced into Europe around 700 AD when Arabian... Continue Reading →
The History of 20 Rep Squats
Though few exercise programmes maintain a venerated status for long in the Iron Game, the mystique surrounding 20 Rep Squat programmes has endured. As hinted by the name, such programmes require lifters to back squat twenty times before unloading the bar, and in my own experience, lying on the ground questioning your decision-making. Primarily touted... Continue Reading →
Leroy Colbert’s Health Store
A health shop is admittedly, an odd thing to write about. In today's world of GNC's and stores with fanciful names like 'Vitality' or 'Mr. Pump', modern gym goers are blessed with a wealth of pill peddlers to call upon. This, shockingly, was not always the case. While health stores did exist in some guise... Continue Reading →
Research Corner: How Has Fitness Changed in the Past Twenty Years?
In a rare turn for this website, today's post focuses on a 2023 reseach article which recently crossed my path. Published by Tor Söderström, the article focuses on twenty years of interviews with gym-goers at a Swedish gym and, in doing so, highlights the changes in both exercisee's motivations, as well as their training patterns.... Continue Reading →
Guest Post: The Connection Between Sport and the Environment: A very short history
The intricate and intertwined relationship between sports and the environment is an evolving saga, deeply rooted in humanity's history and civilization's annals. This narrative endeavors to unravel the nuanced dynamics that have marked this interplay over centuries, presenting a comprehensive exploration of how sports have impacted and been influenced by the natural world. From the... Continue Reading →
Five More Physical Culture Exercises (1900 Article)
Here are five exercises published in the New York Evening World for developing the muscles and improving the health and strength. No. 1 is a stretching movement for strength. Carry the left foot and leg backward, and the right hand and right arm forward, stretching from the hand to foot consciously through the length of... Continue Reading →
Guest Post: The Detailed History of Sports Marketing and Advertising
The intricate relationship between sports and marketing stretches back to the annals of history, finding its nascent roots in ancient civilizations like Rome and Greece, where athletes and gladiators were endorsed by prominent figures or even the government. However, it was during the late 19th and early 20th centuries that organized sports marketing started to... Continue Reading →
How did you become a strength performer in the early 1900s?
How did you become a strength performer in the early 1900s? It's not a trick question but something that I've become fascinated with in the past two weeks. This was a time before mainstream competitions. This was a time before social media and it was a time when to be strong was to be truly... Continue Reading →
Women’s Olympic Weightlifting in the United States: Part One
Olympic weightlifting for men dates to the very first Olympic games in Athens in 1896. The first iteration for women came in 2000 at the Sydney Games. It took until 1987 for the first world weightlifting championship for women versus 1891 for men. Likewise, the first recognizable meets for women only came in the 1970s... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →