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 Research Corner: How Has Fitness Changed in the Past Twenty Years?
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 Guest Post: The Connection Between Sport and the Environment: A very short history
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 Five More Physical Culture Exercises (1900 Article)
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 Guest Post: The Detailed History of Sports Marketing and Advertising
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 How did you become a strength performer in the early 1900s?
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 Women’s Olympic Weightlifting in the United States: Part One
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 The History of the Glute Ham Raise
This program's purpose is designed to produce quick size by working non-specifically (four different aspects of each muscle) – in other words, it is not a shaping course. Now, the muscle to receive the most work is the muscle you start with. I always start with the arms. So, this is how I will set… Continue reading Vince Gironda, ‘Biceps: A Six-Week Bulk Course’, Vince Gironda Six Week Bulk Course (c.1968), 3-4
Sports have been an integral part of human civilization for centuries, fostering camaraderie, competition, and personal growth. As the popularity of sports has grown, so has the need for protective measures, including insurance, to mitigate the risks associated with athletic endeavors. The history of sports insurance is a fascinating journey that reflects the evolving landscape… Continue reading Guest Post: History and Development of Sports Insurance
Written by D. Haddleton, of Sydney, Australia in Health and Strength Magazine, in November 1964, the following article presents an 'old school' method of training the abs. It features several exercises long forgotten by the modern weightlifter, making it both an invaluable piece of Iron Game history and valuable training aid. Really want to kick-start some ab development?… Continue reading D. Haddleton, ‘It takes guts to chisel out the Abdominals’, Health and Strength (1964)
