How do you get rid of toxins in your body? The concept of body cleansing and purification has been around for a while. Has it been effective? Yes, in fact, some ancient detoxification techniques are still in use today. Some of the ancient detox methods in use today include fasting, saunas, dry brush, rebounding, herbs,… Continue reading Guest Post: The Exciting History of Detox: How Did It Start?
A phenomenon unknown to the modern lifter is the importance of workout posters within the gymnasium. Scattered across the gym walls, workout courses from Joe Weider, Mark Berry and a host of other weight lifting aficionados would highlight simple and effective workouts for both the beginner and advanced trainee. Such courses would usually come in a series… Continue reading Mark Berry’s Simple But Effective Workout Course (1930s)
The ideal physical shape for a bodybuilder is what is called the"X-frame" -- that is, wide shoulders, wide lats, small waist and hips, flaring "sweep" on the thighs and diamond-shaped calves, with proportionately developed arms and torso that are hard and muscular. It is this type of physique that best "delights the sense and exalts… Continue reading Proportion It’s Your Body -Build It to be beautiful – Greg Zulak 1995 Article
Hollywood transformations have long been a subject of intense public scrutiny. From Christina Bale's incredible body transformations for what seems like most of his movies to Charlize Theron's weight gain for Monster, we the consumer have read in amazement at the lengths actors seem to go to in order to secure a part. This, it would seem,… Continue reading The Lamb-chop and Pineapple Diet
One of the worst mistakes I get the pleasure of observing on an almost daily basis is people trying to put on muscle mass through a very heavy ‘bulking’ phase. Now don’t get me wrong, to build new muscle tissue we need to be in a calorie surplus – this is fact. But, like most… Continue reading Guest Post: Top Dietary tips to put on Lean Mass
Image Source For a lot of guys, the main goal of their workout it to increase their muscle mass. Sure, there are plenty of people out there looking to lose weight, or simply become more active, but for the vast majority of men, the final goal of their routine is to get some serious gains.… Continue reading Gains, Gains, Gains! Simple Ways To Increase Your Muscle Mass
The following poster comes courtesy of the Wellcome Trust Library and details the famous French physical culturist Edmond Desbonnet's efforts to educate consumers on the importance of physical culture for the body. A jovial but nonetheless important reminder that exercise in any shape can be immensely beneficial. They knew it one hundred years ago and… Continue reading Edmond Desbonnet, ‘La Gymnastique des Organes’ (c. 1900)
What could be simpler than lifting a weight overhead? Well like everything else in the world of fitness, a simple idea is often needlessly complicated, something exemplified by today's post on overhead pressing at the turn of the twentieth-century. Unlike modern weightlifting competitions, which have largely standardised the manner in which lifts can be executed,… Continue reading Continental and Military Pressing
Having previously detailed forgotten physical culture devices like the Iron Boots and the Swingbell, the time has come to discuss another treasure from bodybuilding's past, namely the 'half moon bench'. Promoted heavily by the Dan Lurie Barbell Company during the sixties and seventies, the "Half-Moon" or "Round Bench" promised to stretch the ligaments and cartilage around the… Continue reading Dan Lurie’s Half Moon Bench
