Earlier this year I had the pleasure of speaking with someone interested in the history of calisthenics. While this is not my main research area (sadly I'll be a free weight fan boy for the foreseeable future), it comes up repeatedly in my studies. We know, for example, that many cultures in the Ancient World… Continue reading The History of Calisthenics
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of speaking with Alyssa Ages, an independent journalist who is also a strength fanatic. At the time Ages was working on a novel about the mindset of strength athletes (specifically those competing in World Strongest Man/World Strongest Women style events). The book has subsequently been published and I… Continue reading Book Review: Alyssa Ages, Secrets of Giants
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
Sports journalism, a dynamic and vibrant field, holds a rich history that parallels the evolution of both sports and media. From its humble beginnings to its present-day digital dominance, the story of sports journalism is a testament to the enduring human fascination with athletic prowess and the desire to share these stories with the world.… Continue reading Guest Post: A Brief History of Sports Journalism
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
For reasons that I will happily discuss later, I was recently in London with my family and had a to-do list of physical culture-related materials that I wanted to check out. First, there would be a meal at the German Gymnasium. This was one of the first public gymnasiums to open in nineteenth-century London and… Continue reading Why I Wanted to Visit a Dead Man’s Grave
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)
Studying the History of Fitness