Resources by Conor HeffernanAug 13, 20177:45 pm

Friends to Enemies: Steroids and the United States

drugs

Note: This article is about the legal history of Anabolic Steroids in the United States and not an endorsement or discussion about steroids and performance.

There is perhaps no other topic in sports that garners as emotional a reaction than the use of steroids or performance enhancing drugs by professional athletes. For some the ends justify the means, whilst for others, the use of any ergogenic (something that aids performance) goes against fair play.

I suspect that much of this debate is fuelled by the fact that anabolic steroids are an illegal substance in the United States, which is oftentimes the mecca of sports. With that in mind, today’s post looks at the history of steroids in the United States, specifically their first uses and when they became a banned substance.

Hulks, Drugs and Fat: The End of the WBF

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Part one and two of this series detailed the creation of the World Bodybuilding Federation and the first ever WBF show in June 1991. Today’s third and final installment looks at how drug accusations, no-show Hulks and poor conditioning brought down the radical bodybuilding experiment.

Uncategorized by Conor HeffernanAug 11, 201711:36 am

Guest Post: The Exciting History of Detox: How Did It Start?

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, water, rest, meditation, and exercises. Tea detox (simply referred to as teatox) is another popular tool for cleansing body toxins and losing weight. It increases your mental performance and helps you to remain alerted and focused.

Today we take a look at the history of detox. The detox process dates back to ancient days of the Greek, Roman, Indian and Native American cultures. Traditional herbal medicine has been and continues to be used by many cultures across the world.

Resources by Conor HeffernanAug 11, 201711:31 am

Guest Post: Bodybuilding Routines in the 1950s!

bodybuilding diets in the 1950s

The era of 1930s to 1960s was an era of revolution in the field of bodybuilding. Legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clarence Ross and John Davis etc were at the top of their games back in 50s and 60s. But those were simple times as well. Everything was pure and people were more inclined towards eating a healthy diet and living an active lifestyle. They knew the importance of hard work and knew the golden rule of health makes wealth.

Biographies by Conor HeffernanAug 10, 20177:47 pm

Come one come all to the WBF Show!

In the first instalment we looked at the controversial beginning of Vince McMahon’s World Bodybuilding Federation. The WBF promised to revolutionise the way bodybuilding conducted itself and when June 15^th was chosen for the first ever WBF show, people waited anxiously to see what would happen.

Creating a buzz

In the build up to the show, crossovers between the WBF Bodystars and Vince’s WWF became more and more common. Indeed during WWF programs it was commonplace to see whole segments dedicated to the Bodystars discussing their workout routines. One particular bizarre publicity stunt saw a team of wrestlers face off against the Bodystars in Family Feud. Coupled with this, ahem ‘brilliant’ marketing, Vince’s supplement line, Integrated Conditioning Program, was blazoned throughout arenas in the US when the wrestlers were in town.

Resources by Conor HeffernanAug 10, 20174:13 pm

Guest Post: The TRX System: History, Benefits & Full Body Workout

Throughout the world of fitness there are many different techniques and systems that for some reason or another gain attention. The TRX system developed by Randy Hetrick has proven to be one of the more effective and durable methods to achieve improved strength and mobility.

Resources by Conor HeffernanAug 9, 201710:39 am

Forge Your Workout To Work For You

What is your ultimate fitness goal? For some, the dream is to lose a certain number of pounds by a certain date, fit into that suit in time for your best pal’s wedding. Or maybe you dream of being big in the ballsy world of bodybuilding. Whatever it is, it’s good to be clear on it, because that dream will influence greatly what your workout sessions need to be. There is a lot to take on board when it comes to making your workout as perfect as possible for your own unique goals, and it’s worth spending the time getting it just right, even before you have started hitting the gym.

Resources by Conor HeffernanAug 9, 201710:33 am

Guest Post: The History of Sportswear

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The concept and idea of activewear has changed dramatically over time. While clothes – and indeed sports – have existed for centuries, it wasn’t until recently that someone struck on the idea of creating clothes made for sports. Until the turn of the 20^th century athletes would compete in their street clothes or – as in the case of the ancient Greeks – completely nude. Women who competed in sports would often wear smaller versions of the clothes men would wear when competing. Here’s more on the history of activewear from fashion and apparel experts The Uniform Centre.

Resources by Conor HeffernanAug 9, 201710:30 am

Guest Post: Keep Your Body Healthy With Water

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You would think, that because our bodies re made up of nearly 60% water that we wouldn’t need more of it – right? Wrong. Your brain and heart are comprised of 73% water, your lungs about 83% water, your skin 64% water, muscles and kidneys 79% and your bones 31% water. That’s a lot of H20. It’s because our bodies are made up of, and therefore use, a lot water makes the resource even more valuable.

Why Does Your Body Need Water?

Biographies by Conor HeffernanAug 8, 20177:47 pm

The Curious Case of the World Bodybuilding Federation

In the first of a three part series, we look at the brief life of the World Bodybuilding Federation, an organisation financed by wrestling mogul Vince McMahon that tried to take on Joe Weider’s formidable stronghold on the sport.

While the WBF ultimately failed, its influence on the sport cannot be underestimated.

Part One: Kicking Ass and Taking Names

Bodybuilding is an interesting sport in more ways than one. Aside from the bulging muscles, oiled behemoths and flashy lights, there exists a fascinating business element to the sport.

For the greater part of the 20^th and 21^st century, bodybuilding has been ruled and prescided over by the International Federation of Bodybuilding, the IFBB. Every major professional bodybuilding tournament boasts the IFBB logo and many of the greatest bodybuilders from Arnie to Ronnie have cut their teeth in the organisation.

Created by Joe and Ben Weider, the IFBB spent the mid half of the 20^th century fighting off and finally defeating Bob Hoffman’s AAU organisation thereby becoming ‘THE’ bodybuilding organisation that all the athletes wanted to be a part of for the remainder of the century. From the 1960s onward, the IFBB became a monopoly that few dared to challenge.

It came as a surprise then when Vince McMahon, a man associated more with pro-wrestling than bodybuilding, sought to overthrow the Weider’s in the early 1990s and establish his own bodybuilding federation, labelled the World Bodybuilding Federation. Whilst the WBF only lasted for two years, it diveded the bodybuilding community, bringing in reforms of varying success and making the sport somewhat more mainstream.