A Website Dedicated to the Study of Strength, Health, Fitness and Sport Across Centuries, Countries and Contests.
Hundreds of prospective pupils write me to ask how long they will have to train; how much time they will have to spend each week, etc., etc. This seems a good place to answer those questions. The average pupil practices the first course in developing exercises for two or three months. He practices every other... Continue Reading →
Although unknown to the modern olympic lifter, Abele was one of America’s finest lifters during the 1940s and 1950s. Unfortunately he was overshadowed by fellow US lifters John Grimek, Steve Stanko, and John Davis during the course of his career. Similarly the outbreak of the Second World War denied Abele the chance to lift at... Continue Reading →
A bunch of us went down to the gym one time to watch Reg Park work out. He was in town doing a show. We lined up along the wall with our eyeballs hanging on our cheeks and tried not to look too jealous when he started lifting. Park walked in looking more like Hercules... Continue Reading →
So, cards on the table, I recently reread The Complete Keys to Progress by John McCallum. The result of Randall Strossen's meticulous collecting, The Complete Keys details McCallum's numerous articles for Strength and Health magazine. Admittedly McCallum's work was more concerned with rapid bulk and strength building practices, The Complete Keys still has some things to say about bodybuilding and defining exercises. One... Continue Reading →
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6o3dct When I say mid-century fitness programme, you're probably thinking of Jack LaLanne's long running programme broadcast across the USA. While this is a fair assumption to make, old Jackie boy was not the only individual concerned with improving America's health and wellbeing. Broadcast in 1962, the following 'Dennis the Menace' episode revolves around... Continue Reading →
The Mediterranean diet is a very healthy eating plan, which is primarily based on plant foods, olive oil, and lots of herbs instead of salt. Red meat is a no-no, and fish is a staple. Plus, red wine. Who could say no to that? The idea behind this diet is limiting, but not eliminating fat... Continue Reading →
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 →
During the past few months, we have seen one of the biggest health crises of the past 100 years. The coronavirus pandemic has created a health crisis that has not been seen since the Spanish Flu pandemic more than 100 years ago. As a result, many of the inadequacies of the health system have been put on... Continue Reading →
We all use phrases like “fair play” and “good sportsmanship” every day, but sports are not always that noble and fair. The world of sports is smeared with many affairs, but there are a few that certainly stand out as the biggest scandals in sports history. Maradona vs. Honest Football 1986 World Cup is one... Continue Reading →
Chances are every single one of use has spent a seemingly endless amount of time stuck in the 'plank' position shown above. When I first began weight training for rugby as a starry eyed teen we did every kind of vacation imagine. We did it for time, we moved in circles, we placed weights, and... Continue Reading →