The following workout comes from the wonderful A Portrait of Dorian Yates: The Ultimate Bodybuilding Guide from the Ultimate Bodybuilder by the late Peter McGough. For those who don't know, Peter was one of bodybuilding's most authoritative journalists for several decades. He was intimately linked with Dorian and it was Peter who bestowed Dorian with... Continue Reading →
A Few Sandovian Stage Feats
I love feats of strength. Admittedly that's not the most surprising admission given the purpose of this website but it is one worth stating every now and then. It doesn't matter if it is someone lifting a barbell or a bale of heavy. Make it heavy enough and I will watch it or, if I... Continue Reading →
Is Heavy Exercise Dangerous?
The following Chapter comes from Mark Berry's wondeful book from the 1930s Physical Training Simplified. In it, Berry addresses one of the biggest questions from his era, is lifting safe? Enjoy! Bar Bell Exercise is Different Than Competitive or Record Lifting. But Does the Weight Lifter Run Any Risks? In the minds of some persons... Continue Reading →
What did a Home Gym Set Up Look Like in 1950s America?
Okay, I admit it. I have become, for want of a better word, a home gym fetishist. What began out of necessity during the Covid-19 pandemic has now become a delightful, but expensive, obsession of mine. We recently moved home and, for the first time in two years, my home gym now has a roof!... Continue Reading →
Guest Post: Cory Everson on “Feminine Muscularity”
A central theme of the film Pumping Iron II, released in 1985, is the debate in the sport of female bodybuilding over women and muscles. That same year, the recently-crowned Ms. Olympia Cory Everson (the first of her six consecutive title victories) addressed the issue of muscularity versus femininity in Flex.[1] The tensions of the... Continue Reading →
The Controversial History of ZMA
One of the unquestioned staples of bodybuilding supplementation, ZMA is often up there with creatine and protein in terms of popularity. Rumoured to increase testosterone, muscle mass and your chance of bizarre dreams, ZMA is promoted as a cheap and effective supplement for the average gym goer. In my own brief training experience, it's something... Continue Reading →
A Brief History of the Swiss Ball
Whether you've attempted to train your 'core' or perform some simple rehab exercises, chances are you've used a Swiss Ball at some point in your training career. So where did the Swiss Ball come from? What was it's purpose and how did they become so popular? Swiss Ball Origins Remarkably given its popular name, the Swiss Ball... Continue Reading →
Why Did Flex Wheeler Withdraw from the 1997 Mr. Olympia?
Cards on the table, I was a huge Flex Wheeler fan growing up. Coming to bodybuilding at the tail end of the Dorian Yates era, I was convinced that Wheeler would be the next multi-time Olympia. In my defence, this is what we were being told repeatedly in Weider magazines from the time. Dorian was... Continue Reading →
Recollections of Louis Cyr by W. A. Pullum
Once in a generation, it has been said, a super-athlete arises whose prowess astonishes the world. Several generations have come and gone, however, since Louis Cyr arose and showed what he could do. Since that time nothing approaching his extraordinary performances has ever been seen. Louis Cry, French-Canadian, was born in the little hamlet of... Continue Reading →
Guest Post: Bodybuilding Routines 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... Continue Reading →