Though athletes and workers have long pushed or pulled heavy weights, the idea of the Prowler is a relatively new one. Who amongst us, upon seeing this shining behemoth on the gym floor has not been tempted to try it out? As an admittedly recent convert to the Prowler, I'm somewhat late to the party.… Continue reading The History of the Prowler
If you are wondering about wall Pilates, you are not alone. It is being hotly discussed right now. You can think of it like a fresh perspective or an innovative approach to traditional Pilates. It just adds a wall in the mix. But this seemingly simple addition deepens the stretches, enhances the alignment, and helps… Continue reading Guest Post: The History of Wall Pilates Workout: Origins, Benefits, and How to Start
Mike Mentzer remains one of the most fascinating characters in the history of bodybuilding. A deep thinker and proud contrarian, Mike is one of the few men in bodybuilding to achieve a perfect score in a competition—and do it on more than one occasion! His training style was defined by the high-intensity training first proposed… Continue reading Interview with Mike Mentzer author John Little
The Bent Press was a staple for 'old school' strongmen and women seeking to show off their strength. The movement couldn't be simpler. Pick up a dumbbell or barbell from the floor. Get it to chest height and then slowly press it overhead while simultaneously moving yourself underneath it. Check out an iconic shot of… Continue reading The Bent Press: The Most Fascinating Lift
Much to my surprise, and great shame, Edward Aston is not someone mentioned a lot on this website. This, I hasten to add, has everything to do with my own deficiencies. Born in England in the late nineteenth-century, Aston was known to contemporaries as one of the strongest men around. In 1910, he won the… Continue reading Forgotten Devices: Edward Aston’s ‘Anti-Barbell’
Now admittedly this is not the catchiest title I'm ever going to use but it hopefully conveys the purpose of today's post. Back when I started training, assisted pull up machines were a thing of scorn. Who, we would wonder, would bother with such an oddity? Couldn't individuals muster a solitary pull up by themselves?… Continue reading Who Invented the Assisted Pull Up Machine?
Who helped transform American fitness and who, more importantly, has often been overlooked in the fitness industry? Frederick Tilney. It is a name that I have constantly seen in writing but not one that I have ever really researched. From my vague memories, I knew that he was born in England in the late ninteenth… Continue reading The Unknown Man Who Transformed American Fitness
When I first became interested in barbells, I collected a lot of data about weight-lifting records. There was a time when I could tell you the world’s record in almost any lift you could mention. I could tell you the records for the best men in the different nations at the same lift. I knew… Continue reading Alan Calvert, ‘Some Lifting Records,’ Super Strength. 1924
Arm training can be more complicated than larger body parts such as legs, back, or chest. If you think about it, your arms are relatively small in comparison to the rest of your body. When I first started training, I thought that in order to have great arms I needed to life as heavy as… Continue reading Guest Post: Colette Nelson, “The Ultimate Arms: Pro Training Secrets,” Reform, Issue 6 (June 2003).
Kolar Venkatesh Iyer, or K. V. Iyer (1897-1980), is one of the most fascinating Indian physical culturists of the twentieth century. Someone I have studied quite a bit in my own career, Iyer was a well-known figure in India, the United States, and Europe. Often submitting images of himself to physical culture magazines, Iyer struck… Continue reading K.V. Iyer on Diet and Health
