Tag: Food

Resources by Conor HeffernanFeb 20, 20194:13 pm

Guest Post: A Short History of Nutrition in Bodybuilding

If you’ve been in the fitness game for any amount of time, you know that optimizing your nutrition is half the job. Even more importantly if you’re a bodybuilder, your diet plan can make or break your physique no matter how much time you put in the gym, or how well you sleep. Eating whole foods coupled with quality supplements such as protein and amino acidsin general can present a winning combination that will help you build muscle and lose fat. But is it really that simple?

Paul Thomas, Big Biceps Bounce Recipe (1960s)

Big Biceps Bounce is a new desert sensation for the protein-conscious bodybuilder with a “sweet tooth.” One serving of this luscious custard all not only highlight the finest meal, but will also provide you with 6 grams of protein – for only 14¢! Milkly rich and low in calories, you’ll want two or three helpings of this muscle-building custard that tastes better than the best ice cream!

Resources by Conor HeffernanDec 7, 201810:10 am

The Secret of Rheo H. Blair’s Protein Powder

Having discussed Bob Hoffman’s (failed) attempts to create a protein powder that was both tasty and efficient, the time seems right to examine Rheo H. Blair’s famous protein powder from the mid-twentieth century.

Iron game historians will long be aware that Blair’s protein powder was the go to supplement for bodybuilders, average trainees and even Hollywood stars of the 1960s and 1970s. It was one of the first protein supplements and was highly regarded by others in the industry including Vince Gironda.

Heck, so highly regarded was Blair’s protein that it was credited with adding pounds upon pounds of muscle in a short space of time. Some bodybuilders spent months eating nothing but the protein powder alongside some vitamin capsules.

So what exactly was in Blair’s protein and what made it so special?

Resources by Conor HeffernanNov 16, 20189:03 pm

Steve Reeves’ Competition Diet

For many Steve Reeves was the epitome of bodybuilding. Alongside John Grimek, he helped to define a mid-century Iron Game obsessed with beauty, strength and uncompromising health. Though undoubtedly blessed with fantastic genetics, Reeves was known for his work ethic and attention to detail when it came to his diet. Coming from the Steve Reeves Cookbook, a book that’s currently distracting me from my own PhD work, today’s post looks at Reeves’ Competition diet which saw him through the Mr. World, Mr. Universe and Mr. America.

Safe to say then we may learn a thing or two from it!

Training by Conor HeffernanSep 17, 20182:36 pm

Training with Titans: George Hackenschmidt

Picture the scene. It’s 1911 and famed Wrestler George Hackenschmidt has finally retired from the squared circle. Looking forward to a life of relaxation and leisure, the man from Estonia grants you the privilege of an interview. In his strength and wrestling career, Hackenschmidt has popularised the Bear Hug, the Hack Squat and even set a world record in the Bench Press. His athletic exploits have dazzled crowds around the world for years. So when you sit down with him to talk training, a nervousness enters your body. The ‘Russian Lion’ is known for taking no prisoners.

Q] You have your first question lined up. Nervously you look George in the eye and timidly ask how to become strong like him…

Puffing out his chest, Hackenschmidt bellows out

“It is only by exercising with heavy weights that any man can hope to develop really great strength.”

Resources by Conor HeffernanSep 13, 20182:47 pm

Guest Post: Protein Supplementation – A Complete History

Image provided by Zeyus Media

Whey protein is probably the most widely consumed fitness supplement in existence. It’s a simple product. It contains protein, which is a vital part of building muscle. Without enough protein, your body will not be able to repair itself as effectively, and your growth will slow.

The reason many people turn to Whey Protein as another source of protein, is because not only is it such a simple and easy source, but it’s relatively inexpensive. It’s also one of the best sources of protein you can get, even among whole foods, only beaten by the egg.

Resources by Conor HeffernanJun 27, 20185:54 am

Vince Gironda and Ron Kosloff, ‘Processed Food and Physical Deterioration’, NSP Research (2004)

If there is one thing that we could speculate as being highly probable concerning the life style of primitive man, it is that he obtained his food primarily from animal sources and ate it raw. Historically, it appears that complexi- ties in food preparation and processing have come with the more complex and technical societies. Corresponding the rise in production and consumption of refined and processed food has been the rise in physical deterioration, and the birth of heretofore unknown degenerative diseases.

Resources by Conor HeffernanMay 16, 201810:32 am

The First Weightlifting Supplements

Weightlifting supplements, despite their ubiquity nowadays, are a relatively new addition to the realm of weightlifting. While the practice of eating mystical substances in the hope of improved athletic performance dates to Greco-Roman times, the marketing of explicit ‘body building’ supplements is a far more recent phenomenon.

Dating really to the emergence of physical culture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, these supplements represented the first rudimentary efforts to market foods explicitly for those interested in picking heavy things up and putting them back down again. As expected, these supplements centred on muscle building, celebrity endorsements and benefits extending far beyond strength.

Resources by Conor HeffernanApr 30, 20188:25 am

Guest Post: All-in-one History of Protein Shakes

If you thought bodybuilding and serious involvement in sport is mere exercising and pushing your body to its limits, think again. Of course, building up your muscle mass is crucial. However, you won’t get far with just that alone.

In the era of food full of additives, one might frown upon the mere mention of supplements. However, these – especially protein shakes – have had great impact on sports and bodybuilding development.

Official data shows that an average grown-up should consume approximately 50 grams of protein per day. However, additional proteins are taken by people who aim at building their body and muscle mass, thus making protein shakes one of the most important supplement products since the 1950s.

So, how did this all come to be?

Nutrition by Conor HeffernanApr 6, 20186:17 am

Guest Post: A History of Dieting

The history of dieting is quite convoluted and challenging for a lot of people. But it does go to show that people have started to try and stay in shape for quite some time. And there’s a reason for that. The reality is that working out is only one thing that people from the old ages did. They also tried to adapt their diet in a meaningful way. And that’s what brought a lot of great new things to the table. Dieting in particular was quite the issue for a lot of time. It came with a multitude of challenges and it was definitely one of the more challenging things to endure.