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 Is Heavy Exercise Dangerous?
Admit it. We're somewhat spoilt for choice these days when it comes to contests of strength. Though not as well televised as some of us might like, myself included, strongmen competitions have grown exponentially over the past decade and a half. We have the World's Strongest Man (WSM) and its various qualifying rounds around the… Continue reading The Rise and Fall of the World Muscle Power Classic
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 The Controversial History of ZMA
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 A Brief History of the Swiss Ball
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 Guest Post: Bodybuilding Routines in the 1950s!
1 -- You can get as big as a pro bodybuilder without taking steroids; it just takes longer. Despite what many of the magazines say, all professional bodybuilders use either steroids or steroids in combination with other growth-enhancing drugs. Without manipulating hormones, it just isn't possible to get that degree of muscularity, the paper-thin skin,… Continue reading T.C. Luoma and Bill Phillips, ‘Muscle Media 2000 Exposes 30 of Bodybuilding’s Biggest Myths That Stand Between You and Success!’, Muscle Media, (October/November, 2000).
Since its humble beginnings, the sports bag has changed a lot throughout the years. What we know today as spots bags were once used to carry food and drink for weary travelers or weapons for the warriors in the battlefield. First bags used by athletes were carrying equipment like balls, bats and clothing, much like… Continue reading Guest Post: How the Sports Bag Changed Through History
From my daily mail I arrive at the conclusion that many barbell bugs have been considerably confused by the numerous super duper four-hour workout schedules credited to the prominent physique specialists in some of the muscle magazines. I have at least a dozen recent letters bearing the same complaint, 'These terrific workouts may be all… Continue reading Harry B. Paschall, ‘Training for the Working Man’, Bosco Strength Notebook,1: 2 (1951), 23-25
Okay, so it has finally happened. I began this website in 2014 and, in that time, I have done my best to create useful content on the history of the iron game. I have promoted old-school exercises, republished forgotten articles and chapters, and, in many instances, written biographies or histories of cool events. Although my… Continue reading What’s the Best Way to do a Barbell Leg Press?
We all know at least one thing about CrossFit, and that is chiseled men and women repping fast pull-ups one after another and lifting and throwing around crazy weights. It might look crazy from the outside, but once you learn a few things about the history of CrossFit, you’ll see how amazing and effective this… Continue reading Guest Post: The Brief but Intense History of CrossFit
