Fitness crazes are unsurprisingly not a new phenomenon and in light of that fact, today we will discuss the growth of the Indian Club craze in Victorian England. Indian Clubs are bottle-shaped wooden clubs that are swung in the hand using a range of movements for the purpose of gymnastic exercise. Whilst they have been… Continue reading Indian Clubs in Victorian Britain
Today, when you think about gyms, you imagine rows of treadmills and dumbbells and a mixed crowd of fitness enthusiasts and occasional visitors with headphones doing their own thing. While this might be the ideal setup for many, gyms didn’t always look like that. If you’re a regular at the gym, it’s important to know… Continue reading Guest Post: The Brief History of Fitness Industry
The following extract comes from Vince Gironda's 1984 Book: Unleashing the Wild Physique (available here). This book cannot be recommended highly enough, from VInce's no nonsense take on steroids to his innovative training techniques. Today's post comes from Vince's advice on weight gain. The real secret to gaining weight is food. The more you eat, the… Continue reading Vince Gironda Weight-Gain Diet
Can you imagine just 60 years ago, people who could be seen jogging on the street or in the park were considered crazy and weird. Today, running for recreation is one of the most normal things and none of us even consider thinking what brought out this trend. Jogging is by definition slow running done… Continue reading Guest Post: Historical Facts about Recreational Running Every Runner Needs to Know
What could be simpler? Just hop on a piece of foam and roll up and down... anyone could do that right? Yes, anyone can but few do. Why? Mainly because it hurts. It's effective but my god is it sore. Yes today we are talking about the foam roller, the cost-effective means of massaging aching muscles and… Continue reading The History of the Foam Roller
The following extract comes from Frank Zane's excellent bodybuilding work: The Workouts -Personal Training Diaries, which is available from his website. Zane, a three time Mr. Olympia, is one of the few bodybuilders to defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime and is possibly the most aesthetic man to win an Olympia. The polar opposite to the ungainly Bodybuilding's current mass… Continue reading Frank Zane’s Growth Program
John Grimek was one of the greatest American weightlifters and bodybuilders of the 20th century. Nicknamed 'The Monarch of Muscledom', Grimek also competed for the US in the 1936 Olympics in Germany. It's fair to say he knew something about lifting weights. Today's article sees Grimek discuss one of the most pressing issues in bodybuilding.… Continue reading How Fast Should You Gain Weight and Size – John C. Grimek (1976)
Imagine if there was just one exercise you needed to obtain the perfect physique. What's more, you would only need to do it two or three times a week. Pretty good right? Well you're in luck. The 'Health Lift' provides everything you need and more. In the mid-nineteenth century, a fitness machine swept across the United… Continue reading The Health Lift, the greatest machine you’ve never heard of!
Chest/Triceps, Back/Biceps and Legs/Shoulders. The Holy Trinity of bodybuilding split routines. Nowadays the idea of split routines is so ingrained in the fitness community that the idea of whole body training for anyone other than a beginner is scoffed at. This is despite the fact that men like Eugen Sandow, George Hackenschmidt right up to Reg Park… Continue reading The Rise of Split Training in Bodybuilding
In the world of fitness, there are few figures as shrouded in mystery and legend than Bruce Lee. The martial artist turned stuntman turned actor helped shape generations of film and TV fans. More than 50 years after his death, the impact of his work is still being felt within entertainment, according to Varsity. Fans of… Continue reading Bruce Lee’s Role in the History of Fitness
