Published by Joe Weider in 1974, the following interview with Iron Guru, Vince Gironda, details the influential trainer's thoughts on the then growing popularity of Nautilus Machines. Unsurprisingly given that Weider was in direct competition with the Nautilus machine's founder, Arthur Jones, the interview proved to be negative at best. In any case, it highlights… Continue reading Vince Gironda on the Nautilus Machines (Muscle and Fitness, 1974)
Running shoes do not have too long of a history, with the first pair being developed around 200 years ago. They were initially made from leather and each decade brought a number of changes, such as the rubber soles and spikes. Companies began manufacturing sneakers in the 1930s, with running shoes being used by athletes… Continue reading Guest post: Nike’s waffle shoes or how inspiration comes from the unexpected
Having previously looked at the history of the squat, bench press and even the smith machine, it seemed about time that we did a history of the deadlift. We've been putting this one off for quite a while, even looking at the Romanian Deadlift en lieu of the actual thing. The stumbling block in approaching… Continue reading The (Somewhat Complete) History of the Deadlift!
An exercise designed to enact as much pain as possible. That at least is the thought that almost inevitably runs through my mind during a set of Bulgarian split squats. Heavy squatting? Fine by me. Heck throw in breathing squats for fun. I can grind through that. But high volume split squats? That's an altogether different… Continue reading The History of the Bulgarian Split Squat
Whether you bodybuild, power lift, cross fit or simply keep fit, there's no denying the importance of the barbell to your training. Easily adjustable, stable under enormous weights and challenging to the nth degree, barbells are a time honoured means of building muscle and strength. Yet despite the barbell's unrivalled popularity amongst the current gym… Continue reading A Brief History of the Barbell
Perhaps the most popular form of training for modern gym goers, powerlifting is nevertheless a relatively recent phenomena. Indeed, while bodybuilding and Olympic Weightlifting date to the start of the twentieth-century, it was not until the 1960s that the art of lifting incredibly heavy things was formally recognised. Today's article thus looks at the birth… Continue reading The History of American Powerlifting
Published by Joe Weider in 1974, the following interview with Iron Guru, Vince Gironda, details the influential trainer's thoughts on the then growing popularity of Nautilus Machines. Unsurprisingly given that Weider was in direct competition with the Nautilus machine's founder, Arthur Jones, the interview proved to be negative at best. In any case, it highlights… Continue reading Vince Gironda on the Nautilus Machines (Muscle and Fitness, 1974)
What could be simpler than lifting a weight overhead? Well like everything else in the world of fitness, a simple idea is often needlessly complicated, something exemplified by today's post on overhead pressing at the turn of the twentieth-century. Unlike modern weightlifting competitions, which have largely standardised the manner in which lifts can be executed,… Continue reading Continental and Military Pressing
It’s often difficult to pinpoint seminal moments in sport. This is especially the case in football. Ask people when the first football match was played and the answers will range from the fifteenth-century to the recent 1800s. History teaches us to be weary of ‘first ever’ occasions in a sport with such a long past.… Continue reading PIONEERS AND PARIAHS: ORANGE FREE STATE BANTU F.C
