A Website Dedicated to the Study of Strength, Health, Fitness and Sport Across Centuries, Countries and Contests.
I... dear reader. Am getting older, and crankier. The latter attribute isn't important, although it does explain quite a lot about me. The joy of getting older is that my body is getting more snaps, crackles, and pops than I care to admit. This has encouraged me/forced me/confined me, to taking more interest in both... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
In a former life as a teenage rugby player we did some dumb stuff in the gym. Heavy squats with bad form? Yup. Olympic lifts with rounded backs? You betcha. I trained around the time that 'functional training' was all the rage so I even have memories of friends back squatting on Swiss balls! Yes... Continue Reading →
For my sins, I enjoy writing articles. I probably do it more often than I should for my eternal damnation. I'm currently writing an article on the evolution of the back squat, a history I've previously discussed on this website and elsewhere. As part of this research, I've been deep-diving the history of squat stands,... Continue Reading →
Earlier this week I was given a very generous gift. The gift in question was a complete set of Wills' Cigarette Cards. Produced for an Irish and English audience in 1914, the cards depicted various physical culture exercises one could engage in to keep fit and healthy. The irony that the cards could only be... Continue Reading →
I love this website if that doesn't come across enough. It isn't really the opportunity to write and research but rather the fascinating people it allows me to meet. While some strong bonds have been forged with regular commentators, every now and then a visitor will reach out with an interesting question or enquiry. The... Continue Reading →
As a Weider student you should be interested to know that the Weider System is the most popular and successful bodybuilding course in the world. Because of my 50 years of involvement in the sport, the Weider System is the basis of all modern bodybuilding and weight-training techniques. Literally everything in bodybuilding has sprung from... Continue Reading →
Well, the New Year is well and truly upon us. To my absolute delight, if not amazement, this year marks the tenth year of Physical Culture Study. You will forgive me then for being romantic and sentimental in reminiscing about its trajectory. While this website has not projected me into some sort of social media... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with Marcus Kment, who runs the highly popular Barbell Films account on Instagram. While I'm not on Instagram (I know... I know), I have been aware of the account for some time because of friends and family members who excitedly show me his latest posts.... Continue Reading →
Yes. This is an entire article about the history and development of the side bend. No I am not running out of content but yes I am procrastinating my book on the history of women's Olympic weightlifting. At the very least, I can say that my procrastination is productive right? And, in my defense, a... Continue Reading →