Two wheels, some slabs of metal, a chain and an uncomfortable chair. What could be more simple to make then the common bicycle? Well motivated in part by a decision to begin cycling to work, I decided to delve into the history books to discover who invented the world's first bicycle. What should have been a… Continue reading When was the Bicycle Invented?
Is it suddenly cool to care about the history of strength? One of the joys of the internet has been, for me at least, the immense interest weight lifters from around the world have shown in learning more about the strong men and women who went before them. In the past, people were forced to… Continue reading Film Club: The Rogue Legends Series Louis “Apollon” Uni
The history of the human race is one of survival, and this survival was often driven by adrenaline. However, as our society became safer, with less frequent wars and fewer instances of life-threatening situations, people started feeling as if something was missing. Then, they started filling this gap with extreme sports. This way, they could… Continue reading Guest Post: The History of Extreme Sports
Resistance bands are a wonderfully effective addition to any workout routine, especially when it comes to rehabilitation or strength training. Available in a variety of resistance levels and lengths, resistance bands have become the latest craze in the fitness community over the past five years New Fad or Old trick? While they may seem like… Continue reading Guest Post: A brief history of resistance bands
Invented in the late 1820s and publicised for several more decades, the Polymachinon represents one of the nineteenth century's more interesting fitness devices. Created by the Professor of Gymnastics at University College School, London, the Polymachinon was seen as an effective method of improving strength, musculature and, more importantly, overall health. This much is made… Continue reading James Chiosso’s Polymachinon
Born in Nelson Flats, New York, in 1854 Dowd was, if his own accounts and obituaries are to be believed, a somewhat unathletic child in his youth. Writing some decades after Dowd’s passing, W.A. Pullum, a renowned British physical culturist, claimed that Dowd “showed nothing in his youth to indicate that destiny marked him out… Continue reading The Life and Times of Professor Dowd
Harvey Green’s Fit for America is written for curious gym goers and professional historians alike. The book demonstrates that the American pursuit of health and fitness started long before Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilding career, or the running boom of the 1970s. Published in 1986, Green’s work was among the earliest books to address the history of… Continue reading Guest Post: Brawny Books – Harvey Green, Fit for America
Almost a decade ago, a retired Soviet hammer thrower came to the conclusion that traditional forms of squatting were not the best way to strengthen the muscles of the thighs and hips. Many in the Soviet Union considered this heresy, as the squat was the king of leg training in that country just as it… Continue reading Dr. Terry Todd and Angel Spassov,’Bulgarian Leg Training Secrets,’ Muscle and Fitness (1989).
We all use phrases like “fair play” and “good sportsmanship” every day, but sports are not always that noble and fair. The world of sports is smeared with many affairs, but there are a few that certainly stand out as the biggest scandals in sports history. Maradona vs. Honest Football 1986 World Cup is one… Continue reading Guest Post: Naughty, Not Nice Biggest Scandals in Sports History
This article first appeared in Bob Hoffman's Strength and Health Magazine in 1957. It details the point scoring for the precusors for today's modern bodybuilding shows. Of particular interest are the categories dealing with muscularity and athleticism. Many of us forget that physique competitions used to include some form of strength component dealing with the… Continue reading Judging a Physique Contest
