A point previously discussed on this website was the regularity with which early physical culturists promoted light weight training as opposed to heavy lifting. The reasons for this are numerous. In the first instance, light weightlifting is easier to promote to the general public than heavy weightlifting. It requires less equipment, can be done in… Continue reading Eugen Sandow on Heavy Weightlifting
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).
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?
When choosing assistance exercises for the power lifts, I suggest you choose ones that provide the highest positive transfer of strength to the targeted lift; and for this month we will deal with the bench. The best way to accomplish that is to choose exercises that are the most similar to the bench yet still… Continue reading Doug Daniels, ‘BENCH PRESS VARIATIONS,’ Powerlifting USA, 33. 10 (2010), 14
The Olympics are finally here! And I could not be more conflicted. As a weightlifting/powerlifting/bodybuilding/CrossFitting fan, I love watching all manner of strength displays. Because I have a romantic soul, Olympic weightlifting is the event that I always look forward to. In fact, one of my first memories of physical culture was seeing clips of… Continue reading When Did Bodybuilders Stop Doing Olympic Lifts?
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
Sports are highly competitive and athletes use their physical strength, mental preparedness and natural talents to best their competition, that’s sort of their whole deal. An advantage of .001s is an advantage that can make a difference between being a champion and being a loser, so athletes and their teams are looking for any edge… Continue reading Guest Pos: How the Evolution of Technology Impacted Sports
This booklet will not only help you, the average man to become many times stronger than you are at present, but will give you the inside knowledge and information required for developing a body of dynamic muscular proportions. Let’s start off by dispelling a few misconceptions generally held of bodybuilding. Where muscle building is concerned… Continue reading FAQ, ‘Complete Muscle Building Course’ (c. 1970s)
Many of us recognize the concept of functional foods as one of the latest buzzwords in the food and health industry. However, not many of us know that this is a concept that has a lengthy history behind it. The term was coined during the 1980s by the Japanese health authorities in an aim to… Continue reading Guest Post: What Are Functional Foods and Why Are They So Important?
Reg Park was one of the mid-twentieth-century's most impressive bodybuilders. He was large, strong and possessed a symmetry that few of his contemporaries could rival. What is even more impressive was his longevity. As an avid reader of old Health and Strength magazines, I have seen countless photographs and articles on Reg Park from his… Continue reading Reg Park, ‘How I Trained for 1958 Mr. Universe,’ Health & Strength
