D. Haddleton, ‘It takes guts to chisel out the Abdominals’, Health and Strength (1964)

Written by D. Haddleton, of Sydney, Australia in Health and Strength Magazine, in November 1964, the following article presents an 'old school' method of training the abs. It features several exercises long forgotten by the modern weightlifter, making it both an invaluable piece of Iron Game history and valuable training aid. Really want to kick-start some ab development?... Continue Reading →

Forgotten Exercises: The See-Saw Press

I was flicking through some old strength magazines during the weekend and came across a lift that I doubt many of us are familiar with. Called the 'Seesaw' press, it is essentially a standing dumbbell shoulder press but instead of pressing both dumbbells at the same time, you alternate between reps. As you lower one dumb-bell, you... Continue Reading →

Forgotten Exercises: The Rader Chest Pull

Having previously discussed the history of the squat exercise, today's post examines the creation of the Rader Chest Pull, an exercise that Peary Rader, one of the Irongame's biggest names in the twentieth-century, often used in conjunction with the squat. Typically Rader would inform trainees to perform this exercise directly after a set of twenty... Continue Reading →

21s in Bodybuilding Lore

What teen or young lifter hasn't been seduced by the idea of bigger biceps? Indeed in the bodybuilding universe of both males and females, no pose is more iconic that the front or back double bicep pose. A difficult set of muscles to grow, except of course for the genetically gifted, the biceps have been... Continue Reading →

The Lost Art of Swingbell Training

Looking for something to break the monotony of dumbbell and barbell training? Admit it, every once and a while you like to try something new. Exercises or machines that truly test you. Well today, we're going to look at the Swingbell, an old school piece of bodybuilding equipment promoted by York during the heyday of... Continue Reading →

Frank Zane’s Growth Program

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 →

A History of Pre-Workout Supplements

Situated halfway between the gym and the nightclub, pre-workout supplements have taken on a remarkable popularity amongst gym goers in recent years. Labelled with 'hardcore' names such as 'Anarchy', 'Mr. Hyde' or 'Rage', the pre-workout supplement has become a staple amongst portions of the lifting community. Indeed, one may be forgiven for thinking that bodybuilders,... Continue Reading →

Up ↑