A Website Dedicated to the Study of Strength, Health, Fitness and Sport Across Centuries, Countries and Contests.
Image source. Reverse grip dips are not an exercise you'll see regularly practised on the gym floor. They can be awkward to set up, hurt the joints and elicit confused stares from others. Problem is, they're quite an effective way to hit the chest and triceps. The creation of Vince Gironda, reverse grip dips were... Continue Reading →
The passing of Dr. Fred Hatfield in 2017 saw the passing of one of the lifting community's most prolific coaches. Known as 'Dr. Squat' thanks to his own immense strength, Hatfield also helped to popularise scientific forms of training. The above article, written sometime before 2001 is perhaps the most comprehensive guide I've come across... Continue Reading →
Pull ups are perhaps the most misunderstood exercise on the gym floor. At the risk of descending into a 'back in my day' rant, when I was taught how do to a pull up or chin up, the form was simple; Pull chest to bar, lower until arms are straight. Rinse and repeat. It was... Continue Reading →
Let's face it, very few people in the business of muscle building seem to respect the Tricep Kickback. Indeed a cursory glance online sees it described as pointless, useless and ineffective. Strong words for a relatively simplistic exercise. From my own observations, it is interesting to note in my own gym that women tend to... Continue Reading →
Face it. Every now and then you want to try something new in the gym. A new lift, a new rep range or an entirely new style of training. The mind gets bored of monotony, something which the lifters of yore were all too acquainted with. Today's post on the Sig Klein challenge will not only... Continue Reading →
During the past twelve months or so that I've been writing for HARDGAINER, I've received hundreds of letters and phone calls with various comments and many questions. After receiving all this input, one thing has become very clear to me – you're reading the information in HARDGAINER, but many of you are failing to get... Continue Reading →
Should you drink beer during workouts? It may seem a ludicrous suggestion but this is exactly what famed German strongman, Arthur Saxon, did in the early 1900s. Previously on this website we have discussed the huge appetite Saxon and his traveling trio of strongmen had during the height of their careers. In the space of... Continue Reading →
In 1894 Eugen Sandow traveled to the United States. While this was not the birth of Sandow's celebrity, it marked an intensification of interest in the Strongman's life. Under the tutelage of Flo Ziegfeld, Sandow's time in the United States, which lasted from 1894-1896, was spellbinding. It was in America that Sandow reinvented his posing... Continue Reading →
THE RADICAL GENETICS Five years ago, Adam Smith was heading down the wrong road of life. At 6-3 (190 cm) and a "sopping wet" 140 lbs (63 kg), Adam had severe scoliosis (curvature of the spine) which caused a serious curvature to his upper back, hips that looked displaced slightly to the right, and the... Continue Reading →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o391Xd0ycSM&feature=youtu.be The Mr. Olympia contest is still the pinnacle of the bodybuilding calendar. Previously on this website we've looked at the competition's contest report which spoke of the great Larry Scott, who swept all other challengers aside. Well, thanks to STG Strength and Power we also have video footage of the competition itself. Looking at the competition... Continue Reading →