Continuing our Vince Gironda interest, today features an article written by the man himself on what separates the men from the champions in Bodybuilding. The answer may just surprise you. I have stated numerous times that champions obviously possess something that others do not. Even though training partners do the same routine set for set, rep… Continue reading The Essence of Bodybuilding according to Vince Gironda (Iron Man, May 1983)
So often in today's world of World's Strongest Man, Olympic Weightlifting and Powerlifting, the assumption that strength is defined by maximum weight lifted goes unchallenged. It is as if we accept unquestioningly that the person who can lift 500 pounds once is stronger than the those who can 'only' lift 400 pounds for reps. It's… Continue reading What is Strength?
Fitness crazes are unsurprisingly not a new phenomenon and in light of that fact, today we will discuss the growth of the Indian Club craze in Victorian England. Indian Clubs are bottle-shaped wooden clubs that are swung in the hand using a range of movements for the purpose of gymnastic exercise. Whilst they have been… Continue reading Indian Clubs in Victorian Britain
Can you imagine just 60 years ago, people who could be seen jogging on the street or in the park were considered crazy and weird. Today, running for recreation is one of the most normal things and none of us even consider thinking what brought out this trend. Jogging is by definition slow running done… Continue reading Guest Post: Historical Facts about Recreational Running Every Runner Needs to Know
"Activity is life, while stagnation is death". The Encyclopedia of Indian Physical Culture, xviii. In 1950, several strength enthusiasts got together in the newly independent India to gather accurate accounts of India's contribution to the world of Physical Culture. 700 pages later, they had done it. India has long been an influential player in the… Continue reading The Encyclopedia of Indian Physical Culture
This is now the eighth .... EIGHTH ... year of this blog. While I don't always get the time I need or want to write for this site, it holds such a fond place in my heart. I created this website in 2014 when I had just finished my undergraduate degree. I didn't know what… Continue reading 2021: The Physical Culture Review
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 Frank Zane’s Growth Program
Imagine if there was just one exercise you needed to obtain the perfect physique. What's more, you would only need to do it two or three times a week. Pretty good right? Well you're in luck. The 'Health Lift' provides everything you need and more. In the mid-nineteenth century, a fitness machine swept across the United… Continue reading The Health Lift, the greatest machine you’ve never heard of!
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
I like to consider myself to be a semi-decent researcher. Coming up to nearly a decade of historical work, I've spent quite a lot of time studying the origins of certain exercises, foods and workouts. Don't get me wrong, I love it ... Most of the time. Research for this exercise was not one of… Continue reading Why The Nordic Curl is Older Than You Think
