One of the things which always fascinated me is the diets of those early physical culturists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. At a time when gym culture was in its infancy, these men and women experimented with their training, their diet, and their mindsets to achieve maximum results. For some, like the… Continue reading C.F. Langworthy, ‘Dietary Study of Sandow, The Strong Man.’
Today's post comes primarily from the Ma Strength Olympic weightlifting book written by Manuel Buitrago, an expert on Chinese weightlifting techniques. In part 1, we finished off with the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912. From here, China entered a tumultuous period to establish itself as a Republic and gain international recognition. Therefore, reformers kept… Continue reading Guest Post: History of Chinese Weightlifting Part 2: Republican Period – Great Leap Forward
The year is 2008. Mariusz Pudzianowski has just won his fifth World Strongest Man title and I am in a heated discussion with my cousin about who the strongest man ever is. My cousin said Pudzianowski and I, being the strength nerd that I am, argued for Vasily Alekseyev. While we all know that I… Continue reading Why Strongman Trading Cards Are an Awesome Idea
Conor's Note: The first part of this article was published on Wednesday. Please do check back! In the 1920′ s Coney Island described itself as ‘The Greatest Carnival Show on Earth’. Here, amongst the freaks, sawdust and tinsel, Travis was billed as ‘The Strongest Man in the World’. At each performance he would flash a… Continue reading David Gentle, ‘The Fairground Strongman Who Challenged the World.’ (Part II)
Conor's Note: For those who don't know, the late David Gentle was one of the foremost collectors and writers on physical culture and weightlifting. David was kind, considerate and incredibly generous in his dealings with others in the strength community. For many years he ran davidgentle.com, which unfortunately no longer exists. David's website contained many… Continue reading David Gentle, ‘The Fairground Strongman Who Challenged the World.’ (Part I)
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
How did you become a strength performer in the early 1900s? It's not a trick question but something that I've become fascinated with in the past two weeks. This was a time before mainstream competitions. This was a time before social media and it was a time when to be strong was to be truly… Continue reading How did you become a strength performer in the early 1900s?
Is the bicep curl a test of strength? Gym bros rejoice for I am about to fight your corner. The bicep curl is one of the most basic exercises in the fitness industry. It's so simple that when people refer to working out, they may even mimic doing a bicep curl. I am not one… Continue reading Is the Bicep Curl a Test of Strength?
Almost every fine, powerful pair of legs in existence today is the result of the squat. You should do many sets of from 10 to 15 or 20 reps. The number of sets you can work up to will depend on your energy and ability. It may be as high as seven sets, or you… Continue reading Peary Rader, ‘LEG SPECIALIZATION’, THE RADER MASTER BODYBUILDER AND WEIGHT GAINING SYSTEM (1946)
This course of exercises is suitable for youths and men who are commencing weight-training and for boys of twelve years or over. The muscles are exercised through the full range of contraction, thus eliminating the possibility of "muscle binding." The routine is intended not only to normalise the muscular development and build up strength, but… Continue reading The B.A.W.L.A. Primary Physical Improvement Course c. 1948
