Well ... it finally happened. Gyms are beginning to open around the world. Lifters rejoice! Now I've previously discussed my own training struggles down the global lockdowns. For the first time in my life I was unable to go to the gym, had virtually no access to a barbell and ... somehow ... I survived.… Continue reading How Has Gym Equipment Changed Over Time?
CULTIVATE FEARLESSNESS. Plenty of people say they need to feel the weight on their backs before a meet so they are conditioned to it. Well, I have found that it doesn’t matter how conditioned I am; the squat is always heavy. This means that when the weight is on your back in a meet or… Continue reading Scott ‘Hoss’ Cartwright, ’10 Steps to a Huge Squat,’ Power, 1 no. 1 (2009), 15-19
As bodybuilding gained in popularity, the money to be made from the sport also increased. Whenever a lot of money suddenly be- comes involved, everything starts to change. Professional bodybuilders had been making money at the sport since the days of Sandow, but very few were able to make a good living. Many opened gyms,… Continue reading Arnold Schwarzenegger on ‘The Profession of Bodybuilding’
The following post is taken directly from Thomas Inch's 1920s work, On Strength. Inch, as we have previously discussed on Physical Culture Study, was one of the early and influential British physical culturists. Inch was a weightlifter, weightlifting organizer and a prolific writer. He wrote for several decades with Health and Strength magazine, likely contributed… Continue reading How Do You a Single Handed Dead Lift? 1920s Style
"Friends don't let friends skip leg day." If you're looking for some inspiration for your next leg workout then you've come to the right place. Today we look at some of the greatest leg exercises that time has forgotten about. They were invented by iron legends like Gironda and used by men like Arnie. Needless… Continue reading Old School Leg Exercises You’re Not Doing
I am constantly fascinated with learning how strongmen and women trained. For me, one of the most interesting things about the history of fitness is learning how and why people trained, and for what reason. Today's post looks at Pat Casey, one of powerlifting's early celebrities. Pat Casey was one of the strongest men in… Continue reading The Pat Casey Workout (1963)
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 Fred Hatfield, ‘I May Know Diddly, But I Know Squat!’ (2001)
Whether you bodybuild, power lift, cross fit or simply keep fit, there's no denying the importance of the barbell to your training. Easily adjustable, stable under enormous weights and challenging to the nth degree, barbells are a time honoured means of building muscle and strength. Yet despite the barbell's unrivalled popularity amongst the current gym… Continue reading When Was the Barbell Invented?
Nice muscles, what can you do with them? A common question and also the title for a series of YouTube challenges well worth watching. The underlying point remains however. Are men and women of muscle athletes? Can they challenge others athletically or are they simply lumbering oafs? While anyone who watches World Strongest Man will… Continue reading Can Strongmen Play American Football? The Curious Case of the Crunch Bunch
Cambered bars, that is bars with a slight or pronounced bend, are one of the more niche elements of the gym floor. While many of us will be familiar with the EZ Bar, undoubtedly the most popular form of cambered bars, far fewer will have used Safety Squat, Buffalo or straight Cambered Bars as part… Continue reading The History of the Cambered Bar
