A Website Dedicated to the Study of Strength, Health, Fitness and Sport Across Centuries, Countries and Contests.
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of speaking with Alyssa Ages, an independent journalist who is also a strength fanatic. At the time Ages was working on a novel about the mindset of strength athletes (specifically those competing in World Strongest Man/World Strongest Women style events). The book has subsequently been published and I... Continue Reading →
My love of the World Strongest Man Competition is obvious. If you don't believe, just check out some of our previous posts on the weird and wonderful of the WSM. In particular I am a huge fan of the early WSM shows. They were a time when the sport had not yet professionalized. In reality,... Continue Reading →
I love feats of strength. Admittedly that's not the most surprising admission given the purpose of this website but it is one worth stating every now and then. It doesn't matter if it is someone lifting a barbell or a bale of heavy. Make it heavy enough and I will watch it or, if I... Continue Reading →
Admit it. We're somewhat spoilt for choice these days when it comes to contests of strength. Though not as well televised as some of us might like, myself included, strongmen competitions have grown exponentially over the past decade and a half. We have the World's Strongest Man (WSM) and its various qualifying rounds around the... Continue Reading →
One of the strongest men of the early twentieth-century, Thomas Inch was known in both Great Britain and the United States for his feats of strength. Unlike others however, Inch was hardly strict with his diet. In fact Inch was recorded as saying There is nothing so wearisome as having to be extremely particular about what one... Continue Reading →
Stone lifting is a sport that has been around for centuries but not many people know about the history or origins of stone lifting. The sport of stone lifting has its roots in Ireland, Scotland and Iceland where people would lift stones as a way to show off their strength. Today, stone lifting is enjoyed... Continue Reading →
I am a big fan of novelty barbells. From Bob Peoples’ homemade wooden barbell to the modern elephant bar made by Rogue Fitness, the ingenuity of trainees when it comes to lifting astounds me. If you’ve been training long enough you’ll appreciate variety. Don’t get me wrong, your standard dumbbell and barbell is the bread... Continue Reading →
Undoubtedly we've all been faced with the question, who is stronger? As a teenager it emerged when those weighing 150 lbs. or less sought to square up to their heavier brethren. Was it more impressive bench pressing 200 lbs. at 150 or 280 lbs. at 200 lbs. bodyweight? While our adolescent selves often solved this... Continue Reading →
Ed Coan entered his first powerlifting competition at 16 years old, he went on become one of the best (if not THE best) powerlifters in the world. Here is my candid conversation with The Legend, Ed Coan. POWER: How did you get into powerlifting? ED: I saw Kaz [Bill Kazmier] on TV. That was the... Continue Reading →
Alan Calvert was one of the most important strength entrepreneurs in twentieth-century America. The founder of Milo Barbell and Strength magazine, Calvert helped bring barbells and weights to the masses in the early 1900s. What makes him an even more fascinating figure is that in later years, Calvert became deeply disgusted with America's burgeoning fitness... Continue Reading →