Here are five exercises published in the New York Evening World for developing the muscles and improving the health and strength. No. 1 is a stretching movement for strength. Carry the left foot and leg backward, and the right hand and right arm forward, stretching from the hand to foot consciously through the length of… Continue reading Five More Physical Culture Exercises (1900 Article)
Written by D. Haddleton, of Sydney, Australia in Health and Strength Magazine, in November 1964, the following article presents an 'old school' method of training the abs. It features several exercises long forgotten by the modern weightlifter, making it both an invaluable piece of Iron Game history and valuable training aid. Really want to kick-start some ab development?… Continue reading D. Haddleton, ‘It takes guts to chisel out the Abdominals’, Health and Strength (1964)
I was flicking through some old strength magazines during the weekend and came across a lift that I doubt many of us are familiar with. Called the 'Seesaw' press, it is essentially a standing dumbbell shoulder press but instead of pressing both dumbbells at the same time, you alternate between reps. As you lower one dumb-bell, you… Continue reading Forgotten Exercises: The See-Saw Press
Having previously discussed the history of the squat exercise, today's post examines the creation of the Rader Chest Pull, an exercise that Peary Rader, one of the Irongame's biggest names in the twentieth-century, often used in conjunction with the squat. Typically Rader would inform trainees to perform this exercise directly after a set of twenty… Continue reading Forgotten Exercises: The Rader Chest Pull
Training Strategy for Evander Holyfield The time-honoured -- but unfortunately ill-conceived -- practice of long, slow distance work as a conditioning regimen for boxers is what Evander learned from the training dinosaurs of his youth, and had continued with for years. When I was brought aboard his team, prior to his fight against Buster Douglas… Continue reading How They Train: Conditioning Methods of World Champion Boxer Evander Holyfield by Dr. Fred Hatfield
This website has been pretty vocal in its appreciation of Frank Zane. A three time Mr. Olympia, Zane privileged a level of conditioning and aesthetics that, even today, is still admired by bodybuilding fans. Zane's training diaries, and later books highlighted a clearly meticulous and determined attitude to training. It wasn't enough to move the… Continue reading Forgotten Exercises: The Zane Leg Blaster
Training Strategy for Evander Holyfield The time-honoured -- but unfortunately ill-conceived -- practice of long, slow distance work as a conditioning regimen for boxers is what Evander learned from the training dinosaurs of his youth, and had continued with for years. When I was brought aboard his team, prior to his fight against Buster Douglas… Continue reading How They Train: Conditioning Methods of World Champion Boxer Evander Holyfield by Dr. Fred Hatfield
From experience in observing and supervising the exercise of men of all classes, we have learned a few little points not generally understood by the average physical culturist. It is also probable that the average instructor has not the proper opportunity to observe these facts, which are so necessary when exercise is to be prescribed.… Continue reading Mark Berry, ‘Some Peculiarities to be Observed in Arranging Exercise Programs for Great Numbers of Men,’ Physical Training Simplified (c. 1930, Mark Berry).
1 -- You can get as big as a pro bodybuilder without taking steroids; it just takes longer. Despite what many of the magazines say, all professional bodybuilders use either steroids or steroids in combination with other growth-enhancing drugs. Without manipulating hormones, it just isn't possible to get that degree of muscularity, the paper-thin skin,… Continue reading T.C. Luoma and Bill Phillips, ‘Muscle Media 2000 Exposes 30 of Bodybuilding’s Biggest Myths That Stand Between You and Success!’, Muscle Media, (October/November, 2000).
Admittedly this is an exercise for your physical culture purist. Stemming from the early origins of physical culture in the late nineteenth-century, English style deadlifts are unlikely to be seen in your gym any time soon. Nevertheless, this style of lifting was hugely popular amongst British and European lifters of yesteryear. Used by Goliaths like… Continue reading Forgotten Exercises: English Style Deadlifts
