Strength sports, as an endeavour, are simultaneously a modern, and pre-modern, sport. Accounts of men engaging in contests date back to the Chinese practice of lifting heavy stones and cauldrons in 6000 BC (Hai-sheng, 2012). Likewise, Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt, among other regions, had strength cultures (Crowther, 2007). That withstanding, strength contests and feats,… Continue reading A Brief History of Strongman
Almost a decade ago, a retired Soviet hammer thrower came to the conclusion that traditional forms of squatting were not the best way to strengthen the muscles of the thighs and hips. Many in the Soviet Union considered this heresy, as the squat was the king of leg training in that country just as it… Continue reading Dr. Terry Todd and Angel Spassov,’Bulgarian Leg Training Secrets,’ Muscle and Fitness (1989).
Owing to the inquisitive nature of a PCS reader, I've finally gotten my act together, or at least come close enough to some semblance of normality, to go down the rabbit hole once again. The topic of todays post, is the rather more niche but nevertheless effective Glute Ham Raise (GHR) machine. Having spent years… Continue reading The History of the Glute Ham Raise
The Olympics are finally here! And I could not be more conflicted. As a weightlifting/powerlifting/bodybuilding/CrossFitting fan, I love watching all manner of strength displays. Because I have a romantic soul, Olympic weightlifting is the event that I always look forward to. In fact, one of my first memories of physical culture was seeing clips of… Continue reading When Did Bodybuilders Stop Doing Olympic Lifts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ObaksQVnM "To Be Known as a Weightlifter is to Enjoy at Least Local Prestige" There is something rather wonderful about old British Pathé clips isn't there? I have actually lost count of the amount of videos that have been posted onto this website. This video isn't groundbreaking or revealing but it is just simply nice.… Continue reading You Too Can Lift Weights! or Yet Another Amazing British Pathé Video
No matter how much modern equipment and specialized machinery gyms are equipped with these days, they all still carry a simple staple of gym equipment called the barbell. Barbells have been part of gyms for many years. In essence barbells are simply a metal bar with weights on either end, but they an essential component… Continue reading Guest Post: The History of Barbells
a Having previously examined weight lifting belts and weightlifting shoes, the time seems right to examine weightlifting straps. For some weightlifting straps are just another everyday piece of equipment. They boost your numbers on the dead lift, the barbell row and just about anything else that requires grip strength. Yet for others weightlifting straps signify… Continue reading  The History of Weight Lifting Straps
Situated halfway between the gym and the nightclub, pre-workout supplements have taken on a remarkable popularity amongst gym goers in recent years. Labelled with 'hardcore' names such as 'Anarchy', 'Mr. Hyde' or 'Rage', the pre-workout supplement has become a staple amongst portions of the lifting community. Indeed, one may be forgiven for thinking that bodybuilders,… Continue reading A History of Pre-Workout Supplements
The mind, as I’ve said thousands of times in articles and books, is your master! If there is a singlesource of great power within you it is in your mind. Learn to control and direct mental energy and power, and you have but to set your mind on what you wish physically in order to… Continue reading Bradley J. Steiner, Mental States (1972)
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
