Earlier in the week I was fortunate enough to spend time with a friend of mine who has recently qualified as a physiotherapist. Discussing the relative merits of different exercises and training protocols, my friend lamented his profession's reliance on cookie cutter protocols for rehabbing patients. In their view, many physiotherapists tended to prescribe 10 … Continue reading 3 Sets x 10 Reps: The History, Logic and Reasoning
The quest for greater size has long plagued both the 'hard gainer' and the muscle bound hunk. At times it can seem that the need to ingest greater calories is almost as taxing as our workouts. A predicament that John McCallum, the focus of today's article, was keen to address. As you'll read below, McCallum devised … Continue reading John McCallum ‘Get Big Drink’
One of bodybuilding's most perplexing problems is deciding on how many repetitions. In recent years there has been a tendency to standardise the number to around ten, as this is felt to provide the best combination for muscular bulk, strength and stamina. Not too many years ago the guiding rule was low reps for bulk, … Continue reading Ivan Dunbar, How Many Reps Makes the Champion? (1964 Health & Strength Article)
1946, Montreal, the International Federation of Bodybuilding is founded by the Weider brothers before a contest held at the Monument National. This federation will be the Weiders' first step towards gaining supremacy in the bodybuilding world - this however, did not go unopposed. Conflict Releasing the first issue of Santé et Développement Physique in 1946, fitness … Continue reading A French-Canadian Bodybuilding Federation
One point that always fascinates me about training is the sheer diversity one finds when it comes to training systems, exercises and training philosophies. What works for one trainee can prove pointless to another. No matter how good the programme, it often has to be tailored towards the individual, and indeed, we often find that … Continue reading Bob Gajda’s Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) Training
The Association Organized in 1922 and implemented in 1924, the purpose of the American Continental Weight-Lifters Association (ACWLA) was to preach and plan standardized (according to an American standard vs. the European standard) weight-lifting events across the United States. The two-year waiting period was said to have been caused by Macfadden’ physique contest (won by … Continue reading The American Continental Weight-Lifters Association
Unless you own a home gym, the issue of whether or not you train to music is usually decided for you. Nowadays the gym stereo is a much a part of the gym floor as the weights themselves. Depending on your gym, the decision to leave your headphones at home results in anything from pop … Continue reading Should you Workout to Music? Old School Approaches
