When Atlas Wasn't Playing Tug-of-War he was giving out Diet Tips “I realize you are anxious to build up great strength and power as soon as possible. Here is a simple secret which should help give you the results you hope for.” Charles Atlas, Mail Order Workout Programme, Lesson Two, c.1930s In 1921 Charles Atlas … Continue reading Charles Atlas’s ‘Special Secret for Rapidly Building Enormous Power’
Is it possible to gain 63 pounds of muscle in less than a month? What about 15 pounds of muscle in twenty-two days? By any metric such results would be phenomenal but few people believe such a feat is manageable. Yet in the early 1970s, Arthur Jones, creator of the Nautilus machines, claimed it was … Continue reading HOW TO GAIN 63 POUNDS OF MUSCLE IN 28 DAYS: THE INFAMOUS COLORADO EXPERIMENT
How many times do you eat a day? Do you eat carbs after 3pm? Post-workout protein shake? Such are the questions faced by the modern day strength enthusiast. Are we overthinking the way we eat? In a world faced with a growing obesity epidemic and continuous production of low quality foods the answer may appear … Continue reading Eat like a Sandow!
So often in today's world of World's Strongest Man, Olympic Weightlifting and Powerlifting, the assumption that strength is defined by maximum weight lifted goes unchallenged. It is as if we accept unquestioningly that the person who can lift 500 pounds once is stronger than the those who can 'only' lift 400 pounds for reps. It's … Continue reading What is Strength?
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 Thomas Inch’s Diet
How bodybuilding champions train is an area of intense interest for muscle fanatics the world over. How many sets, how many reps and how intensely? What makes them great? Seeking to satisfy demands, muscle magazines often publish polished workout routines written by the Champions. Yet nothing compares to the first article, making today's post on … Continue reading Steve Michalik’s Training Diary from 1968
Famed for his remarkable strength and at times, his flair for the theatric, the early twentieth-century physical culturist Thomas Inch has left quite a mark on the current strength training population. Not least for competitors of the World’s Strongest Mancompetition who are often tasked with lifting a replica ‘Inch Dumbbell’ overhead. This being no easy … Continue reading Thomas Inch and the Inch Dumbbell (Old Video Footage)
