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
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
Ah the low-carbohydrate diet, a form of eating that has become so ingrained in 21st century culture that you could be forgiven for thinking it was a relatively new idea. The truth is that low-carb diets have existed since the 19th century, when an Englishman named William Banting began promoting a low-carb way of life. … Continue reading The History of the Low-Carb Diet
In a previous post I discussed how fitness entrepreneurs Joe Weider and Bob Hoffman used their bodybuilding magazines as an outlet to promote nation strength and army success during the Second World War and the Korean War. Although this was happening in the 1940s and 1950s, it was not a novelty within the realm of … Continue reading “Debased Bodies”: The Cause of Neurasthenia, aka Shell Shock
Having previously detailed forgotten physical culture devices like the Iron Boots and the Swingbell, the time has come to discuss another treasure from bodybuilding's past, namely the 'half moon bench'. Promoted heavily by the Dan Lurie Barbell Company during the sixties and seventies, the "Half-Moon" or "Round Bench" promised to stretch the ligaments and cartilage around the … Continue reading Dan Lurie’s Half Moon Bench
It seems like every time we write a piece on the history of a certain exercise we start with a mention that history is murky business. Well, once again dear readers, this history is murky. After scouring the amazing world of the internet and digging into a handful of books, here's what we came up … Continue reading “Bring Sally Up, Bring Sally Down.” The History of the Push Up
It would be quite simple to dive into notions of theology and state that Satan rose from hell, implemented the burpee, and then returned to his fire kingdom to fall asleep every night to the thumps of human bodies slamming on the ground above accompanied by the sweet serenity of exerted pain and profanities. However, … Continue reading “Fall flat to the floor and get back up again!” The Origin of the Burpee.
