As I'm sure you have noticed, I love the history of Quebec strongmen, in particular Louis Cyr. As discussed, Cyr represented more than strength; he stood as a symbol of French Canadian opportunity in the face of an history of oppression. Little wonder Cyr's funeral in 1912 is still alluded to in Quebec press. The … Continue reading The Fall of a Giant – The Crowning of a Newcomer
Quebec
A French-Canadian Bodybuilding Federation
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
Phil Speaks: An Interview with Natu and the Super Jacked Ginger
I had the chance to meet this guy called Sam while shopping for supplements about a month ago. We began discussing various effects of preworkout, our favorite brands, and the reasons I don't take it anymore. Our talk quickly changed to the Mr. Olympia contest that was on its way. Seeing that we both … Continue reading Phil Speaks: An Interview with Natu and the Super Jacked Ginger
A Challenge to Sandow; Strongmen in the Press.
While researching the regular strongman and bodybuilding articles (as we history PhD people do on the daily) I stumbled across this newspaper clipping that was featured in the National Police Gazette in 1893 asking “Is Eugen Sandow Afraid?” In this post I would like to address not only this specific clipping, but also the use … Continue reading A Challenge to Sandow; Strongmen in the Press.
Santé et Force
As some of you might recall from a previous article, Joe Weider, later assisted by brother Ben released Your Physique magazine in 1940 out of Montreal. Although their first attempt was modest, the (soon-to-be) Weider brand grew quite steadily to reach exponential heights. However, the Weiders were not alone in the francophone Iron Game (without going into … Continue reading Santé et Force