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
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
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)
One of the most maligned exercises of recent decades has been the military press done behind the neck. Owing it is said to the undue stress this exercise places on the shoulder joints, lifters have been advised to avoid this technique at all costs. I, for many years, was one of those lifters. Not only … Continue reading Forgotten Exercises: The Bradford Press
The following extract comes from a fascinating twelve page pamphlet I recently got my hands on. Written by the Strongman and Powerlifter Bill Kazmier, the pamphlet details everything a budding strength enthusiast needs to learn to perform on the platform. Over the next few weeks we'll be dissecting Kazmier's advice for the Squat, Deadlift and the Bench Press. In the meantime, … Continue reading Bill Kazmier, ‘Competitive Squatting Style and Techniques’ from Bill Kazmier, The Squat and Deadlift (Crain Power-Plus, 1981)
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
Strength training has always been synonymous with the so-called "Iron Game," a broad generic term that includes the competitive lifting of heavy objects by "strongmen/women" during the last century or so. Feats of lifting strength, however, have appeared throughout the history of most nations, but it has only been in very recent times that training … Continue reading Dr. Mel Siff, A Short History of Strength and Conditioning (Dolfzine, 2003)
