tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71768475409300158272026-02-17T18:45:56.282-05:00NaturalStrength.com is an online think-tank, dedicated to truthful drug-free strength training information, (weight training, weightlifting, olympic lifting, powerlifting, competitive strongman, bodybuilding, physical culture & iron game). Good articles about weight training, strength research, the harmful effects of steroids, the mental aspects of training, and iron game - physical culture history are always wanted. Email articles to the editor: bobwhelan@naturalstrength.comBob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comBlogger841125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-87998159137747389632025-10-09T08:55:00.000-04:002025-10-09T08:55:02.308-04:00

November 1986 marked a seminal moment in the world of barbells, weightlifting, physical culture and the manner in which the Iron Game was presented to the public.  As described in Peary Rader’s editorial, Iron Man magazine had changed hands.  He had mentioned his advancing age as one reason for the change, but he was optimistic that there will not be a great deal of difference in

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-41067035477352516732025-07-30T17:23:00.001-04:002025-07-30T18:11:20.550-04:00

The Summer months are traditionally a time for outdoor activities.  “Fun in the sun,” as the saying goes.  Regardless of where you may live, July and August are meant to be spent outdoors.  Even though New York Summers are usually hot and humid, most of us will gravitate to the outdoors.       Naturally, “Fun in the sun” may have different

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-71768781359911739142025-07-28T18:14:00.007-04:002025-07-30T18:35:19.577-04:00

 Hello Bob Whelan,My name is Raphael Cuomo, and I am a scientist and professor in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. I am reaching out to you because you have a unique online platform and capacity to raise awareness of important issues with your sizeable audience. Recently, I wrote a book, titled Crave: The Hidden Biology of Addiction and Cancer 

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-45073960036045480392025-06-22T19:25:00.003-04:002025-06-22T20:23:54.664-04:00

A couple months ago, I wrote an article about abbreviated training in which I reviewed an article in an old issue of Ironman magazine, which was originally written by Bradley Steiner.  Over the years, there have been many articles devoted to the concept of abbreviated training, and one thing that I have discovered during that time, is that the authors of these articles read like a “

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-34220423967137710552025-06-18T18:47:00.000-04:002025-06-18T18:47:59.170-04:00

Sean wipes the sweat of his brow before he steps under the Pendulum Standing Squat Pro for his third and final paired set of squats followed by pullovers performed on the Medx Pullover. Sean is a police officer who struggles to reach full depth with barbell squats without severely rounding his lower back and therefore chooses to use the Pendulum standing Squat Pro to perform the squat motion.

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-51167611169840114972025-06-18T10:36:00.000-04:002025-06-18T10:36:49.383-04:00

The chest expander also known as Strandpulling is making a comeback. Indeed the home gym apparatus almost became extinct like the iron horseshoe bender or the iron boot.Bells of steel recently released their own high-quality chest expander that is more affordable than the ones made by Robert Baraban. Having them both The one made by Robert Baraban is better suited for competitive strand pulling

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-89675259264135472672025-05-18T07:50:00.002-04:002025-05-18T08:07:14.066-04:00

The February 1983 issue of Muscular Development magazine is a memorable issue for me.  Not because there were any fantastic articles or features that stick out.  In fact, looking at the cover, there is little reason to believe that this particular edition would stand out in anybody’s memory.  When this issue first came out, I was only 18 years old.  I was still more than

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-30759502793006026192025-04-16T12:17:00.000-04:002025-04-16T12:17:30.720-04:00

The subject of training duration, specifically the concept of abbreviated training, is very popular today.  Whether your source of training information is social media, YouTube videos, online magazines, or the ubiquitous “gym experts,” at some point every reader has been exposed to some form of abbreviated training.  In the past, I have written about that very subject via

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-28440922599302916062025-03-25T15:32:00.000-04:002025-03-25T15:32:27.921-04:00

During the years that I trained at Iron Island Gym, one of the more interesting things about the gym was the fact that new equipment was always coming into the facility.  Many of us who lifted there got used to the fact that every few weeks, there were new pieces of equipment on the gym floor.  I’m sure that, given Dr. Ken’s reputation and expertise, companies would seek his

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-68731090134758637482025-02-19T09:36:00.000-05:002025-02-19T09:35:59.923-05:00

It should come as no surprise that I am a big fan of the writing of Bradley J. Steiner.  Over the years, there have been many outstanding “strength writers,” but even amongst the great Iron Game writers of all time, Mr. Steiner stood out as someone who was truly inspirational.  I have several of his books, and I would encourage anyone who is interested in increasing his/her

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-4370861096119082942025-01-15T08:45:00.000-05:002025-01-15T08:45:13.669-05:00

Traditionally, January is a time of reflection, as well as looking forward to the year ahead.  New Year’s resolutions are as much a part of the holiday as watching the ball drop at Times Square, and not surprisingly, many people make resolutions about getting in shape, losing weight, and working out more.  Unfortunately, many resolutions fall by the wayside by the middle of January

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-30568798969688288462024-12-27T11:38:00.000-05:002024-12-27T11:38:16.948-05:00

Greetings and Happy Holidays to all. And best of health in the coming year.I have been away for awhile and felt a bit inspired with the upcoming new year upon us. My current personal  situation in my life has required me to take a break from training. Family/medical issues, but really I usually take a 10-15 day layoff from weight training at the end of each calender year regardless. So I

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-22198471134046225012024-12-11T08:07:00.000-05:002024-12-11T08:07:52.253-05:00

Some of my favorite vintage magazines are the Ironman magazines from the Peary Rader years.  When I say “vintage,” I really mean to say “old.”  It’s hard to believe, but Peary Rader stopped putting out Ironman nearly forty years ago.  Thankfully, there are decades worth of back-issues to study, cherish, and learn from.  Yes, you can learn a lot from reading old books and

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-43619711289725892122024-11-09T09:29:00.000-05:002024-11-09T09:29:06.290-05:00

Back in 1983, when I first joined Bruno’s Health Club, there was no shortage of characters who trained there.  In those days, there was an actual “Sign-in Sheet,” which you would sign upon entering the gym.  A casual glance at a typical sign-in sheet would show names such as “The Wolverine,” “The Old Man,” “Thunderlips,” “Goat Balls,” and other assorted monikers.  It got to the

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-15116343721079622982024-11-08T07:41:00.001-05:002024-11-08T07:42:35.908-05:00

My 13 month old son had his first workout! ... 2.5 pound crawls. Haha! (This is a joke!) Editor's Note: Awesome RJ! Great picture! Hahaha! This will be so cool for him to show his friends when he really does start training. 

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-76133034449100041062024-10-23T09:26:00.000-04:002024-10-23T09:26:24.135-04:00

Hard, heavy workouts on basic exercises are the best way to develop greater strength and muscle mass. Whether you are a beginner, or have been “hoisting the steel” for many years, you simply cannot escape the basics if you want to make progress.  This is especially true if you are a drug-free athlete.  There are no shortcuts.     I was very fortunate to

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-39706787923041690532024-09-29T09:08:00.000-04:002024-09-29T09:08:08.987-04:00

I have written many articles about the old Ironman magazines, the Peary Rader version of Ironman, to be precise.  What a great magazine! It covered every facet of the Iron Game.  And it did it in a way that did not rely on fancy advertising, hawking overpriced bogus supplements.  It didn’t glorify steroid-bloated bodybuilders.  What it did was put out a magazine

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-66731103436507327422024-09-09T16:53:00.004-04:002024-09-11T08:34:51.767-04:00

Editor's Note: David Sedunary has done it all in the sport of Aussie Rules football. As a player, coach and administrator for his hometown team in Broken Hill with a span of over 50 years! Broken Hill even named the Gates to the playing field after him. (See picture below.) David knows the value of weight training to improve performance in ARF.  Players: Take his 

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-14097759804030338082024-08-26T08:15:00.001-04:002024-08-26T10:58:28.083-04:00

I’ve often written about the glorious history of lifting weights for the purpose of gaining muscular size and strength.  Most of us who “hoist the steel” were initially motivated to do so by the goal of getting stronger and bigger.  Realistically, very few of us were “97 Lb. weaklings,” but we were lifted weights in order to increase our size and become stronger.  And we often

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-34701642756053130562024-07-30T09:04:00.002-04:002024-07-30T18:18:50.497-04:00

In the weeks leading up to my 60th birthday, I seriously debated whether or not I should continue with my traditional birthday challenge- lifting my 180 Lb Granite Atlas stone for the number of reps equal to my age- or should I attempt something different.  I thought of attempting a new personal best Trap Bar Deadlift with my thick-handled Trap Bar.  I also considered doing a high

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-85640009212056899692024-06-27T08:06:00.000-04:002024-06-27T08:06:01.026-04:00

My name is Doug Brewer and I am 63 years old and recently retired and have lived in the Tampa area since 1992.  I grew up on Long Island and played football at Lynbrook High School and the New York Institute of Technology.  I started lifting weights in the eighth grade when LHS purchased a Universal Gym (about 1972) where you chose your weight using a steel pin inserted in the

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-49444231700610954852024-06-24T07:32:00.000-04:002024-06-24T07:32:38.579-04:00

There is a popular term that people who work out like to use nowadays.  “Ego Lifting” is something that I never heard until recently.  Like many other phrases, it can have different meaning for different people.  And, like many phrases and words associated with lifting, I’m not entirely sure of what it quite means.  For instance, I have never understood the use of the

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-36631847331189545832024-05-23T07:55:00.000-04:002024-05-23T07:55:12.263-04:00

My name is Ted and I am 53 years old. You might be thinking that's great Ted, now who are you and why are you writing an article for Natural Strength?Read on and you might understand, relate, and become motivated to press on with life and your training goals. Let me start by going back to the late 1990's and early 2000's. I was in my late 20's and early 30's. Coming out of the military I was in "

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-16875096681246829312024-05-17T10:43:00.000-04:002024-05-17T10:43:19.211-04:00

By the Fall of 1987, I had been competing in drug-free powerlifting for two years and had been subscribing to Powerlifting USA magazine since the previous Summer.  As a young lifter, I couldn’t get enough powerlifting.  Whether it be training, competing, or simply reading about the sport, my whole world revolved around the three lifts and  how to improve them.  Looking

Bob Whelanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13060993828934513071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7176847540930015827.post-20972635842376831232024-04-21T14:45:00.003-04:002024-04-21T15:12:26.493-04:00

When I joined Bruno’s Health Club in the Summer of 1983, my primary goal was to be able to get stronger in the three powerlifts.  Even though it would still be a couple years before I would make it to the platform, I tried to find as much information as I could on how to improve my lifting.  There was a lot of motivation around because not only was Bruno’s a gym that was devoted to

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