In today’s episode, we sit down with Conor Heffernan, BarBend contributor and Assistant Professor of Physical Culture and Sports Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Our discussion spans thousands of years of strength, strength training and strength competition. From ancient weightlifting to the 1960s, where strength sports like Weightlifting and Powerlifting begin to split off into their own disciplines. It’s an exciting ride through the history of strong people.
Watch our conversation here:
On this episode of The BarBend Podcast, host David Tao talks to Conor Heffernan about:
- How you become a strength historian (2:08)
- The H.J. Lutcher Stark Center AKA the history museum for strength sports nerds (6:50)
- Strength athletes that have a sizable impact in the broader community (11:55)
- Racing through the strength history timeline: how did we get here in Strength Sports? (16:45)
- How was the squat suit invented, and how do we decide what’s allowed and not allowed in competition? (27:00)
- Key moments in the history of women’s strength sports (31:50)
Relevant links and further reading:
