Conor Heffernan

I need to use this site more! Nice one Paul. I'll be putting something together for this

AUTUMN WINTER 2025 NEW TITLES GWASG PRIFYSGOL CYMRU UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS

Our Autumn Winter 2025 catalogue is here! Browse exciting upcoming titles ➡️📚 bit.ly/CatAW25

Featuring books from @drtimrideout.bsky.social @madelinepotter.bsky.social @physcstudy.bsky.social @maireadcasey.bsky.social @nickalito.bsky.social @profgaryb.bsky.social @andrewjamdavies.bsky.social & more!

Sweat and Archives Want to explore the real history of fitness — from Sandow to steroids, strongmen to CrossFit — without hitting a paywall?I’ve put together a guide to the best free online archives, forums, podcasts, a...

💪 Where can you learn about the history of fitness — for free?

From digitised magazines and archived strongman manuals, there’s a ton of strength history online… if you know where to look.

I’ve pulled together a guide below!

bit.ly/4534hJI

Why Did Bronze Era Lifters Have Flat Chest? A Serious Answer to a Stupid Question

Why did Bronze Era lifters have flat chests?

No, it wasn’t because big pecs were "too feminine."
No, Greek statues aren’t the full answer either.
Here’s the real history — equipment, goals, and myths debunked:

🧵👇
physicalculture.substack.com/p/why-did-br...

YouTube video by Will Tennyson Training at the World's Oldest Gym

🏋️‍♂️ Bethnal Green Gym is under threat, but its legacy matters. I was proud to help draft a Historic England application, under consideration, to protect this space.

Credit to Will Tennyson for showing how much this gym means to lifters, locals & history

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcOA...

Physical Culture Study | Conor Heffernan | Substack Stories from the strange, sweaty, and strong corners of fitness history by a historian who lifts, and reads! Click to read Physical Culture Study, by Conor Heffernan, a Substack publication. Launched ...

Physical Culture Study
physicalculture.substack.com?r=8aryw&utm_...

Conor’s Substack | Conor Heffernan | Substack My personal Substack. Click to read Conor’s Substack, by Conor Heffernan, a Substack publication. Launched a few seconds ago.

🗣️ I did a thing.

I’ve launched a Substack: Physical Culture Study – stories from the strange, sweaty, and strong corners of history.

If you like muscle lore, vintage fitness, or oddball strength feats… come along

Link: bit.ly/4kJwHy7

The surprising revival of road bowling, Ireland's ancient sport From Cork and Armagh to TikTok and Instagram, young and old road bowlers are taking up the bowl and keeping this unique tradition alive

Most read on #RTEBrainstorm: how Ireland's ancient sport of road bowling has taken off from Cork and Armagh to TikTok and Instagram. By @physcstudy.bsky.social @ulsteruni.bsky.social @researchireland.ie www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

Now in paperback! Indian Club Swinging and the Birth of Global Fitness by Conor Heffernan examine different fitness cultures across the British Empire and demonstrates how fitness intersects with understandings of nationalism, race, gender and health.

Now in paperback! Indian Club Swinging and the Birth of Global Fitness by @physcstudy.bsky.social examine different fitness cultures across the British Empire and demonstrates how fitness intersects with understandings of nationalism, race, gender and health.

📖 bit.ly/43a2QYN

The surprising revival of road bowling, Ireland's ancient sport From Cork and Armagh to TikTok and Instagram, young and old road bowlers are taking up the bowl and keeping this unique tradition alive

Heritage, place and identity:
@physcstudy.bsky.social on the contemporary revival of road bowling
@rtebrainstorm.bsky.social
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

The surprising revival of road bowling, Ireland's ancient sport From Cork and Armagh to TikTok and Instagram, young and old road bowlers are taking up the bowl and keeping this unique tradition alive

The surprising revival of road bowling, Ireland's ancient sport. From Cork and Armagh to TikTok and Instagram, young and old road bowlers are taking up the bowl and keeping this unique tradition alive. By @physcstudy.bsky.social @ulsteruni.bsky.social @researchireland.ie www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

Why a 115kg stone from Waterford is finding a new home in Boston Shipping the Cloch Bán up to Boston is a slightly eccentric idea, but it captures how diaspora communities find joy in heritage

Why a 115kg stone from a Co Waterford beach is shipping up to Boston. Sending the Cloch Bán to the US is a slightly eccentric idea, but it captures how diaspora communities find joy in heritage, writes @physcstudy.bsky.social @ulsteruni.bsky.social @researchireland.ie www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

This #Bloomsday, I’ll be speaking on Sandow and strength in Ulysses—exploring Bloom’s curious obsession with the body. Join us for “Breathe and Bloom: Of Fathers and Figures” on June 15, Brighton Square. Yoga, readings, music & muscle

Link: bit.ly/3FIuW5Q

a cartoon character is lifting a barbell and making a funny face ALT: a cartoon character is lifting a barbell and making a funny face

A death at a strongman show? Nearly!

This week's blog post looks at the 1989 Pure Strength show which saw 3 time WSM winner Bill Kazmaeir nearly drop a 200lbs. barrell on a fellow competitor's head!

Link: bit.ly/42yDepw

Amazons of the Arena will be edited by Dr Conor Heffernan @physcstudy.bsky.social (Ulster University), Dr Rachel Ozerkavich (University of Austin, Texas) and David Chapman and will be published, I believe, in 2026.

The Boys Interview Chris Lee The Boys We've Seen · Episode

Great to be invited on The Boys We’ve Seen Podcast this week with
@physcstudy.bsky.social and Johnny Cooper

We’re talking all things Irish soccer ⚽️

Have a listen 👇🏼

open.spotify.com/episode/6FOP...

For club, country, and capitalism? Footballers’ autobiographies and the political and moral economies of post-war Britain This article examines the emergent cultural format of the British footballer’s autobiography between the 1940s and 1960s, as a case study into how tensions in the post-war settlement evolved and we...

Really excited that my article, ‘For club, country, and capitalism? Footballers’ autobiographies and the political and moral economies of post-war Britain’ is now out in Contemporary British History.
#skystorians🗃️ #polisky

Call for papers for our annual History of Science, Medicine and Technology Ireland network conference is open! 9/10 may 2025 in Belfast campus, Ulster university.

History of Science, Technology and Medicine (HSTM) Network Ireland Annual Meeting 2025 ‘Between the Global and the Local’ Date: 9/10 May 2025. Location: Ulster University, Belfast Campus. Submissions of papers on any theme relating to HSTM are welcome, and need not be related specifi…

hstmnetworkireland.org/2025/02/10/h...

HSTM Network Ireland Conference 2025
Submissions of papers on any theme relating to HSTM are welcome. Abstracts (no more than 300 words) and a short biography (no more than 100 words) should be submitted by 21 March 2025 using this Google Form: forms.gle/bn5G8K3m8chDUj…

Just published an with Golden Era Bookworm tracking mortality across bodybuilding eras. Pre-1960 athletes lived longer than those from the post-1960 'Golden Era'. History warns us about sustainable training paths and steroid use in the iron game!

Preprint: bit.ly/3WRUgeS

YouTube video by White Lights Media Inside The UK's Oldest Gym

Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club is Britain's oldest gym, having opened in 1926. The gym, which caters to multiple groups and age groups, is being threatened with eviction by Tower Hamlets Council.

Check out the below video to see why this is a terrible decision.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxyG...

Hey Paul absolutely! Shoot me an email when you have time to chat as I'd love to get that meeting in!

New Article posted this week on what I learned about training and fitness over the past year and some of my favorite history podcasts and books

physicalculturestudy.com/2025/01/08/w...

Screenshot from a Guardian TV roundup. It reads: A Thousand Blows. By current estimations, Steven Knight writes 65% of everything on TV at any given time. A Thousand Blows, however, has the potential to stand out from the crowd. There is Victorian boxing. There are shoplifting gangs. There are Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty. If you are looking for the new Peaky Blinders, this may well be it. 21 February, Disney+.

'There is Victorian boxing.'

YES there is! 🤜🏻🤛🏾

From today's Guardian.

'The new Peaky Blinders'! ☺️

There's ALSO a whole team of young Black and Asian British writers behind #AThousandBlows too, though...

First read of the new year is this excellent little volume, which uncovers the debates and arguments that accompanied the emergence of the word ‘Capitalism’. Wishing you all a year of good books and much reading.

For anyone who wants access to the article just comment below. Thank you again to the journal for their support and encouragement throughout :)

@cultureinsports.bsky.social @bssh.bsky.social @irishscnetwork.bsky.social

Why does any of this matter? How people squat, & why, tells us about body ideals, fitness marketing, technology & fitness communication. In the article, I argue S&C coaches need to be aware of the movement's changes, so they can avoid being rigid in their advice

YouTube video by Sirko Petermann First +1000lbs Squat by Lee Moran

Is that the end of the story? Nope. The introduction of specialist powerlifting equipment (knee wraps, squat suits etc.), anabolic steroids & specialised training push the boundaries for how heavy people can lift. See Lee Moran's 1,000 lbs squat!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhIS...

As the article explains, from the 1950s onward, squatting becomes more complex. Bodybuilders use it for bulking & defining their legs, powerlifters for competitions, weightlifters and strongmen for assistance work