Conor Heffernan/@physcstudy.bsky.social

My new book When Fitness Went Global is out today! It’s the story of how gyms, diets, supplements, influencers, and strength culture went from local experiments to a worldwide industry. From Sandow to smartphone era. If you’re interested in sport, history, fitness, or how we built the modern body, this is for you. It’s currently 10% off with @BloomsburyHist Linkl: bloomsbury.com/uk/when-fitnes… Thanks to everyone who supported this project along the way. I could not be more excited!!!

The deadline for submitting a paper to the 2026 BSSH conference is fast approaching see the link below and get those abstracts in.. sportinhistory.com/events/2026-bs…

When Did Exercise Become ‘30 Minutes a Day’? Link: open.substack.com/pub/physicalcu…

New Substack Article. How the upright row became the most hated exercise in the gym! Link: physicalculture.substack.com/p/how-the-upri…

A hotel with a gym? Okay not a novel idea but what about a hotel where 'weakness is a crime'? In this week's Substack I examine Bernarr MacFadden's eccentric health resorts from the 1940s! Link: open.substack.com/pub/physicalcu…

@criostoirdesiun There is nothing more useful than 'screw it why not' on exercise selection!

@PhysCstudy Duly noted hahaha. I do have the monkey rows in my arsenal from a previous post of yours about them. Hise shrugs I’m not familiar with. Worth trying all of these!

@PhysCstudy how do the Kaz shrugs feel on your neck? I find standard shrugs, even with DBs can give me a bit of a tweak. Looking at these as a possible alternative. Thanks as always. open.substack.com/pub/physicalcu…

🌍🏋‍♀ From yoga and gymnastics to Jiujitsu, the 19th century turned many local exercise traditions into global trends. Discover how imperial networks, militaries, print culture and trade spread them in When Fitness Went Global by @PhysCstudy. 👉 bit.ly/4qExUKF

Well the new BSSH website is now live and is carrying this years conference info... sportinhistory.com/events/2026-bs…

Bucket-list item complete! Last weekend I featured in @IrishTimes to discuss Ireland's longstanding issue of blaming the individual, and not the system, for weight gain. This is an issue many of us have internalized and something we rarely reckon with. @UlsterSchSport @iaphistorians Link: irishtimes.com/life-style/peo…

🚨New Episode Alert🚨 Join @PhysCstudy & @JohnnyCooper91 this week. We talk about the Nation's League fixtures against Israel and discuss the many moral and sporting reasons why a boycott is needed. #COYBIG Link: bit.ly/4tDPd0l

Dr Jason Wilson offers insight into 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 10,000-𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐲𝐭𝐡 in the @irish_news To learn more, @JJW_Research is hosting ‘The Science of Steps’ workshops during @niscifest Feb 16-20th. Register: ulster.ac.uk/faculties/life…

Really awesome to feature on @BloomsburyAcad's website. Academic writing can be very lonely so I am blessed that @BloomsburyHist have been so supportive! @UlsterSchSport

Today on the Gist: Contextualizing Donald Trump's "wrong and crazy" proposal to nationalize elections, arguing that while the rhetoric is alarming, the Constitution makes it impossible to execute. Then Conor Heffernan, author of When Fitness Went Global, joins the show to discuss the history of "physical culture," explaining why he lifts heavy stones in graveyards and how the first fitness influencer, Eugen Sandow, shifted the world from functional strength to pure aesthetics—while selling a few bogus dumbbells along the way. And in the Spiel, Mike analyzes the recent FBI raid in Georgia, arguing that Trump's attempt to weaponize the DOJ to prove a stolen election will likely backfire by highlighting his biggest political liability. #constitutionallaw #PhysicalCulture #FitnessHistory #EugenSandow

TODAY ON THE GIST: “Add Friction” to the Super Bowl of Gambling @JonathanDCohen1 , author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling, makes the case that the only credible reform agenda is friction, slowing bets, delaying deposits, and cutting off the design features that turn even Czech table tennis into a high stakes trap. Also on the show, Conor Patrick Heffernan traces how ideas of strength evolved, from Charles Atlas chests to bodybuilding’s takeover of Hollywood, and why the human body mostly just responds to resistance, not trends. Plus a lament for the Washington Post’s decline, how the Times out-competed it by poaching talent, and the brutal economics of serious nonfiction journalism in 2026. *Published daily at 6pm ET #SportsGambling #GamblingAddiction #OnlineBetting #FitnessHistory #PhysicalCulture #JournalismCrisis

That dude's HOT

Came for the stones, stayed for the chat. Had a great time on @thegist with @MikePesca talking old-school strength, physical culture, and my book When Fitness Went Global! @BloomsburyHist @UlsterSchSport

🚨 PUBLICATION ALERT 🚨 Congratulations PhD Researcher @francis_marsh1 & his supervisors Lee-Ann Sharp, @davegwoods @KyleParadis & Scott Pierce on their recent publication 👏👏 Pre-print 👉 sciencedirect.com/science/articl…