E 71 | Strength Training's Entire History in 45 Minutes (And Where It's Going Next)

About this episode

Brandon traces the full evolution of strength training from ancient times to modern advancements.

Episode Summary Most of the cutting edge strength training methods being sold on social media right now were invented 30, 50, even 2,500 years ago. In this episode of the THIRST For More Podcast, Brandon traces the full evolution of strength training. From Milo of Croton carrying a bull in ancient Greece, to Eugen Sandow and Bob Hoffman building American strength culture, to Arthur Jones and the Nautilus HIT wars, to the Soviet sport science revolution, to the evidence based era led by Brad Schoenfeld and Eric Helms, and finally to where we are going: AI assisted programming, continuous biometric data, and genetically individualized training. If you are a strength coach, personal trainer, or gym owner who wants to stop chasing trends and start building real professional expertise, this is the historical framework you have been missing. WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE The 2,500 year old origin of progressive overload How Eugen Sandow invented the modern fitness industry in 1895 The HIT versus volume training war and what the research actually says Why Eastern European sport science still underpins modern programming The specific researchers and coaches defining the evidence based…

People in this episode

Host: Brandon Smitley

Topics covered

• history of strength training
• progressive overload
• evolution of fitness industry
• evidence based training
• future of coaching
• biometric data in training

Keywords

• strength training
• fitness history
• progressive overload
• evidence based coaching
• biometric data
• AI programming
• Eastern European sport science

More episodes of THIRST For More Podcast

• E 76 | Difficult Clients: How to Handle Them Like a Pro · June 8, 2026 · 45 min
• E 75 | How to Keep Athletes Strong All Season (The Minimal Effective Dose) · June 1, 2026 · 50 min
• E 74 | Periodization Is Overrated: What the Research Actually Says · May 25, 2026 · 42 min
• E 73 | The 8 Fitness Myths That Won't Die (And the Research That Buries Them) · May 19, 2026 · 1h 9m
• E 72 | Stop Setting Goals This Way | The Science of Goal Setting for Athletes & Coaches · May 11, 2026 · 44 min
• E 70 | Equipment Buying Guide: How to Build a High-Performance Training Space Without Getting Played by Marketing · April 27, 2026 · 52 min