Squat History 101

Posted on by ahorschig

The Origins of Strength

Welcome back to Squat University. This week we are going to change things up a bit. Today, we’re going to talk about the history behind the squat.

Strength training is not a new concept. Historians have found references to feats of strength and weight lifting competitions dating as far back as the 3600 BC (1). Military recruits for the ancient Chinese Chou dynasty (1122 – 249 BC) were required to pass specific strength tests before they were allowed to join (2).

Strength training has always been a way of life for humans. The way we go about improving physical fitness is always evolving. The use of barbell training is still a new concept relative to the long history of man.

The Spark

I pose a question for your readers, who invented the barbell? You see it at every commercial gym and crossfit box. The answer to that question dates back to the 11th century. Indian wrestlers for example, are known to have used Sumtolas (a wooden log with carved holes for handles) as far back as the 11th century AD (3).

While iron dumbbells could be purchased in most major cities across the world by the mid-1800’s, barbells were still extremely rare (4). The first mention of the use of barbells is said to have come from a professional strongman in France by the name of Hippolyte Trait. His gym boasted many spherical-ended barbells, which he called “Barres A Spheres De 6 Kilos” (4).

By 1900, barbells were becoming more prevalent across Europe. However, the same equipment was nearly impossible to find at the time in America (4). A man by the name of Alan Calvert set out to solve this problem. In 1902 he opened the historical Milo Bar-bell Company in Philadelphia. Named after the ancient Greek athlete Milo of Crotona, this company would introduce to the United States the first commercially manufactured barbell set. Along with the purchase of the barbell, it would come featuring a free weight training course (the first widely available course in the country) (5,8).

The Milo Bar-Bell Company published the first strength training and bodybuilding magazine Strength. This magazine sparked the rise in popularity of barbell training in the United States in the early 1900’s (5).

Pic 1.png
Alan Calvert’s first publication from 1914 entitled “General Strength.” Used with permission from The H.J. Luther Stark Center Ottley R. Coulter Collection.

Strength featured professional and amateur weightlifters. The magazine documented their amazing physical transformations with the help of the Milo Barbell. Like many of the popular fitness magazines today, the pages were filled with competition results and instructive ‘self-help’ articles on resistance training (6).

 

Pic2
An early example of the Milo Triplex Bell set that was offered by the Milo Bar-Bell Company starting in 1908. Prior to the Triplex bars (which featured plates for loading), the first Milo “bells” were hollow and were filled with shot. To increase the weight you would unscrew a part of the bell on either side of the bar and fill it with additional shot. Eventually the pate loading method became a more standardized practice. Used with permission from the H.J. Luther Stark Center Ottley R. Coulter Collection.

The Evolution of the Squat

In the early 1900’s, the lift we know today as the back squat was actually called the ‘deep knee bend.’ It was performed on the toes with the heels together. Lifters would use lightweight and squat on their toes for many repetitions. At the time, no one was squatting massive weight with this method. There was no way to hoist much weight on your back because squat racks had not yet been invented.

The ‘deep knee bend’ was described in the “First course in Body-Building and Muscle-Developing Exercises” issued by the Milo Bar-Bell Company in 1915:

“Still standing with the heels together, toes turned outward, bend the legs at the knees, and sink down into position…Rise up again and repeat several times. When you lower the body, the heels rise from the ground. Point the knees as far out to the sides as you can, as this helps to develop the muscles on the outside of the thighs. Moreover, the more you point the knees to the side, the easier it is to keep the body upright. At first you will not be able to go all the way down, but as the muscles become stronger and more elastic you will be able to almost sit on the heels…repeat 20 times. Every third day times more, till 40 times; then increase weight of the bell 5 pounds.”(7)

Pic3
The “Deep Knee Bend” featured as a part of the “Bodybuilding and Muscle Developing Exercises” pamphlet issued by the Milo Bar-Bell Company in 1915 (7). Used with permission from the H.J. Luther Stark Center Ottley R. Coulter Collection.

Around the time of World War I, many in Europe had started performing the squat, as we know it today, as a competitive lift. Our first known reference to the use of the squat in a weight lifting competition came in 1919 Germany when Carl Moerke defeated Hermann Goerner in one-on-one contest by squatting 240 kg or 529 lbs (11).

After the war, a German immigrant by the name of Heinrich “Henry” Steinborn came to the United States in 1921 (9). Steinborn is credited for bringing with him this newly developed lift.

In 1921 he was be featured in the now popular Strength magazine. Alan Calvert boasted of his enormous strength and tremendous physique acquired through weight training (10). In the article Calvert recalls a new lift performed by Steinborn called the “squat”. At the time it was even placed in quotations because of its obscurity. This marks one of the first known usages of the word “squatting” as a weight training exercise (9).

Pic4
Calvert even labels Steinborn “A Present Day Milo” in reference to the legendary ancient Greek athlete Milo of Crotona. Used with permission from The H.J. Lutcher Stark Center Ottley R. Coulter Collection

Up until this point if you wanted to perform the ‘squat’ you had to use a fairly crude method to get the bar onto your back. Remember, the modern squat rack had not yet been invented. Most people at this time elected to clean the barbell to the shoulders and then perform a small overhead press in order to bring the bar to rest on the upper back (8). As you can guess this method greatly limited the amount of weight that could be lifted. Steinborn was well known at this time for his awkward but revolutionary new method for shouldering the weighted barbell.

In order to place the barbell on his upper back, Steinborn would up-end the loaded barbell to one side. He then squatted sideways and slowly lowered the vertical bar onto his back to the tops of his shoulders. As the bar lowered to his shoulders, he would drop into the bottom of the squat. From this bottom position he would then stand up with the loaded barbell upon his back. At only 5’8” and 210 lbs, Steinborn claimed that he could lift 530 lbs in this manner! (10).

Pic5
Peary Rader performing the Steinborn style squat (8). Used with permission from Dave Yarnell.

In the later 1920’s and into the 1930’s the use of the squat continued to grow as a staple of weight training programs. Around this time commercialized squat racks would appear in training halls across the world, allowing lifters to hoist even more weight on their backs.

Weightlifters and body builders alike began to take up the squat and make it an important part of their training programs. From this point on, the squat was here to stay!

Final Thoughts

The evolution of the squat has led to many athletes breaking world records in speed, jumping ability and other feats of physical prowess. We take for granted the barbell squat. Athletes from the Olympic games, NFL realm and many other sports rely on barbell squats as an essential training staple.

Thanks for reading this week’s article. I hope you appreciate the history of the barbell and the squat exercise.

Until next time,

SquatBottom
Dr. Aaron Horschig, PT, DPT, CSCS, USAW

With

Kevin Photo
Dr. Kevin Sonthana, PT, DPT, CSCS

References

  1. Siff MC. Supertraining. Denver, Co: Supertraining Institute; 2000.
  2. Taneja, A. World of sports indoor, Volume 2. Gyan Publishing House, 2009.
  3. Stojiljkovic N, Ignjatovic A, Savic Z, Markovic Z & Milanovic S. History of Reistance Training. Actives in Physical Education and Sport. Federation of the Sports Pedagogues of the Republic of Macedonia. 3(1): 135-138.
  4. Todd J. From Milo to milo: a history of barbells, dumbbells, and Indian clubs. Iron Game History. April 1995. 3(6):4-16.
  5. Beckwith, K & Todd J. Strength: America’s first muscle magazine: 1914-1935. Iron Game History. August 2005; Vol 9(1):11-28.
  6. General Strength (1916). The Milo Bar-Bell Co. Philadelphia, Pa.
  7. First Course in Body-Building and Muscle-Developing Exercises. The Milo Bar-bell Company. 1915.
  8. Yarnell, D. King Squat, rise to power. Lexington, KY. 2014
  9. Todd T. Karl klein and the squat. NSCA Journal. June-July 1984. 26-67.
  10. Calvert, Alan. 1921. Milo. Strength. Vol 6, No. 3. November, pp.35-39.
  11. Bonini G, Kodya M, & Roark J. Was herman goerner truly mighty? Iron Game History. May 2007. 9(4): 21-32

Published by

ahorschig

42 thoughts on “Squat History 101”

  1. I am a 57 year old long standing lifter and lover of all things heavy learning About the history of the sport I love is fantastic. thank you !!! I am a Physical therapy assistant and a strength coach at a local high school where I live. Proud to say my son 28 years old lifts with me And recently has become intrested in doing the steinborn lift

  5. Squatting is a basic human movement pattern, no doubt, and we have used it since ever. But the loaded barbell squats as strength lift has only recently been possible after the creation of squat racks, so, it does not have “that” primal thing to it.

    Same is the case with bench press. It does not have any primal sexiness to it as it is neither a basic movement pattern nor it was possible till the creation of professional benches a few decades back.

    Deadlifts and overhead pressing are the only lifts that have the primal history associated to them as these are not only basic movement patterns but also been used as test of strength since ever.

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