Conor Heffernan
@physcstudy.bsky.social
Lecturer At Ulster University. Historian of health, fitness and physical culture. Co-host of Boys We've Seen podcast. I also run history of fitness website, physicalculturestudy.com
Pinned
Today marks publication day for my book When Fitness Went Global!
It explores how physical culture travelled the world, how ideas about health circulated across continents, and how we arrived at today’s global landscape.
Bloomsbury have it at 10% off today:
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/when-fitn...
It explores how physical culture travelled the world, how ideas about health circulated across continents, and how we arrived at today’s global landscape.
Bloomsbury have it at 10% off today:
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/when-fitn...
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
How the Victorians invented the gym selfie. British and Irish men in the 1890s mailed their portraits to fitness guru Eugen Sandow, who created a global business with gyms, books and training kits, writes @physcstudy.bsky.social @ulsteruni.bsky.social @researchireland.ie www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
How the Victorians invented the gym selfie
British and Irish men in the 1890s mailed their portraits to fitness guru Eugen Sandow, who created a global business with gyms, books and training kits
www.rte.ie
November 25, 2025 at 4:01 PM
How the Victorians invented the gym selfie. British and Irish men in the 1890s mailed their portraits to fitness guru Eugen Sandow, who created a global business with gyms, books and training kits, writes @physcstudy.bsky.social @ulsteruni.bsky.social @researchireland.ie www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
Today marks publication day for my book When Fitness Went Global!
It explores how physical culture travelled the world, how ideas about health circulated across continents, and how we arrived at today’s global landscape.
Bloomsbury have it at 10% off today:
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/when-fitn...
It explores how physical culture travelled the world, how ideas about health circulated across continents, and how we arrived at today’s global landscape.
Bloomsbury have it at 10% off today:
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/when-fitn...
November 13, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Today marks publication day for my book When Fitness Went Global!
It explores how physical culture travelled the world, how ideas about health circulated across continents, and how we arrived at today’s global landscape.
Bloomsbury have it at 10% off today:
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/when-fitn...
It explores how physical culture travelled the world, how ideas about health circulated across continents, and how we arrived at today’s global landscape.
Bloomsbury have it at 10% off today:
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/when-fitn...
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
Taking a break from The Devil's Dancefloor tonight to work on pinning down Miss Juno May for a forthcoming international essay collection on women's wrestling, past and present-ish. Out 2026 (I don't know how, when, where) edited by @physcstudy.bsky.social & US colleagues!
AMAZONS OF THE ARENA! 🤼♀️
AMAZONS OF THE ARENA! 🤼♀️
November 7, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Taking a break from The Devil's Dancefloor tonight to work on pinning down Miss Juno May for a forthcoming international essay collection on women's wrestling, past and present-ish. Out 2026 (I don't know how, when, where) edited by @physcstudy.bsky.social & US colleagues!
AMAZONS OF THE ARENA! 🤼♀️
AMAZONS OF THE ARENA! 🤼♀️
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
On Let's Talk with Giles Brown, from 10.00CET - @physcstudy.bsky.social with 'The Years of the Wizard: The Strange History and Home Life of Renaissance Magicians', and Conor Heffernan (@physcstudy.bsky.social) on 'When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century'
November 10, 2025 at 8:50 AM
On Let's Talk with Giles Brown, from 10.00CET - @physcstudy.bsky.social with 'The Years of the Wizard: The Strange History and Home Life of Renaissance Magicians', and Conor Heffernan (@physcstudy.bsky.social) on 'When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century'
Just out now — I joined the History in Focus podcast from the AHR to talk about my article Mistakes I Carried: Building Strength in a Time of Crisis.
Listen here: www.historians.org/podcast/mist...
Listen here: www.historians.org/podcast/mist...
Mistakes I Have Made
What if historians could own up to their mistakes? Or learn to see their mistakes not as weaknesses to be hidden but as a necessary part of the process of growth and discovery? That is what a recent s...
www.historians.org
November 6, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Just out now — I joined the History in Focus podcast from the AHR to talk about my article Mistakes I Carried: Building Strength in a Time of Crisis.
Listen here: www.historians.org/podcast/mist...
Listen here: www.historians.org/podcast/mist...
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
For UK academic folk, in case you don’t know about this service, the AHRC does publish all panel outcomes, with figures for numbers of applicants, numbers of successful awards etc. There is a lag, though, so the most recent info is from January 2025.
AHRC panel outcomes and attendance
Details of the outcomes of applications and panel membership relating to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) panel meetings.
www.ukri.org
October 24, 2025 at 9:51 AM
For UK academic folk, in case you don’t know about this service, the AHRC does publish all panel outcomes, with figures for numbers of applicants, numbers of successful awards etc. There is a lag, though, so the most recent info is from January 2025.
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
September 29, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month
www.jstor.org/action/showL...
Was proud to be part of Made of Stone on RTÉ — a brilliant doc on David Keohan and the revival of Irish stone lifting. Huge credit to David, director Will Hutchby, and @ulsteruni.bsky.social for backing my madness. Still on RTÉ Player.
www.rte.ie/player/movie...
www.rte.ie/player/movie...
Made Of Stone
Documentary on David Keohan, also known as
www.rte.ie
October 17, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Was proud to be part of Made of Stone on RTÉ — a brilliant doc on David Keohan and the revival of Irish stone lifting. Huge credit to David, director Will Hutchby, and @ulsteruni.bsky.social for backing my madness. Still on RTÉ Player.
www.rte.ie/player/movie...
www.rte.ie/player/movie...
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
Hooray! 😁 I'm far from an expert, but whenever I've read about early strongmen it's been a delight. I also have a persistent double take reaction when I see this picture of George Hackenschmidt: "Those are very modern-looking boots! No, wait..."
October 13, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Hooray! 😁 I'm far from an expert, but whenever I've read about early strongmen it's been a delight. I also have a persistent double take reaction when I see this picture of George Hackenschmidt: "Those are very modern-looking boots! No, wait..."
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
October 13, 2025 at 5:31 PM
New article out today 🎉
Gymnastics and childhood in early-19th-century Dublin — how foreign instructors, Irish medics & schools shaped kids’ bodies, health, and national ideals.
Open Access (CC BY) — free to read & share.
bit.ly/4onFCYp
#skyhistorians @iaphistorians.bsky.social
Gymnastics and childhood in early-19th-century Dublin — how foreign instructors, Irish medics & schools shaped kids’ bodies, health, and national ideals.
Open Access (CC BY) — free to read & share.
bit.ly/4onFCYp
#skyhistorians @iaphistorians.bsky.social
a black and white photo of a person riding a bicycle with the words retro exercise written below them
ALT: a black and white photo of a person riding a bicycle with the words retro exercise written below them
media.tenor.com
October 13, 2025 at 1:29 PM
New article out today 🎉
Gymnastics and childhood in early-19th-century Dublin — how foreign instructors, Irish medics & schools shaped kids’ bodies, health, and national ideals.
Open Access (CC BY) — free to read & share.
bit.ly/4onFCYp
#skyhistorians @iaphistorians.bsky.social
Gymnastics and childhood in early-19th-century Dublin — how foreign instructors, Irish medics & schools shaped kids’ bodies, health, and national ideals.
Open Access (CC BY) — free to read & share.
bit.ly/4onFCYp
#skyhistorians @iaphistorians.bsky.social
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
Brilliant stuff from Conor Heffernan @physcstudy.bsky.social on “expertise creep” and platform authority
physicalculture.substack.com/p/when-fitne...
physicalculture.substack.com/p/when-fitne...
September 29, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Brilliant stuff from Conor Heffernan @physcstudy.bsky.social on “expertise creep” and platform authority
physicalculture.substack.com/p/when-fitne...
physicalculture.substack.com/p/when-fitne...
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
Does 1880s boxers whacking down a glass of sherry and an egg for breakfast count? 💪🏻🥚🥃
To mark the release of my new book, When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century (Bloomsbury, 2025), I’m giving away a copy.
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
October 10, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Does 1880s boxers whacking down a glass of sherry and an egg for breakfast count? 💪🏻🥚🥃
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
One for the physical culture historians and enthusiasts in my network!
I’ve already got a copy and would highly recommend such an amazing book!!
I’ve already got a copy and would highly recommend such an amazing book!!
To mark the release of my new book, When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century (Bloomsbury, 2025), I’m giving away a copy.
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
October 10, 2025 at 12:35 PM
One for the physical culture historians and enthusiasts in my network!
I’ve already got a copy and would highly recommend such an amazing book!!
I’ve already got a copy and would highly recommend such an amazing book!!
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
gotta be the world’s traditions of lifting heavy rocks.
specifically i love the dritvík stones in iceland, primarily because they are ones i’ve visited and lifted 3/4 classifying myself as “half a man” lol
specifically i love the dritvík stones in iceland, primarily because they are ones i’ve visited and lifted 3/4 classifying myself as “half a man” lol
October 10, 2025 at 1:33 PM
gotta be the world’s traditions of lifting heavy rocks.
specifically i love the dritvík stones in iceland, primarily because they are ones i’ve visited and lifted 3/4 classifying myself as “half a man” lol
specifically i love the dritvík stones in iceland, primarily because they are ones i’ve visited and lifted 3/4 classifying myself as “half a man” lol
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
Throwing this into the #skystorians feed - chance to win what is sure to be an excellent book.
To mark the release of my new book, When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century (Bloomsbury, 2025), I’m giving away a copy.
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
October 10, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Throwing this into the #skystorians feed - chance to win what is sure to be an excellent book.
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
Does bicycling count? Love to see big guys balancing on bikes.
To mark the release of my new book, When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century (Bloomsbury, 2025), I’m giving away a copy.
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
October 10, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Does bicycling count? Love to see big guys balancing on bikes.
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
I really hope this includes Muscular Christianity, which gave us a legacy of a lot of 19th century beefcake photographs. 😌
To mark the release of my new book, When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century (Bloomsbury, 2025), I’m giving away a copy.
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
October 11, 2025 at 6:26 AM
I really hope this includes Muscular Christianity, which gave us a legacy of a lot of 19th century beefcake photographs. 😌
To mark the release of my new book, When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century (Bloomsbury, 2025), I’m giving away a copy.
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
October 10, 2025 at 11:10 AM
To mark the release of my new book, When Fitness Went Global: The Rise of Physical Culture in the Nineteenth Century (Bloomsbury, 2025), I’m giving away a copy.
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
To enter:
💪 Repost
🌍 Comment with your favorite strength tradition
I’ll pick a winner next week.
#StrengthHeritage #SportHistory
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
Great read
🚨Published in the American Historical Review!🚨
My article argues that historians can treat the body as an archive. Using my own training alongside J.C. Hise’s 1930s squat experiments, I explore how fitness culture reshapes bodies, identities & anxieties.
👉 bit.ly/46xlcVw
My article argues that historians can treat the body as an archive. Using my own training alongside J.C. Hise’s 1930s squat experiments, I explore how fitness culture reshapes bodies, identities & anxieties.
👉 bit.ly/46xlcVw
Mistakes I Carried: Building Strength in a Time of Crisis
Abstract. My critical mistake as a historian was ignoring the physical body as a site of knowledge production. For years, I analyzed fitness history in arc
bit.ly
September 22, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Great read
🚨Published in the American Historical Review!🚨
My article argues that historians can treat the body as an archive. Using my own training alongside J.C. Hise’s 1930s squat experiments, I explore how fitness culture reshapes bodies, identities & anxieties.
👉 bit.ly/46xlcVw
My article argues that historians can treat the body as an archive. Using my own training alongside J.C. Hise’s 1930s squat experiments, I explore how fitness culture reshapes bodies, identities & anxieties.
👉 bit.ly/46xlcVw
Mistakes I Carried: Building Strength in a Time of Crisis
Abstract. My critical mistake as a historian was ignoring the physical body as a site of knowledge production. For years, I analyzed fitness history in arc
bit.ly
September 22, 2025 at 3:00 PM
🚨Published in the American Historical Review!🚨
My article argues that historians can treat the body as an archive. Using my own training alongside J.C. Hise’s 1930s squat experiments, I explore how fitness culture reshapes bodies, identities & anxieties.
👉 bit.ly/46xlcVw
My article argues that historians can treat the body as an archive. Using my own training alongside J.C. Hise’s 1930s squat experiments, I explore how fitness culture reshapes bodies, identities & anxieties.
👉 bit.ly/46xlcVw
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
'Myth, music and muscle':
@physcstudy.bsky.social on sport, Irish identity, and the (re)invention of tradition
@rtebrainstorm.bsky.social
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
@physcstudy.bsky.social on sport, Irish identity, and the (re)invention of tradition
@rtebrainstorm.bsky.social
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
Why the Tailteann Games are returning this month
The story of the Tailteann Games reveals how Irish identity is made, remade and sometimes forgotten
www.rte.ie
September 16, 2025 at 7:26 AM
'Myth, music and muscle':
@physcstudy.bsky.social on sport, Irish identity, and the (re)invention of tradition
@rtebrainstorm.bsky.social
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
@physcstudy.bsky.social on sport, Irish identity, and the (re)invention of tradition
@rtebrainstorm.bsky.social
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
The Tailteann Games return this Saturday at Kells Priory.
I wrote for RTÉ Brainstorm about why this revival matters for Irish identity, heritage and mythology in 2025.
👉 www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
I wrote for RTÉ Brainstorm about why this revival matters for Irish identity, heritage and mythology in 2025.
👉 www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
September 15, 2025 at 4:47 PM
The Tailteann Games return this Saturday at Kells Priory.
I wrote for RTÉ Brainstorm about why this revival matters for Irish identity, heritage and mythology in 2025.
👉 www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
I wrote for RTÉ Brainstorm about why this revival matters for Irish identity, heritage and mythology in 2025.
👉 www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
Reposted by Conor Heffernan
Why the Tailteann Games are returning this month. The story of the Tailteann Games reveals how Irish identity is made, remade and sometimes forgotten, writes @physcstudy.bsky.social @ulsteruni.bsky.social @researchireland.ie www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...
Why the Tailteann Games are returning this month
The story of the Tailteann Games reveals how Irish identity is made, remade and sometimes forgotten
www.rte.ie
September 15, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Why the Tailteann Games are returning this month. The story of the Tailteann Games reveals how Irish identity is made, remade and sometimes forgotten, writes @physcstudy.bsky.social @ulsteruni.bsky.social @researchireland.ie www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...