When did weight training become popular in Ireland?

Surprisingly The Jersey shore tv program was won of the key influences

It's not just teens and twentysomethings who do the photo in front of the mirror pose either - people in their 40's, 50's and even 60's do it too!

Mocking is catching!

Having a defined strong physique gives an aura of masculinity amongst young male. It's pure vanity to try and attract the opposite sex. Same goes for female. There's huge pressure to look fit and healthy. A lot of those magazine pictures etc. which show the perfect body are photoshopped and largely unattainable. It's causing huge mental problems aswell. I feel sorry for teenagers these days with the amount of peer pressure. Also it was mentioned that the focus on weights and building muscles hinders cardio fitness. People are obviously much better of with a mix of both.

It can't be overstated what an impact CrossFit had on bringing lifting into the mainstream in Ireland. It was the first type of barbell training I was exposed to.

As for the concerns about 'de yooth' lifting for the wrong reasons: I would very much side with Black Sheep on this being a case of missing the forest for the trees.

While I definitely acknowledge that we've all see kids in the gym who seem to be wrapped up in PEDs, body dysmorphia etc - we have to remember that they are actually a small % of the teen population. This issue pales in comparison to the obesity epidemic and the fact that the average teen does less physical activity than ever. I worked in a school for a few years, and the PE department had seen a staggering drop in general physical preparedness with each generation. I trained many 12 year olds who couldn't do a bodyweight squat. These people are going to absolutely devastate the health system when they're adults.

I only found out today that you can gauge the entirety of someone's motivation for training just by looking at them.

I would imagine he’s referring tongue in cheek to the negative assumptions about teenagers in this thread.

my bad - I read the post in isolation. All makes sense now after reading the last page.

Yep.

I guarantee every person fault finding with “young people’s” gym culture engages in the exact same in their [sport of choice].

Any trend towards people wanting to look conspicuously fit is a good thing. Yes yes, we'd all prefer people focused on cardio and nutrition etc, but it's a welcome trend overall. I'm not a fan of lifting or lifting-culture (whatever that is) but lifting weights is generally (and objectively) good for the human body in a variety of ways. Nothing wrong with a bit of peer pressure and copycat behaviour sometimes.

Ben Dunne was the major change. Before that, most young people could not afford to join a gym. Obviously there are cultural and social factors, but the major change came with the introduction of low cost gyms.

Amazing post. Would definitely support and engage in a AMA type thread on physical culture in Ireland. I’m sure the right people are on thread to make it happen.

In the meantime I’ll be checking out those other references. Lurk less please.

In Limerick there's a long history of weight training. From Garryowen Weightlifting club in the 60's and onto the Southill Powerlifting club and other spots. Ifolks like the Dillons, the Bulmans and the Macnamaras to name a few and there were a few very weight-oriented gyms around too. I know in Ballynanty in the 80s that Ray Slattery had a gym in 1 of his sheds that was very well-frequented. Not by me ;) I was in his other shed playing arcade games.

I aware of Zyzz's online presence. And I haven't suggest anyone should emulate him (he died from a undiagnosed cardiac issue FWIW). I only mentioned him as you brought him up. He was the example that you gave for how it's recently become a focus on aesthetics. I'm disagreeing with that. As an example, Arnie was significantly more famous and influential on fitness. And his size was significantly more insane.

Zyzz's physique was noting like the other bodybuilders I mentioned. He was significantly smaller. Yes they all used PEDs. I'm not suggesting bodybuilding is a healthy pursuit for anyone, I'm saying that you claim, that this is a new phenomena is nonsense. The guys I mentioned go back to the 70s FFS.

I wouldn't assume that athletes are doing PEDs under proper medical supervision. The super-elite maybe, the also rans definitely not.

Derek is clearly well educated on the topic and puts information out there. The internet has done that to every subject really, information has never been more accessible. Is PED use more common now, I don't know but I would say it probably is so. But I'd be sure that if you took an Average guy on steroids today verses an Average guy on steroids in the 90s. The guy today would have much more knowledge on the substances, his doses, his bloodwork, recovery drugs etc. Verses a guys in the past probably not even really knowing what they were actually injecting.

But you are still missing the point. You brought up extreme steroid users. Of course that's not healthy. But that was never the discussion. Most people who lift weights are not on steroids. Most people who do serious cardio are not on EPO. PEDs are not required in you are into fitness. These are extremes are they are not new things.

There were plenty diet pills sold OTC to slimmers in the late 90s and early 2000s that were borderline PEDs. People have always gone to extremes. The people it training as a serious hobby are not the ones I'd worry about. It's the crash dieters that lifestyle mags continue to champion.

The Irish media has quite the history of demonising creatine with literally no supporting evidence.

I recall one ex Irish rugby international writing a newspaper article, in which he claimed creatine could have played a significant role in the death of Jonah Lomu.

I think irresponsible would be a fair way of describing it.