Welcome to the PDA Sports and Fitness Library. The core of our material is weightlifting related. But, you will also find books on weightlifting in relation to other sports, on other sports in general, on sports psychology, and about general health and medical topics.

The ages of our material ranges from over 100 years old right up to the present. While the older volumes are, admittedly, not cutting edge, they offer a certain nostalgia and insight. Those books offer glimpses of the pioneering authors or early treatment of topics. The books dealing with early lifting and exercise equipment, in particular, illustrate how little things have changed in over a century. In the 1800s George Windship was an underweight weakling who turned himself into a local ‘Hercules’ of sorts. And you thought Charles Atlas had the corner on that gig? Windship also invented and marketed the first graduated plate loading dumbbells in the 1860s. Thought the Milo Bar Bell Company had that cornered? Windship’s dumbbells could be increased or decreased in ½ pound increments. And we are just rediscovering how important that is!

The material from the mid-20^th century, and several years following, provide clear footprints of our immediate past. There is plenty of material on early strongmen and the strength athletes who led the way.

The material is arranged so that new items are added on the last shelf. You will not have to scour all over to find new items. When you return everything previously present will be in the same place. Items that have been removed will be marked as such.

Please enjoy your visit. Call or write with questions or orders. And, please, turn the lights out when you leave.