Oldtime Strongman Training: Oldtime Strongman Blockweights

Someday I may get around to putting together the Secret history of Kettlebells -- there's more to it than what most people would have you believe.

Here's something that will make a good chapter: blockweights. These were an offshoot of the kettlebell "handled-weight" concept and used for many of the same exercises, at least in Strongman Lore (which is an important distinction.)

The real function for blockweights is to provide ballast (i.e. just "weight") to hold down the scenery/props etc backstage in the theater.

My theory is that many oldtime strongmen noticed these unusual weights during their performances in various places and thought they would make an interesting implement to train/lift with.

The top ad is for a blockweight sold by the Milo Barbell Company circa 1926. The bottom two are vintage blockweights, weighing 50 and 30 pounds respectively.