Stone Lifting in Tibet

Every culture has it's own "meaning" for strength. Here are a few pictures from a stone lifting contest held at the 7th National Ethnic Games in Yinchuan, Northwest China's Ningxia Province. At the games, which are held every four years like the Olympics, over 3,700 ethnic athletes from 34 delegations competed. The rules of the stone lifting contest are a bit unlike most stone lifting contests you probably have ever heard of. Theses Tibetan giants lift the stones any way they can, either to hold in their arms, placed on shoulders or put up on their backs. They then walk in a circular path and the one who walks the most circles wins. The stone pictured is said to weigh 160 kg. To learn more about Stone Lifting in other cultures, check out Steve Jeck's book: Of Stones and Strength

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Hermann Goerner's Gym

German Strongman Hermann Goerner Here's a peek into the training area of one of the greatest of the oldtime strongmen: Hermann Goerner. Notice the rack of kettlebells which were likely used for the famous "Die Kette" workout.

Goerner's Gym

Doesn't this place make you feel like training? Here's some more Classic Strongman Gyms

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Eugen Sandow

Eugen Sandow was THE prototypical strongman and the first true strength Superstar.

He thrilled audiences all over the world with his classical physique as well as his amazing feats of strength. Many of the most famous Iron Game luminaries such as George Jowett and Alan Calvert were inspired to begin training after seeing Sandow in action. Once he tired of the performing life, Sandow established the very first "Health Studios," mail order training courses and physical culture magazine. Even to this day he still inspires millions to develop their health and strength.

Eugen Sandow

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Earle E. Liederman - Why Anyone Can Become Strong

"...So I say that a man can become strong no matter how much nature has handicapped him by giving him a lack of inches, or a small frame. Even those in ill-health can be made strong, because exercise promotes health.

In turn muscle can be made to grow on the healthy body, and with muscle will come strength.

Some of the strongest men I know are little fellows; that is, little so faras height goes, for in every other way they are miniature giants. And most of them are strong today because they got tired of being snubbed and imposed on for their lack of inches and their dearth of strength. Almost anyone who earnestly desires to, can make himself strong; not just ordinarily strong, but very much stronger than the average man, little or big.

Earle E. Liederman

And to become strong - to add size and strength to your body, or in other words to develop it - takes much less time than to cultivate the mind."

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371 Pounds with One Hand!

Arthur Saxon Bent Press
Arthur Saxon has a legitmate claim for the greatest strength feat of all time with his bent-press of 371 pounds (he was said to have unofficially done 385 pounds.) Either way, it's a tremendous feat, to lift more weight overhead with one hand than most people can squat with!

Here's a little bit from the man himself on how he did it:

"I have often been asked what it feels like to press 350 lbs. with one hand, and perhaps to my readers the different sensations experienced will be
interesting.

In the first place, immediately I start to press the weight away from the shoulder I become perfectly oblivious to everything except the weight that I am lifting.

The spectators are obliterated from my mind by the effort of intense concentration which is necessary to enable me to press the weight. I immediately engage myself in a terrific struggle in which the weight and I are competitor, and only one can win, either the weight must be lifted or else I fail.

This concentration is, of course, one of the secrets of success in lifting, as I have explained in another part of my book. It enables me to bring forward the last ounce of pushing power, and for the time being to exert strength beyond that normally possessed.

As the weight steadily rises aloft perhaps half way it wavers, the balance alters, and I have immediately, yet very carefully and quietly, to adjust my position to the altered balance of the bell.

Then I must proceed with the press, my body gradually falling lower towards the left knee, my eyes fixed all the time upon the ponderous weight balanced over my head, ready to fall at a moment's notice should I weaken or place myself in a false position, and should at this moment anyone shout out, it might startle me, make me waver, and cause the weight to fall.

Therefore, if I am attempting a world's record in this position, I generally ask for complete silence until I have either failed or succeeded, and I might mention here that to think of failure is to fail, and I always tell myself all the time that I am certain to succeed even though I am attempting a weight more than I have hitherto lifted.

Eventually, my arm is straight, and before coming to an upright position I engage in another tussle with the enormous barbell, in which I have to exert all my will power to hold together the flagging powers of tired muscles, which have been strained by the tremendous pressure which 350 lbs. brings on to them in the effort of pressing aloft.

By supreme effort of the will I fix the bell in a good position and then stand upright. Often the bar will roll on to the fingers instead of being directly over the wrist, in which case severe pain is inflicted and I have to persevere with the lift under doubly hard conditions, or drop the weight and try again."

For more information about Arthur Saxon and his training methods, pick up copies of his two great training books: The Development of Physical Power (1906) and The Textbook of Weight-Lifting (1910)

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Sandows Spring-Grip Dumbbells

Back in 1899, the hottest thing going was Eugen Sandow's Spring-Grip Dumbbells. These weights consisted of two dumbbell "halves" joined together by a series of springs. As one followed the suggested workout movements, they could build their forearm strength by keeping the two halves "crushed" together while they increased the rest of their bodily strength. Sandow's Spring-Grip dumbbells came in a variety of styles and types -- ranging from "Basic Black" to nickel-plated models with leather handles. Some of the later versions had a bell that rung as you squeezed the handles (Left) or were ergonomically fitted to your hand. (Middle)

An Early Ad Sandow's Spring-Grip Dumbbells

The smaller version, shown in the right of the picture, was nickel-plated and had only three springs as it was the "Youth" version.

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Milo Kettlebells

While kettlebells do certainly have a history in Russia and many other Eastern European countries, what many people don't realize is that kettlebells also have a long tradition in the United States as well. Back in 1902, Alan Calvert founded the Milo Barbell Company -- the very first commercial strength equipment company in America. Along with barbells and dumbbells, Calvert also manufactured kettlebells, one version of which is shown on the right. The Milo Kettlebell consisted of an outer "shell," with the inner plates sectioned to allow for easy progression. The lathed free-rotating wood handle made the kettlebell especially useful for presses and kettlebell swings as evident by the Milo Barbell training courses which Calvert distributed to his clients.

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The Mighty Atom

The Mighty Atom

His real name was Joseph Greenstein but he was better known as "The Mighty Atom" -- and he became one of the most well known "Strongmen" of all time despite the fact that he stood only 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed in at 140 pounds. As a young boy in Poland young Joseph Greenstein was befreinded by a Russian Strongman named "Champion Volanko" who taught him the Secrets of Strength. The Mighty Atom could bend horseshoes, break chains by expanding his chest, bite nails in two, hold back airplanes and even once stopped a bullet... His student Slim "The Hammer Man Farman would also go on to become one of the greatest of all the strongmen and perform strength feats that would never be duplicated. Find out more information here: The Mighty Atom - Joseph L. Greenstein

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