Wednesday, October 31, 2007
 John Grimek: Dumbbell Curls | A workout without curls is like a day without sunshine. As a champion in bodybuilding and weightlifting, John Grimek understood the importance of "all around" strength and trained his arms just as hard as everything else. Bicep training helps balance out the triceps in heavy pressing movements and should always be a part of your program. |
Labels: Bicep Training, Bodybuilding, Curl, Dumbbells, John Grimek, weightlifting
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sig Klein Dumbbell Clean and PressSig Klein called the two dumbbell clean and press THE ONE BEST EXERCISE because of its simplicty and tremendous training effects on upper body strength.
In the 1940's Klein suggested to get started with this exercise with 20 pounds less than your two arm press and build from there. He also questioned whether there were a dozen athletes in the country who could do 10 clean and presses with a pair of 75 pound dumbbells... Hmmm.
Labels: Clean and Press, Dumbbells, Globe Dumbbells, Overhead Press, Press, Sig Klein, Strongman Feat
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Paul AndersonPaul Anderson began as a skinny teenager with a pair of dumbbells and a stack of Strength and Health Magazines.
Soon, he was scouting out junkyards for heavier weights to lift and by the time he went to college, his lifts were near the American Records. But it wasn't until Bob Peoples taught young Paul Anderson the value of the Squat and deadlift that his strength really took off.
Paul Anderson eventually squatted 1206 pounds, benchpressed 627 pounds, one-arm pressed 380 pounds, and push-pressed an incredible 600 pounds. His Guinness Book of World Records back lift of 6,270 pounds still stands.
He also won the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and in all, broke 18 American records, 8 world records, and retired unbeaten and unchallenged.
Labels: Backlift, Barbell, Bob Peoples, Dumbbells, Gold Medal, Paul Anderson, Squat, Strength and Health
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Monday, October 29, 2007
Strongman EquipmentYou've got to hand it to the oldtime strongmen, they didn't mess around when it came to quality equipment. How strong do you think you could get if you were training with the globe barbells, globe dumbbells, blockweights etc, in the above picture?
If you want to get strong and I mean STRONG you have to have good training equipment and that's just how it is.
It all begins with a quality barbell, good plates and a solid pair of collars. If you have nothing else, you must have at least that much. From there, add other equipment as needed.
Other equipment that will help you tremendously includes a solid bench, dumbbells, a power rack, a Gerard Trap Bar, chest expanders, Thick Bars, Hand Grippers and anything else that you will find on our Strongman Equipment Page.
Labels: Barbells, Blockweights, Chest Expanders, Dumbbells, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Strongman Equipment
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Joseph Greenstein aka "The Mighty Atom"Joseph Greenstein aka The Mighty Atom twisted horseshoes, drove nails through boards with his bare hand, broke chains, bent iron bars, BIT nails in half, he even held back an airplane with his hair...
Find out more about the Might Atom from his #1 student Slim The Hammer Man
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Joseph Greenstein, Nail Bending, Nail Driving, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom
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 Train Wheel Weights | They say that necessity is the mother of invention... and that's why some of the best training equipment has come about. During the post-war years, our troops located overseas wanted to lift weights but barbells and dumbbells were hard to come by. American troops stationed in Okinawa, Japan fashioned these unique barbells and dumbbells out of narrow gauge train wheels. Can't miss a workout... |
Labels: Barbells, Dumbbells, Equipment, Strongman Equipment
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On April 19, 1941 Steve Stanko made history as he the first man to break the mythic 1000-pound total in an official weightlifting contest.
Through his specialized upper-body training program he was able to build himself into a bodybuilding champion, winning the 1944 AAU Mr. America and Junior Mr. America, the 1945 Most Muscular Man in America and the 1947 Mr. Universe.
| Unfortunately Stanko also suffered from painful blood clots in his legs and five weeks later found himself in the hospital. By mid-1942 he regained enough health to begin light upper-body training again. He was told to stay off his legs and could only train while sitting or lying on a bench. |  Steve Stanko |
Labels: AAU, Bodybuilding, Mr. America, Mr. Universe, Olympic Weightlifting, Steve Stanko
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 Pudgy Stockton | If there ever were a "bar belle" it was Abbye "Pudgy" Stockton. (She aquired the nickname "Pudgy" as a child and it stuck.) "Pudgy" weighed 115 pounds at a height of 5'2" and, as you can see, was quite the physical specimen -- especially impressive at a time when weightlifting for either gender was frowned upon. She and husband Les Stockton were well known at the first "Muscle Beach" at Santa Monica, California where they primarily worked on acrobatics and gymnastic feats for the crowds. |
Labels: AAU, Bodybuilding, Clean and Jerk, Gymnastics, Hand Balancing, Les Stockton, Muscle Beach, Press, Pudgy Stockton, Snatch, Strength and Health, weightlifting
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 Anchor Lifting | There are times when lifting heavy, awkward objects are preferable over traditional barbells and dumbbells due to their unbalanced nature -- and there are other times when you lift heavy, awkward objects because its what you have available. Horace Green from Lewes, Delaware shows how to get in a quick workout at the pier by lifting an anchor. |
Labels: Anchor Lifting, Odd Object Lifting, Strongman Feat
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Friday, October 26, 2007
Bob Jones: Handbalancer ExtraordinaireEqualed in talent only by his mentor Professor Paulinetti, Bob Jones performed feats of handbalancing mastery that will likely never be duplicated.
Pictured above is one of his most famous feats.
-- He began in a full handstand position with an indian club underneath each fingertip.
One by one, he flicked away each indian club until he was balancing on his thumbs alone, an absolutely mind blowing feat of strength and dexterity.
Labels: Bob Jones, Hand Balancing, Indian Clubs, Professor Paulinetti, Strongman Feat
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 Sledge Hammer Training | Sledge hammer training has always been a very popular way of building forearm and wrist strength among many oldtime strongmen. Based on the leverage principle the sledge hammer makes a very efficient workout tool as it can provide a great deal of resistance without the need for a lot of weight. Here Murl Mitchell from Los Angeles tests his wrist strength with a pair of very interesting looking sledge hammers. Of course, the undisputed King of Sledge Hammer lifting is Slim The Hammer Man. |
Labels: Forearm Strength, Sledge Hammer Leverage, Slim The Hammerman, Strongman Feat, Wrist Strength
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Charles RigoulotCharles Rigoulot was one of France's greatest weightlifters and easily one of the strongest men of all time. He won a Gold medal at the 1924 Olympic Games, Cleaned and Jerked the famous Apollon Wheels and could snatch 255 pounds with one arm.
At 24 years of age, his measurements were as follows:
Weight: 230 pounds
Height: 5'7-3/4"
Chest: 49"
Waist: 37"
Thighs: 27-1/2"
Calf: 17-1/2"
Neck: 18-1/2"
Biceps: 17-1/2"
Forearm: 14-1/2"
Labels: Apollon's Wheels, Charles Rigoulot, Clean and Jerk, Gold Medal, Oldtime Strongman, Olympics, one arm snatch, Strongman Feat
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 Henry "Milo" Steinborn | Henry "Milo" Steinborn was a German strongman and wrestler who came the the U.S. in 1921 and immediately caused a big splash in the world of physical training. At a bodyweight of 210 pounds, he could snatch 220 pounds with one hand, military press 265 pounds and clean and jerk 347-1/2. He was most well-known for introducing hard and heavy squatting to this side of the world. |
Labels: Clean and Jerk, Globe Barbell, Henry Milo Steinborn, Military Press, Milo Barbell Company, Oldtime Strongman, one arm snatch, Squat
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 General Custer's Dumbbell | General George Custer first came to Kansas in 1866 as Lieutenant Colonel of the newly formed 7th U.S. Cavalry. He spent late spring of 1867 at Fort Hays, where the 7th camped until they had accumulated adequate supplies and ammunition for a summer campaign. |
It is made of bronze and weighs around 25 pounds.
Custer's Dumbbell currently resides in the Kansas Museum of History.
Labels: Antique Equipment, Custer's Dumbbell, Dumbbell, Famous Dumbbell, Strongman Equipment
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Thursday, October 25, 2007
 Sergio Oliva: The Myth | Is there any question as to why Sergio Oliva was known as "The Myth?" Here's a simple, casual shot playing pool with friends. Even though there may be bodybuilders these days with bigger arms there has never been nor will there ever be anyone more physically impressive that Sergio Oliva. He was simply blessed with the greatest genetics of all time. In addition to several other titles he won the Mr. Olympia title three times:(1967, 1968, 1969) |
Labels: Arm Development, Bodybuilding, Mr. Olympia, Sergio Oliva
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Dennis Rogers: Hand-Bent Wrenches"Now THAT is strong..." You can expect that kind of reception when you can bend a wrench by hand like Dennis Rogers. You'll notice the wrench pictured above center has actually been bent twice -- an unbelieveable feat of hand and wrist strength.
And in case you're wondering there's no monkey business here, all these wrenches are name brands bought at the local hardware store.
If you want to learn how to bend a wrench, you'll want to check out Dennis Rogers' Odd Object Bending DVD Set.
Labels: Bent Wrenches, Dennis Rogers, Oldtime Strongman, Steel Bending, Strongman Feat
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 Ell Darden | Ell Darden was a champion bodybuilder who graced the cover of several different magazines in the 1970's. He made the cover of Strength and Health Magazine and Muscular Development Magazine several times but he never did make the cover of Iron Man Magazine... He did, however, make the back cover of Iron Man as shown here from the November 1970 issue. He went on to write countless training articles and a few books. You can see his latest book here: The New Bodybuilding for Oldschool Results. |
Labels: Bodybuilding, Ellington Darden, Iron Man Magazine, Muscle Magazine, Muscular Development, Strength and Health
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Paul Von Boeckmann was a strongman from New York City toward the end of the 19th century.
 Paul Von Boeckmann: Chest Expansion Specialist | Over time, he developed a unique system of chest expansion methods which allowed him to build "the largest and most powerful lungs in the world" according to his advertisements. On the left the strap around his chest is the same length in both pictures. He was able to inflate and deflate his chest to an incredible degree: an 11-1/2 inch difference. His lung capacity was listed at 410 cubic inches. |
Labels: Chest Expansion, Oldtime Strongman, Paul Von Boeckmann
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007
 All About Strand-Pulling by Syd Devis | It took me three years to find a copy of All About Strand-Pulling by Syd Devis but it was well worth the wait. Many chest expander training courses feature some of the same exercises over and over again -- this one features several unusual chest expander exercises that I had never seen in print before. Syd Devis was the retired undefeated Professional 9 stone & 10 stone World's Champion Strand Puller, Record Holder and Technical Adviser to the British Amateur Strand-Pulling Association. |
All About Strand-Pulling Labels: Chest Expander, Oldtime Strongman, Strand Pulling, Syd Devis, Training Course
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Classic Indian ClubsIndian Club swinging is believed to have originated in India by soldiers as a method of improving strength, agility, balance and physical ability.
During the annexation of India, British officers witnessed the graceful motions and essential property of expanding the chest and exercising every muscle of the body.
The British brought the Indian Clubs to Europe where the Germans and Czechs adopted club swinging into their physical training systems. German immigrants brought the clubs to the United States in the mid-1800s, where they were soon introduced into both American school physical education programs and military physical readiness training.
Indian CLubs are especially useful in exercises for rounding out and deveoping the shoulders and arms.
They also help to improve the chest and back muscles and develop grace and coordination of movement as well as good carriage. And, keep in mind, this is a method of training altogether different than traditional "weight" training -- you wouldn't think that only a few pounds of wood could provide such an effective workout...
Labels: Indian Clubs, Physical Culture Equipment
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
 Eugen Sandow | Things were just a little different back at the turn of the century -- if you had a persistent cough a doctor might tell you to take up smoking. In any case, here's a look at one of several different Eugen Sandow Physical Culture Cigarette Cards that you would get if you took up the habit a hundred years ago. |
Labels: Cigarette Card, Eugen Sandow, Physical Culture Equipment, Strongman Collectible
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Olympic Champion John Davis - Squat!If you are truly interested in size and strength, you need to train your legs. -- and one of the best leg exercises is the barbell squat. In fact, heavy squats have built the foundation of some of the greatest strength athletes in history.
Here's a look at the great John Davis squatting at Ed Yarick's Gym in Oakland, California in the 50s -- and that's how you should be squatting: full and deep.
No monkey business there, just pure power development.
I don't recommend squatting with a board under the heels but it seems to work for John Davis, who was Twice Olympic Weightlifting Champion (1948 and 1952) and Six Time Senior World Weightlifting Champion (1938, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951).
Labels: Ed Yarick's Gym, Gold Medal, John Davis, Leg Development, Olympics, Squat
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Monday, October 22, 2007
 Strongman Dennis Rogers |  At 5'9" and a bodyweight around 160 pounds, Dennis Rogers sure doesn't look like your average strongman... But when it's time to lift some iron, Dennis can do some things that will shock and amaze you. One of Dennis' unusual abilities is his incredible bicep strength. At Memorial City Mall in Houston, Texas Dennis Rogers' established a World Record One Arm Dumbbell Curl record of 98 pounds x 10 Reps with an Iron Master Dumbbell- he weighed 148 Pounds at the time. (Above) |
Labels: Bicep Strength, Curl, Dennis Rogers, Dumbbell, Strongman Feat
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John Davis Lifts The Apollon WheelsSeptember 13th, 1949 -- American Olympic Weightlifting Champion John Davis succeeds in cleaning & jerking the famous Apollon Wheels. This weight once belonged to the great French Strongman Louis "Apollon" Uni who would lift it each night in his act.
The wheels themselves weigh 366 pounds connected by a 1.93" diameter axle making this feat an incredible test of grip strength. The widest diameter of each disc is 26 inches.
After passing out on a previous attempt, (dropping the weight and slightly bending the axle) John Davis cleaned the ponderous weight with a mixed grip, switched hands in mid-air, and jerked it overhead.
Labels: Apollon, Apollon's Wheels, Grip Strength, John Davis, Olympics, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat, Thick Bar
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Circus Strongman George Levasseur's Classic Stage WeightsGeorge Levasseur was the "Strongman" at the Ringling Brothers Circus during the early part of the 20th century. He was famous for his Backlifting ability but he performed all manner of classical strongman feats, including lifting several unusual "stage" weights as pictured here: Globe barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells.
Notice the Thick Handles on the globe barbells.
Labels: Backlift, Barbell, Circus, Dumbbell, George Levasseur, Kettlebell, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Equipment, Thick Bar
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Sig Klein One Arm Dumbbell PressThe One Arm Dumbbell Press is a great power builder for the shoulders and upper body. -- You should include it in your program and work up to well over a hundred pounds. Here's a look at the great Sig Klein pressing an old Milo Globe Dumbbell. At a bodyweight of only 150 pounds, Sig Klein could do a ten reps with each arm in a 'see-saw' press with a pair of 100 lb. dumbbells.
Labels: Globe Dumbbells, Milo Barbell Company, Oldtime Strongman, Overhead Press, Sig Klein, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat
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Friday, October 19, 2007
Dennis Rogers' Death Defying Airplane Human Link FeatThe strength feat that put Oldtime Strongman Dennis Rogers on the map was when he successfully prevented a pair of Airforce T-34 Airplanes from taking off in the human link feat.
That's 285 horsepower on each arm -- and one wrong move meant they would be scraping Dennis off the runway. This amazing feat earned the Association of Oldtime Barbell and Strongman's (AOBS) highest award from Vic Boff.
You can see the footage with your own eyes in Dennis Rogers' 336 Pounds of Fury. DVD
Labels: AOBS, Dennis Rogers, Human Link, Supporting Feat, Vic Boff
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 Siegmund Breitbart | Many of the Oldtime Strongmen were strong enough to bend their own horseshoes by hand. On the left you'll see see a piece of square stock hand-bent by the famous Oldtime Strongman Siegmund Breitbart. Notice that it has bent on the edge, not the side, which is how you can tell this piece of steel has legitimately been bent by hand. |
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Siegmund Breitbart, Steel Bending, Strongman Feat
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Mighty StefanSteve "The Mighty Stefan" Sadicario is undoubtedly the most talented man in Strength-Show Business! "Mighty" keeps the great strongman feats of the past alive, but he adds a bit of his own personal style.
The Mighty Stefan tears phonebooks, breaks chains, twists horseshoes, bends steel bars, sings opera -- and he raps... in Yiddish!, no less.
You may have seen The Mighty Stefan on the MTV "White Rapper" TV show a few months back where he wowed all the judges by bending a nail while spittin' his crazy rhymes. Steve also EM-CEEs the Association of Oldtime Barbell and Strongmen (AOBS) Annual Dinner and Reunion each year and does a fantastic job.
Labels: AOBS, Bent Horseshoes, Mighty Stefan, Oldtime Strongman, Phonebook Tearing, Steel Bending, Steve Sadicario, Strongman Feat
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Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Ring Weight is a relative of the Kettlebell and was very popular in the training and performance of many of the Oldtime Strongmen.
You'll often see them sitting in the foreground of pictures of Oldtime Gyms.
The Ring Weight shown below belonged to The Young Mighty Apollon aka J.C. Tolson.
You'll often see them sitting in the foreground of pictures of Oldtime Gyms.
The Ring Weight shown below belonged to The Young Mighty Apollon aka J.C. Tolson.
 The Young Mighty Apollon's Challenge Ring Weight | His challenge was to lift it overhead using nothing but your little finger... a tremendous feat of tendon strength. Thousands of well-known athletes tried and failed, save "The Young Mighty Apollon" who could perform the feat with inhuman ease.
|
Labels: Grip Strength, J.C. Tolson, Kettlebell, Ring Weights, Single Finger Lifts, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat, Tendon Strength, Young Apollon
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Dennis Rogers: How to Drive a Nail Without a HammerDennis Rogers is keeping many of the Oldtime Strongman feats alive. Here is Dennis performing one of his specialties: nail driving without a hammer, a feat performed by many of the greatest oldtime strongmen and stretching back well over a hundred years.
Dennis regularly drives nails through several inches of wooden boards at once, even those set on fire shown here.
On the Discovery Channel show "More Than Human, Dennis Rogers drove a nail completely through a wooden board and Teflon coated frying griddle with one blow of his fist.
Labels: Dennis Rogers, Nail Driving, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Feat
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Pat Povilaitis: Baseball Bat Break Over HeadDo NOT try this at home! Pat Povilaitis is a trained professional, plus he is a little crazy which helps when he does something like this. Yes, that's a genuine Louisville Slugger. You can catch some of Pat's other crazy strength feats in 336 Pounds of Fury
Labels: 336 Pounds of Fury, Bat Break, Feat, Pat Povilaitis, Strongman Feat
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 Oldtime Physical Culture Gyms | "Mens sana in corpore sano" - Latin for a sound mind in a strong body. It used to be that physical fitness and education went hand in hand; a mindset that is not quite as common these days. In these oldtime gyms you would find a variety of training equipment: |
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Climbing Ladders, Climbing Ropes, Indian Clubs, Medicine Balls, Parallel Bars, Physical Culture Equipment, Pommel Horse
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Monday, October 15, 2007
J.C. Tolson - The Young Mighty ApollonJ.C. Tolson was a British performing strongman in the 1920's who took the name "The Young Mighty Apollon" after his hero, the great French Strongman Louis "Apollon" Uni.
As he traveled the continent, he issued a strength challenge to all which included the following feats:
Few accepted his challenge.
Labels: Apollon, J.C. Tolson, Oldtime Strongman, Overhead Press, Steel Bending, Strongman, Strongman Feat, Young Apollon
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Tommy Kono and Classic Globe BarbellTommy Kono was one of the United States' greatest Olympic weightlifters and overall strength athletes.
He not only won two Gold Medals and a Silver over the course of three Olympic games, he also won the Mr. Universe title in Bodybuilding several times.
I'll cover that in more detail on another occasion.
Check out this classic shot from the early 1950's where Tommy Kono narrowly misses completing a jerk with this huge 374 pound globe barbell at Robert Cayeaux's gym in Lille, France. -- Kono had the barbell at arm's length but couldn't quite hold it.
(N.B. This was the same gym where Norb Schemansky lifted the famous Apollon Wheels in 1954.)
...I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that Charles Rigoulot lifted with the very same globe barbell. - Rigoulot favored globe barbells long after they went out of style.
Labels: Bodybuilding, Charles Rigoulot, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Gold Medal, Mr. Universe, Olympic Weightlifting, Olympics, Tommy Kono
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Friday, October 12, 2007
Hooverball on the South Lawn, Circa 1933"Once the day's work starts there is little chance to walk, to ride or to take part in a game"
Thats the problem that Herbert Hoover was facing when he took the presidency back in '28. Sure running the country is hard work, but you still have to keep in shape.
Fortunately this problem was solved ingeniously by White House physician Admiral Joel T. Boone.
Boone created a game for the President and his staff which required very little equipment, and very little skill but which provided the perfect amount of daily physical activity.
The game was simple - it was a combination of volley ball and tennis, yet played with a medicine ball. Team members simply hurled the medicine ball back and forth over an eight foot high net. Points were scored when a ball hit the ground on the opposing teams side.
As Hoover wrote in his Memoirs:
"It required less skill than tennis, was faster and more vigorous, and therefore gave more exercise in a short time,"And Will Irvin, a friend of the president, remarked:
"It is more strenuous than either boxing, wrestling or football. It has the virtue of getting at nearly every muscle in the body."Early each morning from four to 18 VIPs would show up for the games on the south lawn of the White House and at seven o'clock sharp they choose partners and begin.
They played until seven-thirty when a factory down by the Potomac blew a loud whistle.
They played every morning of the week and paid little attention to the weather, whether it was cold, windy, rainy or snowing, they played almost always without fail, with the exception of an unusually drenching downpour where they retreated to the Whitehouse basement to their games.
Only once during his presidency did Hoover miss a game.
Labels: Hooverball, Medicine Ball Training
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Sergio Oliva Demonstrates The Nautilus PulloverThe Nautilus Pullover
The Most Productive Machine in the History of Exercise
"The most advanced, the most productive, and the most popular type of readily available Nautilus System machines, the Pullover-type Torso Machines provide all the revolutionary features incorporated in any of the other types of Nautilus Machines -- and these principles are applied to the largest muscular mass in the torso.
While the appliation of these same principles will produce an equal "degree" of results with any muscular structure, the actual "amount" of results will obviously be limited by the maximum potential size of the particulat musculature structure being worked; and since the Pullover-type machines involve the margest muscular structures of the torso, overall results will obviously be greater."
Labels: Nautilus, Nautilus Pullover, Sergio Oliva
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Thursday, October 11, 2007
Louis Durlacher aka Professor Attila It was Louis Durlacher aka Professor Attila who trained a young Fredrick Mueller and changed his name to Eugen Sandow.
It was also Professor Attila who invented many of the feats of strength we know today, such as the Roman Column, the Roman Chair, supporting feats in the human bridge position, tearing packs of playing cards; and the the hollow globe-ended barbells and dumbbells we know today.
Attila was also the first man to bent press over 200 pounds and in addition to Sandow, Professor Attila could also list many other famous strongmen among his students:
Including: Warren Lincoln Travis, Anthony Barker, Horace Barre, Arthur Dandurand, Lionel Strongfort, George Rolandow, Louis Cyr, Bobby Pandour and Adolph Nordquest.
In 1894, Professor opened his famous Studio of Physical Culture in downtown New York city. His daughter, Grace, later married Sig Klein.
If Eugen Sandow was the "Father" of Oldtime Strongmen, surely Professor Attila, was the Grandfather.
Labels: Bent Press, Eugen Sandow, Globe Barbell, Louis Durlacher, Oldtime Strongman, Professor Attila, Roman Chair, Roman Column, Sig Klein, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat
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 | "You Must have strength of body. You cannot have too much strength. The more you feel like a strong man the more you can achieve in the desired direction. All successful men are, and have been, men of tremendous energy. Their achievements have been simply the expression of the vitality and nerve force which can no more be repressed than the power of an engine when it has once been liberated. The average individual goes through life without living. In other words, he scarcely exists. A vital man is at all times thoroughly alive. The forces of life seems to imbue every party of his organism with energy, activity and all characteristics opposed to things inanimate. A vital man is naturally enthusiastic. He can hardly avoid being ambitious. And consequently Success, with all its splendid rewards, comes to such a man in abundance. Life to such a man should be resplendent with worthy achievements. In other words, it is our first duty to be men, strong and splendid, health and perfect, if we are desirous of securing lifes most gratifying prizes. Why not be alive, vital, vivacious? Why not be alert, keen, energetic, enthusiastic, ambitious, bubbling over with fiery ardor. The possession of these vibratory forces proves ones physical development has closely approached perfection. To such vital individuals life opens up opportunities that are almost countless. Do not be satisfied with existence. If life is worth anything, it is worth living in every sense of the word." -- Muscle Builder, October 1925 |
Labels: Bernarr Macfadden, Muscle Builder
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In 1971, Casey Viator won the Mr. America Bodybuilding Title in the most spectacular fashion in history. Not only did he win the overall contest, he won the following sub-divisions as well: Most Muscular, Best Arms, Best Back, Best Chest and Best Legs - all at 19 years of age!
And, interestingly enough, Viator did not spend hours in the gym like many other bodybuilders of the time. Instead, as trained by Athur Jones, Casey's workout took very little time and was performed only three times per week.
Here's a look at his exact workout:
The above workout, as performed on June 10th, 1971, took exactly seventeen minutes and fourty seconds.
And, interestingly enough, Viator did not spend hours in the gym like many other bodybuilders of the time. Instead, as trained by Athur Jones, Casey's workout took very little time and was performed only three times per week.
Here's a look at his exact workout:
 Casey Viator's Mr. America Workout | 1. Leg Press 2. Leg Extension 3. Squat 4. Leg Curl 5. Dumbbell One Leg Calf Raise 6. Nautilus Pullover 7. Nautilus Behind Neck Press 8. Nautilus Rowing Machine 9. Nautilus Behind Neck Pulldown 10. Dumbbell Lateral Raise 11. Barbell Behind Neck Press 12. Nautilus Curl Machine 13. Chinup w/Bodyweight 14. Nautilus Tricep Extension 15. Parallel Dip w/Bodyweight |
Labels: Arthur Jones, Bent Press, Bodybuilding, Casey Viator, Curl, Leg Curl, Leg Extension, Mr.America Contest, Nautilus, Squat, Workout
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 Harness Lifting 1875 Pounds | Harness lifting was very popular with many old time strongmen. It was a very simple way to move a lot of weight and with the heavy weights and short range of motion, it builds tremendous strength in the bones and ligaments as well as the muscles. You can also see John Grimek performing this exercise on the cover of The Mark Berry Barbell Courses |
Labels: Harness Lift, John Grimek, Mark Berry, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Eugen Sandow's School of Physical CultureThere are a lot of strength history "firsts" associated with Eugen Sandow - one of those "firsts" is that he established the very first commercial gym franchise.
Im 1900, Sandow opened five of his Schools of Physical Culture in London, with others in Manchester and Liverpool. Pictured above is Sandow's School of Physical Culture, 185 Tottenham Court Road, circa 1901.
Notice sets of Globe Barbells, Dumbbells and Chest Expanders along each wall.
Labels: Chest Expanders, Classic Strongman Gyms, Dumbbell, Eugen Sandow, Globe Barbell
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William Bankier was a performing strongman and wrestler at the turn of the century who went by the name of Apollo, The Scottish Hercules.
For his act he would harness lift an elephant and perform a backward somersault over a chair, carrying a 56 lb weight in each hand.
According to David Willoughby, The Scottish Hercules had a rather unusual method for building his biceps:
(Looks like it worked!)
For his act he would harness lift an elephant and perform a backward somersault over a chair, carrying a 56 lb weight in each hand.
According to David Willoughby, The Scottish Hercules had a rather unusual method for building his biceps:
"Rope climbing, using a rope one a half or two inches in diameter would be difficult to improve upon as an exercise for developing the arms and grip. If climbing rope in the vertical direction should prove beyond one's strength, the bottom of the rope could be fastened so as to fix the rope at any desired angle. This climbing of the rope on an angle is an exercise which "Apollo" ( aka William Bankier) aka "The Scottish Hercules" used to develop his bicep strength. From a single climbing and descending of a 30 foot rope each day (which took about two minutes) he obtained infinitely better results than did an acquaintance who devoted a half hour each day to light exercises especially for the biceps." |  William Bankier |
(Looks like it worked!)
Labels: Bicep Training, David Willoughby, Harness Lift, Oldtime Strongman, Rope Climbing, Scottish Hercules, Strongman Feat, William Bankier
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The MILO Barbell Company ShowroomA look at one corner of Alan Calvert's MILO Barbell Company showroom circa 1915. - Globe and stage dumbbells as far as the eye can see. That must have been a great place to train.
Labels: Alan Calvert, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Dumbbells, Milo Barbell Company
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The Mighty Atom's Supreme SoapJoseph Greenstein, a.k.a. The Mighty Atom was one of the greatest of the Oldtime Strongmen. He traveled the country and the world performing feats of strength and selling his natural soaps and liniments.
An original wrapper from the Mighty Atom's "Supreme Soap" is shown above.
Back in the Summer of 1955, at Zern's market in Gilbertsville, PA, The Mighty Atom lectured the crowds on the benefits of clean living and a healthy diet. Most people ignored him but there was one man who listened... and when he heard the Atom was in town he always made sure he could be there to hear him speak.
This man was tall, and never said much until one day when the Mighty Atom berated a youthful crowd for their laziness and unclean living habits. As the Atom spoke, a serious voice came out of the crowd...
"you ain't talkin' about me" said a tall, wirey young man in the back who did not smile... continued...
Labels: Joseph Greenstein, Oldtime Strongman, The MIghty Atom
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Thomas Inch"Mr. Thomas Inch, of England, doing his world's record arm push of 200 lbs., a feat Arthur Saxon thought to be impossible, owing to the difficulty in maintaining balace when the pelvis is fixed, owing to the rigidity of the legs, which the lift calls for. This is not a bent press, but is accomplished with the leg held absolutely straight. Inch is the man who put weightlifting on the map in Great Britain and is said to be England's strongest man."
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Barbell, Bent Press, Strongman Feat, Thomas Inch
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Tuesday, October 09, 2007
 | This isn't a classic lift, it's called goofing around -- and I highly recommend it, at least once in a while. Part of the fun of training is figuring out what you can do in your workout, and what better to make it interesting than with unusual equipment? These are some modern shot-loaded kettlebells done in the "old" style. Notice the "squared" handles with the kettlbells on my right arm. |
Labels: John Wood, Kettlebell Workout, Kettlebells, Strongman Equipment
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Monday, October 08, 2007
Ellington Darden's training, fat loss and fitness books has been read by more people than any other strength author in history.
Here's a look at his bibliography:
Body Defining (1996)
A Flat Stomach ASAP (1998)
The Bowflex Body Plan (2003)
The New High Intensity Training (2004)
The New Bodybuilding for Old School Results (2006)
Here's a look at his bibliography:
 Ellington Darden on the Cover of Muscular Development Magazine, January, 1973 Super High Intensity Bodybuilding (1986)  GROW! (1993)  The New High Intensity Training (2004) |
Labels: Bodybuilding, Ellington Darden, High Intensity, Muscular Development, Nautilus
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Sunday, October 07, 2007
Combat Conditioning by Matt FureySure, a lot of people "coulda" done it, but Matt Furey is the one who actually did it -- he wrote Combat Conditioning,THE book on bodyweight calisthenics, and brought this intensely productive and useful form of training back to the public eye after it had all but become extinct.
The strength of this program is its simplicity -- 50 simple, yet effective bodyweight exercises incorporating elements of Ancient Indian Physical Culture, Wrestling, Gymnastics, Old Gym Class Favorites and more than a few "Special" exercises passed down from "The God of Wrestling", Karl Gotch.
If you think bodyweight training is "too easy to be effective," all I have to say is try it... And please keep in mind that almost all of the oldtime strength writers, including Alan Calvert, George Jowett, Earle E. Liederman and Joe Bonomo included bodyweight training in their respective training programs.
On the left you'll see the first edition of Combat Conditioning published in 2000, and on the right, the revised and expanded edition, published in 2004.
Labels: Bodyweight Training, book, Calisthenics, Combat Conditioning, Gymnastics, Karl Gotch, Matt Furey, Wrestling
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Thomas InchAt just 16 years of age, Thomas Inch was Britain's Strongest Youth. From there, he became a strand pulling Champion, the first official Britain's Strongest Man and at one time had the largest physical fitness correspondence school in Great Britain.
It was Thomas Inch who pioneered the use of strength training for athletes, most notably in swimming, track and field and boxing. He was also credited with introducing the adjustable "disc"-type barbells and dumbbells into modern strength training (although that is debatable.)
But when it comes to dumbbells, Thomas Inch is most well-known for one in particular...
The Thomas Inch "unliftable" Challenge Dumbbell has defied thousands of strong men over the last hundred years (and still does today.)
Many a strength athlete have tried... but failed... to break it off the ground.
What was its secret?
You can read one of Thomas Inch's best known training courses right here: Developing the Grip and Forearm by Thomas Inch (1930)
Labels: Barbell, Dumbbell, Grip Strength, Inch Dumbbell, Oldtime Strongman, Thomas Inch
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Classic Muscular Development MagazineBob Hoffman and the York Barbell Company began Strength and Health Magazine in 1932 to highlight and promote the wonders of proper strength training to the world. These early Strength and Health magazines covered a variety of topics including bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, Nutrition, athletic training and more.
In 1964, the York Barbell company started its second magazine entitled "Muscular Development" which was devoted specifically to bodybuilding. The editor of Muscular Development Magazine from 1964 until 1986 was none other than John Grimek (who also graced the first cover.)
The first five issues are featured above (January to May 1964) Covermen from left to right John Grimek,Bill Pearl, Bernie Earnst, Larry Scott and Hugo Labra.
Labels: Bernie Earnst, Bill Pearl, Bob Hoffman, Bodybuilding, Hugo Labra, John Grimek, Larry Scott, Muscle Magazine, Muscular Development, York Barbell
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Edward Aston - Britain's Strongest ManIn 1911, Edward Aston won the title of "Britain's Strongest Man" by defeating the great Thomas Inch in a challenge match. Aston would hold the title for the next 23 years and retire undefeated.
Aston was the first Englishman to lift 300 lbs. overhead with one hand and could do a one-arm snatch with 180 lbs. and a one-arm clean to the shoulder with 250 lbs.
Edward Aston could also lift 496 pounds on a 2.25 inch thick bar with an overhand grip - a tremendous feat of grip strength.
He wrote the grip course How to Develop A Powerful Grip in 1946.
Labels: Edward Aston, Grip Strength, one arm snatch, Thomas Inch
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Saturday, October 06, 2007
A Look Inside Hermann Goerner's Oldtime GymIf you're a true strength fan, you can't help but love shots of classic gyms filled with classic equipment. Here's a look at one corner of Hermann Goerner's classic gym. Notice the Globe Barbells, thick-handled equipment, row of kettlebells likely used for the "Die Kette" workout.
Also notice the throwing weights attached to the wall and the Arthur Saxon circus poster on the upper left.
That must have been one hell of a fun place to train...
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Hermann Goerner, Kettlebells, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Equipment, Throwing Weights
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George Jowett Lifts 168 Pound AnvilGeorge Jowett was one of the first strength authors to highlight the incredible importance of grip and forearm development in his writings.
Jowett understood that "strength" begins in the hands.... He made it a point to make his fingers, hands, wrists and forearms as strong as he possibly could, usually through regular work with thick-handled equipment.
Due to his immense grip strength, Jowett became a champion at "Wrist Westling" and could perform a number of unusual strength feats including cleaning and pressing a 168 pound anvil with one hand, as pictured above.
(As a side note, anvils have always made very popular pieces of training equiment with many of the oldtime strongmen, a topic we will, however, save for another time.)
Labels: Anvil, George Jowett, Grip Strength, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat
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Friday, October 05, 2007
George Hackenschmidt: The Russian LionGeorge "The Russian Lion" Hackenschmidt was equally well known as a wrestler and as a strongman.
As a wrestler, he faced all comers. He met and defeated Tom Cannon and later American Heavyweight Champion Tom Jenkins before he famously lost to Frank Gotch twice.
He used his great strength very effectively in the ring. Hackenschmidt could long jump 16 feet and excelled at gymnastic events in addition to his lifting feats. He bested Eugen Sandow's bent press record in 1898, and could could perform a "pullover and press" with 361 lbs.
In order to prepare for his matches, he would often walk around the gym with a heavy sack of cement on his shoulders.
You can learn more about George Hackenschmidt, his training and his fascinating life in The Way to Live published in 1908.
Labels: Frank Gotch, George Hackenschmidt, Oldtime Strongman, Supporting Feat, Wrestling
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Thursday, October 04, 2007
Noe's Graduated XercisorsIn the 1930's and 40's Roy H. Noe of Memphis, Tennessee sold these rubber "Xercisors" and instructions by mail. Unlike many of the traditonal Chest Expanders you might see with their strands or springs, Noe's Xercisors were a flat piece of molded rubber with handles that clipped on.
Interestingly enough, in the training guide that comes with the equipment it says:
"The rubber used in the Noe Athletic Xercisor are made from Gum Rubber Stock. They will stretch three times their length and are GUARANTEED not to elongate or lose their resistance. Modern chemists have experimented over a period of years to perfect this special rubber strip. These rubber strips will gradually increase in resistance as they age and cure."The Noe Xercisor in the picture is an original from the 1930's, shows no sign of wear whatsoever and stretches just as well today as it did back then.
Labels: Chest Expander, chest expander workout, Noe's Graduated Xercisors, Strongman Equipment
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The Iron Master DumbbellFrom 1989 to 2000, Osmo Kiiha published "THE IRON MASTER" one of the most informative periodicals ever produced on the history of strength training.
What made this publication stand out from anything before or since was the focus on training, -- every issue focused on one or more of the all-time greats but it wasn't just talk, there was always a number of workouts included so that readers could learn exactly how the champs trained.
At one point, Osmo decided to create a further link to the past by coming out with his own classic equipment. He created a series of globe barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells which were reminiscent of the kind of equipment that the MILO Barbell Company had produced a century before.
The "Iron Master" Dumbbell is shown above.
Like the MILO models, these had hollow globes which could be filled either with shot or loded with smaller plates through the handle. They were cast in either aluminum or steel and were machined, one at a time, by hand ~ true works of art.
Labels: Dumbbell, Globe Barbell, Iron Master Magazine, Milo Barbell Company, Osmo Kiiha
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Circus Strongman George Levasseur Backlifting 3257 PoundsGeorge Levasseur was the "Strongman" at the Ringling Brothers Circus during the early part of the 20th century where he performed many of the traditional Strongman feats. These include bending horseshoes, lifting heavy globe barbells, dumbbells and other assorted weights and, as shown here, the backlift.
Undoubtedly this photograph was staged as at that period of time, taking a photograph involved having to hold still for long periods of time.
Labels: Backlift, George Levasseur, Globe Barbell, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Tuesday, October 02, 2007
 Alan P. Mead | Alan P. Mead lost a leg during the War and in order to build back his strength, he sought out several forms of physical training. He eventually found that he had a natural talent for Muscle Control and constant practice in this lost art made him into one of the most physically impressive men in strength history. In fact, he was often called the "Human Anatomy Chart." Here's a look at some of the things he had to say about the value of muscle control: |
"Complete control of movement of the human body is performed entirely by contraction and relaxation of the voluntary muscles.
It must be remembered that a muscle can act in one direction only and that the energy that it is capable of exerting can be converted into movement only by pulling, a muscle cannot push.
The reverse action is performed by that muscle's opponent muscle, usually situated on the opposite side of the limb or part of the body in which the movement is produced."
Labels: Alan P. Mead, Muscle Control, Oldtime Strongman
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Monday, October 01, 2007
 Charles Vansittart | In the late 1800s, Charles Vansittart ventured to the Klondike to dig for gold, but instead found his calling as a performing strongman. His prospecting skills were a bit lacking but fortunately his strength skills were not. In exchange for food, he began giving strength demonstrations in the Yukon saloons. His act caught on and eventually took him around the world where he was known as the "Man with The Iron Grip." |
Labels: Charles Vansittart, Cyclops, Grip Strength, Iron Grip, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Feat
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Pat Povilaitis - The Human VisePat Povilaitis is the current link in the long line of Strongmen going all the way back to the Mighty Atom.
"The Human Vise" (as he is professionally known) bends nails and horseshoes, rips phonebooks, lifts stones, rips decks of cards and closes the #3 Iron Mind hand Gripper... sometimes all at the same time!
You can catch Pat Povilaitis in action along with his mentor Dennis Rogers in 336 Pounds of Fury
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Pat Povilaitis, Steel Bending, The Human Vise
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 The Farmer Burns School of Wrestling and Physical Culture | It had to be quite an experience to train at the Farmer Burns School of Wrestling and Physical Culture. Farmer Burns believed that every athlete should train like a wrestler - and I agree. The bulk of the training was, I'm sure wrestling -- holds, take-downs, blocks, breaks and plenty of sparring. Of course, the "Old Farmer" knew that wrestling was only "part" of what made a good wrestler -- physical training was important too. |
The advertisement above is from 1920.
Labels: Calisthenics, Farmer Burns, Indian Clubs, Medicine Ball Training, Wrestling
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 The Kettlebell Handle | Kettlebells have taken many forms throughout the years. From the classic Globed MILO Kettlebells... to the Blockweights that were so common in many Oldtime Strongman acts of decades past... and to the many other unique forms which will be featured at a later date. One type of kettlebell that you don't often see mentioned much is the plate-loaded kettlebell handle, which has a very long history by itself. Of course, this type of kettlebell was used a bit differently in terms of training than what is often recommended these days. |
Labels: Blockweights, Equipment, kettlebell handles, Kettlebells, Milo Barbell Company, Milo Kettlebell
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The Nautilus PulloverThe Upper Body Squat
by Arthur Jones
In general it has long been believed by most bodybuilders that the legs respond fastest to training. After a year of regular workouts, most trainees would display a far greater degree of muscular development in their legs than. In their other body parts, assuming that a wellrounded weight training program was being followed; so there was at least some evidence to support the theory that the legs were the easiest body part to develop.
But regardless of such evidence, the theory itself is totally groundless, and the real experts in the field of weight training have known this for at least thirty years; however, simple awareness of a problem, while an essential prerequisite to its solution, is not enough in itself, nor is even a clear understanding of the problem of much assistance when the problem itself appears to demand the application of impossible principles for its solution.
Similar situations have existed throughout history, in any field you can think of; a problem existed, people were aware of it, some people even knew what was required for its solution, but the state of the art had not yet reached a point where the needed principles were available. Then suddenly, sometimes after thousands of years of effort to reach a solution -- "breakthrough"; a simple solution to a seemingly insolvable problem would be discovered, and in almost all such cases, the solution would be based upon a previously unknown principle.
And in many such cases, when the answer was provided, it was immediately obvious that the answer came from the problem itself; "that the answer existed within the problem." For that very reason, we frequently are forced to ask ourselves, "Why didn't I think of that?"
For example, the full squat. For at least twenty years the editor of this magazine, Mr. Peary Rader, has been pointing out that no other single exercise, or combination of other exercises, could produce anything even approaching the results possible from the proper application of this one exercise. He, among others, also noted that such results were not limited to the legs; that overall strength gains in both size and strength would result from full squats – in the chest, in the back, and even in the arms.
But after all, since the squat is a direct leg exercise, it should not have been surprising that the greatest degree of results would be in the legs; nor should it have been surprising that the upper body did not respond to any sort of training as fast as the legs did to squats, because there was no direct upper body exercise that could even begin to approach squats insofar as "intensity of effort" is concerned. Additionally, there was no upper body exercise that directly worked the largest muscle masses in the upper body and this "direct working of the largest muscular masses in the area being worked" was the primary factor behind the success of squats.
That much, at least, was clearly understood years ago; but no obvious solution presented itself, because the largest muscular mass in the upper body, the latissimus muscles, could not be worked directly. In order to work the lats, it was also necessary to work the arms, and the arms were the weak link in the chain, being smaller and weaker than the lats, they became exhausted long before the lats had been worked hard enough for much in the way of growth stimulation.
The potential size of the lats is literally enormous, far beyond anything that has been seen up to now; but such potential will never be realized until it becomes possible to work the lats directly, and very hard. Second: such direct work for the lats will also cause as a "side effect" great increases in both size and strength throughout the entire body, even in the legs.
Guesswork? Theory? Wishful thinking? No, none of these, because an exactly similar effect has already been observed in connection with every other muscular mass in the body: growth in any muscle mass causes growth in all of the muscle masses in the body, even if they receive no direct exercise of any kind. This effect is most obvious as a result of squats, simply because the thighs, being so large, exert a proportionately large growth stimulation upon the other muscles.
And while their function is completely different from that of the thighs, the lats occupy a similar position in the upper body simply because of their size.
But even though this is true, since it is impossible to work the lats directly, and thus impossible to work them hard enough for maximum possible results, of what value is this information? Or at least that was the position as recently as two years ago; but then "breakthrough", a new principle was discovered.
A new principle that will literally revolutionize almost all sorts of physical training within the next three or four years: lats clear out past your elbows when you are standing with your hands on your hips -- arms that are actually as big as some bodybuilders now claim -- the ultimate degree of muscular size and strength in less than two years of training? Why not? Such is at least now possible.
But at least this much I can say with no slightest reservation: within two years we will see a degree of muscular development, both insofar as size and strength are concerned, that will be far beyond anything, even dreamed of in the past. The "upper-body squat" now exists, and it will do for the upper body just what squats have long done for the thighs.
More than that, the exact same principle that finally made it possible to work the lats directly can be applied to almost any sort of exercise for any part of the body and with very similar results.
Some new "gimmick?" An unproven theory? Think what you like, but we built one test subject’s lats to a point that would normally have required at least two full years of training, in less than six weeks, on a program of three weekly workouts of exactly forty-eight minutes each. During the same period he gained over fifteen pounds of muscular bodyweight, increased his arms almost exactly two inches, and increased his strength enormously.
No drugs, no special diet, no marathon workouts; just a simple routine of three sets of four very basic exercises; full squats, standing presses, barbell curls, and movements on our new lat machine. No chinning movements of any kind, no rowing motions, no "pulldowns," absolutely nothing for the lats except our new ]at machine, and only nine weekly sets on that.
A fluke? A rare individual that would have shown similar results on any sort of program? I think not; but since anything is possible, we are making quite sure -- for that reason we have placed the entire football squad of a major Florida high school on an exactly similar test program.
Results? Final results won't be available for another three months, but after the first four weeks of introductory "break-in" training our average results were already far ahead of a somewhat similar program that was conducted by a large university in their attempt to - determine the best methods of weight training, even though their program ran for eight weeks.
And when our final results are available they will be published and certified by both the coach in charge of the program and the, principal of the school involved; and it is already obvious that the results will far surpass any results ever obtained in the past – no matter what the method of training was.
Later, as we learn more about the best possible utilization of the new principles involved, it is probable that even higher degree of results will be produced; but these final answers will come only after a large number of experiments have been conducted with several thousand test subjects. However, in the meantime, it is at least possible to make use of some of the knowledge we have gathered, and part of this can be applied to almost any sort of weight training without the use of any special equipment. In another article, in the next issue of this magazine, I will carefully outline the basic principles involved, and in later articles I will tell you how to apply these principles to your present training routine.
-- Iron Man Magazine, July 1970, Volume 29 Number 5
The Nautilus BulletinsLabels: Arthur Jones, Iron Man Magazine, Nautilus, Nautilus Pullover, Peary Rader, Upper Body Squat
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