Friday, November 30, 2007
| John Grunn Marx, known as "The Luxembourg Hercules," broke three horseshoes in the short span of 2 minutes and 15 seconds at an exhibition in Paris around 1905. He was also very proficient at lifting thick-handled equipment and was said to be able to bend coins. |  John Grunn Marx: Horseshoe Breaker |
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Broken Horseshoes, Coin Bending, Grip Strength, John Grunn Marx, Steel Bending, Strongman Feat, The Luxembourg Hercules, Thick Bar Lifting
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Saxon Trio Perform at The Ringling Brothers CircusHere's a look at a very rare Ringling Brothers Circus Poster featuring Arthur Saxon and the other members of the Saxon Trio.
The poster shows a few of their feats which included several amazing supporting feats - the most impressive being the "human bridge" supporting over six thousand pounds as a car with several passengers drove over a planks that two of the members of the Saxon Trio held up with their feet.
That must have been a great one to see in person.
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Circus, Circus Poster, Circus Strongman, Human Bridge, Ringling Brothers Circus, Saxon Trio, Supporting Feat
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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
 Oldtime Pullover | I've recently read in a few places that there were "no such thing" as machines back when the oldtime strongmen trained... Here's an oldtime pullover (used for expanding the ribcage and deepening the chest) which was installed at Hemenway Gymnasium circa 1885. |
Labels: Equipment, Hemenway Gymnasium, Physical Culture Equipment, Pullover, Strength machine, Training Equipment, Vintage Strength Machines
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David ProwseBefore he was Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies, David Prowse was the British Heavyweight lifting Champion in 1962, 1963 and 1964.
At 6' 7 and 265 pounds, he deadlifted 678-1/4 pounds, jerked 335 pound behind the neck as well as competed in bodybuilding, Olympic Weightlifting and tossed the caber in the Highland Games.
He also was the first man other that Donald Dinnie to lift the Dinnie Stones (which he did in 1964.) Prowse also once owned the Inch Dumbbell.
Labels: British Champion, Caber Tossing, David Prowse, Deadlift, Highland Games, Inch Dumbbell, Jerk, Oldtime Strongman, Olympic Weightlifting
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| How's this for an "odd" object lift? Stan Rothwell, the British All-Arounder trains with a wheelbarrow in the late 1940's. I think Steve Justa would be proud. |  Wheelbarrow Lifting |
Labels: British Champion, Odd Object, Odd Object Lifting, Stan Rothwell, Strongman Equipment, Unusual Strength, Unusual Training Equipment, Wheelbarrow Lift
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Squattin' With Milo SteinbornPictured is Henry "Milo" Steinborn squatting to win the German National Heavyweight Lifting Championships circa 1920's.
Things were a little different back then: no super suits, wraps, straps or even squat racks -- and I'd say Milo has enough depth on that one.
It's hard to say if this is one of Milo's famous "unassisted" squats but I would not be surprised.
Labels: Heavyweight Lifting Championships, Henry Milo Steinborn, Squat
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
 W.A. Pullum | W.A. Pullum built himself up from a sickly childhood into a World Champion Weightlifter. Throughout his career he won 14 British Amateur Championships at various weights ranging from 9 stone to 11 stone. From 1911 to 1915 he broke no less than 192 World Records earning himself the nickname "The Wizard of Weightlifting." |
Labels: British Champion, Oldtime Strongman, W.A. Pullum, weightlifter, Wizard of Weightlifting
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| Sometimes you will need unusual training equipment if you want to build unusual strength -- Here's a look at a few of my favorite pieces: You'll see a few unique sledge hammers and various tools along with some vintage Indian Clubs. Most of the time I'll use this equipment for leverage training like Slim The Hammer Man. |  Hammers, Maces and Clubs |
Labels: Hammer Training, Indian Clubs, Sledge Hammer Leverage, Sledgehammer, Slim The Hammerman, Training Equipment
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 Sig Klein | It was through Sig Klein's Kettlebell course that I first learned how to train with kettlebells -- and that was over a decade and a half ago -- a long time before "kettlebell" became a household word. I think Sig had the right idea -- he was very proficient in a number of different strength "disciplines" - weight lifting, kettlebell lifting, gymnastics, hand balancing, and all along with an incredible physique to match his great strength. |
Labels: Gymnastics, Hand Balancing, Kettlebell, kettlebell lifting, Sig Klein, weightlifting
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Monday, November 26, 2007
Karl Gotch a very good amateur wrestler and an even better Professional wrestler after learning the "tricks of the trade" at Billy Riley's "Snake Pit" Gym in Wigan, England.
In Japan he was known as "The God of Pro Wrestling" and many of the most famous Japanese wrestlers are among his students.
In Japan he was known as "The God of Pro Wrestling" and many of the most famous Japanese wrestlers are among his students.
What he was even more famous for though was his conditioning -- it was his feeling (and rightfully so) that as a combat athlete "Conditioning is your best hold." He incorporated a number of elements into his training including rope climbing, bodyweight calisthenics, wrestling drills, muscle control and traditional indian physical culture exercises. Gotch once did 9001 straight Hindu Squats to best a training feat by The Great Gama. |  Karl Gotch: The God of Pro Wrestling |
Labels: Bodyweight Calisthenics, Combat Athletes, God of Pro Wrestling, Indian Physical Culture, Karl Gotch, Karl Gotch Workout, Muscle Control, Rope Climbing, The Great Gama, Wrestling
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Thursday, November 22, 2007
Reg ParkA few classic shots in honor of our friend Reg Park's passing. Reg was a Champion in every sense of the word.
We'll miss you Reg.
Labels: Bodybuilding, Reg Park
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Wednesday, November 21, 2007
| The speed bag is a fun workout tool and a great way to build upper-body endurance and coordination. During the early 1940's, Al Nino of Darby, Pennsylvania punched a speed bag at a rate of 128 punches per minute for 8 hours and 30 minutes without stopping. Al used barbell training to build his strength. |  Al Nino |
Labels: Al Nino, Bag Punching, Barbell Training, Endurance Feat, Globe Barbell
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| When you see that the many of the strongest men who ever lived all trained with the same exercise, you ought to start paying attention. This picture was taken at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on December 22nd, 1941. Grimek and the York Gang toured the country promoting weightlifting. At these exhibitions, Grimek performed military presses with 290 pounds. |  John Grimek: Military Press |
Labels: Barbell, Bodybuilding, Exercise, John Grimek, Military Press, Press, York Gang
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Vic Tanny's GymJust a stone's throw from the original Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California, was Vic Tanny's Gym.
Shortly after World War II, Tanny converted a 7,000-square-foot USO center, which was located in a basement on 4th Street, into the best-equipped gym in the United States. It was huge, with 15 foot ceilings and, as you can see all kinds of training equipment.
Vic Tanny's was affectionately known as "The Dungeon" and was the place to train during the 1940's and 1950's -- regular members included Steve Reeves, George Eiferman, Joe Gold (of Gold's Gym fame) and Arthur Jones, along with a whole host of others.
It was where Bob Hoffman and the York gang trained on West Coast trips.
Labels: Arthur Jones, Classic Strongman Gyms, George Eiferman, Joe Gold, Muscle Beach, Steve Reeves, Vic Tanny
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Apollon: King of StrengthLouis Uni, the French Strongman known professionally as "Apollon," was certainly one of the greatest, if not the greatest strongman who even lived.
It was Apollon, along with Louis Cyr who were dubbed "Les Rois de la Force" (Kings of Strength) by Professor Desbonnet because their strength was so far above and beyond the ordinary.
Apollon, who was at his peak during the 1890s, stood 6"2' and in solid muscular condition, around 260 pounds.
While he was certainly thickly-muscled and strong all over, he excelled in grip an forearm feats, especially lifting thick handled weights, such as the Challenge Weight that bears his name.
Labels: Apollon, Apollon's Wheels, Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, Les Rois de la Force, Louis Uni, Oldtime Strongman, Professor Desbonnet, Strongman Feat
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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Overhead PressThe standing barbell press is a great lift -- one of the simplest, and one of the best -- for building upper-body power.
This exercise should be a part of your program.
Here Doug Hepburn presses 361 pounds at the Pacific Coast Championship in the 1950's.
Labels: Barbell Exercise, Doug Hepburn, Exercise, Overhead Press
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| You have to admit, classic globe kettlebells like this one make great pictures. Here's famous strongman Anton Matysek lifting a rather large Milo Kettlebell. Interestingly enough, the "traditional" kettlebell exercises such as snatches and clean & Jerks, are often nowhere to be found in most oldtime strongman training literature. |  Anton Matysek Lifting a Classic Kettlebell |
Labels: Anton Matysek, Kettlebell, Kettlebell Exercises, Press, Strongman Equipment
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York Rubber Chest ExpandersThe York Barbell Company sold several different versions of Chest Expanders over the years and here's a look at one of them.
Pretty ingenius really - a set of detachable hands with progressively harder rubber straps. They came in four levels: "Medium," "Athlete," "Strong" and "Hercules" strength.
On the right that's Mr. America Winner and Champion Weightlifter Steve Stanko demonstrating the overhead pulldown chest expander exercise.
Labels: Chest Expanders, Rubber Chest Expanders, Steve Stanko, Strongman Equipment, York Barbell Company
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Monday, November 19, 2007
The Legend: Reg ParkReg park has been featured several times previously on this blog so if you want any more information about either his bodybuilding titles or his workouts and favorite exercises, please check out some of the other posts devoted to him.
Having met Reg several times I can say that you will not talk to a nicer and more knowledgeable guy in the world.
Labels: Bodybuilding, Reg Park
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The Encyclopedia of Indian Physical CultureIndian Physical Culture has always been a fascinating thing to me. What's puzzling is that even though this tradition goes back thousands of years, there is actually very little written about these ancient training techniques.
For years I had heard of a book written all about it called "The Encyclopedia of Indian Physical Culture" but copies were impossible to find... but one day I had the opportunity to obtain one for a handsome price.
I took that opportunity without a moment's notice and the book was every bit worth the wait -- over 700 pages of material with numerous pictures and detailed diagrams of training techniques that I never even knew existed -- all in English. (No, it's not for sale, don't even ask.)
Labels: Encyclopedia of Indian Physical Culture, Gada, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, Indian Physical Culture, Physical Culture
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| Training with an Anvil is always a lot of fun. Presses and cheat curls for high reps and, for the very strong handed, lifting it by the horn always present a nice challenge. -- Plus, its a lot of fun to lift with something unusual. If you can press a 100 pound anvil like this you are one strong hombre. |  Anvil One-Arm Press |
Labels: Anvil, Anvil Lifting, Odd Object, Odd Object Lifting
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Al Gerard and The Gerard Trap BarAl Gerard was a powerlifter from North Carolina who devised a unique "frame" which allowed him to increase his deadlift without putting undue stress on his back.
He named his invention the "Trap Bar" because of its shape -- using the Trap Bar, Al was able to deadlift over 745 pounds. Soon the Gerard Trap Bar was featured in many strength publications such as Iron Man Magazine, Powerlifting USA and Hardgainer Magazine (above.)
Once people understood its unique advantages, The Gerard Trap Bar became one of the "must have" pieces of training equipment for leg and back development..
Here's a few reasons why:
Unlike most of the classic equipment that is featured on this blog, The Gerard Trap Bar is still available, and you can get your own right here: The Gerard Trap Bar - It's Back!
Labels: Al Gerard, Deadlift, Equipment, Gerard Trap Bar, Hardgainer Magazine, Leg Development, Leg Strength, Powerlifting, Shrugs, Trap Bar Workout, Traps
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Log Lifting With Brooks KubikIt takes a real maniac to lift things like logs, barrels, anvils, etc...
Here's Brooks Kubik doing an overhead press with a log named "Wood's Wood" - a present to my Dad from Dr. Ken and on loan to Brooks's for his Dinosaur Training video: Bags, Barrels and Beyond.
230 Pounds is a very good lift, especially since this log is not perfectly balanced. Notice how Brooks has wrapped chains on the end of the log to add weight. Parallel-grip overhead pressing is a tremendous tricep developer
Labels: Brooks Kubik, Dinosaur Training, Log Bar, Odd Object, Overhead Press, Woods Wood
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John Terpak - Eleven Time Senior National Weightlifting ChampionJohn Terpak was a member of the "York Gang" and one of America's best Olympic-style weightlifters, winning eleven Senior National Weightlifting Titles (1936-1945 & 1947).
Over his career he lifted in three different weight classes (148, 165 and 181.) His best performance occurred winning the 1947 Worlds as a light-heavyweight:
Press - 253-1/2 pounds
Snatch - 264-1/2 pounds
Clean & Jerk - 336-1/4 pounds
Total = 854-1/2 pounds
He also one-hand snatched 154 pounds and one-hand jerked 170-1/2 pounds in some early weightlifting contests when those lifts were still contested.
Terpak was a three-time Olympic Team Member (1936, 1940, & 1948) and a part of nine total Olympic teams and sixty consecutive National Championships as a lifter, judge or coach. He eventually served as an executive for the York Barbell Company.
Labels: Clean and Jerk, John Terpak, Olympic Weightlifting, one arm snatch, Press, Total, weightlifter, weightlifting, York Barbell Company
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Sunday, November 18, 2007
| At just 19 years of age, Casey Viator became the youngest man to win the Mr. America title. This impromptu shot from 1971 gives you a pretty good idea why. Under the tutelage of Arthur Jones, on May 16, 1971, Casey Viator won the AAU Junior Mr. America contest. |  The Arm of Casey Viator |
In addition to the overall AAU Mr. America title, Casey took the Most muscular Man in America title and the subdivisions for Best Arms, Best Back, Best Chest and Best Legs.
The Nautilus BulletinsLabels: AAU, Arm Development, Arthur Jones, Bicep Strength, Bodybuilding, Casey Viator, Mr. America
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| Like many of the turn-of-the-century strongmen, Arthur Saxon trained with kettlebells and they are featured very prominantly in some of the books he has written. Here's a few of the kettlebell exercises he recommends:
|  Kettlebell Lifting With Arthur Saxon |
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Kettlebell Exercises, Kettlebell Workout, Kettlebells, Press
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Squatting With Doug HepburnLike many of the greatest strength athletes of the last hundred years, Doug Hepburn credits heavy squatting as the foundation of his great strength.
That's twelve 45-pound plates on the bar and Doug makes it look easy.
Labels: Barbell, Doug Hepburn, Squat, Squat Workout
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| John Grimek was impressive from every angle so you might overlook just how outstanding his development was in some areas. Grimek had a pretty strong grip which should be pretty evident after seeing this picture. |  Grimek's Forearm |
Labels: Bodybuilding, Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, John Grimek, Strong Grip
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Saturday, November 17, 2007
 Staff Sgt. Alfred Moss | Staff Sgt. Alfred Moss was an early bodybuilder, circa 1900, although his tattoos often disqualified him from several contests despite his obvious muscularity. Sergeant Moss was considered the Strongest man in the British Army, once jerking a 56-pound blockweight 100 times in 2 minutes 52 seconds. He went on to write several training courses covering the parallel bar, vaulting horse, indian clubs, rings, tumbling and other gymnastic subjects. |
Labels: Blockweights, Bodybuilding, Gymnastics, Staff Sgt Moss
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The Nautilus Bicep/Tricep MachineI find it pretty funny that many people will not train on some strength machines for no other reason than because they are machines.
I find it even funnier than many people used to denigrate machines when they first appeared... but those same folks did a 180 and started singing a different tune when they started selling their own brand of machines.
Hmm...
The fact of the matter is that some machines provide training advantages that no barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell can even come close to. Pictured above is the Nautilus Bicep/Tricep Machine circa 1972.
You would be hard-pressed to find a better arm workout... if it's used correctly.
Labels: Arm Workout, Equipment, Nautilus, Nautilus Bicep Tricep, Nautilus Machines
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Classic Indian ClubsIndian clubs originated centuries ago in India where they were used by soldiers, wrestlers police, and other combat athletes who needed to develop strength, agility, balance, endurance, physical prowess and martial arts skill.
Soldiers brought Indian club training to Europe and European immigrants brought Indian clubs to the United States in the mid-1800's, where the clubs were soon introduced into both American school physical education programs and military physical readiness training.
These clubs came in all shapes and sizes, and ranged from 1 pound to 30 pounds or more. Those shown above are just a few examples of the different kinds and styles that were used for training.
"Indian Clubs cultivate patience and endurance, and operate most happily upon the longitudinal muscles of the back and shoulders, thus tending to correct the habit of stooping" - Dio Lewis, 1882
Labels: Dio Lewis, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, Physical Culture Equipment, Shoulder Exercise, Wooden Indian Clubs
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Milo Steinborn's Orange Avenue GymHenry "Milo" Steinborn was a 5'8" 205 lb German wrestler and strongman who became the first man to ever squat 500 lbs. In fact, his world record squat of 553 lbs. (set during the 1920's) would not be officially bested until the early 1950's by Doug Hepburn.
It was Milo who popularized the heavy deep knee bend as one of the most productive training lifts for anyone interested in building real strength.
In 1952, Milo opened the Orange Avenue Gym down in Orlando, Florida, which makes it the oldest weightlifting gym in America. Along with plenty of weights and barbells, Milo's Gym had a wrestling ring and other physical training equipment.
It was here that Milo taught a young Jim Flanagan how to get strong.
I was fortunate enough to visit the Orange Avenue Gym on a trip back in 2003 -- it still had some of Milo's original training equipment.
Labels: Barbell, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Henry Milo Steinborn, Orange Avenue Gym, Squat
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The Super GripperSometimes it hard to believe that the Super Gripper has been around since 1940. You used to see ads for it in Strength and Health and Iron Man Magazine. Interestingly, the design has remained largely unchanged since it was introduced -- and more importantly, it has helped build thousands of stronger grips and forearms since then.
The above ad is from an Iron Man Magazine from the early 1970's.
Labels: Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, Grip Training, Strongman Equipment, Super Gripper
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| Paul Von Boeckman was famous for his course on breathing exercises and chest expansion methods but his grip strength prowess was equally impressive. He could one-arm chin himself three times with the middle finger of his right hand and also had an 80-pound indian club that few strongmen were able to even budge. |  An Impressive Card Ripping Feat |
Labels: Breathing Exercises, Card Ripping, Card Tearing, Chest Expansion, Indian Clubs, Paul Von Boeckmann, Playing Cards, Strongman Feat
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| I've mentioned before that there is evidence that stone lifting has been a part of nearly every ancient culture around the world. Here's a look at a piece of pottery from ancient Greece, circa 500 BC, showing a young man lifting a large stone to build his strength. |  Stonelifting in Ancient Greece |
Labels: Ancient Greece, Stone Lifting, Strongman Feat, Testing Stone
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Friday, November 16, 2007
| On April 18th, 1913, Tom Burrows, an Australian All-Around Athlete, swung a pair of 3-pound, 6-ounce indian clubs for 100 consecutive hours without stopping. At the 100 hour mark, he then proceeded to grab a pair of heavy clubs, weighing 31 pounds 6 ounces each, and kept them going at a minimum rate of 80 revolutions per minute for another seven hours. Some oldtime strongmen were just in a class by themselves... |  Tom Burrows |
Labels: Heavy Clubs, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, Light Clubs, Strongman Feat, Tom Burrows
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Charles Rigoulot's Unique Globe BarbellThe great French Weightlifter Charles Rigoulot used to train with a very unusual globe barbell -- at 8 feet, it was much longer than a "normal" barbell (which gave it quite a bit of "whip"), not to mention that he was using shot-loaded equipment long after shot-loaded globes went out of style.
Given this setup, he was a master of catching the weight "on the bounce" which allowed him to break a number of records -- and I bet that barbell was a heck of a lot of fun to lift with.
Labels: Barbell, Charles Rigoulot, Globe Barbell, Shot Loaded, Strongman Equipment, weightlifter
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| One amazing strength feat is tough enough already but two at once is simply outta this world. If you need a challenge, try one-arm pressing a "human weight" while muscling out a heavy kettlebell just like the gent on the right. One of the kings of Combo strength feats is Pat Povilaitis. In his dvd 336 Pounds of Fury you can see Pat lift a heavy granite stone into his lap and then close heavy grippers and bend spikes and horseshoes. -- Wow! |  Strongman Combo Feats |
Labels: Human Lift, Kettlebell, Muscle Out, Overhead Press, Pat Povilaitis, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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| Otto Arco was a very popular performing strongman on the vaudeville circuit during the early 20th century. His performance consisted of hand balancing feats with his brother Pete followed by a posing display (which was particularly impressive due to Arco's muscularity.) Arco's training consisted of acrobatics, tumbling, hand balancing, muscle control, weight lifting and wrestling... |  Otto Arco |
Labels: Acrobatics, Hand Balancing, Oldtime Strongman, Otto Arco, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Tumbling, Wrestling
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The Mighty Atom - Steel ScrollingThough he was only 5'4" and barely 150 pounds, Joseph "The Mighty Atom" Greenstein one of the greatest steel scrolling strongmen whoever lived.
More than anyone, "The Mighty Atom" understood that you must first bend the steel with your mind before you can bend it with your hands...
Go here to find out more about other great steel benders and scrollers.
Labels: Joseph Greenstein, Mind Strength, Steel Bending, Steel Scrolling, Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
| It should be no coincindence why the dumbbell overhead press have been featured on this blog several times -- it is truly one of the very best upper-body strength builders you'll ever find. Here's a look at the great Doug Hepburn as he presses a pair of 160 pound dumbbells -- now THAT is strong! At Ed Yarick's Gym in Oakland, California, Doug pressed a pair of 142 pound dumbbells for four repetitions. |  Doug Hepburn Dumbbell Press |
Labels: Doug Hepburn, Dumbbell Press, Dumbbells, Ed Yarick's Gym, Press, Strongman Feat
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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
 Sig Klein Demonstrates The 1-Leg Squat | The 1-leg squat has long been a popular exercise with the old-time physical culturists -- Sig Klein recommended it as one of the top leg developing exercises. Here's a look at Sig Klein demonstrating the 1-leg squat while holidng a classic globe barbell. |
Labels: 1 Leg Squat, Globe Barbell, Leg Development, Sig Klein, Squat, Strongman Feat
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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Dinnie StonesDonald Dinnie was one of the greatest all-around athletes who ever lived. I will go into some of his feats of strength and Scottish Highland Games prowess in another post -- this entry is devoted to one feat in particular...
Outside the hotel in Potarch, Scotland are two boulders with heavy iron rings embedded in them. These boulders were used for tethering horses in olden days.
The smaller boulder weighs 340 pounds while the larger boulder weighs 445. In the 1860's, Donald Dinnie was able to lift and carry both of these stones at once for a distance of 15 feet -- which is why they now bear his name.
Athletes have come from far and wide to attempt to lift the stones and duplicate Donald Dinnie's amazing feat -- most can't even lift the smaller of the two off the ground with one hand!
Labels: Challenge Weight, Dinnie Stones, Donald Dinnie, Highland Games, Stone Lifting, Strongman Feat, Testing Stone
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Tromp Van Diggelen - The South African HerculesTromp Van Diggelen survived a sickly childhood to become a traveling performing strongman and one of the true unsung heroes of strength history.
His performing feats were certainly impressive (such as the 210 pound "barrel lift" barbell press above) but it was his work behind the scenes which he should be remembered best.
It was Tromp Van Diggelen who discovered "Max Sick" and had him change his name to Maxick.
Van Digglen also managed Joseph Steinbach and Hermann Goerner and also founded The British Amateur Weightlifting Association (BAWLA).
Labels: Barrel Lifting, Hermann Goerner, Joseph Steinbach, Maxick, Oldtime Strongman, Press, Tromp Van Diggelen
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Monday, November 12, 2007
 Anton Matysek | Anton Matysek is well-known for his Muscle Control skills but he was no slouch when it came to lifting heavy barbells and other weights. He won the "America's Strongest Man" contest put on in 1922 by Bernarr MacFadden. And here's a good reason why: This classic Milo Globe "Show" barbell that Matysek is holding is 7-1/2 feet long with 16 inch diameter globes, a 3 inch thick handle, and the entire affair weighs in at 231 pounds. |
Several of the athletes who witnessed this feat could not even lift this barbell off the ground.
Labels: Anton Matysek, Forearm Strength, Globe Barbell, Grip Strength, Jerk, Muscle Control, Strongman Feat, Thick Bar
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Progressive Log TrainingSome of our military friends will have some "fond" memories over this one...
How do you exercise large groups of men in a short amount of time with limited equipment and only a few trained instructors?
Logs like this one are the military solution -- and a great way to build strength, stamina, coordination as well as teamwork. "Log Drill" exercises include situps, squats and overhead presses -- and they only work when everyone works together.
Labels: Log Training, Military Press, Odd Object Lifting, Overhead Press, Progressive Log Training, Situps, Traditional Squats
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Basque Stone LiftingStone lifting is the official sport of the Basque People, an ethnic minority who live in the Pyrennees mountains between Spain and France.
In their stone lifting contests, they lift four different kinds of stones: spheres, cubes, cylinders and irregular shapes. Depending on the type of contest they may lift for a single heavy maximum or for reps in a given period of time.
Their records are mind-boggling.
The lifter above is mid-way through what is called a "Basque Necktie" where a stone sphere is shouldered, then rolled around his neck as many times as possible.
More on Basque Stone Lifting at a later date...
Labels: Basque Necktie, Basque Stone Lifting, Challenge Weight, Ethnic Sport, Stone Lifting
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Brooks KubikIf you've read Dinosaur Training, now you can put a face to the name Brooks Kubik.
Brooks walks the walk -- literally!
Here's a shot from a couple of years ago from one of Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur training videos where he is going for a "leisurely stroll" around the block with a pair of Dr. Ken's 180-pound iron suitcases.
Before writing Dinosaur Training, Brooks was a state Champion wrestler in high school and went on to win several National Championships in Drug-Free Powerlifting.
Labels: Brooks Kubik, Dinosaur Training, Dr. Ken Leistner, Farmer's Walk, Iron Suitcase, Powerlifting, Strongman Equipment, Wrestler
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Sunday, November 11, 2007
| Dave Draper is one of the best known "Golden Age" Bodybuilders from the California Bodybuilding Scene in the 1960's and 1970's. Known as "The Blonde Bomber", he sure would not look out of place on the beaches of Santa Cruz (even though he was originally from New Jersey.) Here's a look at his winning contest history: |  Dave Draper |
Labels: Bodybuilding, Dave Draper, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Mr. America, Mr. Universe, Mr. World
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| Bruce Lee was one of the greatest and most influential martial artists who ever lived. It should come as no surprise that he was also a fanatic when it came to physical training. And like most serious trainees in the 1960's Bruce Lee trained with a York Power Rack on which he could perform his isometric workouts. He felt that physical training, in addition to martial training, was of the utmost importance to any combat athlete. |  Bruce Lee's Power Rack |
Labels: Bruce Lee, Isometrics, Martial Arts, Physical Training, York Power Rack
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| Milo of Crotona, who lived during the 6th century B.C., was the greatest of the ancient Greek Athletes. He was a six-time wrestling Champion in the ancient Olympic Games and his strength was legendary. Milo built his strength with an unusual method: Each day he would carry a new-born calf and, as the calf grew larger, so did Milo's strength. Eventually Milo was able to carry a full-grown bull the length of a stadium and thus progressive resistance training was born. |  Milo of Crotona |
Labels: Ancient Greece, Charles Rigoulot, Milo of Crotona, Olympics, Progressive Resistance Training, Wrestling
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Tommy Kono: Weightlifting and Bodybuilding ChampionWith thirteen Senior Nationals titles, eight consecutive World Championships (1952-1959) and two Olympic gold medals (1952, 1956), Tommy Kono is arguably America's greatest Olympic Weightlifter.
In addition to his weightlifting exploits, he was also a very successful bodybuilder, winning the Mr. Universe bodybuilding title in `1954, 1955, 1957 and 1961.
It is unlikely that the World will never see another champion Weightlifter and Bodybuilder who are one in the same.
Labels: Bodybuilding, Gold Medal, Olympic Weightlifting, Tommy Kono, weightlifting
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Saturday, November 10, 2007
Strongman Sledgehammer #1Here's one of the giant Strongman Hammers from my personal collection.
I found this particular hammer at an antique shop in Flatrock, Michigan and you can see me carrying it in the "Traveling Buddies" sequence in Crazy but Powerful.
This Giant Sledgehammer weighs 28 pounds and has a 38 inch long handle. Yeah, it's a beast.
Labels: Sledge Hammer Leverage, Sledgehammer, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Hammer
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| In the mid-1990's a new grip challenge appeared: "The Blob" --it was half of a 100 pound York Cast Dumbbell with the handle sawed off. Often referred to as a "block weight," think of a 50 pound aspirin and you can imagine why this awkward chunk of iron has defeated some of the strongest hands in the world. No chalk or "stickum" allowed. |  The Blob |
Labels: Challenge Weight, Dumbbell, Grip Strength, The Blob, York Dumbbell
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Mr. Deadlift: Bob PeoplesOn March 5th, 1949 in Johnson City Tennesse, Bob Peoples Deadlifted 725-1/2 pounds at a bodyweight of only 185. Peoples trained by himself in his basement gym which he literally carved out of rock.
He referred to his gym as "The Dungeon" and invented many of the types of equipment and training styles that are commonplace in many modern workouts such as negatives and power rack work.
In the above picture, note the overhand grip (instead of the usual mixed-grip) and the small plates tied to the bar. You can read more about Bob Peoples and his workouts in his excellent book Developing Physical Strength.
Labels: Bob Peoples, Deadlift, Negative Training, Power Rack
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Oldtime Log BarThis unusual piece of equipment, a precursor to Dr. Ken's Log Bar, was fashioned by a Connecticut gym owner in the 1930's.
Just as today, it was made specifically for pressing and tricep work. Many people find that the parallel handles are much more comfortable than a straight barbell for these movements -- I agree.
Labels: Log Bar, Press, Strongman Equipment, Tricep Work
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 Daily Calisthenics | Regardless of how you train, it makes sense to perform a daily calisthenic workout. The workout should not be strenuous but should serve only as a form of activity to increase blood flow to the muscles and joints. This, in turn, will flush away waste products and enhance recovery from previous workouts. |
Labels: Arm Swings, Bodyweight Training, Calisthenics, Recovery Techniques
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A Classic Oldtime Strength Feat: Steel ScrollingSteel Scrolling, also called "coiling," is a classic Oldtime Stength Feat that involves bending long steel bars by hand into artistic shapes.
The list of great oldtime steel scrollers is actually quite extensive: Siegmund "Iron King" Breitbart, Alexander "The Amazing Samson" Zass, Indian Strongman Monotosh Roy, and, of course, Joe "The Mighty Atom" Greenstein.
This lost art is still kept alive by several modern strongmen such as Slim The Hammerman, Dennis Rogers and Erik Vining.
Labels: Alexander Zass, Dennis Rogers, Erik Vining, Monotosh Roy, Siegmund Breitbart, Slim The Hammerman, Steel Bending, Steel Coiling, Steel Scrolling, Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom
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Doug Hepburn Strength FeatIf you've read Doug Hepburn's strength resume, you know he's pretty darn strong. Here's an impromptu feat that is pretty impressive on several levels -- a pinky holdout of a 45 pound barbell plate.
Labels: Barbell Plate, Doug Hepburn, Holdout, Strongman Feat
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Tearing a Deck of Playing CardsTearing a deck of playing cards is a classic Oldtime Strongman feat which requires a great deal of fingertip and grip strength. Once you can do it though, you'll be able to instantly impress anyone you meet. This deck of cards was torn by Aaron McKenzie of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Labels: Card Tearing, Fingertip Strength, Grip Strength, Playing Cards, Strongman Feat
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| Rope climbing used to be a competitive sport and once appeared in the Olympics. Rope Climbing was also sanctioned by the AAU and NCAA as a gymnastic event. A 20 or 25 foot natural fiber Manila Climbing Rope was used. The climber began while seated on the floor straddling the rope. Upon their first movement, the stopwatch started and they were timed while climbing the rope without the use of the legs, pulling all the way to the "tambourine" a black, wooden disc that served as the finish line. Don Perry of Champaign Illinois and Robert Manning of San Fernando, California could each climb a 20 foot rope in 2.8 seconds. - Amazing! Another great rope climber was Garvin Smith of UCLA, who could climb a 25 foot rope in 4.2 seconds. Rope climbing is still popular with wrestlers, gymnasts and any other athletes looking to build a stronger grip and upper-body endurance. |  Competitive Rope Climbing |
Labels: AAU, Climbing Ropes, Don Perry, Garvin Smith, Grip Strength, Olympics, Robert Manning, Rope Climbing, Tambourine, Wrestling
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Friday, November 09, 2007
 Weightlifting ChampionJohn Davis | John Davis was one of America's greatest Olympic weightlifting champions. Throughout his career he won two gold medals: 1948(London) and 1952(Helsinki) He was also a Senior World Champion in 1938, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, and 1951. His best Olympic lifts were: |
Labels: Apollon's Wheels, Clean and Jerk, Curl, Deadlift, Gold Medal, John Davis, Olympic Weightlifting, Olympics, Press, Snatch, Squat, Weaver Stick
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Doug Hepburn was born in Vancouver B.C. on September 16th, 1927. He was of average height and build and took up weight lifting to bulk up.
Soon it became apparent that Doug wasn't so average after all --- he began to progress very quickly in his training.
Although he had a slight handicap (a club foot) that did not stop him from becoming one of the most powerful men in history. He became a Senior World Champion in 1953 and set eight World Records during his career.
Soon it became apparent that Doug wasn't so average after all --- he began to progress very quickly in his training.
Although he had a slight handicap (a club foot) that did not stop him from becoming one of the most powerful men in history. He became a Senior World Champion in 1953 and set eight World Records during his career.
| Here's a look at some of his best lifts: Right Hand Military Press - 175 Pounds Two Hands Press (Off Rack) - 440 Pounds Behind Neck Press - 350 Pounds Two Hands Curl - 260 Pounds Bench Press - 580 Pounds Jerk-Press (Off Rack) 500 Pounds Two Hands Snatch - 297-1/2 Pounds Two Hands Clean & Press - 381 Pounds Squat - 760 Pounds Two Hands Deadlift - 705 Pounds |  Doug Hepburn |
Labels: Bench Press, Canadian Strongman, Clean and Jerk, Curl, Deadlift, Doug Hepburn, Jerk, Military Press, Oldtime Strongman, Olympic Weightlifting, Overhead Press, Snatch, Squat, Strongman Feat
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Sandow's Health and Strength CocoaEugen Sandow was bodybuilding's first superstar and lent his likeness to a number of different products, including cigars, pins and as shown above, a chocolate cocoa drink.
Sandow's Cocoa didn't last long. Some of other big chocolate manufacturers saw Sandow's brand as a threat. They who lowered their prices and forced Sandow out of the market.
The factory, which opened in 1913, shut down production in 1916. Tokens, like the one shown above, were used for some form of promotion and are quite rare.
Labels: Eugen Sandow, Sandow's Cocoa, Strongman Collectible
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 George Zottman | "The very best forearm exercise is the one invented by George Zottman. He used to do it with a pair of 50-lb. Dumbbells, and you can start it with a pair of 20-pounders. Stand erect, with the arms hanging at the sides. Then bend your right arm and bring the bell up in front of your chest, with the palm of the hand up and the wrist bent strongly inward. |
The right hand describes a complete circle.
When your right hand is in front of your shoulder, start your left hand coming up. Both hands work at the same time, but as the right hand is coming down the left hand is coming up, and vice versa.
The elbows should be kept close to the sides throughout the whole exercise."
- From Super Strength by Alan Calvert (1924)
Labels: Alan Calvert, Dumbbells, Exercise, Forearm Strength, George Zottman, Grip Strength, Strongman Feat, Super Strength, Zottman Curl
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| The York Barbell Company sold more iron than anyone, so why is John Grimek pictured here throwing a canvas sandbag around? A couple of reasons: |  Sandbag Training With The York Gang |
Secondly, Grimek loved all different kinds of training and a sandbag offered a new challenge, something altogether different than regular barbells and dumbbells would provide. Not to mention that the sandbag provides more of a grip challenge than a barbell ever could.
Front Raises, overhead Press, Row, Deadlifts and Curls -- A pretty nifty program for full-body strength.
Labels: John Grimek, Sandbag Curl, Sandbag Deadlift, Sandbag Front Raise, Sandbag Overhead Press, Sandbag Row, Sandbag Training, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat, York Barbell Company
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Thursday, November 08, 2007
Nail Driving With Paul AndersonPaul Anderson accomplished many things in his life including an Olympic Gold Medal and World Records in just about every lift he tried but I bet you didn't know he was also an expert nail driver too...
When he traveled around for speaking engagements the quickest way to get an audience's attention was to perform an unusual feat of strength -- and a man driving a nail through a wooden board with his bare hand sure fits the bill!
There have been many excellent nail drivers throughout strongman history but I will cover them at another time.
Labels: Nail Driving, Paul Anderson, Strongman Feat
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Teeth LiftingHere a turn of the century strongman tows a car with his teeth. -- Of all the Strength Feats I have talked about so far I definitely do not recommend trying this type of lifting at home.
Labels: Car Pulling, Feats of Strength, Jaw Strength, Strongman Feat, Teeth Lifting
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 The Hammer Strength Gripper | As far as plate-loaded grip machines go, the very best model ever built is the Hammer Strength Gripper. Unlike most plate-loaded grip machines, the Hammer Strength Gripper provides rotational, rather than linear resistance. This means more muscle fibers are recruited during the exercise itself. -- and that means more results in a quicker time frame. |
Labels: Grip Machine, Grip Strength, Hammer Strength
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Pat Casey Incline Press With 210 Pound Dumbbells On March 25th, 1967 Pat Casey became the first man to break the 600 pound barrier in the bench press with a lift of 615 --- and that's without a bench shirt, elbow wraps or other nonsense.
Of course, he was no one-lift specialist as he was also the first man to squat over 800 pounds and total over 2000 pounds in an official contest.
For his workouts, he used to grab a pair of 210 pound dumbbells, haul them over to the incline bench, get the dumbbells into position, perform his reps, then return the dumbbells to the rack -- all unassisted -- quite a feat of strength in its own right.
Labels: Bench Press, Dumbbells, Incline Press, Pat Casey, Powerlifting, Squat, Total
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 Reg Park | When you get as strong as Reg Park, you too will be able to lift cars. Here's Reg lifting the front end of a London taxi cab just for kicks. Reg always trained with basic exercises; barbell squats and the behind the neck press were two of his favorite movements. |
Labels: Reg Park, Squat, Strongman Feat
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Charles Vansittart: Bent Steel NailThey used to call Charles Vansittart "The Man With The Iron Grip" for good reason. -- he could bend an Old English penny, rip a tennis ball in half and bend pieces of steel like the one pictured above.
Steel bending has always been a traditional Oldtime Strongman feat, not only do many people find it incredibly impressive as a feat, merely doing it will build tremedous strength throughout the entire body.
You can tell that rectangular stock (like the nail above) was actually hand bent by the shape. If a piece of steel was truly hand bent, it will bend on the angle, not the flat edge.
Labels: Charles Vansittart, Grip Strength, Iron Grip, Nail Bending, Steel Bending
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007
| Among posing, and several other amazing feats of strength, Eugen Sandow used to finish his act by carrying a horse from one end of the stage to the other. I'm sure that one brought the house down and must have been quite a sight to see. You may not have a horse around to lift but heavy overhead supports are still a great way to build upper-body strength and power. I read that John Grimek worked up to being able to support over 1000 pounds overhead with the use of a power rack. |  Sandow Lifts a Horse |
Labels: Eugen Sandow, John Grimek, Odd Object Lifting, Overhead Support, Power Rack, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Anvil Lifting"It would be very beneficial for any competitive athlete to obtain an anvil... Lifting it in various positions will greatly add to one's upper and lower body strength."
-- Dr. Ken Leistner, THE STEEL TIP, Vol 1, No 12, December 1985
Labels: Anvil Lifting, Dr. Ken Leistner, Odd Object Lifting, Steel Tip Newsletter
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| Presses and Curls... Shrugs and Deadlifts... Rows and Bench Presses... everyone loves training with dumbbells. In fact, dumbbell training has actually changed very little since the days of the ancient Greeks. I'm sure this old pair of York Globe 100's has seen many good workouts... |  Dumbbell Training |
Labels: Bench Press, Deadlift, Dumbbell Shrug, Dumbbell Training, Dumbbell Workout, Dumbbells, Dumbbells Row, Globe Dumbbells, Press, Tricep Curls, York
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Sergio Oliva:Mexican Movie StarI bet you didn't know Sergio Oliva appeared in a couple of Mexican wrestling movies? His name was "El Poder Negro" (Black Power) and he even had top billing over the more famous Mil Mascaras.
Funny thing, Sergio was even bigger in real life than the cartoon version.
Labels: Bodybuilding, Sergio Oliva, Wrestling
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| At the turn of the century, wrestlers and strongmen were often one and the same. Stanislaus Zbyszko was born in Poland in 1879 and began his training career at a gymnastic school. Soon after he followed his contemporary George Hackenschmidt into the wrestling profession where he would hold the Heavyweight World Championship Belt on two occasions. |  Oldtime Wrestler Stanislaus Zbyszko |
Labels: Benjamin Roller, Frank Gotch, George Hackenschmidt, Oldtime Strongman, Stanislaus Zbyszko, The Great Gama, Wrestling
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Tuesday, November 06, 2007
John Grimek Vs. The Cyr Challenge DumbbellHere's another look at the Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell. From what I understand John Grimek never turned down a challenge. Eventually he was able to add his name to the very short list of men who could get the Cyr Dumbbell Overhead.
Labels: Challenge Weight, Globe Dumbbell, John Grimek, Louis Cyr, Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell
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| "There is strength and permanence to stone. And because stones last, the stories of the men who lift them as well. When one embraces an ancient testing stone, he also embraces the history of that stone. He must exert that same Herculean effort and his body will suffer the same toll as all those hearty lads who dared to hoist the same load. He will also know, if victorious, the same exilaration and pride felt by his worthy predecessors." |  Steve Jeck |
Labels: Challenge Weight, Steve Jeck, Stone Lifting, Testing Stone
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Monday, November 05, 2007
Paul Anderson's WheelsWhat do you do when a normal barbell doesn't hold enough weight for your squat workouts? Paul Anderson's solution was this set of wheels which helped him build a set of 33" thighs.
Labels: Paul Anderson, Squat Workout, Strongman Equipment
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Steve Justa: The High Plains Heavy Metal MasterOut in the Nebraska cornfields you'll find a man who lifts anything he can get his hands on -- barrels,rocks, scrap iron, even trucks. He will push, pull, carry and drag the heaviest weights he can, and regularly moves half a ton, if only a few inches, its still impressive.
Steve Justa is his name and his training philosophy is anything but conventional...
"Don't Have a Weight Set? - Get a Tractor!"
Labels: Barrel Lifting, Odd Object Lifting, Rock Lifting, Steve Justa, Strongman Feat
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Sunday, November 04, 2007
Main Hall, Hemenway Gymnasium - circa 1880'sThe original Hemenway Gymnasium, which was completed in 1878, was the finest physical education facility ever created.
It contained every manner of physical training equipment: climbing ladders, tumbling mats, climbing ropes, flying rings, barbells, dumbbells, indian clubs, medicine balls... even early strength building "machines."
There was a running track, handball courts and rooms for fencing, wrestling, boxing and any other imaginable physical activity.
At the head of this fantastic gym was Dudley Allen Sargent, who virtually founded the discipline of physical education (more on him at a later date.)
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Climbing Ladders, Climbing Ropes, Gymnastic Rings, Hemenway Gymnasium, Indian Clubs, Medicine Balls, Physical Culture Equipment, Physical Education, Tumbling Mats
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| Here's another look at the lovely Pudgy Stockton gracing the cover of the March 1948 issue of Strength and Health. As was customary in most pictures of Pudgy, she was holding aloft some great weight, in this case, a very nice MILO globe dumbbell. I wonder how many reps she could have gotten? |  Pudgy Stockton |
Labels: Globe Dumbbell, Milo Barbell Company, Pudgy Stockton, Strength and Health
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Bybon's StoneNearly every ancient culture has evidence of stone lifting as a form of physical training for athletes and warriors.
The large sandstone pictured above dates to the 6th century B.C., weighs 315 lbs. and the inscription on it says: "Bybon, son of Pholos, threw this over his head with one hand."
You can find out more about ancient stone lifting here: Of Stones and Strength by Steve Jeck
Labels: Ancient Greece, Challenge Weight, Steve Jeck, Stone Lifting
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| Otto Arco was a great strongman and wrestler during the early part of the 20th century. To further strengthen the arguement that "Strength" and Power is a state of mind (along with proper training), check out the arm of Otto Arco. Arco weighed 138 pounds at a height of 5'2' and developed much of his unusual muculature through Muscle Control and Hand Balancing. You would be very surprised what regular practice of muscle control could do for your training... |  Otto Arco |
Labels: Hand Balancing, Muscle Control, Oldtime Strongman, Otto Arco
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The Richard K. Fox Heavyweight Strongman Championship Belt Warren Lincoln Travis, wearing his Championship Belt | Richard K. Fox was the publisher of "The Police Gazette" a 19th century magazine which reported on boxing, wrestling and feats of strength that might interest the public. It was Richard K. Fox who introduced the idea of the "Championship Belt" to the United States -- bestowing "The Police Gazette" championship belt to Jake Kilrain (and won shortly afterwards by John L. Sullivan in a greuling 75-round bare knuckle match.) The idea was simple -- whomever wanted the belt had to win it in a challenge match. Richard K. Fox also created a similar belt for the "Heavyweight Strongman Champion" of the world, with the first "title holder" being Louis Cyr whom Fox had managed on several tours of England. |
The Richard K. Fox Heavyweight Strongman Championship Belt now resides at the York Barbell Company Hall of Fame in York, Pennsylvania.
Labels: Boxing, Challenge Weight, Feat, Louis Cyr, The Police Gazette, Warren Lincoln Travis, York Barbell Hall of Fame
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Master Hand Balancer Professor PaulinettiHandbalancing goes back a long way although the man that took it to a whole new level was Professor Paulinetti. He perfected many of the most difficult hand balancing feats -- and was the first man to accomplish the incredibly difficult one-arm planche.
Professor Paulinetti was also the mentor to famed hand balancer Bob Jones. In fact, the image above once belonged to the personal collection of Bob Jones. On the back it is written that this photograph was taken in Italy around the year 1900.
Labels: Bob Jones, Hand Balancing, Planche, Professor Paulinetti, Strongman Feat
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 Steve Justa (Top), Archie Vanderpool (Below) | If you have had a chance to read Steve Justa's book ROCK IRON STEEL you've had a chance to see many unusual training techniques and pieces of equipment that Steve Justa uses in his workouts... You probably wonder where he got some of these training ideas -- well it just so happens that Justa's father was a friend of a guy named Archie Vanderpool who was featured in several of the lifting mags during the 1950s with some very interesting equipment and ideas on super-heavy partial movement training. |
Labels: Archie Vanderpool, Heavy Partial Movements, Rock Iron Steel, Steve Justa
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| It was on this date in 1932 in Leipzig, Germany that Hermann Goerner performed a tremendous feat of curling strength. With the barbell in the "hang clean" position, Goerner curled 242-1/2 pounds (110 Kilos)using sheer arm power and without any body swing. |  Hermann Goerner |
Labels: Arm Development, Bicep Strength, Curl, Hermann Goerner, Strongman Feat
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| The Great Gama is likely the greatest Pehlwan, or indian wrestler, who ever lived; as he was undefeated in over 5000 matches. Gama publically challenged all comers and easily beat the likes of Benjamin Roller and Stanislaus Zbyszko. His daily training routine consisted of thousands of traditional squats and pushups -- after seeing him train, many would-be challengers wanted no part of him. |  The Great Gama |
Labels: Benjamin Roller, Indian Wrestler, Oldtime Strongman, Pushups, Stanislaus Zbyszko, The Great Gama, Traditional Squats, Wrestling
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Slim "The Hammerman" FarmanIn the year 1975, Slim "The Hammerman" Farman stood alone before the crowd of 21,000 screaming fans at Madison Square Garden.
Just a few moments later he would attempt a world record: to lever a pair of twenty eight pound hammers -- 56 pounds on 31 inch handles, with 1736-inch pounds of pressure on his wrists.
For a second, Slim's mind flashed back to his job for the previous three decades -- swinging a 16 pound sledge hammer for 9 hours a day, breaking tons of stone.
He thought of the day back in 1955 when he met his mentor The Mighty Atom, who taught him how to break chains, and bend steel as well as how to focus all his energy for one intense moment.
Slim Farman took a step toward his hammers, a hush fell over the crowd... to find out what happened next click here.
Labels: Oldtime Strongman, Sledge Hammer Leverage, Slim The Hammerman, Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom
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Saturday, November 03, 2007
Old School Strength: Wilbur MillerWilbur Miller was Kansas wheat farmer who became the best amateur deadlifter in America back in the 1960's.
He trained by himself when the day's farm chores were done.
In 1963, Wilbur Miller pulled an official AAU record 705 lbs. and a year later topped that when he pulled 715 at the very first National Powerlifting Tournament held in York, Pennsylvania.
Wilbur Miller was also widely known as having some of the strongest hands around -- notice the palms forward grip in the deadlift pictured above.
He could also close the "Extra-Heavy" Iron Man Hand Gripper with ease.
You've got to admit -- it looks pretty darn cool when the bar is loaded all the way to the end like that.
Labels: AAU, Deadlift, Grip Strength, Iron Man Magazine, Powerlifting, Wilbur Miller
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The "Original" Original Dr. Ken Log BarHere's a look at one of the original ideas behind Dr. Ken's Log Bar -- an actual log with handles cut into it. This "log" was patterned on an unusual parallel-handled bar used for pressing movements that Dr. Ken trained with down in Lake Helen, Florida when he worked for Arthur Jones.
As is the case with most of Dr. Ken's unusual equipment, this log was a lot of fun to train with and provided many excellent workouts for his trainees.
Labels: Arthur Jones, Dr. Ken Leistner, Equipment, Log Bar, Overhead Press, Strongman Equipment
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 Strength and Health Magazine #1 | Just in case you ever need to know who was on the cover of Strength and Health #1, the answer is Walter "Wally" Zagurski. Zagurski was an original member of the "York Gang" who lifted back when it was called the "York Oil Burner Athletic Club." He competed in the 1932 Olympics, won the 1933 Sr. National Weightlifting title at 165 pounds and was a very good all-around strength athlete. He was also one of the few men who could lift the Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell overhead. |
Labels: Muscle Magazine, Olympics, Strength and Health, Wally Zagurski, weightlifting, York, York Barbell
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Friday, November 02, 2007
The Louis Cyr Challenge DumbbellThis incredible dumbbell belonged to the famous Quebec strongman Louis Cyr who used it in his act as a challenge for anyone to lift it.
Due to the 1-5/8 inch thick handle the bell is difficult to lift but it was specially designed for Cyr who had a very strong grip. It weighed 202 pounds empty and at its heaviest, packed with metal pellets, Cyr's Dumbbell weighed 273 pounds. Cyr handled it easily using the overhead "side press" style.
To this day only a handful of men have been successful in lifting it overhead with one arm.
Among them John Grimek, Sig Klein, and Wally Zagurski as shown above using the bent press style (Yes, that's the exact dumbbell above being lifted by those individuals at different points in time.) The Cyr Dumbbell currently resides in the York Barbell Company Hall of Fame in York, Pennsylvania.
Labels: Bent Press, Challenge Weight, Dumbbell, Globe Dumbbells, John Grimek, Louis Cyr, Side Press, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat, Thick Bar, Wally Zagurski, York Barbell Hall of Fame
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Malcolm "Mac" Richards"Mac" Richards started powerlifting when he was 57 years old and within a year set new Masters World Records in each of the three lifts: squatting 425 pounds, benching 308 pounds, deadlifting 479 pounds and totaling 1212 pounds.
In the years that followed, he won 18 National titles and four World Powerlifting Championships.
Here were his marks at the age of 75 years and 198 lbs, (Still Masters records for the International Powerlifting Association, by the way.)
Squat: 440 pounds
Bench: 330 pounds
Deadlift: 470 pounds
Total: 1240 pounds
Mac was inducted into the York Barbell Powerlifting Hall of Fame in 2000. He was also a good friend who will be missed.
Labels: Bench Press, Deadlift, Mac Richards, Powerlifting, Squat
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Horseshoes Bent by The Mighty AtomThe Mighty Atom bent these horseshoes and iron bar at the 1962 York, Pennsylvania Interstate Fair. That year marked his 42nd consecutive appearance at that particular fair.
These bent horseshoes are currently on display at the York Barbell Company museum in York, Pennsylvania.
It takes quite a bit of grip and forearm strength to be able to accomplish that strength feat. To see footage of horseshoes being bent by modern Strongman Pat Povilaitis, you'll want to check out 336 Pounds of Fury.
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Pat Povilaitis, Steel Bending, Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom, York Barbell, York Barbell Company
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Thursday, November 01, 2007
Bill Pettis: 23-1/4 Inch ArmsThere were a lot of big guys during the 1970's West Coast Bodybuilding Scene -- but none bigger than Bill Pettis.
He's not a name you see mentioned much because he had no interest in competing - just building the biggest and strongest arms he possibly could.
Looks like he succeeded.
As reported by Iron Man Magazine in 1975, his workouts were legendary -- 100 sets of arm work, standing triceps curls with 315 pounds on the bar, 180 pound curls and endless sets of pushups to "flush gallons of blood through the great muscle mass and get an extreme pump."
On several occasions his entire workout consisted of 3000 or more pushups (which took him five hours!)
Among his other lifts you can also add a 475 bench press and a squat with 620 pounds.
Labels: Bench Press, Bill Pettis, Bodybuilding, Curl, Feat, Pushups, Squat, Tricep Curls
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Classic Gymnasium from 1888Check out this wood engraving of a classic gymnasium: It was the YMCA at Longacre, London. This particular gymnasium was opened by the Prince of Wales on June 16, 1888.
Notice the variety of physical training going on: Indian Clubs, Tumbling, Parallel Bars, High Bar, Pommel Horse, Wall Pulleys, Climbing Ladders, Gymnastic Rings, Climbing Ropes and a rack of Barbells along the wall.
Labels: Barbells, Classic Strongman Gyms, Climbing Ladders, Climbing Ropes, Gymnastic Rings, Gymnastics, High Bar, Indian Clubs, Parallel Bars, Physical Culture Equipment, Tumbling, Wall Pulleys, YMCA
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Their common name is Indian Clubs, but they have many names depending on where you happen to be: Meels, Gavargah, Ekka, Karela or Gada.
Regardless of what you call them, they spell a unique form of strength, stamina, endurance and flexibility that goes back thousands of years.
The picture above is from Iran where they are referred to as Meels.
These clubs are swung in a rthymic pattern around the body for hundreds of repetitions by traditional wrestlers in their workouts. Meels generally weight 10-15 pounds although may get up as high as 60 pounds.
Keep in mind that these "heavy" clubs are used in an entirely different manner than Light Indian Clubs.
Traditional Indian Clubs can be seen in action in:
The Physical Body: Indian Wrestling and Physical Culture DVD
Labels: Equipment, Gada, Indian Clubs, Indian Wrestler, Meels, Physical Culture Equipment, Wrestling
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