Friday, October 31, 2008
Harry HoudiniWhile not a traditional "Strongman" Harry Houdini did engage in specific physical training in order to accomplish his many daring escapes. Houdini also held great respect for several strongmen who he had met during his travels, in particular John Grunn Marx and Warren Lincoln Travis.
Labels: Harry Houdini, Houdini, John Grunn Marx, Warren Lincoln Travis
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Jack LaLanneJack Lalanne on the cover the of the January, 1947 issue of Strength and Health Magazine. Jack is still going strong at 94 years of age!
Labels: Bodybuilding, Cover, Jack LaLanne, Muscle Magazine, Strength and Health Magazine
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Thursday, October 30, 2008
Josef Grafl It doesn't get much more "Oldtime" than this - Josef Grafl, the great strongman from Vienna, Austria, competes in a historical contest. Quite a contrast to today's modern weightlifting meets. Note the chalk ring that the lifter stood in to perform the lifts and the outdoor location. Grafl was the World heavyweight weightlifting champion from 1908 to 1911 and again in 1913.
Labels: Austrian Strongman, Champion, Heavyweight Lifting Championships, Josef Grafl, Oldtime Strongman, Vienna, weightlifting
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Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Elephant LiftingStrongman Joe Ragusa shows one way to lift an elephant: via back lift. Ragusa regularly performed this feat in nightclubs and television shows.
Labels: Back Lift, Elephant, Feat, Joe Ragusa, Odd Object Lifting, Oldtime Strongman Exercise, Supporting Feat
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 Steve Stanko - Hand Grippers | Steve Stanko was strong everywhere, he would have to be to become the first man to break the 1000 pound barrier in Olympic weightlifting. He was no slouch in the grip strength department either, having easily performed feats like this and yes, he trained with hand grippers too. Wonder what he could have done on the #3? |
Labels: 1000 Pound Barrier, Hand Grippers, Olympic Weightlifting, Steve Stanko
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The CrusherHere's one from way back ... although you've probably seen one somewhere along the way. "The Crusher" -- or a simple metal spring with handles -- is a great way to "bomb and blitz" your muscles. Yow! Be careful when using it, wouldn't want to get too strong...
Labels: Antique Equipment, Chest Exerciser, Strongman Equipment, The Crusher
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Monday, October 27, 2008
| The Jefferson lift, also known as the straddle lift or straddle deadlift, was a favorite leg exercise of many of the York lifters. It certainly worked for Steve Stanko who won the 1944 AAU Mr. America contest and was the first man to break the 1000 pound barrier in Olympic Weightlifting. If you train on this lift, make sure to do a set in each direction. |  The Jefferson Lift |
Labels: Jefferson Lift, Leg Exercise, Steve Stanko, Straddle Deadlift, Straddle Lift, York, York Barbell
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Dick Bachtell - Dumbbell Swing!The great lifter Dick Bachtell showing his form in the one-arm dumbbell swing. Bachtell was a phenomenal one-arm lifter who was able to lift weights in excess of his bodyweight overhead in a variety of ways.
A good lift in "the dumbbell swing" can only be counted when the weight is "fixed" overhead. Many lifters loaded the back end a little heavier than the front end which was perfectly within the rules of the lift.
Labels: Dick Bachtell, Dumbbell Swing, One Arm Lift, Swing
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Friday, October 24, 2008
Joe NordquestOne of the true unsung strongman is undoubtedly Joe Nordquest. His name is rarely mentioned at the top of the list of all-time greats yet his strength feats would certainly rank him among them.
He could jump from a table to the floor while maintaining a handstand position, curl 180 pounds and bent press 277-1/2 pounds. He could military press 124-1/4 pounds with one hand, an American record at the time and did a "bridge press" with 388 pounds (breaking Arthur Saxon's record.) -- and he did it all on one leg, having lost a limb in an accident as a boy.
Labels: Bent Press, Curl, Dumbbell Press, handstand, Joe Nordquest
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Thomas InchThe first thing that comes to mind when most people hear the name Thomas Inch is "Grip Strength" but there was so much more to the man than that.
He was a champion strand puller, a boxer, a great all-around lifter whose numbers even exceeded Sandow's in several lifts, an entrepreneur, a publisher and one of the first of the mail-order muscle barons. He was also one of the first, if not the first to introduce plate-loaded barbells and dumbbells.
Labels: British Strongman, Grip Strength, Strand Pulling, Thomas Inch
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Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Vince Gironda Tossing The CaberHere's something you don't see every day: "The Iron Guru" Vince Gironda tossing the caber. Vince was, of course, most well known in bodybuilding circles but he had other talents as well. Back in the day he used to get a gang together every saturday morning to practice tossing the caber and other heavy events in order to represent Vince's Gym at local Highland Games contests.
Labels: Caber Tossing, Heavy Athletics, Highland Game Events, Highland Games, Iron Guru, Vince Gironda, Vince's Gym
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Tuesday, October 21, 2008
BoscoBosco was Harry B. Paschall's super strongman cartoon character whose exploits thrilled and entertained readers of Strength and Health Magazine for years. Bosco also starred in Paschall's four great training books: Muscle Moulding, The Development of Strength,Muscular Arms and Shoulders and The Bosco System of Progressive Physical Training.
Labels: Bosco, Harry B. Paschall, Strength and Health
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Monday, October 20, 2008
Louis Cyr"May 27th, 1865 - Boston, Massachusetts - Previously, the great Cyr had made the statement that on this night he was going to outlift any back-lift record he had made and that weight would not be under four thousand pounds...
The hour arrived and the indomitable Cyr ascended the stairs leading to the exhibition platform with a firm step, his heart light, and his general demeanor that of a man imbued with the idea that he was about to perform the most remarkable feat of his life. He paused as the cheering ceased and cast a cursory glance over the audience.
Would he succeed?
Anxious inquiry was depicted upon many faces. The platform creaked like a rusty hinge... It began to move... Up it was going sure enough. A mighty shout tore from the throats of every watcher as they saw the terrific load of three thousand four hundred pounds suspended in mid-air, supported on the back of the invincible Cyr."
Labels: Back Lift, Canadian Strongman, Louis Cyr, Strongman Feat
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Thursday, October 16, 2008
Big Paul shows why he's called "Big Paul" - That's 420 pounds overhead.
Labels: 420 Pounds, Barbell, Paul Anderson
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Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Mac Batchelor and the Neil Lewis Armwrestling TrainerMac Batchelor was undefeated at armwrestling for over a quarter century. Here's Mac taking the Neil Lewis Armwrestling Trainer for a spin. Looks like a good one.
Labels: Armwrestling, Armwrestling Equipment, Mac Batchelor, Neil Lewis Armwrestling Trainer
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Doug Hepburn Handbalancing FeatThe great lifter and strongman Doug Hepburn was quite a handbalancer - something which has been presented here on prior occasions. (He said it helped his overhead press.)
Here's a feat you've probably never seen before though: Doug handbalancing on the top of a basketball backboard. Doug would have had to have been pretty confident in his hand balancing ability to even attempt this one, let alone accomplish it. That's a long way down. WOW!
Labels: Balance Feat, Basketball, Bodyweight Feat, Doug Hepburn, Hand Balancing
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I've shown plenty of shots of the inside of Sig Klein's Gym but here's a rare shot of the outside. Klein's Gym was located at 717 Seventh Avenue and was hard to miss with the huge picture of Sig out front.
Klein's GymLabels: Classic Gym, Classic Strongman Gyms, New York, Sig Klein, Sig Kleins Gym
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Friday, October 10, 2008
Pyotr Krylov The great Russian Strongman Pyotr Krylov was well known for his shoulder development and the large tattoo of the Double-Headed eagle gracing his chest. In the early 20th century Krylov performed a Crucifix Lift with a 90-pound dumbbell in each hand - a record that has never been equaled or beaten. One of his favorite feats as a strongman was to break chains across his chest or with his arms.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Crucifix, Dumbbell Lift, Krylov, Oldtime Strongman, Pyotyr Krylov, Russian Strongman
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Thursday, October 09, 2008
Bill Pearl Training at Leo Stern's GymOne of the all-time great bodybuilding gyms was Leo Stern's place in San Diego, California. Stern's Gym always stood out in the bodybuilding magazines because of the distinctive wood paneling in the background. Here's Bill Pearl (who got his start at Sterns Gym) doing a set of French Presses.
Labels: Bill Pearl, Bodybuilding Gym, French Press, Leo Stern, Sterns Gym
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Mr. America 1960 Red LerilleIt all began with a skinny, red-haired kid from Louisiana who wanted to grow up to be Mr. America -- and he did it!
That skinny kid was Lloyd "Red" Lerille, shown here on the cover of the March 1961 issue of Strength and Health magazine. Red was famous for his chest development which is evident in this picture. In 1963 Red opened his first gym and went first class all the way. Through the years it has grown into one of the finest gyms/health clubs in the country. If you're ever in the Lafayette, Louisiana area, be sure to stop by and get in a workout (and tell Red we said "Hi!")
(Bonus points for noticing the first appearance of "Protein from the Sea" in this issue.)
Labels: AAU, Bodybuilding, Cover, Mr America, Strength and Health Magazine
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The Iron Guru Vince GirondaKnown as "The Iron Guru," Vince Gironda left an indelible mark on the bodybuilding world. For over fifty years "Vince's Gym" was one of the most popular bodybuilding gyms in the country and a number of famous bodybuilders AND movie stars often trained there. Vince was one of the first muscle experts to place a great deal of emphasis on nutrition and was also well known for his "unorthodox" training methods and unusual exercise ideas.
Labels: Bodybuilder, Bodybuilding, Bodybuilding Gym, Iron Guru, Vince Gironda, Vinces Gym
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Horseshoes at Slim's PlaceIn Slim's Dungeon Gym you'll find every brand of horseshoe known to man. What would you expect from a man who bent horseshoes for a living? Nothing impresses an audience more than bending steel by hand.
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Classic Strongman Gyms, Horseshoes, Slim The Hammerman, The Dungeon
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Legendary Iron: Warren Lincoln Travis' Globe BarbellSpeaking of challenge weights, here's one you don't see every day. This globe barbell once belonged to the great strongman Warren Lincoln Travis. The botton inset is the man himself lifting this very barbell from some old newsreel footage. Notice the star collars and canister around the handle is now missing -- probably sold off for scrap years ago.
I got to lift that barbell at Slim the Hammer Man's place last summer. There were plenty of strong guys there although I was the only one who managed to lift it with one hand. The thick handle makes for quite a challenge.
Labels: Globe Barbell, Thick Bar, Thick Bar Lifting, Warren Lincoln Travis
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The Human Vise's Engine BlockMany Oldtime Strongmen were famous for their Challenge Weights with which they performed feats of strength. Pat "The Human Vise" Povilaitis has several unique pieces of equipment which he uses in his strength act; among them this engine block.
Labels: Challenge Weight, Human Vise, Odd Object, Pat Povilaitis, Strongman Equipment, The Human Vise
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Monday, October 06, 2008
Heavy MetalBarbells are nice... but there's plenty of other fun stuff to lift too. Here's some things you'll find back at my place. Dr. Ken's Iron Suitcases (which you may have seen before in one of Brooks Kubik's videos), an anchor chain, and various other heavy, rusty chunks of metal.
Labels: Anchor Chain, Dr. Ken Leistner, Heavy Metal, Iron Suitcase, Metal, Odd Objects, Strongman Equipment
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Sunday, October 05, 2008
John Grimek and Chest Expander TrainingJohn Grimek was a fan of many different types of training but chest expanders were one of his favorite. Quick, portable and most importantly: effective.
Here he is demonstrating a great shoulder exercise, the one-arm press with one of the old spring-type chest expanders... (if you're going to be using springs, I recommend wearing a shirt.)
Labels: Chest Expander Exercises, Chest Expanders, John Grimek, Spring Expander
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Bruno SammartinoWhether "The People's Champion" or "The Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino is one impressive dude. There has probably never been someone more "built for strength" as evident by his thick bone structure. Here Bruno squats 405 about as "raw" as you can get. Some of his best lifts were 565-pound bench press, 715-pound squat and a 690-pound deadlift - no "gear" of course.
Labels: Bruno Sammartino, Living Legend, Peoples Champion, Pro Wrestler, Squat, Wrestler
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Saturday, October 04, 2008
Pudgy StocktonPudgy Stockton was about 50 years ahead of her time... Today "fitness models" are a common thing. Pudgy was a consumate "iron lady" back in the 40's. She was adept at hand balancing, olympic weight lifting and even had her own column for years in Strength and Health Magazine. She obviously had no trouble lifting this great Milo Dumbbell down on the sands of Muscle Beach.
Labels: Hand Balancing, Muscle Beach, Olympic Weightlifting, Pudgy Stockton, Strength and Health
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Thursday, October 02, 2008
 The Porta-Gym | Direct from the pages of the old Iron Man Magazine comes the Porta-Gym! ... really just a set of pushup handles or mini-parallettes. Either way, you could still use them for some very good bodyweight exercises or sharpen up your hand balancing skills. |
Labels: Advertisement, Bodyweight Training Equipment, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Equipment, Iron Man Magazine, Porta-Gym
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