Friday, February 27, 2009
Doug Hepburn: The First Official 500-Pound Bench PressThe first Official 500-Pound Bench Press was performed in Vancouver, British Columbia on December 10th, 1953 by the great Canadian strength athlete Doug Hepburn. Note the primitive "bench" (what appears to be little more than a number of 2x4s nailed together), the lack of uprights, and the Jackson barbell plates.
Labels: 500-Pound Bench Press, Barbell Bench Press, Bench Press, Canadian Strongman, Doug Hepburn, Jackson Barbell Company
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Rigoulot's Custom BarbellAnother look at Charles Rigoulot's custom barbell and the modern reproduction made by Andy Jackson. In over fifty years, I do not believe that either of these series of pictures have ever been compared side-by-side, except in this post and this one. I wonder if we will ever see a barbell of this type ever again?
Labels: Andy Jackson, Charles Rigoulot, Globe Barbell, Oldtime Strength Equipment
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Thursday, February 26, 2009
Melvin TampkeMelvin Tampke was frequently featured in Alan Calvert's Strength Magazine. Here he does a one arm clean and jerk with an excellent Thick Handled globe barbell.
Labels: Alan Calvert, Globe Barbell, Melvin Tampke, Strength Magazine, Thick Handle
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Paul Anderson: All in a Day's Work...Paul Anderson takes a breather after a tough workout. All in a day's work...
Labels: Barbell, Paul Anderson
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Nautilus Leverage MachinesWhen most people think of Nautilus Machines they picture cams and weight stacks, which were certainly the case... But later on, Nautilus came out with a series of leverage pieces with the look of machines but the feel of free weights. Pictured here is Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro Linebacker Reggie Williams demonstrating the shrug/row combo piece. This photograph was taken in the world famous "Kong Room" and if you were ever there, you sure never forgot it.
Labels: Back Machine, Equipment, Kong Room, Nautilus, Nautilus Leverage Machines, Nautilus Machines, Reggie Williams, Training Equipment
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 Bill Hunt | Bill Hunt of Darwen, England was a magnificent hand balancer with many amazing feats to his credit. Here's one that you sure will not see every day: his most daring feat. Bill climbed to the top of a six-foot tall ladder, assumed the handstand position at the very top then jumped down and landed on a table beside it, all while still maintaining the handstand position! |
Labels: Bill Hunt, British Strongman, hand balancer, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat
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Sig Klein: Train Your Grip!"Bodybuilders do not have the grip they should have. I know. For many years I have found that few of them possess the grip that their large biceps would indicate..."That was written by Sig Klein about sixty years ago, and it's still true today. Although bodybuilder or not, everyone should train their grip. Sig's equipment of choice is a simple pinch block, attached by a chain to one of his "Klein Bells. Sig really liked the pinch grip exercise since it was such a favorite of many Oldtime Strongmen.
In fact, at his gym, Sig had a 20 Kilo French blockweight which he placed a $10 bill under, and which had an open challenge that anyone who could pinch-lift the blockweight could keep the bill. The prize was safe for many years until a football player named Harry Kloppenburg finally lifted it!
Labels: Blockweights, Challenge Feats, Grip Strength, Hand Strength, Pinch Grip, Pinch Lift, Sig Klein, Sig Kleins Gym
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Father B.H.B. LangeFor over fifty years, Father Bernard Lange of Notre Dame University, ran one of the finest gyms and lifting programs this country had ever seen. Lange actually did not take up physical training until past 30 years of age but built himself up to one of the most powerful men of the time. He recognized the value that physical training could have on a person and thus promoted it for the rest of his life. He was also a "secret weapon" of sorts, introducing systematic weight lifting to many of the great Notre Dame Athletic teams before such programs were en vogue. In fact, he often earned special recognition from the legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne for working with his players as early as 1922! Lange's Gym was said to be one of the finest gyms in the land, as he spared no expense in quality equipment and even made a great deal of it himself using his carpentry skills.
Labels: Athletic Training, Father Lange, Notre Dame, weightlifting
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Reg Park: HerculesReg Park achieved a great deal of stardom by playing the role of Hercules (or a similar heroic character) in a series of Italian movies. Quite frankly, I couldn't think of anyone better suited for the part (except maybe Steve Reeves.) Anyhow, here is a look at Reg's movies:
... Not cinematic masterpieces by any means, but fun none-the-less.Hercules and the Captive Women (1961) Hercules in the Center of the Earth (1961) Maciste in King Solomon's Mines (1964) Hercules, Prisoner of Evil (1964) Hercules the Avenger (1965)
Labels: Hercules, Hercules Movies, Reg Park, Reg Park Movies
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Kettlebells in Iran, circa 1897Kettlebells are thought by many people to be uniquely Russian. While there is no question that they have very strong roots there, kettlebells have a long tradition in other areas of the world as well. This rare picture was taken in Iran, circa 1897, showing these practitioners of 'Vaezesh-e Pahlavani' (Iranian Martial Arts) who obviously use them as a part of their training. The text offers no explanation as to why they are fastened together by ropes.
Also of note are the Kaebade (i.e. Iron Bows) at their feet. That unique training tool is swung from one shoulder to the other, building upper-body strength.
Labels: Ancient Kettlebells, Iranian Martial Arts, Iranian Wrestler, Kaebade
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Fred LoweThe great Olympic Weightlifter Fred Lowe was said to have the absolute greatest leg development of any strength athlete in any sport - ever. That would be a pretty tough point to argue otherwise. Fred only weighed 165 pounds so you can bet those legs could generate a lot of power. He is STILL the lightest man to ever clean and jerk over 400 pounds. Here's Fred on the way to winning gold in the 1972 Senior Nationals.
Labels: Clean and Jerk, Clean and Jerk Record, Fred Lowe, Leg Development, olympic weightlifter, Senior Nationals
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Rheo H. Blair's Instant ProteinLongtime reader's of Iron Man Magazine will no doubt recognize these two fellows and this familiar color scheme. On the right is Irvin Johnson, otherwise known as Rheo H. Blair. (He changed his name after a numerologist said it would make him more successful -- It Worked!)
His secret formula was fashioned after enzymes found in mother's milk. As a result, "Blair's Protein" became THE protein powder of choice of all the top pros and likely the best known supplement of all time. Vince Gironda the Iron Guru, was a big fan and supporter of Blair's Protein and since many Hollywood movie stars trained at Vince's Gym, the popularity of Blair's Protein sky-rocketed.
On the left is classic bodybuilder Don Howorth, one of Blair's top students and winner of many west coast bodybuilding contests, including the 1967 IFBB Mr. America.
Labels: Advertisement, Blair's Protein, Don Howorth, Food Supplement, IFBB, Iron Man Magazine, Protein Powder, Rheo H. Blair, Vince Gironda, Vince's Gym
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| 1. Jim Park 2. Malcolm Brenner 3. George Paine 4. Don Van Fleteren 5. Irvin "Zabo" Koszewski 6. Walt Cuzzimano 7. Vic Seipke 8. Harry Smith 9. Mickey Hargitay 10. Bill Cerdas 11. Tim Sweeney 12. Ralph Brunhart 13. Art Zeller 14. George Jones 15. Dominick Juliano 16. Harry Johnson 17. Leroy Colbert |  1952 AAU Mr. America Jim Park |
Labels: 1952 Mr. America, Art Zeller, Bodybuilding, Bodybuilding Contest, Cover, George Paine, Irvin Zabo Koszewski, Jim Park, Leroy Colbert, Malcolm Brenner, Mickey Hargitay, Strength and Health Magazine
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Charles A. SampsonStep right up... a rare ticket from Charles A. Sampson's performance at Royal Albert Hall, London England, on Novemnber 22nd and 23rd, 1899. If you had been in attendence, you would have seen Sampson perform his signature feats: harness lifting, coin bending, lifting heavy thick-handled globe barbells and breaking chains wrapped around his bicep.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Charles Sampson, Coin Bending, Harness Lift, Royal Albert Hall
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Thomas Inch: Two hands Anyhow The great British strongman Thomas Inch was well known for his Grip Strength and his famous Challenge Dumbbell but he was also a great all around strength athlete.
Here is Mr. Inch half-way through a Two Hands Anyhow lift, one of his specialties. The barbell was first taken to the shoulders, jerked, then switched to the right hand. The kettlebell at his feet, which weighed 90 pounds, was then brought overhead with the left hand.
Labels: British Strongman, Grip Strength, Kettlebell, Kettlebell Lift, Thomas Inch, Two Hands Anyhow
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| One cool cat Zabo Zoszewski training his famous abs with the Roman Chair. He was said to do 500-1000 reps of this exercise every day. Zabo won "Best Abs" in every contest he entered, including four times in the AAU Mr. America contest and three times in the Junior Mr. America Contest. |  Zabo and the Roman Chair |
Labels: Abdominal Exercise, Abdominal Strength, Abdominal Training, Best Abs, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Irvin Zabo Koszewski, Roman Chair, Zabo
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Classic Globe BarbellI'm convinced, but thought I would put these pictures side-by-side so you can decide for yourself. I believe this is the very same globe barbell in action. On the left, the great French weightlifter Ernest Cadine circa 1920. On the right, the great American lifter and Gold medalist Tommy Kono, circa 1954.
Labels: Ernest Cadine, Globe Barbell, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Tommy Kono
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John Wood: 140-pound Dumbell 1-Arm SnatchYeah, I'm showing off a little on my blog... the one arm snatch has always been a favorite lift of mine, one that I mess around with from time to time just to see where I'm at. It's actually more of a 'power snatch' as I do not dip underneath the weight. If I had half a mind to focus on my technique I have little doubt that I could really push the poundage up there. Anyhow, this shot was taken a few years back on a visit to Dr. Ken's place. Dr. Ken is one of the only guys I know who regularly has 140+ dumbbells on-hand at all times... and they aren't just gathering dust either.
Labels: Dr. Ken, Dr. Ken Leistner, Dumbbell Lift, Dumbbell Snatch, John Wood, one arm snatch
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Chinese Stone LocksKettlebells go back a long way but Chinese Stone Locks predate them by several thousand years. Martial artists in China have been using stone weights like these to develop their bodies for centuries. There are, of course, many 'kettlebell' exercises that can be done with stone locks, but they carry with them their own specific kind of training -- and a specific set of results. Stone locks training is particularly good for grip and forearm work.
Labels: Chinese Stone Lock, Equipment, Grip Equipment, Grip Exercise, Kettlebells, Stone Weight
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Sunday, February 22, 2009
| Hand grippers go back a long way, even farther than plate-loaded barbells, in fact. While the materials and spring quality have changed with modern advancements, you can see that the overall design has not changed one bit over the last century. The very first advertisement for spring nutcracker-type hand grippers is pictured on the right and dates to 1901. |  Vintage Hand Grippers |
Labels: Advertisement, Equipment, Grip Equipment, Grip Training Equipment, Hand Gripper, Hand Strength, Hand Strength Equipment, Vintage Hand Gripper
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Barton HorvathNew York City Bodybuilder Barton Horvath, on the cover of the October, 1937 issue of Strength and Health Magazine. His focus on chest expansion is evident. Horvath did not compete in many contests but did become a successful strength author for a number of years.
Labels: Barton Horvath, Chest Development, Classic Bodybuilder, Cover, Muscle Magazine, Strength and Health Magazine, Strength Author
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Sim D. KehoeSimon "Sim" D. Kehoe was a manufacturer of gymnastic equipment who was introduced to club swinging during his travels abroad. He observed clubs of various sized being swung by British soldiers who, in turn, had learned club swinging from their counterparts in India. ... police, soldiers, wrestlers and "anyone else whose caste renders them liable to emergencies where great strength of muscle is desirable."
Once Kehoe tried the clubs for himself he instantly understood their value. Upon his return to the U.S. in 1862, he set up shop to manufacture Indian clubs and introduce club swinging to the American public on a wider scale. His efforts certainly worked, swinging Indian clubs of various sizes became wildly popular in many circles. More on Sim Kehoe and his clubs at a later date...
Labels: Club Swinging, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, Sim D. Kehoe, Sim Kehoe, Wooden Indian Clubs
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Sergio Oliva Olympic LiftingLike many bodybuilders in the 60's, Sergio Oliva got his start in Olympic Weightlifting. In fact, he did well enough to compete for his native Cuba at the 1962 Pan-Am games. Though he was very strong, his Olympic lifting ability was actually hampered by his thin waist.
The foundation built by Olympic lifting served Sergio well in his bodybuilding career though. Oliva went on to win the Mr. Olympia Contest in 1967, 1968 and 1969.
Labels: Clean and Jerk, Mr. Olympia, Olympic Weightlifting, Pan-Am Games, Sergio Oliva
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The Nautilus Compound Leg MachineThe 'point' of any tool is to give yourself an advantage that could not otherwise be had... in this case, a machine which will allow a for the performance of a specialized training technique: pre-exhaust.
The Nautilus compound Leg Machine combined a leg extension with a leg press, allowing a trainee to move from one exercise to the next in the quickest possible time -- and creating one of the most intense leg workouts ever devised.
Labels: Casey Viator, Leg Development, Leg Workout, Nautilus, Nautilus Compound Leg Machine, Nautilus Machines, Strength machine
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Friday, February 20, 2009
George W. LeeGeorge W. Lee, of Astoria, Long Island, reports that his secret to keeping young is regular physical training. He says that he never engages in "normal" calisthenics but rowing and a series of exercises he devised with a pair of oars.
He claims to be the only man of his age able to perform this feat. The oars are nine feet, six inches in length. George is sixty six years young and this picture was taken in 1940.
Labels: Boating, George W. Lee, Oars, Rowing, Shoulder Exercise, Shoulder Strength
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John Grunn Marx"The Luxembourg Hercules" John Grunn Marx was descended from a long line of blacksmiths. He was famous for his tremendously powerful hand strength and his ability to break horse shoes. In 1905, he performed a harness lift with 4410 pounds.
Labels: Grip Strength, Harness Lift, John Grunn Marx, The Luxembourg Hercules
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Irvin 'Zabo' KoszewskiAfter winning the "Mr. New Jersey" contest in 1948, "Mr. Middle Atlantic" in 1950 and placing high in a few other regional bodybuilding shows, Irvin 'Zabo' Koszewski relocated to California and stepped into history.
Like every great bodybuilder on the west coast, he started training at Vic Tanny's Gym and spent most of his days on the sands of Muscle Beach. He took up right where he left off in the contest department, winning the Mr. Pacific Coast and Mr. Los Angeles contests in 1953 and added the Mr. California title in 1954.
Zabo also did very well in the AAU Mr. America contests placing thirteenth in 1950, fourth in 1952, third in 1953 and third again in 1954. He also competed in the Junior Mr. America contest in 1951, 1952 and 1954, placing fourth, third and second, respectively.
It's not hard to see why Zabo won "Best Abs" in nearly every contest he entered.
Labels: 1950 Mr. America Contest, 1954 Mr. America Contest, Best Abs, Classic Bodybuilder, Irvin Zabo Koszewski, Mr. California, Mr. New Jersey, Muscle Beach, Vic Tanny's Gym, Zabo
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One Secret of Strength and PowerOne Secret of Strength and Power... you want to get strong? Work your legs like you mean it. John Davis understood this better than most. Here he is rock-bottom squatting over 500 pounds. You sure don't see squatting ability like this very often these days... nor men with the kind of all-around strength that Davis had.
Labels: Barbell, John Davis, Leg Development, Leg Exercise, Squat, Squatting Feat, Strength and Power
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Thursday, February 19, 2009
Valeriy BrumelYes, that is a man jump-kicking a regulation basketball hoop, a simply unbelieveable feat. In this case, that man is Valeriy Brumel, the great Soviet high jumper who is just doing a bit of showing off. Brumel won the Silver Medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics and took the Gold medal in Tokyo at the 1964 games.
Brumel broke the world record for high jump 6 times from 1961 to 1963. His personal best was 2.28 meters (about 7 feet 6 inches) In 1965 he was in a motorcycle accident which ruined his leg. After 29 operations he made a comeback in 1970 and was able to high jump 2.06 meters (about 6 feet 9 inches.) He was a true super human.
Labels: 1960 Olympics, 1964 Olympics, Gold Medal, High Jump, Olympic Athlete, Olympics
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The Steve Reeves DeadliftHere's a unique feat by 1947 Mr. America Steve Reeves ... he may not have invented it but he became very well known for it: The Steve Reeves Deadlift. It involves an extremely wide-grip deadlift performed by grabbing the rim on a pair of York Deep Dish Plates. It's tougher than it looks and a tremendous feat of finger strength.
Labels: 1947 Mr. America, Deadlift, Finger Strength, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Mr. America, Steve Reeves, York Deep Dish 45 Pound Plate
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HooverballNicknamed the Medicine Ball Cabinet, President Hoover's advisors often came to the White House, upon the president's request, for breakfast and exercise. Here, Hoover and members of his Cabinet play "Hooverball" on the South Lawn of the White House. To play, the heavy medicine ball was thrown back and forth over the net and score was kept just like tennis.
Labels: Herbert Hoover, Hooverball, Medicine Ball Training, Medicine Balls, President
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
York Isometric Power RackIsometrics were all the rage in the 60s although you don't hear much about them these days. Here's a special rack made by The York Barbell Company created just for performing Isometrics (model W.W.) This is the very same type of rack that Bruce Lee trained on. I've actually got one out in my gym which I still train on -- still as good as ever.
(Note: We do NOT have Isometric Power Racks for sale or know where you can find one.)
Labels: Bruce Lee, Gym Equipment, Isometric Power Rack, Isometrics, Power Rack, York Barbell Company, York Power Rack
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Handstands!You won't see many pictures like this these days. This is a group of six Chicago "Turners" each doing a handstand on a set of parallel bars. Note the sets of Indian clubs, wooden dumbbells and Milo weights on the wall in the background. The picture dates to 1905.
Labels: Classic Gym, Gymnastics, Hand Balancing, handstand, Indian Clubs, Milo Barbell Company, Physical Culture, Physical Culture Equipment, Turnverein, Vintage Gymnasiums, Wooden Dumbbells.
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How to Bent Press by Sig KleinIf there ever were someone qualified to teach the bent press it was Sig Klein. He wrote this nifty little training guide in the 30's. Copies are pretty hard to come by.
Labels: Bent Press, How to Bent Press, Sig Klein, Training Course
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Sandow's Combined DeveloperOne reason why Sandow is still such an influential figure over a century later was that he laid the foundations for things that are commonplace today. He was quite the entrepreneur. His Grip Dumbbells and the Developer shown here were among the very first commercially available fitness equipment. This Developer mimicked the exercises normally done with a Wall Pulley without, of course, the need for weight stacks.
Labels: Equipment, Eugen Sandow, Sandow's Combined Developer
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Bob HoffmanHere's a classic shot of Bob Hoffman at the old Broad Street Gym demonstrating one of his favorite exercises, squatting on the toes. That's a pretty nifty globe barbell that ol' BoHo is using, and , of course, he's wearing his trusty York Barbell Club t-shirt. The fellow on the left is Frank Findley, the great physical culture coach and gym owner from Australia.
Labels: Bob Hoffman, Broad Street Gym, Frank Findley, Globe Barbell, Leg Exercise, Squatting Feat, York Barbell Club t-shirt, York Gym
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Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Mighty Norseman - Karl NorbergThink you're too old? The Mighty Norseman Karl Norberg could perform a crucifix with an eighty pound dumbbell in each hand. -- He was 70 years old at the time. It was said by those who witnessed them that Norberg performed such feats with ridiculous ease. This feat was performed at the San Francisco Central YMCA where he did much of his training.
Labels: Crucifix, Dumbbell Crucifix, Dumbbell Lift, Karl Norberg, Mighty Norseman, Shoulder Exercise, YMCA
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W.A. PullumIt's not hard to see why W.A. Pullum was the The 9 Stone Amateur Champion Weightlifter of The World. In this classic picture his incredible tendon thickness is quite evident. Pullum's greatest feat was a two-hands anyhow lift of 272 pounds. Note the many championship medals pinned to his chest, Pullum established over 200 records during his career. Also further proof that you don't have to be big to be impressive, Pullum tips the scales at only 126 pounds at a height of 5'5".
Labels: 2 Hands Anyhow, British Strongman, Oldtime Lift, Strongman, W.A. Pullum, weightlifter
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Cannon Lifting!If it's heavy, you can bet some oldtime strongman has tried to lift it in a unique manner. As this Strongman demonstrates, here's one way to lift a cannon: with your teeth!
Labels: Cannon, Cannon Lifting, Feats of Strength, Jaw Lifting, Jaw Strength, Neck Strength, Odd Object Lifting, Teeth Lifting
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Two Legends: John Grimek and The Mighty Atom I think it's safe to say that the York Barbell Company in York Pennsylvania is where everything in the strength world once came together... Here's a meeting between legendary oldtime strongman The Mighty Atom, Joe Greenstein and equally legendary bodybuilder John Grimek.
This meeting occured at the annual Pennsylvania Interstate Fair, at which the Atom performed feats of strength until well into his 70s. Here 'The Atom 'is showing John Grimek a poster from his recent series of performances back in the Motherland.
Labels: John Grimek, The MIghty Atom, York Barbell Company, York Pennsylvania
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Monday, February 16, 2009
| You've probably never heard of Arthur Santell -- in fact likely nobody has, he was just a kid from Los Angeles with an interest in physical training who was featured in an old newspaper clipping. What we do know of Arthur Santell is that he could drive a 20 penny nail through two 1-inch boards with his fist and scroll a 1-1/2" x 1/4" steel band around his arm. This picture was taken on May 6th, 1930. Santell was 18 at the time. |  Arthur Santell |
Labels: Arthur Santell, Nail Driving, Steel Bending, Steel Scrolling, Strongman Feat
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Gene Fisher - "The Man With The Biceps"Gene Fisher - "The Man With The Biceps" - curls 203 pounds in pretty strict form. You can tell just by looking at him that he has the genetics to accomplish such a feat. In addition to his prowess with a barbell, Fisher also ran a successful gym in the San Diego, California area for many years.
Labels: Barbell Curls, Bicep Exercise, Bicep Strength, Curl, Gene Fisher, San Diego Gym
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ApollonSomething that you may not have noticed is that the great French Strongman Apollon rarely performed two-arm lifts, instead preferring to train with heavy barbells or dumbbells by lifting them with each hand individually. Even a hundred years later that's still a great way to get strong...
Labels: Apollon, Barbell, Dumbbell, One Arm Lift
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Ralph HalpernRalph Halpern performs a... well I don't know what you call this lift but it looks pretty tough. It's a sort of variation of the one-arm get up. Note the classic weights both in use and stacked neatly against the wall. This picture was taken while Ralph was training at Sig Klein's Gym.
Labels: Globe Barbell, One Arm Lift, Ralph Halpern, Sig Klein
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Canadian Strongman Gaston HeonThere has been a long tradition of Canadian Strongmen, one that you probably haven't heard of is Gaston Heon of Quebec. Heon performed standard feats such as phone book tearing, the human link and having a large rock broken on his chest with a sledge hammer... but he also performed several unusual -- and somewhat dangerous -- feats, such as allowing himself to be run over by a car traveling 40 miles per hour(!) and this backlift/support of a 3000 pound automobile.
Labels: Canadian Strongman, Car, Gaston Heon, Human Link, Phonebook Tearing, Quebec, Quebec Strongman
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Sunday, February 15, 2009
Harold SakataYou might recognize him by his most famous movie role as the villain 'Odd Job' in the James Bond movie 'Gold Finger" , but Harold Sakata was also a great Olympic weightlifter, sometimes-bodybuilder and professional wrestler.
Sakata got his start reading Strength and Health Magazine and, as a teenager, won many local lifting contests on his native Hawaii. After a stint in the Army, Sakata had a chance to focus on his training and he set a Hawaiian record in the clean and jerk as well as won the Mr. Hawaii bodybuilding title.
His weightlifting totals were such that he was able to compete in the Senior Nationals, where he finished second to Stan Stanczyk at the 1948 Senior Nationals. His finish at the Nationals qualified him for a spot at the 1948 Summer Olympics where he finished second, winning the Silver Medal, again, to the eventual champion Stanczyk. The two would go on to become lifelong friends.
After his weightlifting career, Sakata traveled the country as the pro-wrestler Tosh Togo.
Labels: 1948 Olympics, Harold Sakata, Mr. Hawaii, olympic weightlifter, Pro Wrestler, Stan Stanczyk, Tosh Togo
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Vintage GymnasiumsWe have featured the inside of several vintage gymnasiums which were impressive -- but in many cases the outside of these early gyms was even more so. A Few examples: From top to bottom: The Gymnasium of St. Josephs College, Rensselaer, Indiana, The Alfred Corning Clark Gymnasium in Cooperstown, New York, and the Gymnasium building at the Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio. These hand drawn images date to the teens. You sure don't see architecture like that these days.
Labels: Gymnasiums, Vintage Gymnasiums
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Saturday, February 14, 2009
Vince Gironda - The Iron Guru Say what you like about Vince Gironda but one thing was for sure, there was never a dull moment around him. Here he gets in a little negative chin work while holding what looks to be a hundred pound dubbell - that's intense!
Labels: Dumbbell, Iron Guru, Negative Chinup, Negative Training, Vince Gironda, Vince Gironda Exercise, Vince Gironda Training, Vince Gironda Workout
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Exhibition ClubsIndian clubs come in many shapes and sizes. This is a pair of 'exhibition clubs' manufactured by Spalding sometime around 1902. They were hollow, so they are lighter than they look, and feature an ebonite finish with German Silver bands around the bottom part of the clubs. I'm sure they looked quite spectacular in action.
Labels: Exhibition Clubs, Exhibition Indian Clubs, Indian Clubs, Physical Culture Equipment, Spalding Indian Clubs
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Friday, February 13, 2009
 Charles Batta | A very rare picture of oldtime strongman Batta - this prop was meant to simulate the tree stump event from the mythology of Milo of Crotona. Unlike Milo, Batta was successful in prying the two sides of this faux tree stump apart in a dramatic manner, an act which highlighted his incredible grip strength. |
Labels: Batta, Grip Strength, Milo of Crotona
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Siegmund BreitbartHere's an interesting picture of famous oldtime strongman Siegmund Breitbart. It highlights his steel scrolls and hand-bent horseshoes. The structure behind him, however, is the real star, it was created with woodens boards Breitbart nailed together by hand.
Labels: Bending, Nail Driving, Siegmund Breitbart, Steel Bending, Steel Scrolling
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Melvin WellsThe great bodybuilder Melvin Wells on the cover of the October/November 1950 issue of Ironman Magazine. It was said that Wells was the "uncrowned" Mr. America, this is the condition that he was in when he nearly took home the crown at the 1950 contest. He didn't win the contest but he did capture the "Most Muscular" subdivision - and deservedly so.
Labels: Bodybuilder, Cover, Iron Man Magazine, Melvin Wells, Mr. America, Muscle Magazine
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A Meeting of The LegendsWhen you trained at York Barbell, you never knew who might stop by for a visit. On this particular day, 2x Gold Medal Winner and 4x Mr. Universe winner Tommy Kono, Mr. America, Mr. Universe and first man to crack the 1000 pound barrier Steve Stanko, "Mr. Weightlifting" Norb Schemansky and The Mighty Atom, Joe Greenstein got together for a session. That's a lot of history in one place at one time!
Labels: 1940 Mr. America Contest, Mr. Universe, Mr. Weightlifting, Norb Schemansky, Steve Stanko, The MIghty Atom, Tommy Kono, York Barbell Club
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Globe DumbbellsFor the better part of the last century and a half, globe dumbbells and barbells were the "art form" of the Oldtime Strongman. Many were hollow, which allowed it to be filled progressively with shot to increase the weight and produce a unique training effect. Others, like this one, were solid, and just fun to train with. Several companies used to manufacture globe dumbbells: The Good Barbell Company, The Jackson Barbell Company and, of course,The York Barbell Company who made this one.
In fact, York Barbell was still producing globes like this one until well into the 1970's. Unfortunately there are no solid globe dumbbells currently being manufactured today, so if you see any, better grab them quickly because they are exceedingly rare.
Labels: Globe Dumbbell, Good Dumbbells, Jackson Barbell Company, York Barbell Company
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Olympic Rope ClimbingRope Climbing was a contested event at the summer games of the first modern Olympics held in 1896. This rare picture shows the setup: the rope was 14 meters long, and both time and "style" (climbers had to hold an L-sit for the duration) were considered for the scoring.
Five climbers competed, with Nikolaos Andriakopoulos and Thomas Xenakis of Greece finishing in first and second place respectively. Fritz Hoffmann of Germany won the Bronze. Rounding out the field were weightlifters Viggo Jensen of Denmark and Launceston Elliott of Great Britain.
Labels: 1896 Olympics, Launceston Elliott, Olympic Event, Olympic Rope Climbing, Rope Climbing, Viggo Jensen
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Thursday, February 12, 2009
Armand TannyThe great bodybuilder Armand Tanny as he looked when in top form. Like many strength athletes of the time, he got his start in Olympic lifting and fared pretty well before making the switch to bodybuilding. One of his favorite lifts was the one arm clean, which he could perform with over 300 pounds -- an impressive feat.
The Rochester, New York native won the Pro-Mr. America bodybuilding title in 1950 and the Mr. USA title in 1950. His brother was the Vic Tanny of Vic Tanny's Gym fame.
Labels: Armand Tanny, Classic Bodybuilder, Mr. USA, One Arm Clean, Pro Mr. America, Vic Tanny, Vic Tanny's Gym
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Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Ali KotierStrength is a state of mind - there have been far too many many strongmen who do not fit the typical mold to think otherwise. One such example is pictured above: Ali Kotier weighed only 138 pounds yet could overhead press a hundred-pound barbell forty times in succession.
The kettlebell belonged to Alan Calvert, and also can be see here, lifted by Clevio Massimo.
Labels: Ali Kotier, Kettlebell, Oldtime Strongman
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009
CyclopsFranz Bienkowski, known professionally as 'Cyclops' , was the first lifter to introduce the bent press to Britain. His best performance in this lift was 250 pounds. His favorite feats though were breaking chains wrapped around his arms (shown here) as well as bending or breaking coins.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Coin Breaking, Cyclops, Franz Bienkowski, Oldtime Strongman, Polish Strongman
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Sunday, February 08, 2009
Big Paul"Big Paul" - Paul Anderson -- shows how it's done, pressing 415 pounds for a double at Muscle Beach. Chuck Ahrens and Bert Elliott are visible in the crowd.
Labels: Bert Elliott, Chuck Ahrens, Overhead Press, Paul Anderson
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"Old Joe" Taylor"Old Joe" Taylor of Hamilton, Ontario does a bit of Neck Training. He was the only man in the whole city able to perform the feat shown here: lifting a 250-pound block of stone with his neck in this manner. "Old Joe" was 70 years old at the time, stood 5'6" and weighed only 118 pounds. We'll cover a few of Joe's other amazing strength feats at a later date.
Labels: Canadian Strongman, Joe Taylor, Neck Lift, Neck Strength
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Inoki vs. GotchYou know you've made it once you get your own action figure. This set came out in 2002 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Antonio Inoki and Karl Gotch's famous match. This match, which took place through the New Japan promotion on March 6, 1972 at Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan is thought of as the birth of the "Strong" Style of Japanese Pro-Wrestling. Inoki fought valiantly but Gotch won with his signature move, the German Suplex.
Labels: Antonio Inoki, Gotch vs. Inoki, Japanese Wrestling, Karl Gotch, Pro Wrestler, Wrestling Match
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Friday, February 06, 2009
Reg Park and The Iron Shoe ExerciserMr. Universe Reg Park showing how it's done with the Iron Shoe Exerciser. The Iron Shoe was a very good exercise choice for building upper body strength and a strong grip and was a favorite of many oldtime strength athletes.
Labels: Equipment, Iron Shoe, Iron Shoe Exerciser, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Reg Park, Strength Equipment
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Gholamreza TakhtiGholamreza Takhti was the greatest wrestler in Iranian history. He won the gold medal at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. He also won Silver medals at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki and the 1960 Games in Rome. To build his strength and upper body endurance, he trained in the traditional methods, as is pictured here, finishing up a workout with the light Meels.
Labels: 1956 Olympics, Gholamreza Takhti, Iran, Iranian Wrestler, Meels, Melbourne Australia, Wrestler
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 Clancy Ross1945 Mr. America | 1. Clarence Ross 2. Harold Zinkin 3. Kenneth Graham 4. Elias Rodriguez 5. Phil Courtois - Cliff Byers - Perry Combs - Jack Delinger - Gene Jantzen - Joe Lauriano - Sam Loprinzi - Eric Pedersen - Leo Stern - Marvin Urvant - Kimon Voyages Most Muscular: 1. Clarence Ross 2. Sam Loprinzi 2. Kimon Voyages 4. Phil Courtois 4. Eric Pedersen 4. Elias Rodriguez |
Labels: 1945 Mr. America, AAU, Bodybuilding Contest, Clancy Ross, Eric Pedersen, Gene Jantzen, Harold Zinkin, Jack Dellinger, Kimon Voyages, Most Muscular, Mr. America, Sam Loprinzi
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Professor Adrian SchmidtProfessor Adrian Schmidt was one of the first mail-order physical instructors and creator of the innovative "Schmidt" Machine, a unique leverage training device. At 5'9" and 125 pounds, Schmidt did not look like your typical strongman, yet he regularly upstaged many larger strength athletes. One of his favorite feats was to perform a one-arm one-finger "pinch" chin-up from the last link of a chain suspended from the ceiling.
Labels: Adrian Schmidt, Mail Order Course, Schmidt Machine, Strength Author
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Thursday, February 05, 2009
Karl MoerkeIn order to win the weightlifting World Championship in 1920, the German strongman Karl Moerke performed the following lifts:
Labels: Continental, Continental and Jerk, German Strongman, Jerk, Karl Moerke, one arm snatch, Press
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Pudgy StocktonAt the original Muscle Beach here's the great Pudgy Stockton supporting a 180-pound man in the hand-to-hand balancing and a 165-pound man doing a hand stand on her knees. Pudgy practiced a number of different types of training, weightlifting, hand balancing and acrobatics.
Labels: Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, Pudgy Stockton
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The 2 Hands AnyhowA step-by-step look at the 2-Hands Anyhow. It has been said that this lift is the ultimate test of strength, endurance and agility: it is the method by which the greatest weight has ever been lifted overhead with one hand, the complete lift lasts 12-15 seconds, and it requires practice, balance and the perfection of having to do two things at once.
Once the lifter completes a Bent Press an additional weight, in the form of a dumbbell or kettlebell is cleaned to the shoulder and pressed overhead. The greatest performance of all time in this lift is 448 pounds, lifted by Arthur Saxon in 1905.
Labels: 2 Hands Anyhow, Arthur Saxon, Bent Press, Kettlebell, Oldtime Lift, Two Hands Anyhow
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Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Tom BurrowsOn March 20th, 1895, Australian club swinging champion Tom Burrows set out to break his own record of 24 hours on continuous club swinging. In order to do so, he set forth the following conditions:
1. The clubs were to be 2 pounds each and to be 24 inches long.
2. To Swing 50 complete circles each minute.
3. No rest or stop allowed during the 25 hours.
4. No aid of any sort allowed.
5. To swing no fewer than 70,000 complete circles for the record.
6. There would be two judges present at all times to watch the swinging.
Burrows commenced swinging his clubs at 9:18 pm on Wednesday evening. At 10:18 pm the next day he officially met his mark of 25 continuous hours of club swinging but he didn't stop there. At 11:33 pm he finally put down his clubs having established the mark of 26 hours and 15 minutes of continuous swinging. The above photograph is from that evening (I'm quite curious about the axes.)
Labels: Australian Strongman, Club Swinging, Endurance Feat, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, Tom Burrows
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Hans Kavan: The German HerculesHans Kavan was a little-known strongman from the 1920's who was known as 'The German Hercules.' Here's his signature feat: The Human Link feat performed with two horses on each arm, pulling in opposite directions and threatening to tear him limb from limb.
Labels: German Strongman, Hans Kavan, Human Link, Supporting Feat, Tendon Strength, The German Hercules
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Mr. America 1962 Joe AbbendaJoe Abbenda from Long Island, New York was a very popular and successful bodybuilder during the late 50s and early 60's.
He began his bodybuilding career by winning the Teenage Mr. America title in 1959. The next year he finished fifth in the AAU Mr. America contest, followed that up with second place finish in 1961 and finally won the title in 1962. Abbenda also won the NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe that same year and the Pro Mr. Universe in 1963.
Labels: 1962 Mr. America Contest, AAU, Bodybuilding Contest, Classic Bodybuilder, Joe Abbenda, Mr. America Contest, Mr. Universe, NABBA
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The Hammer Strength Leg PressThe Hammer Strength Leg Press is the very best leg press that I've ever used. This machine can also be an excellent alternative to the squat for building leg strength. Consider yourself lucky if you can find one though.
Labels: Hammer Strength, Hammer Strength Leg Press, Leg Development, Leg Press, Leg Press Machine, Leg Strength, Strength machine, The Leg Press
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Marilyn MonroeSo much for women getting 'big and bulky' if they lift weights. I think this picture pretty much speaks for itself.
Labels: Dumbbell Benchpress, Dumbbell Training, Marilyn Monroe
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The Iron ShoeYet another look at the Iron Shoe. Years ago, if you wanted to learn to bend a horseshoe this is where you would begin.
Labels: Antique Equipment, Horseshoe Bending, Iron Shoe, Iron Shoe Exerciser
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John Grimek: Wrist Roller TrainingJohn Grimek trained in every way imaginable and he sure didn't neglect his grip. One of his favorite pieces of training equipment for building grip and forearm strength was the simple wrist roller - and it's still great choice.
Labels: Forearm Strength, Grip Equipment, Grip Exercise, John Grimek, wrist roller, Wrist Roller Training
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Monday, February 02, 2009
Saxon BrownAs a boy athlete, Saxon Brown was Britain's strongest youth. As a professional, he performed many traditional feats of strength such as Nail Driving, Nail Bending, Card Tearing, The Human Chain and Steel Scrolling. He could also lift a car from the side and would let a motorcycle drive over his neck as a part of his act. Saxon Brown was the first man to pull a bus with his teeth.
Labels: Card Tearing, Chest Expanders, Nail Driving, Saxon Brown, Steel Bending, Steel Scrolling, Teeth Lifting
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Scottish Hammer ThrowingThe Scottish Hammer is an event in traditional Highland Games Heavy Athletics. The 'Hammer' itself is a length of rattan or wood with a weighted spherical head. There are actually two different types of Scottish Hammer records kept: heavy and light.
For Men, the heavy hammer weighs 22 pounds and the light hammer weighs in at 16 pounds.) For Women, the heavy hammer is 16 pounds and the light hammer is 12 pounds.
The Hammer is wound around the body and thrown from a standing position. Athletes wear boots with long spikes in them to anchor themselves to the ground which allows them to generate more force.
The current World records are as follows:
Men's Heavy Hammer: Matt Sandford: 129' 10.5"
Men's Light Hammer: Bruce Aitken: 156' 8.5"
Women's Heavy Hammer: Valerie Adams 99' 1"
Women's Light Hammer: Shannon Hartnett 120' 1"
Labels: Hammer Throwing, Heavy Athletics, Highland Game Events, Highland Games, Scottish Hammer, Scottish Hammer Throwing
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Brooks Kubik: The One-Arm Dumbbell PressThe One-Arm Dumbbell Press is a fantastic exercise, one which many of the strongest men in history have used and highly recommended for building great strength. Brooks Kubik is a big fan of this movement, as am I.
Labels: Brooks Kubik, Dumbbell Exercise, One Arm Dumbbell Press
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The Good DumbbellOne of the most interesting pieces of historical weightlifting equipment is the Good Dumbbell. This dumbbell which weighs 2150 pounds, once belonged to Warren Lincoln Travis.
It was later purchased by the great weightlifter Bill Good which is where it got its name. Bill Good was fond of harness lifting this great dumbbell to build leg strength, as pictured in the above photo. In fact, he used to do so to celebrate his birthday, lifting the bell for each year of his age, a practice he regularly upheld well into his 90s.
Labels: Bill Good, Famous Dumbbell, Harness Lifting, Heavy Partial Movements, Oldtime Strength Equipment, The Good Dumbbell
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Competitive Strand PullingA look at the setup used for competitive Strand Pulling which came directly from over across the pond many moons ago. Note the 10 springs and that the handles can be adjusted. A list of the 20 official "pulls" can be found here.
Labels: Competitive Strand Pulling, Equipment, Spring Expander, Strand Pulling, Strand Pulling Equipment
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The Bent PressA good look at the sequence of the bent press. Notice that it's more of a supporting feat than a "lift" since the weight essentially stays in the same place while the body increases the leverage under it. The bent press has become a lost art and very few people in the modern strength world know how to perform it.
Labels: Bent Press, Oldtime Lift
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