Barrel Lifting

Barrel Lifting

Barbells and dumbbells can be nice, but sometimes it pays to lift something big, awkward and heavy to build unusual strength. For many strongmen of the past, a barrel often fit the bill perfectly, and even more-so when partially filled with water.

Read Dinosaur Training or ROCK IRON STEEL by Steve Justa for more information on Barrel Lifting.

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Bob Peoples' Barrel Barbell

Bob Peoples' Barrel Barbell

A look at Bob Peoples'first barbell, which he made out of a couple barrels in which he would load weight: chunks of metal, concrete -- anything he could find. Peoples trained alone in his garage gym and deadlifted over 700 pounds back in the 1940's. That sure doesn't leave much room for excuses...

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Barrel Lifting for Forearm Development

Barrel Lifting for Forearm Development
I can't always say for sure how the oldtime strongmen built their strength but I can say that in the year 2008, many of the training methods they wrote about works just fine. One of those methods is Barrel Lifting which is a good way to build the gnarly, knotted foreams that the oldtimes often had. The unbalanced, unweildy load provides a shock to the system that can build incredible strength. Check out ROCK IRON STEEL by Steve Justa and Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik for more information on barrel lifting.

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Hans Beck

Hans Beck
Hans Beck was a great German weightlifter and Strongman toward the end of the 1890's. He won two German championships and a European Championship from 1895-1897 and was the first man to "continental" and jerk 330 pounds (as pictured.)

Like many German Strongmen, he was also very good at barrel lifting feats pressing a 249 pound barrel overhead for three repetitions and a barrel filled to 275-1/2 pounds for one rep.

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Barrel Lifting

Barrel Lifting

Lifting Barrels and Kegs has long been a Oldtime strongman Tradition since it builds a unique kind of strength -- especially is the barrel is only partially filled... If water (or beer) is sloshing around inside the barrel, it becomes a "live" weight, and a tremendous test of strength -- and it takes a lot less weight than you think. A partially-filled barrel weighing as little as fifty pounds can give you a tremendous workout. Suggested barrel lifting exercises include: Curls Overhead Pressing (shown) Shouldering Bear Hugs Carrying Throwing (steel keg only!)

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Tromp Van Diggelen - The South African Hercules

Tromp Van Diggelen - The South African Hercules
Tromp 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).

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Steve Justa: The High Plains Heavy Metal Master

Steve Justa: The High Plains Heavy Metal Master
Out 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!"

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Louis Cyr and Horace Barre' - John Robinson's $25,000 Challenge Feature

Louis Cyr and Horace Barre' - John Robinson's $25,000 Challenge Feature
During the 1898 Circus Season, Canadian Strongman Louis Cyr and his assstant/protege' Horace Barre performed their unique feats of strength all around the country in the John Robinson Circus.

As they criss-crossed the map, John Robinson put up $25,000 for any person who could duplicate any one of either of their feats.

Their performance included the back lift, Cyr's Barrel Lifting Feat, supporting feats, and lifting other heavy dumbbells or blockweights of various sizes and shapes.

Adjusting for inflation, that would be nearly $600,000 today, and, ironically enough, their money would still be safe...

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Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik

... real world strength training ... becoming more powerful ... building functional muscle ... strengthening the tendons and ligaments ... power rack work ... heavy partial movements ... sandbag training ... thick-bar training ... heavy weights ... power rack work ... heavy grip work ... the farmer's walk ... anvil, sandbag and barrel lifting ... heavy support work ... effort ... dedication ... perserverance ... concentration ... determination ... mental toughness ... It's hard to believe that Dinosaur Training has been around for more than a decade... as far as training books go, few have ever has the impact that Dinosaur Training did.

Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik

This is the book that introduced an entire generation to super strength not by looking forewards but back at the classic training techniques of year's past.

If you don't own a copy, you should! Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik

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Lifting Light Barrels

Barrel Lifting

With all this talk of heavy barrel lifting, it can be easy to get carried away with "weight" -- keep in mind though that lifing awkward objects is very different from lifting a barbell or a dumbbell. Training with "light" objects can often lead to tremendous results, since the awakwardness is what leads to the challenge. Even a partially-filled 10 gallon barrel, weighing 50 pounds or less, can give you an awesome workout since the weight is "live." Shouldering, carrying and even basic movements such as curls and presses are a whole new animal. Check out Dinosaur Training by Books Kubik for more on this concept.

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Louis Cyr's Barrel Lifting Feat

Louis Cyr's Barrel Lift

As reported in David Willougthby's Super Athletes book, Louis Cyr could lift a heavy barrel to his shoulder with only one hand by grabbing the chines, tilting it on to his leg and maneuvering it up his body. Needless to say, lifting a barrel like this takes quite a bit of brute strength. Cyr's best barrel lift was a barrel filled with a combination of sand and water and weighed in at just under 450 pounds!

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Barrel Lifting Strength Feats

Barrel Lifting for Unusual Strength
It has been well written that many so-called "feats of strength" had their roots in manual labor. Back in the beer halls of Bavaria and old, Old, OLD Vienna I'm sure a couple of robust beirmeisters once sat around shooting the breeze when one bet another that he could lift the biggest barrel -- and it's all been down hill from there.

Many of the old timers were well-known for their barrel or keg lifting feats, including Louis Cyr (who was said to have been able to lift a 400 lb. barrel to his shoulders) and George Jowett who included a Barrel Lifting Course in his Molding a Mighty Grip training guide.

I would imagine the "Cincinnati Strongman" Henry Holtgrewe lifted a few barrels and kegs in his time. He owned a tavern down in the neighborhood of Northside in Cincinnati just after the turn of the century.

Several modern day strongmen have included barrel lifting in their training. Probably the two most well known are Steve Justa and Brooks Kubik who wrote extensively about barrel lifting in Dinosaur Training. Keep in mind that lifting a 200 pound FULL barrel is actually easier than lifting a 150 pound HALF-filled barrel.

Brooks Kubik

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