Thursday, January 28, 2010
50-Pound Block Weight"Every one who uses weights should have one" ... and I couldn't agree more. Blockweights are very useful and a lot of fun to train with which is why they have been a favorite of many of the Oldtime Strongmen for a long time. This particular blockweight was advertised by Alan Calvert and sold by the Milo Barbell company in the mid-1920s.
Labels: Alan Calvert, Block Weights, Equipment
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Lille Athletic ClubIn 1885, Professor Desbonnet established a school of physical culture in his home town of Lille, in northern France. Here's a look at its members and some of their classic equipment, circa 1901. Desbonnet himself is pictured on the far right.
Labels: Block Weights, Chest Expander, Detroit Athletic Club, French Strongman, Globe Barbell, Professor Desbonnet, The Lille Athletic Club
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Blockweight!The oldtime strongmen lifted just about any weight they could get their hands on. Shown here is a blockweight, an obvious precursor to the kettlebell. These were used for "weight" mostly for measurement or scale purposes and the handle made transportation a little easier. I suspect that many of the oldtime strongmen noticed them backstage at the theaters where they performed (where they were used as ballast to counterweigh theatre props) and decided to perform interesting feats with them.
Labels: Block Weights, Classic Equipment, Equipment, Kettlebell, Kettlebell History
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Monday, December 21, 2009
Apollon PosterHere's one you don't see every day: a rare poster, circa 1895, advertising the performance of the great French strongman Apollon. In addition to feats of strength, Apollon was also a very good animal trainer. One unique feat of strength which encompassed both areas of his expertise was for Apollon to lift a full grown lion and carry the beast around on his shoulders.
Labels: Apollon, Block Weights, French Strongman, Lion, Performing Strongman, Poster, Strongman Poster
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Klein's GymAnother look at one side of Sig Klein's gym. This was the original location, before he moved to Times Square. Most of the equipment that you see once belonged to Professor Attila. Note the blockweight and Roman Column off to the right. How many famous strongmen can you recognize on the wall? Despite being rather far away, interestingly, you can still pick out many of them.
Labels: Block Weights, Classic Equipment, Classic Strongman Gyms, Dumbbells, Globe Barbell, Roman Column, Sig Klein, Sig Klein's Gym
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Monday, June 29, 2009
Classic Polish Globe WeightsGreat equipment practically begs to be used and I would say that would definitely be the case here. These classic Globe Barbells, Dumbbells, Kettlebells and Blockweights from a century ago can be found in a Polish Museum.
Labels: Ancient Kettlebells, Block Weights, Classic Equipment, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbell, Polish Weights, Strongman Equipment, Thick Bars
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Friday, April 03, 2009
Joseph VanderzandeJoseph Vanderzande, the great Belgian strongman was a contemporary of Arthur Saxon. Vanderzande is widely recognized as the strand pulling champion of the late 1800s (note the pair of chest expanders on the platform behind him.) He was said to have been able to "pull" several reps with a 20-strand chest expander with a 297 pound level of resistance.
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Belgian Strongman, Block Weights, Chest Expander, Chest Expander Feat, Globe Dumbbells, Joseph Vanderzande, Ring Weights, Strand Pulling, Strand Pulling Feat
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Welcome to the Strongest Blog on the Net!
This is THE PLACE where you will find interesting bits of Iron Game history, lore and training tips from the strongest men of all time.
Previous Posts
Featured Products
Monthly Archives
Not yet a member? Subscribe now to receive daily doses of Strongman history, training tips, and site updates!
Copyright © 2010 Thunderdome Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved