Friday, July 10, 2009
Pull-Ups... Chin-Ups... whatever you want to call them they are a great exercise... And you can't beat the simplicity. This Marine is performing his pull-ups during a 2005 deployment to Camp Taqaddum, Iraq as a part of the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab's experimental "combat conditioning" physical training program.
Labels: Bodyweight Calisthenics, Calisthenics, Chin Ups, Marines, Military Training, Physical Training, Physical Training Program, Pullups
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Friday, July 03, 2009
Wooden DumbbellsWooden Dumbbells like this one were used for calisthenic work a century ago. If you look closely at this particular dumbbell you can see that it is stamped "1 lb." and was manufactured by the Narragansett Machine Company.
Labels: Antique Equipment, Calisthenics, Narragansett Machine Company, Physical Culture Equipment, Vintage Exercise, Vintage Strength Equipment, Wooden Dumbbells
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Friday, February 01, 2008
 The One-Hand Balance | "The experience gained in learning a one-hand balance can play a very important part in your gymnastics program, both in practice and in competition. For the feeling and coordination necessary to balance on one hand will increase your gymnastic ability on all other apparatus. In competition, a one-hand balance can be used to advantage in your free calisthenics or parallel bar routine. In free calisthenics, a one-hand balance on the floor is rated high in difficulty and will bring you points if you hold it for at least three counts, holding your other hand to your side and using good form." |
Labels: Bodyweight Feat, Bodyweight Training, Calisthenics, Gymnastics, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, One Hand Balance
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Saturday, November 10, 2007
 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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Sunday, October 07, 2007
Combat Conditioning by Matt FureySure, a lot of people "coulda" done it, but Matt Furey is the one who actually did it -- he wrote Combat Conditioning,THE book on bodyweight calisthenics, and brought this intensely productive and useful form of training back to the public eye after it had all but become extinct.
The strength of this program is its simplicity -- 50 simple, yet effective bodyweight exercises incorporating elements of Ancient Indian Physical Culture, Wrestling, Gymnastics, Old Gym Class Favorites and more than a few "Special" exercises passed down from "The God of Wrestling", Karl Gotch.
If you think bodyweight training is "too easy to be effective," all I have to say is try it... And please keep in mind that almost all of the oldtime strength writers, including Alan Calvert, George Jowett, Earle E. Liederman and Joe Bonomo included bodyweight training in their respective training programs.
On the left you'll see the first edition of Combat Conditioning published in 2000, and on the right, the revised and expanded edition, published in 2004.
Labels: Bodyweight Training, book, Calisthenics, Combat Conditioning, Gymnastics, Karl Gotch, Matt Furey, Wrestling
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Monday, October 01, 2007
 The Farmer Burns School of Wrestling and Physical Culture | It had to be quite an experience to train at the Farmer Burns School of Wrestling and Physical Culture. Farmer Burns believed that every athlete should train like a wrestler - and I agree. The bulk of the training was, I'm sure wrestling -- holds, take-downs, blocks, breaks and plenty of sparring. Of course, the "Old Farmer" knew that wrestling was only "part" of what made a good wrestler -- physical training was important too. |
The advertisement above is from 1920.
Labels: Calisthenics, Farmer Burns, Indian Clubs, Medicine Ball Training, Wrestling
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Monday, September 24, 2007
Frank GotchHe defeated George Hackenschmidt twice, and the likes of Tom Jenkins, Benjamin Roller and Stanislaus Zbyszko on his way to holding the Heavyweight Championship longer than any man before or since.
It was his technique that made him a Champion (Gotch's feared step-over-toe-hold was nearly impossible to defend) but it was his training that made him a Legend.
There have been few wrestlers since then who trained more seriously than Gotch... and he trained just like a wrestler should.
Calisthenics, road work and sparing gave Gotch a killer's heart and an advantage in every single match.
The "Old Farmer" Farmer Burns understood the game of wrestling better than anyone and trained his student to be the best.
Labels: Benjamin Roller, Calisthenics, Farmer Burns, Frank Gotch, George Hackenschmidt, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Tom Jenkins, Wrestling
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
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