Monday, December 14, 2009
French Gym ~ 1905Here's an awesome French Gym, circa 1905. Looks like it is Noel Le Gaulois' place. The area in front of the weights was actually a sand pit which was there to provide a surface to drop the weights in case of a missed lift. This area was also used for wrestling.
If you look closely, you can see posters on the wall for Batta, Charles Sampson, and Apollon, among others.
Labels: Apollon, Batta, Charles Sampson, Circus Poster, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Noel Le Gaulois
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, November 23, 2009
Hermann's GymWilliam J. Hermann was a very knowledgeable physical culturist who taugh and heavily influenced Alan Calvert (in fact, Calvert's classic book "Super Strength" is dedicated to him.)
Hermann's gym, located at 1325 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, was one of the popular hangouts for many of the strength stars of the early 20th century, most notably Sig Klein and Milo Steinborn who performed a number of strength feats there. This particular picture was taken in 1931 and shows Milo getting in a quick workout on the brand new open air section of the gym. -- Also of note: that's the same globe barbell used by Al Nino.
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Hermann's Gym, Milo Steinborn, Philadelphia Gym, Sig Klein, William J. Hermann
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 12, 2009
Desbonnet's GymA look at another one of Professor Desbonnet's classic gyms, circa, 1909. Of particular interest are the unique Pushup bars in the foreground - a simple, but very effective, training idea.
Labels: Classic Equipment, Classic Gym, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Professor Desbonnet, Pushups
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
Zuver's Gym Barbell PlatesBob Zuver liked to do everything up BIG at his gym... he had the world's biggest squat rack (over 10 feet tall), the world's longest dipping station (12 feet long), dumbbells up to 320 pounds, the World's biggest rope climb, the world's biggest bench press (which weighed 650 pounds) and even a fire hose for a drinking fountain.
Shown here is a closer look at Zuver's unique barbell plates, which were, unsurprisingly, also BIG... as you can see, they were in 50-pound, 100-pound, 150-pound and 200-pound denominations.
Labels: Barbell Plates, Bob Zuver, Classic Strongman Gyms, Gym Equipment, Zuver's Hall of Fame 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
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
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Ernest CadineAnother classic shot of the great French Weightlifter Ernest Cadine doing his thing with some classic iron. That looks like one hell of a fine place to train.
Labels: Classic Equipment, Classic Strongman Gyms, Ernest Cadine, French Strongman, French Weightlifter, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbell
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, May 01, 2009
1901 Weightroom"...In his gymnasium Dr. von Krajewski had a great number and variety of weights, dumb-bells, and other apparatus and appliances for the purpose of training. It was, in short, a fully equipped school of physical culture..."THIS is a rare photo of the place that Hack was talking about and I would say it definitely lives up to the billing. Great equipment leads to great workouts and there is no doubt that would be the kind of setup that would help someone build some serious strength. (This photo is also the inspiration for our Limited Edition Trading card Program)
George Hackenschmidt
The Way to Live
Written in 1908
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Dr. von Krajewski, Eugen Sandow, George Hackenschmidt, Globe Barbell, Kettlebells, The Way to Live
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, March 26, 2009
Edgar Muller's GymEdgar Muller's Gym in Leipzig, Germany where Hermann Goerner did most of his training. Note the posters of the Saxon Trio performing their human bridge feat, Goerner in the middle, Pagel's Circus and the incredible selection of kettlebells.
Labels: Circus Poster, Circus Strongman, Classic Strongman Gyms, Edgard Muller, Hermann Goerner, Human Bridge, Kettlebells, Saxon Trio
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
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The College of the City of New York GymnasiumThe College of the City of New York Gymnasium, circa 1916. Note the 18 full sets of wall pulleys, dumbbells, Indian Clubs and the elevated track. Pretty much everything you need -- looks like a great place to get in a workout.
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Gymnasiums, Indian Clubs, New York Gym, Wall Pulleys, Wooden Dumbbells
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, March 01, 2009
Classic Physical Culture GymYou sure won't find many gyms like this one these days but they used to be much more common. Note the huge open space, the cathedral ceiling, the climbing ropes, Swedish Bars, pommel horse and the window-ladder climber on the far end.
Labels: Classic Gym, Classic Strongman Gyms, Climbing Ropes, Physical Culture Gym, Pommel Horse, Swedish Bars, Window Ladder
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, December 03, 2008
Kim Wood's GymNo, it's not Professor Desbonnet's Paris Gym or Professor Attila's Health Studio but the private gym of Kim Wood. Look closely and you'll see a barbell that once belonged to Warren Lincoln Travis a Jackson Barbell Set an oak climbing ladder from the Narragansett Machine company and more than one Milo Kettlebell. There's no finer gym in the land.
Labels: Classic Gym, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Jackson Barbell Company, Kim Wood, Milo Kettlebell, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Strongman Equipment, Warren Lincoln Travis
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, November 12, 2008
Brosius' GymWhat a great gym! - This fantastic facility was established by George Brosius, a pioneer gymnastics coach and famous "Turner" in the Milwaukee area. More on him and his amazing story at a later date. Gotta love the indian clubs, climbing ropes and medicine balls. This pictures dates from the 1920s.
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Climbing Ladders, Climbing Ropes, George Brosius, Indian Clubs, Medicine Balls, Milwaukee, Physical Culture, Turnverein
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
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
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
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, October 09, 2008
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
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, June 26, 2008
Yes, we have shown it before but Sig Klein's gym never goes out of style.
Here's another shot clearly showing the rich, oak panneling, great collection of oldtime globe barbells and antique weights and the Persian rug on the floor (better take your shoes off before you train at Sig's place!)
This shot was taken before Sig had a shelf built around the perimeter of the gym for his world-famous beer stein collection.
Sig Klein's GymHere's another shot clearly showing the rich, oak panneling, great collection of oldtime globe barbells and antique weights and the Persian rug on the floor (better take your shoes off before you train at Sig's place!)
This shot was taken before Sig had a shelf built around the perimeter of the gym for his world-famous beer stein collection.
Labels: Antique Equipment, Classic Gym, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Sig Klein, Sig Kleins 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
Friday, May 16, 2008
Slim The Hammer Man's GymA unique look into part of Slim the Hammer Man's "dungeon" gym. Slim has been performing for over 50 years and there's a lot of history on those walls - event posters, pictures of The Mighty Atom, memorabilia, famous strongmen and friends, bent horseshoes and nails, chains, and, of course, his famous sledge hammers.
...That's the Mighty Atom's coat on the chair in the foreground.
Yes, it's even more amazing to see it in real life but if you can't make it to Pottstown, PA, you can still check it out for yourself here.
And, like I said, this is only part of Slim's place.
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Classic Strongman Gyms, Sledgehammers, Slim The Hammerman, Strongman Memorabilia, The Dungeon, The MIghty Atom
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, May 12, 2008
Dave Sheppard Training at The York GymOne of the greatest gyms of all time was the old York gym on Broad street. An untold number of champions trained there, among them Dave Sheppard, shown here practicing his high pulls with 360 pounds.
Sheppard used a wide grip, as if snatching, and pulled the weight high enough to touch his chest lightly on each rep. This was one of the key exercises that allowed him to snatch 316-1/2 pounds at a bodyweight of 190 pounds.
John Davis looks on as he waits his turn to lift.
Labels: Broad Street Gym, Classic Strongman Gyms, Dave Sheppard, High Pull, John Davis, Snatch, York 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
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Another Look At Sig Klein's Gym What a place to train! -- Here's another look at Sig Klein's Gym located in Times Square, downtown New York.
The thing that makes a gym truly great is the atmosphere -- and Sig's place had it. You can just tell that many great workouts took place here.
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Sig Klein, Sig Kleins Gym, Strongman 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
Friday, February 15, 2008
 Harold Ansorge | Harold Ansorge, the great strongman from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was a bent-press specialist. He never broke Arthur Saxon's record of 336 pounds but came very close with a lift of 335 pounds. Here is Ansorge bent-pressing a great 200 pound dumbbell. His gym, the Harold Ansorge Health Studios, was listed at the following addresses: 2124 Plainfield Ave., N.E and 141 28th Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Anybody know what's there now? |
Labels: Bent Press, Classic Strongman Gyms, Harold Ansorge, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman 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
The York Barbell Broad Street Gym One of the great training halls was the old York Barbell gym, located on Broad Street on York PA. It was an old factory converted to a gym, with nothing but a couple lifting platforms, a climbing rope, a few old dumbbells and plenty of iron.
It was hot, dark and cramped (just like a great gym should be)and the equipment was old, but solid and it produced an untold number of strength Champions in bodybuilding and Olympic weightlifting.
That's Ike Berger on the platform working on his press while Bob Hoffman, Tommy Kono and others look on.
Labels: Bob Hoffman, Broad Street Gym, Classic Gym, Classic Strongman Gyms, Ike Berger, Olympic Weightlifting, Tommy Kono, York Barbell Company
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, February 06, 2008
Sig Klein's Gym You've seen Sig Klein's Gym plenty of times on thsi Blog before, but I guarantee you've never seen it from this angle. This candid shot was actually reflected in a mirror. That's the old master Sig Klein in the middle, teaching someone how to use the gymnastic rings.
To the right, you can just make out Steve Reeves.
Klein's Gym sure had a lot of character, plenty of dark wood and globe dumbbells. Notice the Sandow and Saxon statues and Klein's world famous beer stein collection.
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Gymnastic Rings, Sandow Statue, Saxon Statue, Sig Klein, Sig Kleins Gym, Steve Reeves
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 30, 2008
Harry Shafran's GymHarry Shafran was an oldtime lifter who owned a couple successful gyms in New York back in the 1920's. Eventually he grew tired of big city lift and retired to a farm near Scranton, Pennsylvania where he converted the large barn in the back of his house into one of the greatest gyms of all time.
Here's a look back in time... Globe dumbbells, climbing ropes, Milo kettlebells, gymnastic rings, swedish bars -- note the double handled kettlebells used for swingbell exercises.
A half-moon bench can be seen in the foreground. This unique piece of equipment was used specifically for chest expansion exercises and used to be quite common.
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Equipment, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Gymnastic Rings, Half Moon Bench, Harry Shafran, Harry Shafrans Gym, Oldtime Strongman Exercises, Swingbell Exercises
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, December 16, 2007
Dave's Gym - South Bend, IndianaDave Bjoraas, (pictured far right) the legendary "Dave" of Dave's Gym and Dave's Barbell Club of South Bend, Indiana... for many years the center of strength activity in the Mid-Western United States.
Dave's Gym in South Bend, Indiana produced many Iron Game champions: 1956 Mr. America Ray Schaefer trained there. So did Jr. Mr. America Doug Lindzy (pro-wrestling's original "Doug Gilbert").
Dave's Barbell Club Weight-lifting team produced champions like Winston Binney and Mike Burgener. And, most importantly, many of the top football players on Notre Dame's great Irish teams trained with Dave.
Dave's Gym... one of the top gyms ever... Dave Bjoraas, a fine man and a giant in the world of weights.
Labels: Bodybuilding, Classic Strongman Gyms, Daves Gym, Heavyweight Lifting Championships, Jr. Mr. America, Mr. America, Notre Dame, Olympic Weightlifting, weightlifting
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
Saturday, December 01, 2007
 Harry Shafran | Harry Shafran was an oldtime lifter who ran two gyms (one in Brooklyn and one in greater New York City) in the 1920's. Eventually Harry got tired of big city life and moved to a farm near Scranton, Pennsylvania where he converted a large barn into a gym. His collection of oldtime strength equipment was quite impressive, you can see a bit of it in the picture to the left where Shafran is harness lifting 1500 pounds (at 72 years old!) |
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Harness Lift, Harness Lifting, Harry Shafran, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman 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
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Vic Tanny's GymJust a stone's throw from the original Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California, was Vic Tanny's Gym.
Shortly after World War II, Tanny converted a 7,000-square-foot USO center, which was located in a basement on 4th Street, into the best-equipped gym in the United States. It was huge, with 15 foot ceilings and, as you can see all kinds of training equipment.
Vic Tanny's was affectionately known as "The Dungeon" and was the place to train during the 1940's and 1950's -- regular members included Steve Reeves, George Eiferman, Joe Gold (of Gold's Gym fame) and Arthur Jones, along with a whole host of others.
It was where Bob Hoffman and the York gang trained on West Coast trips.
Labels: Arthur Jones, Classic Strongman Gyms, George Eiferman, Joe Gold, Muscle Beach, Steve Reeves, Vic Tanny
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
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Milo Steinborn's Orange Avenue GymHenry "Milo" Steinborn was a 5'8" 205 lb German wrestler and strongman who became the first man to ever squat 500 lbs. In fact, his world record squat of 553 lbs. (set during the 1920's) would not be officially bested until the early 1950's by Doug Hepburn.
It was Milo who popularized the heavy deep knee bend as one of the most productive training lifts for anyone interested in building real strength.
In 1952, Milo opened the Orange Avenue Gym down in Orlando, Florida, which makes it the oldest weightlifting gym in America. Along with plenty of weights and barbells, Milo's Gym had a wrestling ring and other physical training equipment.
It was here that Milo taught a young Jim Flanagan how to get strong.
I was fortunate enough to visit the Orange Avenue Gym on a trip back in 2003 -- it still had some of Milo's original training equipment.
Labels: Barbell, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Henry Milo Steinborn, Orange Avenue Gym, Squat
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, November 04, 2007
Main Hall, Hemenway Gymnasium - circa 1880'sThe original Hemenway Gymnasium, which was completed in 1878, was the finest physical education facility ever created.
It contained every manner of physical training equipment: climbing ladders, tumbling mats, climbing ropes, flying rings, barbells, dumbbells, indian clubs, medicine balls... even early strength building "machines."
There was a running track, handball courts and rooms for fencing, wrestling, boxing and any other imaginable physical activity.
At the head of this fantastic gym was Dudley Allen Sargent, who virtually founded the discipline of physical education (more on him at a later date.)
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Climbing Ladders, Climbing Ropes, Gymnastic Rings, Hemenway Gymnasium, Indian Clubs, Medicine Balls, Physical Culture Equipment, Physical Education, Tumbling Mats
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 01, 2007
Classic Gymnasium from 1888Check out this wood engraving of a classic gymnasium: It was the YMCA at Longacre, London. This particular gymnasium was opened by the Prince of Wales on June 16, 1888.
Notice the variety of physical training going on: Indian Clubs, Tumbling, Parallel Bars, High Bar, Pommel Horse, Wall Pulleys, Climbing Ladders, Gymnastic Rings, Climbing Ropes and a rack of Barbells along the wall.
Labels: Barbells, Classic Strongman Gyms, Climbing Ladders, Climbing Ropes, Gymnastic Rings, Gymnastics, High Bar, Indian Clubs, Parallel Bars, Physical Culture Equipment, Tumbling, Wall Pulleys, YMCA
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, October 17, 2007
 Oldtime Physical Culture Gyms | "Mens sana in corpore sano" - Latin for a sound mind in a strong body. It used to be that physical fitness and education went hand in hand; a mindset that is not quite as common these days. In these oldtime gyms you would find a variety of training equipment: |
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Climbing Ladders, Climbing Ropes, Indian Clubs, Medicine Balls, Parallel Bars, Physical Culture Equipment, Pommel Horse
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, October 15, 2007
Tommy Kono and Classic Globe BarbellTommy Kono was one of the United States' greatest Olympic weightlifters and overall strength athletes.
He not only won two Gold Medals and a Silver over the course of three Olympic games, he also won the Mr. Universe title in Bodybuilding several times.
I'll cover that in more detail on another occasion.
Check out this classic shot from the early 1950's where Tommy Kono narrowly misses completing a jerk with this huge 374 pound globe barbell at Robert Cayeaux's gym in Lille, France. -- Kono had the barbell at arm's length but couldn't quite hold it.
(N.B. This was the same gym where Norb Schemansky lifted the famous Apollon Wheels in 1954.)
...I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that Charles Rigoulot lifted with the very same globe barbell. - Rigoulot favored globe barbells long after they went out of style.
Labels: Bodybuilding, Charles Rigoulot, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Gold Medal, Mr. Universe, Olympic Weightlifting, Olympics, Tommy Kono
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, October 11, 2007
Eugen Sandow's School of Physical CultureThere are a lot of strength history "firsts" associated with Eugen Sandow - one of those "firsts" is that he established the very first commercial gym franchise.
Im 1900, Sandow opened five of his Schools of Physical Culture in London, with others in Manchester and Liverpool. Pictured above is Sandow's School of Physical Culture, 185 Tottenham Court Road, circa 1901.
Notice sets of Globe Barbells, Dumbbells and Chest Expanders along each wall.
Labels: Chest Expanders, Classic Strongman Gyms, Dumbbell, Eugen Sandow, Globe Barbell
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, October 10, 2007
The MILO Barbell Company ShowroomA look at one corner of Alan Calvert's MILO Barbell Company showroom circa 1915. - Globe and stage dumbbells as far as the eye can see. That must have been a great place to train.
Labels: Alan Calvert, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Dumbbells, Milo Barbell Company
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
Saturday, October 06, 2007
A Look Inside Hermann Goerner's Oldtime GymIf you're a true strength fan, you can't help but love shots of classic gyms filled with classic equipment. Here's a look at one corner of Hermann Goerner's classic gym. Notice the Globe Barbells, thick-handled equipment, row of kettlebells likely used for the "Die Kette" workout.
Also notice the throwing weights attached to the wall and the Arthur Saxon circus poster on the upper left.
That must have been one hell of a fun place to train...
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Hermann Goerner, Kettlebells, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Equipment, Throwing Weights
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, September 10, 2007
Bob Peoples'"Dungeon" GymBob Peoples was the first man to officially deadlift over 700 pounds and did so back in the 1940's without any suits, wraps or other assorted foolishness.
| When the weather was warm he trained outside but when Winter came, he moved inside into the training area he literally carved out of stone in his basement which he called "The Dungeon." It was here that Bob Peoples pioneered many of the pieces of equipment and training techniques that are commonplace these days including the power rack, negative training, and heavy supports and partials. |  Bob Peoples |
Notice the Milo Kettlebells and the makeshift circular "Trap Bar" leaning against the far wall. This allowed Bob to stand on a platform and increase his range of motion.
You can read more about Bob Peoples and his training techniques in Developing Physical Strength
Labels: Bob Peoples, Classic Strongman Gyms, Deadlift, Kettlebell, Milo Kettlebell, Power Rack, Strongman Equipment, Trap Bar
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, September 09, 2007
Sig Klein's Classic Old-Time GymHere's another look at one of the classc gyms we have featured before: Sig Klein's place in New York City. This was the original location -- he moved into a facility overlooking Times Square later on.
Notice the mirror on the right revealing a set of globe barbells on the far wall, block and ring weights in the foreground and you can just make out a Roman Column on the extreme left.
There's nothing like Classic Equipment to make your training special. You can tell a lot of great workouts happened down at Sig's Place.
Sig Klein inherited much of the equipment after he married Professor Attila's youngest daughter in 1927. Professor Attila, of course, was the man who taught Eugen Sandow how to train.
Labels: Blockweights, Classic Strongman Gyms, Eugen Sandow, Globe Barbell, Oldtime Strongman, Professor Attila, Sig Klein, Strongman 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
Monday, August 27, 2007
Arthur Saxon: The Iron MasterJust before the turn of the century Arthur Saxon put more weight overhead with one hand than any man before or since -- a 371 pound bent-press.
Saxon is long gone, so too unfortunately, is the bent press -- however, his two great training books still live on: The Development of Physical Power (1906) and The Textbook of Weight-Lifting (1910)
Here's a few things that Arthur Saxon would like you to know about training:
"Genuine strength should include not only momentary strength, as proved by the ability to lift a heavy weight once, but also the far more valuable kind of strength for endurance..."
"Neither do I consider a man a really strong man if he is in certain parts developed out of proportion to others. If a man has tremendous arms and chest and weak legs then he is only half a strong man..."
"A man with 15 inch biceps and a strong wrist will raise a heavier weight in any position than another man with a 16 inch biceps who has a small and weak wrist."
"Do not make the mistake of limiting your practices to any one set of lifts... Practice everything."
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Bent Press, Classic Strongman Gyms, Strongman Feat, The Iron Master
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, June 27, 2007
 German StrongmanHermann Goerner Here's a peek into the training area of one of the greatest of the oldtime strongmen: Hermann Goerner. Notice the rack of kettlebells which were likely used for the famous "Die Kette" workout. |  Goerner's Gym |
Labels: Chest Expander, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Hermann Goerner, Kettlebells
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