Sunday, September 13, 2009

  • The Half Moon Bench

  • Another look at a version of the Half Moon Bench used for chest and ribcage development. These used to be quite common in gyms in the old days but are rarely found now.

    These benches work best when used in combination with leavy leg work and light dumbbell pullovers or flys.

    That's 1953 AAU Mr. America Bill Pearl demonstrating. Also note the Iron Boots on the wall, as well as the Stall Bars on the right.

    The Half Moon BenchThe Half Moon Bench

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    Sunday, September 13, 2009

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    Monday, July 13, 2009

  • Steve Reeves: Dumbbell Incline Press


  • How does Hercules build his upper body strength? Here's one answer: Dumbbell Incline Press. It's a good variation for building pressing power, and - needless to say - it worked pretty well for Steve Reeves. He also was a fan of doing dumbbell curls on an incline bench, an exercise he used to build his arms before his 1947 AAU Mr. America Contest win.

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    Monday, July 13, 2009

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    Tuesday, April 21, 2009

  • The Bent Lateral Raise


  • With a pair of Aristocrat Dumbbells to provide resistance, Sig Klein demonstrates the favorite exercise of another oldtimer George F. Jowett. The bent lateral raise is primarily intended for training the rear delts.

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    Tuesday, April 21, 2009

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    Monday, February 02, 2009

  • Brooks Kubik: The One-Arm Dumbbell Press


  • The 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.

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    Monday, February 02, 2009

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    Sunday, December 28, 2008

  • Arthur Saxon - The Two Dumbbell Lift


  • "... For position I place both bells parallel to each other between the feet. Now stoop down and raise same up so that the discs or globes rest on the thighs, the bells being held together. By leaning backwards you will be able to pull the bells on to the body, from whence by a jerk you get them partly on the chest, and so to the shoulders, after which you stand in a firm position ready to sink below the weights and to move your feet to enable you to dip beneath your dumb-bells as they go aloft.

    This is done by a vicious jerk, after which you sink and so get the bells overhead, the eyes to be on them as they go aloft for fear you lose the balance. If you would lift them in the clean English style, then they may be taken from between the feet, or from the sides of the feet, you to lean backwards as you pull them up and split the feet in two opposite directions, one to the back, and one to the front.

    Still another way is to stand with them at the sides, and whilst in this position give them a swing to the front and then to the back and so up to the shoulders.

    Take advantage of this swing, and by a movement similar to the one last described regarding the feet, you will find the bells at the shoulder. The latter position is more suitable to tall men than to short men..."


    ~ Arthur Saxon, The Textbook of Weightlifting (1910)

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    Sunday, December 28, 2008

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    Sunday, May 04, 2008

  • The Dumbbell Benchpress

  • The Dumbbell BenchpressThe Dumbbell Benchpress

    The Dumbbell Benchpress is an excelllent alternative to the more commonly done barbell version. By performing the benchpress with dumbbells, you can get a greater range of motion and since you can't bounce the barbell off your chest, there's little chance for monkey business.

    Here's Sanford Kapner of Pittsburgh, PA using a pair of 130s for sets of 5. How about that bench he's using?

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    Sunday, May 04, 2008

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    Wednesday, April 09, 2008

  • Jack Walsh

  • Jack Walsh Dumbbell JerkJack Walsh

    Jack Walsh from Trenton, New Jersey, is the strongest man you've never heard of.

    Over his career he performed all kinds of crazy strength feats, including lifting elephants, towing trains and letting trucks run over his body. At a bodyweight of 190 pounds, he even broke Louis Cyr's backlift record.

    Anyhow, here's Jack Walsh jerking a 230-pound dumbbell overhead -- That's damn strong! Do you know anybody that can jerk more than bodyweight overhead with one arm?

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    Wednesday, April 09, 2008

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    Wednesday, February 06, 2008

  • Reg Park Dumbbell Press


  • Reg Park Dumbbell PressReg Park

    There's not too many folks who are instantly recognizable from the back but any iron fan knows that this is undoubtedly Reg Park.

    Here's Reg pressing a pair of 110-pound dumbbells at the original Muscle Beach.

    I sure couldn't think of anyone better than Reg to play Hercules in the movies.

    ... The two-dumbbell press is a great shoulder builder, as you can see.

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    Wednesday, February 06, 2008

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    Wednesday, January 30, 2008

  • The Dumbbell Side Press

  • The "side press" is a looser version of the dumbbell press - contrast the picture on the right with the one here.

    Because it's a bit of an "anyhow" lift, much more weight can be used than a strict dumbbell press. You should be able to press well over a hundred pounds in this manner.

    Paul Anderson could side press over 300 pounds with ridiculous ease.
    The Dumbbell Side PressThe Dumbbell Side Press

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    Wednesday, January 30, 2008

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