Kettlebell Handles

Kettlebell Handles

One of the the unique pieces of training equipment that you don't see often these days are ketlebell handles. These were U-shaped handles that could be retrofitted onto dumbbells creating a much more versatile piece of equipment. Kettlebell handles are particularly useful for shoulder specialization work.

---

Sandow's Chest Expander

Sandow's Chest Expander
Eugen Sandow promoted the very first commercially available strength training equipment. Sandow had a number of different chest expanders through the years. The chest expander above has dumbbells for handles which adds a pretty unique twist to chest expander training.

---

Doug Hepburn Dumbbell Press

It should be no coincindence why the dumbbell overhead press have been featured on this blog several times -- it is truly one of the very best upper-body strength builders you'll ever find. Here's a look at the great Doug Hepburn as he presses a pair of 160 pound dumbbells -- now THAT is strong! At Ed Yarick's Gym in Oakland, California, Doug pressed a pair of 142 pound dumbbells for four repetitions.

Doug Hepburn Dumbbell Press

---

George Zottman and The Zottman Curl

George Zottman	"The very best forearm exercise is the one invented by George Zottman. He used to do it with a pair of 50-lb. Dumbbells, and you can start it with a pair of 20-pounders. Stand erect, with the arms hanging at the sides. Then bend your right arm and bring the bell up in front of your chest, with the palm of the hand up and the wrist bent strongly inward.

Bring the hand still further up until it is in front of the right shoulder, and then rotate your forearm until the palm is front, and then lower the bell slowly (with knuckles up) until the arm is again hanging at the side.

The right hand describes a complete circle.

When your right hand is in front of your shoulder, start your left hand coming up. Both hands work at the same time, but as the right hand is coming down the left hand is coming up, and vice versa.

The elbows should be kept close to the sides throughout the whole exercise."

- From Super Strength by Alan Calvert (1924)

---

Pat Casey 210 Pound Dumbbell Incline Press

Pat Casey Incline Press With 210 Pound Dumbbells
On March 25th, 1967 Pat Casey became the first man to break the 600 pound barrier in the bench press with a lift of 615 --- and that's without a bench shirt, elbow wraps or other nonsense.

Of course, he was no one-lift specialist as he was also the first man to squat over 800 pounds and total over 2000 pounds in an official contest.

For his workouts, he used to grab a pair of 210 pound dumbbells, haul them over to the incline bench, get the dumbbells into position, perform his reps, then return the dumbbells to the rack -- all unassisted -- quite a feat of strength in its own right.

---

Dumbbell Training

Presses and Curls... Shrugs and Deadlifts... Rows and Bench Presses... everyone loves training with dumbbells. In fact, dumbbell training has actually changed very little since the days of the ancient Greeks. I'm sure this old pair of York Globe 100's has seen many good workouts...

Dumbbell Training

---

John Grimek: Dumbbell Curls

John Grimek: Dumbbell Curls

A workout without curls is like a day without sunshine. As a champion in bodybuilding and weightlifting, John Grimek understood the importance of "all around" strength and trained his arms just as hard as everything else. Bicep training helps balance out the triceps in heavy pressing movements and should always be a part of your program.

---

Sig Klein Dumbbell Clean and Press

Sig Klein Dumbbell Clean and Press
Sig Klein called the two dumbbell clean and press THE ONE BEST EXERCISE because of its simplicty and tremendous training effects on upper body strength.

In the 1940's Klein suggested to get started with this exercise with 20 pounds less than your two arm press and build from there. He also questioned whether there were a dozen athletes in the country who could do 10 clean and presses with a pair of 75 pound dumbbells... Hmmm.

---

Paul Anderson

Paul Anderson
Paul Anderson began as a skinny teenager with a pair of dumbbells and a stack of Strength and Health Magazines.

Soon, he was scouting out junkyards for heavier weights to lift and by the time he went to college, his lifts were near the American Records. But it wasn't until Bob Peoples taught young Paul Anderson the value of the Squat and deadlift that his strength really took off.

Paul Anderson eventually squatted 1206 pounds, benchpressed 627 pounds, one-arm pressed 380 pounds, and push-pressed an incredible 600 pounds. His Guinness Book of World Records back lift of 6,270 pounds still stands.

He also won the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and in all, broke 18 American records, 8 world records, and retired unbeaten and unchallenged.

---

Strongman Equipment

Strongman Equipment
You've got to hand it to the oldtime strongmen, they didn't mess around when it came to quality equipment. How strong do you think you could get if you were training with the globe barbells, globe dumbbells, blockweights etc, in the above picture?

If you want to get strong and I mean STRONG you have to have good training equipment and that's just how it is.

It all begins with a quality barbell, good plates and a solid pair of collars. If you have nothing else, you must have at least that much. From there, add other equipment as needed.

Other equipment that will help you tremendously includes a solid bench, dumbbells, a power rack, a Gerard Trap Bar, chest expanders, Thick Bars, Hand Grippers and anything else that you will find on our Strongman Equipment Page.

---

Train Wheel Barbells and Dumbbells

Train Wheel Weights

They say that necessity is the mother of invention... and that's why some of the best training equipment has come about. During the post-war years, our troops located overseas wanted to lift weights but barbells and dumbbells were hard to come by. American troops stationed in Okinawa, Japan fashioned these unique barbells and dumbbells out of narrow gauge train wheels. Can't miss a workout...

---

Oldtime Dumbbell Training With John Grimek

Oldtime Dumbbell Training With John Grimek
Here's a nice little dumbbell workout by John Grimek:

1. Two Hands Snatch w/dumbbells
2. Upright Rowing Motion
3. Side Bends
4. Shoulder Shrug
5. Lateral Raise
6. Dumbbell Swing

Grimek was using a pair of adjustable York Dumbbells but feel free to use a solid pair if that's what you have. You can find out more about some of the ways that Grimek trained in The Mark Berry Bar-Bell Courses

---

Antique Wooden Dumbbells

Antique Wooden Dumbbells

Dumbbell training takes all shapes and forms -- in the late 19th and early 20th century, most dumbbell training was performed with light wooden dumbbells.

Instead of the traditional curls and presses that you're used to, early dumbbell training consisted of a series of gymnastic-type exercises -- essentially calisthenics, using the dumbbells as added resistance.

Keep in mind there is more to dumbbell training than just adding weight...

The dumbbells pictured above weigh in at just over 4 pounds apeice -- unusually heavy as far as those antique dumbbells go. Also notice the ergonomic handles.

Before you scoff at how "easy" this type of training is, I suggest you try such a routine for yourself... If you know what you're doing, it is surprisingly challenging.

---