Friday, February 26, 2010

  • Samson: The Strongest Man on Earth


  • A rare look at an advertising poster from Charles Sampson's stint at the Royal Aquarium in London, circa 1899. It was here that he was famously challenged -- and defeated -- by Eugen Sandow. Regardless of the circumstances, you have to admit that this poster still looks pretty sharp.

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    Friday, February 26, 2010

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    Tuesday, February 09, 2010

  • Sandow and Goliath


  • Early on in his career, Sandow partered with a man known as "Goliath" who was every bit the Biblical giant. Unfortunately not much else is known about him. Sandow is not a large man, but still, look at the set of mitts on Goliath!

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    Tuesday, February 09, 2010

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    Tuesday, January 12, 2010

  • Sandow's Dumbbell


  • You've got to give Sandow a lot of credit ~ he had style. This dumbbell is obviously a lot lighter than it appears but you have to admit that it looks outstanding when lifted on stage. You can also see it in action here.

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    Tuesday, January 12, 2010

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  • The Sandow Grip Dumb-Bell ~ Advertisement


  • "Why Be Weak When You Can Become Healthy and Strong?" ... still a fine question even a century later. Sandow sold thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of his nifty 'Grip Dumb-Bells' over the years and here's an advertisement for them.

    Notice that there are actually six different levels, for men, youths, girls, ladies, boys and children. They also came in two different "styles" the basic style, which was just black enamel, and the "deluxe" style which was polished nickel with leather strips on the handles.

    Interestingly, just like athletes of today, these dumbbells were not invented by Sandow but he did lend his name and likeness to them which increased their popularity considerably.

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    Tuesday, January 12, 2010

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    Sunday, January 10, 2010

  • Harry B. Paschall


  • Harry B. Paschall is shown here, hard at work drawing up his super strongman character Bosco. As a young man, Paschall became inspired after watching Sandow and Saxon in action. He went on do do illustrations for Alan Calvert's Strength Magazine and, later on, Strength and Health Magazine and the British magazine Vigour. He was also a very good writer, with a number of training articles and three classic books also to his credit

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    Sunday, January 10, 2010

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    Wednesday, December 02, 2009

  • Sandow's Equipment


  • Where did Sandow get all his great stage weights? Charles Heap and Co., of course. This was back in the 1890's mind you. Sure would be great to have a place to get weights like these now-a-days...

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    Wednesday, December 02, 2009

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    Friday, October 09, 2009

  • The Sandow Medal


  • The great Sandow won this fine medal, not in a test of strength, but for his wrestling prowess. It was awarded to him by the Athletic club of Florence, Italy in commemoration of his having handily defeated the Italian Champion Bartoletti. Sandow was quite proud of this achievement and wore this medal often, it can be seen on his chest in many of of his most famous photographs.

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    Friday, October 09, 2009

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    Saturday, October 03, 2009

  • Ed Jubinville


  • Ed Jubinville from Holyoke, Massachusetts, took up physical training after becoming inspired by an article about Eugen Sandow in Bernarr MacFadden's Physical Culture Magazine. In fact, his first workouts were with a couple of bricks.

    Shortly afterward he began training with more conventional equipment at the B-6 Weightlifting Club run by Armand LaMarr... and it was Armand LaMarr who first taught him Muscle Control. Around this time, Ed also happened upon the writings of Mark Berry which he lists as being very influential.

    With a solid foundation in proper weightlifting and a knowledgeable teacher, Ed Jubinville went on to become one of the greatest Muscle control experts the world had ever seen. You can read a very interesting anecdote on Ed Jubinville's Muscle control act in The Dellinger Files Vol. I.

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    Saturday, October 03, 2009

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    Saturday, September 12, 2009

  • Sandow's Health and Strength Cocoa Tins


  • As mentioned numerous times on this blog, Sandow promoted a variety of products in his heyday. These items including his own line of Health and Strength Cocoa which came packaged in the above tins.

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    Saturday, September 12, 2009

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    Friday, August 21, 2009

  • The Sandow Physical Culture Badge


  • Many strongmen had their own medals or badges as prizes for finishing their courses. Here's a look at Sandow's Physical Culture Badge. This picture is enlarged, the badge is about the size of a quarter.

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    Friday, August 21, 2009

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    Monday, August 17, 2009

  • Eugen Sandow's Strength Feats


  • There's no question that Eugen Sandow was quite impressive in the physique department. It certainly was not all for show, though, Sandow had quite a few impressive strength feats to his credit. For example, Sandow was able to perform an overhead press with a 126 lb dumbbell in the right hand and 119 lbs in the left (total 245 lbs.), a 269 lb bent press and a 180 lb. one arm snatch.

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    Monday, August 17, 2009

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    Wednesday, July 22, 2009

  • Sandow's Arm


  • It's pretty amazing to think there are few people walking around today as impressive as Eugen Sandow was a hundred years ago.

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    Wednesday, July 22, 2009

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    Monday, July 13, 2009

  • Sandow's NEW Spring-Grip Dumbbells


  • Eugen Sandow successfully sold a variety of "Spring-Grip" Dumbbells in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Eventually he decided to upgrade and this ergonomically designed version was patented on June 12th, 1917. The illustration from the patent application is shown above. Note Sandow's signature in the lower right corner.

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    Monday, July 13, 2009

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    Sunday, June 28, 2009

  • Eugen Sandow - Video Clip


  • A short video slide show featuring some rare images of Eugen Sandow (clip has sound). It's not hard to see how Sandow inspired so many great strongmen of the past - and why his influence can still be felt today.

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    Sunday, June 28, 2009

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    Monday, June 08, 2009

  • Adolph Nordquest

  • Originally hailing from Ashtabula, Ohio, Adolph Nordquest began his performing strongman career in Buffalo, New York in 1901. A year later he moved to New York City to study and train under Professor Attila.

    Due to Nordquest's similarities to one of Attila's former students he was dubbed the "American Sandow." Teaming with another great strongman, Otis Lambert, Nordquest performed very successfully in music halls and vaudeville for the next decade and a half.

    When his performing career came to an end, Nordquest focused very intently on his strength training, so much so that he briefly held the world deadlift record with a lift of 638 pounds. He was also very good at finger lifting.

    His brother Joe Nordquest was also a famous strongman with many records to his credit.
    Adolph NordquestAdolph Nordquest

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    Monday, June 08, 2009

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    Friday, May 29, 2009

  • Vintage Weightlifting Medal


  • A vintage weightlifting medal from -- I would guess - around the early 1900s. This certainly looks like something Sandow or Staff Sgt. Moss would have worn.

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    Friday, May 29, 2009

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  • Three Great Reasons...


  • Three Great Reasons Why Sandow's Mail System of Teaching Physical Culture Has Attained Such Marvelous Success
    An early ad for Sandow's magazine, which, at one time, was based out of Boston, Massachusetts. Sounds good to me, sign me up for a subscription.

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    Friday, May 29, 2009

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    Thursday, May 14, 2009

  • Sandow's Cocoa


  • Today, a lot of folks recommend a big glass of chocolate milk as the best post-workout drink for muscle growth. Perhaps ol' Sandow was on to something a hundred years ago when he came out with his own Health and Strength Cocoa.

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    Thursday, May 14, 2009

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    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..."

    George Hackenschmidt
    The Way to Live
    Written in 1908
    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)

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    Friday, May 01, 2009

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    Tuesday, April 21, 2009

  • William Barker


  • Too old? 75-year old William Barker shows he's still "got it" by performing a crucifix with a kettlebell handle loaded to 50 pounds hanging from each thumb. Barker had previously been featured in LIFE magazine. In 1901, Mr. Barker was a gold-medal winner at one of Sandow's competitions.

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    Tuesday, April 21, 2009

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    Thursday, April 02, 2009

  • Sandow and the Human Dumbbell


  • A very happy birthday to Mr. Sandow who was born on this date in 1867. Sandow's greatest fame came with the legendary Florenz Ziegfeld (of Ziegfeld Follies fame) as his manager. Sandow's performance of muscle control and unique feats of strength thrilled audiences as he traveled from coast to coast. One of his most famous stunts is pictured above -- bent pressing a large "human dumbbell."

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    Thursday, April 02, 2009

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    Monday, March 16, 2009

  • T.H. Sarkari - The Indian Sandow


  • T.H. Sarkari lifting in a contest circa 1920. Sarkari was known as "The Indian Sandow" for promoting the importance of physical training and weight lifting in his native country.

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    Monday, March 16, 2009

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    Sunday, March 15, 2009

  • Sandow Pins


  • Eugen Sandow lent his famous face to "endorsement deals" just like many modern athletes. Here's an ad for "Sandow Pins" from around 1910. These were obviously stronger than any other pins available at the time.

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    Sunday, March 15, 2009

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    Wednesday, February 18, 2009

  • Sandow's Combined Developer


  • One reason why Sandow is still such an influential figure over a century later was that he laid the foundations for things that are commonplace today. He was quite the entrepreneur. His Grip Dumbbells and the Developer shown here were among the very first commercially available fitness equipment. This Developer mimicked the exercises normally done with a Wall Pulley without, of course, the need for weight stacks.

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    Wednesday, February 18, 2009

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    Tuesday, January 13, 2009

  • Sandow's Harness Lifting


  • One of Sandow's favorite leg exercises was harness lifting a heavy weight. He would adjust the length of the chain to different lengths in order to train different leg muscles. Not only was this a very productive movement in itself, it also allowed him to become accustomed to heavy weights and practice some of the feats for his strength performances.

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    Tuesday, January 13, 2009

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    Friday, December 26, 2008

  • Arthur Saxon's Unusual Challenge Barbell


  • A rare look a Arthur Saxon's unique challenge barbell - The great Sandow failed on five attempts to bent-press. Saxon, however, eaily lifted this mighty weight overhead on a daily basis.

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    Friday, December 26, 2008

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    Thursday, December 04, 2008

  • Eugen Sandow's Influence


  • "...Strength enthusiasts of today should feet a debt of gratitude towards Eugene Sandow, who thrilled audiences in Europe and America during the last decade of the nineteenth century with his wonderful showmanship and the remarkable shapeliness of his physique. Witnessing the perfection of his muscular development and apparently super human strength undoubtedly caused more men and boys to become interested in the improvement of the human body than the efforts of any other single human... "
    - Physical Training Simplified by Mark Berry, Chapter 30

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    Thursday, December 04, 2008

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    Wednesday, November 05, 2008

  • Sandow's Combination Outfit


  • Eugen Sandow was quite the entrepreneur in his day. This "combination developer" is a chest expander which also comes with other attachments specifically designed for leg work which you can just make out in the open box. Pretty cool... This one's mint and I got it for a song.

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    Wednesday, November 05, 2008

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    Wednesday, May 07, 2008

  • Sandow's Books

  • The great Eugen Sandow wrote a number of books over his lifetime. Here is a look at them, in order of publication:
  • Sandow's System of Physical Training (1894)


  • Strength and How To Obtain It (1897)


  • The Gospel of Strength According to Sandow (1902)


  • BodyBuilding - or Man in The Making(1904)


  • The Construction and Reconstruction of the Human Body (1907)


  • Strength and Health (1912)


  • Life is Movement (1919)


  • Eugen SandowEugen Sandow

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    Wednesday, May 07, 2008

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    Thursday, May 01, 2008

  • The Brothers McCann

  • The Brothers McCannThe Brothers McCann

    The Brothers McCann, Henry and Louis, were known as Hercules and Samson when they became professional strongmen in the late 1800s. In 1890, they challenged Eugen Sandow to a match - and Won!

    ... although they were defeated by Louis Cyr in a similar contest a few years later.

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    Thursday, May 01, 2008

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    Sunday, March 30, 2008

  • Charles Sampson

  • Charles SampsonCharles Sampson

    Charles Sampson was a turn-of-the-century strongman who, unlike any of his contemporaries, claimed his great strength was not from physical training but a result of having been struck by lightning as a small child!

    As noted in Physical Training Simplified by Mark Berry, Sampson did perform a Harness Lift with 4008 pounds and frequently collaborated with the famous coin breaker Franz "Cyclops" Bienkowski.

    Sampson and Cyclops were both handily defeated by Eugen Sandow in a famous challenge match in 1889.

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    Sunday, March 30, 2008

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    Friday, March 28, 2008

  • Sandow's Pushup Machine

  • Sandow's Pushup Machine
    When someone says "the old timers never used machines" it's because they really don't know their strength history...

    Here's Eugen Sandow (about as "Oldtime" as you can get) back in 1902, using a unique training machine of his own design -- using chest expander strands, Sandow devised a machine which could add resistance to the simple pushup, thus making it a more intense exercise.

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    Friday, March 28, 2008

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    Saturday, February 16, 2008

  • Al Treloar "The Most Perfectly Developed Man in the World"

  • Al TreloarAl Treloar

    Al Treloar was a stage assistant to Eugen Sandow who went on to develop his own strongman performance.

    Treloar went on to win the title of "The Most Perfectly Developed Man in the World" on January 16th, 1904 at the very first large-scale bodybuilding competition in America which took place at the original Madison Square Garden in New York City.

    It was said that Treloar could tear four decks of playing cards at once.

    After graduating from Harvard University, Treloar became the director of physical education at the famous Los Angeles Athletic Club in California, a position he held for the next forty-two years.

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    Saturday, February 16, 2008

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    Monday, January 14, 2008

  • Sandow's One Arm Deadlift


  • Eugen SandowSandow's One Arm Deadlift

    Sandow was a master of many different kinds of strength feats. Don't know if he ended up lifting this 1500 lb. block of sandstone (doubtful) but he sure looked like he could.

    While you may not have a stone like this around, the one-arm deadlift while straddling two benches or platforms to increase the range of motion is an excellent exercise. Normally I don't recommend straps but Sandow can get away with it when he's lifting that kind of weight.

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    Monday, January 14, 2008

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    Tuesday, January 08, 2008

  • Sandow Lifts The Rolandow Barbell

  • Sandow Lifts The Rolandow BarbellSandow Lifts The Rolandow Barbell

    I've mentioned the Rolandow Barbell before. And as I also mentioned, it goes back a long way and that several famous strongmen have lifted it...

    Here's a look at Eugen Sandow rocking the Rolandow Barbell back into position so that he can bent press it in 1902 or so.

    The thick handle is, of course, a distinguishing mark of real "Oldtime" barbells and Rolandow lifted it many times.

    Kind of amazing that a century later you can go to the York Barbell Company Museum (where the Rolandow Barbell Currently Resides) and touch the very same weight that so many great strongmen once lifted.

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    Tuesday, January 08, 2008

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    Monday, January 07, 2008

  • Heavy One-Arm Overhead Supports

  • Heavy one-arm overhead supports were very popular with oldtime strongmen since they could work up to some truly impressive weights which always wowed their audiences.

    Sandow was able to lift a horse in this manner.

    Here Anton Matysek supports well over a quarter ton overhead.
    Anton Matysek - Heavy One-Arm SupportsHeavy One-Arm Overhead Supports

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    Monday, January 07, 2008

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    Sunday, January 06, 2008

  • The Look of Power

  • The Look of PowerThe Look of Power

    You'll often hear talk of the "look" of power... Sandow unquestionably had it. He trained with light dumbbells, heavy dumbbells, block weights, chest expanders, muscle control, heavy supports, bodyweight calisthenics, gymnastics exercises and a whole lot more --- but however he trained, he did so progressively...

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    Sunday, January 06, 2008

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    Saturday, January 05, 2008

  • The Roman Column

  • The Roman ColumnThe Roman Column

    As mentioned several times on this blog, it was Professor Attila who invented the Roman Column.

    Shown here, the Roman Column is an actual column in which the traineee hangs suspended vertially and moves to a horizontal position using the power of his legs and abdominal muscles.

    Eugen Sandow used to perform this feat either holding a heavy barbell or a human being.

    On the left is the original Roman Column, in one corner of Sig Klein's Time's Square Gym.

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    Saturday, January 05, 2008

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    Friday, January 04, 2008

  • Professor Attila

  • Professor Attila was one of the true innovators of the Iron Game. It was Attila who came up with the idea for hollow equipment which could be loaded with shot to increase the weight.

    Professor Attila also invented several oldtime strongman exercises such as the bent press, the Roman Chair, the Roman Column and the feat of tearing decks of poker cards in half.

    It was also Attila who inspired a young Eugen Sandow to start strength training after Sandow watched Attila's strongman performance -- eventually, Attila became Sandow's mentor and coached him to even greater heights.
    Professor AttilaProfessor Attila

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    Friday, January 04, 2008

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    Wednesday, December 19, 2007

  • The Rolandow Barbell

  • The Rolandow BarbellThe Rolandow Barbell

    The Rolandow Barbell once belonged to the Swiss Strongman G.W. Rolandow who would bent-press it each night in his performance. This barbell has been lifted by many famous strongmen, including Eugen Sandow.

    The Rolandow Barbell has had many famous owners over the years. It was purchased by Professor Attila, then Sig Klein (as shown). The Rolandow Barbell can currently be seen in the York Barbell Company Museum in York, Pennsylvania.

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    Wednesday, December 19, 2007

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    Monday, December 17, 2007

  • Eugen Sandow

  • It's not hard to see why Eugen Sandow was well received as bodybuilding's first superstar a hundred years ago.

    Sandow's physique is still impressive by today's standards -- probably even more so.

    Sandow built his strength with basic exercises and the double-progressive technique.

    Eugen SandowEugen Sandow

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    Monday, December 17, 2007

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    Friday, December 07, 2007

  • Sandow's Chest Expander

  • Sandow's Chest ExpanderSandow'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.

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    Friday, December 07, 2007

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    Friday, November 09, 2007

  • Sandow's Health and Strength Cocoa

  • Sandow's Health and Strength CocoaSandow's Health and Strength Cocoa

    Eugen Sandow was bodybuilding's first superstar and lent his likeness to a number of different products, including cigars, pins and as shown above, a chocolate cocoa drink.

    Sandow's Cocoa didn't last long. Some of other big chocolate manufacturers saw Sandow's brand as a threat. They who lowered their prices and forced Sandow out of the market.

    The factory, which opened in 1913, shut down production in 1916. Tokens, like the one shown above, were used for some form of promotion and are quite rare.

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    Friday, November 09, 2007

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    Wednesday, November 07, 2007

  • Sandow Lifts a Horse

  • Among posing, and several other amazing feats of strength, Eugen Sandow used to finish his act by carrying a horse from one end of the stage to the other.

    I'm sure that one brought the house down and must have been quite a sight to see.

    You may not have a horse around to lift but heavy overhead supports are still a great way to build upper-body strength and power.

    I read that John Grimek worked up to being able to support over 1000 pounds overhead with the use of a power rack.
    Sandow Lifts a HorseSandow Lifts a Horse

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    Wednesday, November 07, 2007

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    Tuesday, October 23, 2007

  • Sandow Cigarette Card

  • Sandow Cigarette CardEugen SandowThings were just a little different back at the turn of the century -- if you had a persistent cough a doctor might tell you to take up smoking.

    In any case, here's a look at one of several different Eugen Sandow Physical Culture Cigarette Cards that you would get if you took up the habit a hundred years ago.

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    Tuesday, October 23, 2007

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    Thursday, October 11, 2007

  • Louis Durlacher aka Professor Attila

  • Professor AttilaLouis Durlacher aka Professor Attila

    It was Louis Durlacher aka Professor Attila who trained a young Fredrick Mueller and changed his name to Eugen Sandow.

    It was also Professor Attila who invented many of the feats of strength we know today, such as the Roman Column, the Roman Chair, supporting feats in the human bridge position, tearing packs of playing cards; and the the hollow globe-ended barbells and dumbbells we know today.

    Attila was also the first man to bent press over 200 pounds and in addition to Sandow, Professor Attila could also list many other famous strongmen among his students:

    Including: Warren Lincoln Travis, Anthony Barker, Horace Barre, Arthur Dandurand, Lionel Strongfort, George Rolandow, Louis Cyr, Bobby Pandour and Adolph Nordquest.

    In 1894, Professor opened his famous Studio of Physical Culture in downtown New York city. His daughter, Grace, later married Sig Klein.

    If Eugen Sandow was the "Father" of Oldtime Strongmen, surely Professor Attila, was the Grandfather.

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    Thursday, October 11, 2007

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  • Eugen Sandow's School of Physical Culture

  • Eugen Sandows School of Physical CultureEugen Sandow's School of Physical Culture

    There 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.

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    Thursday, October 11, 2007

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    Thursday, September 13, 2007

  • Henry Holtgrewe: The Cincinnati Strongman

  • Henry Holtgrewe: The Cincinnati Strongman

    Henry Holtgrewe was born in Hanover, Germany in 1872 but came to live in the United States at an early age. He settled in Cincinnati, where he ran a saloon near old Chester Park in Northside.

    In his spare time he delighted in performing feats of strength, especially lifting barbells and dumbbells with thick handles -- which not only confounded smaller-handed competition, but also allowed Henry Holtgrewe to build a tremendous 15-1/2 inch forearm in the process.

    Holtgrewe also out "pressed" the great Louis Cyr with a single-arm lift of 287 pounds. It was said that each time Eugen Sandow performed in Cincinnati Holtgrewe challenged to a lifting contest -- and each time Sandow refused.

    In 1904 Holtgrewe backlifted two opposing baseball teams at Redlands Field in Cincinnati. The combined weight was estimated at 4103 pounds easily placing him among the strongest backlifters of all time.

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    Thursday, September 13, 2007

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    Sunday, September 09, 2007

  • Sig Klein's Gym

  • Sig Kleins GymSig Klein's Classic Old-Time Gym

    Here'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.


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    Sunday, September 09, 2007

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    Friday, August 31, 2007

  • The Sandow Statue

  • The Sandow StatueThe Sandow Statue

    Just over a century ago, Eugen Sandow held the very first physique contest known simply as "The Great Competition." The first place prize for this contest was a magnificent gold statue of Sandow himself, holding a globe dumbbell.

    In 1977, the promoters of the Mr. Olympia contest decided to honor Sandow and Bodybuilding's past and resurrected this statue as their first place trophy -- which it has become most well known as today. (The first Mr. Olympia Sandow Statue winner was Frank Zane.)

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    Friday, August 31, 2007

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    Tuesday, June 26, 2007

  • Eugen Sandow

  • Eugen Sandow was THE prototypical strongman and the first true strength Superstar.

    He thrilled audiences all over the world with his classical physique as well as his amazing feats of strength.

    Many of the most famous Iron Game luminaries such as George Jowett and Alan Calvert were inspired to begin training after seeing Sandow in action.

    Once he tired of the performing life, Sandow established the very first "Health Studios," mail order training courses and physical culture magazine.

    Even to this day he still inspires millions to develop their health and strength.

    Eugen Sandow

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    Tuesday, June 26, 2007

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    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.

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