Monday, January 25, 2010
Ron Lacy: Wrist Roller TrainingHow does Mr. America build forearm strength? The Wrist Roller, of course. It was a great method then and still a greta method now. If you could peek into the training log of just about every strength champion throughout history, there's a pretty good chance you'll find the wrist roller as a part of their respective programs.
The wrist roller is also a very good choice because it is so simple: Mr. Lacy's here is just a sturdy tree branch with a cord tied to it. You can get more fancy than that if you like but that is minimally all you need.
Labels: Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, Mr America, Ron Lacy, wrist roller, Wrist Strength
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Sunday, September 27, 2009
The Wrist RollerThe Wrist Roller is quite versatile for such a simple piece of equipment. You can perform heavy "singles" times holds, extended range training, "reps" and any number of other methods to build forearm strength. Look for a complete course on wrist roller training some time in the near future.
Labels: Equipment, Forearm Strength, Grip Training, Grip Training Equipment, wrist roller, Wrist Roller Training
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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, August 13, 2009
George ZottmanThe Oldtime Strongman George Zottman devised his own method for building forearm strength and size which obviously works very well, as you can see above. Check out a copy of Super Strength by Alan Calvert for complete instructions on how to perform the Zottman Curl. Zottman was also very good at the dumbbell overhead press, achieving lifts of 160 lbs with his right hand and two reps with a pair of 100-lb dumbbells.
Labels: Big Forearms, Dumbbell Press, Forearm Development, Forearm Strength, George Zottman, Grip Exercise, Oldtime Strongman, Zottman Curl
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Tuesday, May 05, 2009
The Wrist RollerWho uses the wrist roller to build forearm strength? Chinese Olympic weightlifters are one pretty good example (among many). This picture comes from an old training course. Despite its simplicity, the wrist roller is one of the most effective grip exercises there is.
Labels: Forearm Strength, Forearm Training, Grip Training, Grip Training Equipment, Olympic Weightlifting, wrist roller, Wrist Roller Training
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Reverse Curl"One of the greatest tests of forearm strength is to curl a thick bar with the over-grip. Once I bought a round steel bar, about 3 feet long and 2 inches thick, which weighed 65 lbs. To do a two-arm curl with this steel bar was a cinch if you used the under-grip; but when you tried to curl it with the over-grip, the bar would slip out of your hands when the arms were bent half way.
Lots of lifters who could do a back-hand curl easily with a thin-handled 100-lb. bar-bell, utterly failed to do the same thing with the thick 65-lb. bar. Anton Matysek could do it easily; Juvenal, the oarsman, could do it with even greater ease; and Zottman simply played with it.
In order to curl the bar successfully, it was necessary to have tremendous gripping power in the hands and great strength in the muscles on the outside of the forearm; but the gripping power was more important.
This stunt interested me so much that I had a special bar made, which consisted of a 2 inch pipe, and from each end of that pipe projected a 1-inch iron rod. We could load up the handle by slipping plates over the 1-inch rods. At one of our exhibitions Matysek demonstrated the exercise while I explained the principles involved.
Joe Nordquest, who was present, demanded that he be allowed to try his strength, and soon there was a competition in progress. According to our rules, the lifter had to stand bolt upright and keep his elbows at his sides, in order to prevent him from getting any advantage from a swing of the body or a movement of the upper arms.
One of the two claimed that the other one was not playing fair; so before each attempt we bound a belt around their upper arms, as in shown above. Matysek finally won with 88 lbs., which was harder than curling a thin-handled 125-l.b bar-bell. Tests like that interest me far more than lifts in which a man's ability is dependent on skill as well as strength."
~ Alan Calvert
Super Strength, Chapter 17
Labels: Alan Calvert, Anton Matysek, Forearm Exercise, Forearm Strength, George Zottman, Grip Exercise, Grip Strength, Joe Nordquest, Reverse Curl, Super Strength
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Friday, March 13, 2009
| David "Bull" Bonvicin was a popular performing strongman from Montana. He specialized in many of the traditional strongman feats which focused on grip and forearm strength such as ripping phone books, levering sledge hammers and bending spikes (as he is shown doing here.) Note the above average forearm development which obviously came from frequently practicing these oldtime feats. If you want to know more about his training, Bonvicin is profiled in Physical Training Simplified by Mark H. Berry. |  David "Bull" Bonvicin |
Labels: Bull Bovicin, David Bull Bonvicin, Forearm Development, Forearm Strength, Grip Development, Grip Strength, Oldtime Strongman, Phonebook Ripping, Spike Bending, Steel Bending
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Wednesday, February 04, 2009
John Grimek: Wrist Roller TrainingJohn Grimek trained in every way imaginable and he sure didn't neglect his grip. One of his favorite pieces of training equipment for building grip and forearm strength was the simple wrist roller - and it's still great choice.
Labels: Forearm Strength, Grip Equipment, Grip Exercise, John Grimek, wrist roller, Wrist Roller Training
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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, April 08, 2008
| The Mighty Norseman Karl Norberg could perform many incredible strength feats -- one of which involved a simple Olympic barbell. Norberg could do a front holdout with the bar (which is pretty impressive by itself.) |  Karl Norberg Olympic Bar |
Labels: Barbell, Forearm Strength, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Hand Strength, Karl Norberg, Leverage Feat, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Olympic Barbell, Wrist Power, Wrist Strength
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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, April 07, 2008
| The great Canadian Strongman Arthur Dandurand at 48 years old, still looking very impressive. As far as feats of grip strength, Dandurand could deadlift 550 pounds with one hand and reverse curl 177 pounds. |  Arthur Dandurand at 48 Years Old |
Labels: Arthur Dandurand, Canadian Strongman, Deadlift, Forearm Development, Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, Oldtime Strongman, One Arm Deadlift, Reverse Curl
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Sunday, March 30, 2008
Slim The Hammer ManIn 1975, Slim the Hammer Man got his chance...
With his mentor The Mighty Atom and the crowd of 21,000 screaming fans watching, he went to establish a record that will never be broken: to lever a pair of twenty eight pound hammers, 56 pounds on 31 inch handles, with 1736-inch pounds of pressure on his wrists.
-- The torch had been passed!
Shown above, The Hammer Man levers a weighted Ax, DO NOT try that feat at home.
Labels: Ax Lever, Forearm Strength, Leverage Feat, Sledge Hammer Exercise, Sledge Hammer Training, Sledgehammer, Slim The Hammerman, The MIghty Atom, Wrist Strength
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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, February 14, 2008
 Plate Curls | One of the most effective exercises for developing grip and forearm strength can be done with a simple barbell plate. The steep strength curve from the leverage involved can impose quite a challenge -- even when using a very light plate. |
Labels: Exercise, Forearm Strength, Grip Exercise, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Hand Strength, Plate Curls
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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
 Arthur Dandurand | Arthur Dandurand was yet another great Canadian Strongman. It was said that he had a 16-inch forearm at a bodyweight of only 185 pounds and it certainly looks that way in this classic shot. Dandurand was often called the "Canadian Sandow" and some of his best lifts were as follows: In addition to these feats, Dandurand was very good at juggling and bent-pressing human weights. He also could shoulder a 406 Pound truck engine and at a contest in 1908, Dandurand pushed a wheelbarrow loaded to 4300 Pounds for a distance of 23 feet. |
Labels: Arthur Dandurand, Bent Press, Canadian Strongman, Forearm Strength, Kennedy Lift, Military Press, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Reverse Curl, Wheelbarrow Lift
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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, January 18, 2008
| The oldtime performing strongman Clevio Massimo possessed one of the most rugged physiques of all time. His dense musculature and thick ligaments are evident in this picture. You can find out more about Clevio Massimo in The Mark Berry Bar Bell Courses. |  Clevio Massimo's Forearm Development |
Labels: Clevio Massimo, Forearm Strength, Ligament Strength
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Sunday, January 06, 2008
Thick Bar TrainingAn impromptu shot from a training session last summer. Should there be any question why so many of the oldtime strongmen lifted with Thick Bars?
This thick-handled globe "dumbbell" once belonged to the French Strongman Apollon.
Labels: Apollon, Forearm Strength, Globe Dumbbell, Grip Strength, John Wood, Thick Bar, Thick Bar Lifting, Thick Bar Training
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Saturday, January 05, 2008
 The Arm of Apollon |  ApollonIt has been said that Apollon is the greatest of the Oldtime Strongmen and this picture shows a pretty good reason why. This is a rare photograph made of a plaster cast of Apollon's arm when he was in his prime. While Apollon's upper arm is certainly impressive at over 20 inches, it is his 16-1/2-inch forearm which simply boggles the mind. It should be no surprise why Apollon was so adept at feats of grip strength. |
Labels: Apollon, Arm of Apollon, Forearm Strength, French Strongman, Oldtime Strongman
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Sunday, December 16, 2007
Iron Man Hand GrippersThere are advertisements for hand grippers going back as far as 1901, but the tradition of the heavy-duty steel hand grippers began in back in 1964 when Warren Tetting's grippers first appeared in the pages of Iron Man Magazine.
These grippers challenged many strongmen and there were four Strengths: "Light", "Heavy", "Extra Heavy" and "Super Heavy". Only the strongest hands could close the "Extra Heavy" gripper and it is unknown weather anyone actually closed the "Super Heavy" gripper level.
The Iron Man Grippers would be advertised for the next 79 issues and eventually became the inspiration for the Iron Mind Captains of Crush Grippers.
Labels: Forearm Strength, Grip Equipment, Grip Strength, Grip Training, Gripper Training, Hand Grippers, Iron Man Grippers, Strongman Equipment, Tetting Grippers, Warren Tetting
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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
 Apollon | The great French Strongman Apollon was well known for his grip feats. With reported 19-inch Forearms and 9-inch long hands, it's not hard to see why. This allowed him to toy with thick-handled weights that few other strongmen could even budge off the ground. |
Labels: Apollon, Forearm Strength, French Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Thick Bar Lifting
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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, December 07, 2007
| From 1911 to 1934, Edward Aston held the title of Britain's Strongest Man. Judging by this picture, it's not hard to see why. One of Aston's "Secrets" was to pay particular attention to strengthening the grip and forearm. He employed a number of different exercises to build his hand strength but one of his favorites was to do one-arm timed holds on a climbing rope. |  - Edward Aston - Britain's Strongest Man |
Labels: Britains Strongest Man, British Champion, Edward Aston, Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, Hand Strength
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Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Apollon: King of StrengthLouis Uni, the French Strongman known professionally as "Apollon," was certainly one of the greatest, if not the greatest strongman who even lived.
It was Apollon, along with Louis Cyr who were dubbed "Les Rois de la Force" (Kings of Strength) by Professor Desbonnet because their strength was so far above and beyond the ordinary.
Apollon, who was at his peak during the 1890s, stood 6"2' and in solid muscular condition, around 260 pounds.
While he was certainly thickly-muscled and strong all over, he excelled in grip an forearm feats, especially lifting thick handled weights, such as the Challenge Weight that bears his name.
Labels: Apollon, Apollon's Wheels, Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, Les Rois de la Force, Louis Uni, Oldtime Strongman, Professor Desbonnet, Strongman Feat
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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 18, 2007
| John Grimek was impressive from every angle so you might overlook just how outstanding his development was in some areas. Grimek had a pretty strong grip which should be pretty evident after seeing this picture. |  Grimek's Forearm |
Labels: Bodybuilding, Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, John Grimek, Strong Grip
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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
The Super GripperSometimes it hard to believe that the Super Gripper has been around since 1940. You used to see ads for it in Strength and Health and Iron Man Magazine. Interestingly, the design has remained largely unchanged since it was introduced -- and more importantly, it has helped build thousands of stronger grips and forearms since then.
The above ad is from an Iron Man Magazine from the early 1970's.
Labels: Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, Grip Training, Strongman Equipment, Super Gripper
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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 12, 2007
 Anton Matysek | Anton Matysek is well-known for his Muscle Control skills but he was no slouch when it came to lifting heavy barbells and other weights. He won the "America's Strongest Man" contest put on in 1922 by Bernarr MacFadden. And here's a good reason why: This classic Milo Globe "Show" barbell that Matysek is holding is 7-1/2 feet long with 16 inch diameter globes, a 3 inch thick handle, and the entire affair weighs in at 231 pounds. |
Several of the athletes who witnessed this feat could not even lift this barbell off the ground.
Labels: Anton Matysek, Forearm Strength, Globe Barbell, Grip Strength, Jerk, Muscle Control, Strongman Feat, Thick Bar
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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, November 09, 2007
 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. |
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)
Labels: Alan Calvert, Dumbbells, Exercise, Forearm Strength, George Zottman, Grip Strength, Strongman Feat, Super Strength, Zottman Curl
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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, October 26, 2007
 Sledge Hammer Training | Sledge hammer training has always been a very popular way of building forearm and wrist strength among many oldtime strongmen. Based on the leverage principle the sledge hammer makes a very efficient workout tool as it can provide a great deal of resistance without the need for a lot of weight. Here Murl Mitchell from Los Angeles tests his wrist strength with a pair of very interesting looking sledge hammers. Of course, the undisputed King of Sledge Hammer lifting is Slim The Hammer Man. |
Labels: Forearm Strength, Sledge Hammer Leverage, Slim The Hammerman, Strongman Feat, Wrist Strength
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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