Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Harry Shafran's WeightsA unique look at some of the equipment once belonging to Harry Shafran and housed in his great gym. Much of what is shown here was previously owned by Warren Lincoln Travis. The whereabouts of this equipment is currently unknown.
Labels: Classic Gym, Globe Dumbbell, Globe Dumbbells, Gym Equipment, Harry Shafran, Harry Shafrans Gym, Indian Clubs, Kettlebells, 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
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Dr. RouhetDr. Georges Rouhet is shown here demonstrating an overhead press with his favorite barbell.
Labels: Barbell, Dr. Georges Rouhet, French Strongman, Globe Dumbbells, Overhead Press
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
The Nordquest BrothersThe Nordquest Brothers, Adolph on the left and Joe on the right, are shown here with some of the classic equipment that they used while performing at Coney Island. They originally hailed from Ashtabula, Ohio. Joe was a year younger than Adolph and they both went on to achieve many incredible strength feats.
Labels: Adolph Nordquest, Classic Equipment, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Joe Nordquest, Nordquest Brothers
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 08, 2009
Early Weightlifting ContestHere's a look at a lifting contest held in the early 1900's ~ quite a bit different than you'll find these days. That's the great Austrian strongman Karl Swoboda lifting the barbell front and center. I think I also recognize Hans Beck and Pierre Bonnes in the crowd.
Labels: Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Hans Beck, Karl Swoboda, Pierre Bonnes, 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
Thursday, September 17, 2009
"Classic Equipment"How you you like to train with this classis equipment? I know I sure would. This group of folks is the "Club Athletique de l'Union Sportive Briviste" - friends and students of Professor Desbonnet. Note the ring weight and chest expander among the other globe barbells and dumbbells.
Labels: Chest Expander, Classic Equipment, French Strongman, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Lifting Club, Professor Desbonnet, Ring 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, August 10, 2009
Desbonnet's GymA look at Professor Desbonnet's Gym (or at least one of them) circa 1901. Do you think you could get strong training in a place like this?
Labels: Antique Equipment, Classic Gym, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Professor Desbonnet
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, July 23, 2009
Dr. Rouhet's WeightsThe image quality isn't ideal but the subject matter should more than make up for it... I guarantee you have never seen this picture before. Shown is the famous French physical culturalist Dr. Georges Rouhet and some of his fantastic training equipment. Having been at this for a while it certainly appears that the French Strongmen had the best stuff available to train with.
Labels: Antique Equipment, Classic Equipment, Dr. Georges Rouhet, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Ring Weights, 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
Thursday, June 25, 2009
My Garage GymI snapped this shot of one corner of my garage gym during last night's workout. Thought it looked kind of nifty - and yes, these aren't for show, everything gets used.
Labels: Barbell Plates, Garage Gym, Globe Dumbbells, Oldtime Strength Equipment, York 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
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Warren Lincoln Travis DumbbellAn older Warren Lincoln Travis is shown here with his famous dumbbell. Travis would often hip lift the dumbbell as part of his performances. Empty, the dumbbell weighs 1650 pounds although Travis often loaded it with sand so that it topped out around 3750 pounds. The Travis Dumbbell can now be seen at the York Barbell Company Museum.
Labels: Famous Dumbbell, Globe Dumbbells, Hip Lift, Travis Dumbbell, Warren Lincoln Travis, York Barbell Company Museum
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, April 14, 2009
Harry RobinsonHarry Robinson, the secretary of the Australian Weight Lifting Association, gets in a quick bent press workout circa 1929. These particular weights once belonged to the great Scottish Highland Games Champion Donald Dinnie.
Labels: Australian Strongman, Bent Press, Classic Equipment, Classic Kettlebells, Donald Dinnie, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Harry Robinson, Kettlebells, Weight Set
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, April 03, 2009
Joseph VanderzandeJoseph Vanderzande, the great Belgian strongman was a contemporary of Arthur Saxon. Vanderzande is widely recognized as the strand pulling champion of the late 1800s (note the pair of chest expanders on the platform behind him.) He was said to have been able to "pull" several reps with a 20-strand chest expander with a 297 pound level of resistance.
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Belgian Strongman, Block Weights, Chest Expander, Chest Expander Feat, Globe Dumbbells, Joseph Vanderzande, Ring Weights, Strand Pulling, Strand Pulling 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
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Small Thomas Inch DumbbellsThomas Inch is famous for the Thomas Inch Challenge Dumbbell which weighs 172 pounds... What most people do not know, however, is that there where actually three other Inch Dumbbells which were smaller and which allowed him to progressively gain strength in order to lift the biggest one. The smaller "Inch" bells weighed 75, 140 and 153 pounds respectively.
Since the original Inch Dumbbell is now sitting in my living room back home, I recently, decided to commission a series of smaller bells which would not only keep that tradition alive but also better help in bridging the gap while training with the 172-pound Inch bell.
These dumbbells were cast in a far off land and brought to the U.S. at great personal expense. They are currently the only bells of this sort on U.S. soil. The two larger ones weigh 53 kg (116.6 pounds) and the two smaller bells in the back weight 40 kg (88 pounds). I wanted to get a pair of each size for farmer's walk training.
You'll be seeing these bells in action soon...
Labels: Globe Dumbbells, Grip Equipment, Inch Dumbbell, Small Inch Dumbbells, Thick Handle, Thomas Inch, Thomas Inch 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
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Ernest Cadine Lifts Some Classic IronAn extremely rare shot of the great French Weightlifter Ernest Cadine deadlifting a classic globe barbell. Is this the same globe barbell that Tommy Kono lifted here? It's certainly possible.
Labels: Deadlift, Ernest Cadine, French Strongman, French Weightlifter, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, 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
Friday, November 28, 2008
Louis Cyr's WeightsA rare picture of some of Louis Cyr's weights. Note the Ring Weight in the foreground and the fact that most of these classic weights have thick handles. You can tell a lot of strength was built with these weights.
Labels: Dumbbell, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Louis Cyr, Ring Weights, Thick Handle
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, March 19, 2008
 John McWilliams | Many people have wondered exactly how it was that John McWilliams built such big arms... The reasons for that should be as straightforward as can be: a)Genetics b)Progressive resistance exercise I hear dumbbell curls are a good bicep exercise -- looks like they worked well enough for John McWilliams. Can't do much about your genetics,but you certainly CAN use this great exercise to build bigger arms. |
Labels: Arm Development, Bicep Exercise, Big Arms, Bodybuilder, Bodybuilding, Dumbbell Curls, Globe Dumbbells, Golden Age Bodybuilder, John McWilliams
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
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
| The great strongman G.W. Rolandow was very well known for his traditional feats of strength and the oldtime equipment that bears his name but he also excelled at feats of jumping. Shown here, he could hold a 75 pound globe dumbbell in each hand and jump over a table that was 36 inches high and 25 inches wide. He could also turn a somersault holding dumbbells in each hand. |  G.W. Rolandow |
Labels: Feat, G.W. Rolandow, Globe Dumbbells, Jumping Feats, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Somersault
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
Friday, January 18, 2008
 "Good" Dumbbells | Harry Good (of Good Brothers fame) established the Good Barbell Company in the late 1930's and ran it all the way into the 1970's. With the nature of the business back then, the "Good equipment" was more prominent locally. These 75-pound Good Dumbbells sat in a cental Pennsylvania YMCA for the last 50 years. |
Labels: Globe Dumbbells, Good Brothers, Good Dumbbells, Harry Good, 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 07, 2007
| 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 |
Labels: Bench Press, Deadlift, Dumbbell Shrug, Dumbbell Training, Dumbbell Workout, Dumbbells, Dumbbells Row, Globe Dumbbells, Press, Tricep Curls, York
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, November 02, 2007
The Louis Cyr Challenge DumbbellThis incredible dumbbell belonged to the famous Quebec strongman Louis Cyr who used it in his act as a challenge for anyone to lift it.
Due to the 1-5/8 inch thick handle the bell is difficult to lift but it was specially designed for Cyr who had a very strong grip. It weighed 202 pounds empty and at its heaviest, packed with metal pellets, Cyr's Dumbbell weighed 273 pounds. Cyr handled it easily using the overhead "side press" style.
To this day only a handful of men have been successful in lifting it overhead with one arm.
Among them John Grimek, Sig Klein, and Wally Zagurski as shown above using the bent press style (Yes, that's the exact dumbbell above being lifted by those individuals at different points in time.) The Cyr Dumbbell currently resides in the York Barbell Company Hall of Fame in York, Pennsylvania.
Labels: Bent Press, Challenge Weight, Dumbbell, Globe Dumbbells, John Grimek, Louis Cyr, Side Press, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat, Thick Bar, Wally Zagurski, York Barbell Hall of Fame
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 30, 2007
Sig Klein Dumbbell Clean and PressSig 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.
Labels: Clean and Press, Dumbbells, Globe Dumbbells, Overhead Press, Press, Sig Klein, 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
Monday, October 29, 2007
Strongman EquipmentYou'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.
Labels: Barbells, Blockweights, Chest Expanders, Dumbbells, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, 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, October 22, 2007
Sig Klein One Arm Dumbbell PressThe One Arm Dumbbell Press is a great power builder for the shoulders and upper body. -- You should include it in your program and work up to well over a hundred pounds. Here's a look at the great Sig Klein pressing an old Milo Globe Dumbbell. At a bodyweight of only 150 pounds, Sig Klein could do a ten reps with each arm in a 'see-saw' press with a pair of 100 lb. dumbbells.
Labels: Globe Dumbbells, Milo Barbell Company, Oldtime Strongman, Overhead Press, Sig Klein, Strongman Equipment, 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
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
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