Thursday, January 28, 2010
Hand BalancingI don't know if there has ever been a strength athlete as well-rounded as Sig Klein. He was a champion in pretty much every area of strength training that you could imagine. Here's Sig performing a very interesting hand balancing feat. You also gotta love Sig's taste in equipment as well.
Labels: Balance Feat, Globe Barbell, hand balancer, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, Sig Klein
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Monday, December 21, 2009
Joe ZimmermanJoe Zimmerman and his brother Dick were Bob Hoffman's neighbors in York, Pennsylvania and they hung around the York Barbell Company office doing crazy feats of strength. Here's Joe performing a hand stand on some boxes -- which is tough enough by itself -- but he is also lifting the 202-pound Louis Cyr Dumbbell in his teeth at the same time!
Labels: Bob Hoffman, Feat, Hand Balancing, handstand, Jaw Strength, Joe Zimmerman, Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell, York Barbell Company
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Friday, October 09, 2009
Bobby PandourOne of the all-time great physiques belonged to Bobby Pandour of Poland. He was an excellent at muscle control as well as hand balancing so much so that he performed an act with his brother Ludovic in the Ringling Brothers Circus in the early 1900's
Labels: Bobby Pandour, Classic Physique, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Act, Physique Star, Polish Strongman, Ringling Brothers Circus
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Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Professor Leo StevensThanks in large part to Professor Attila, New York City was a hotbed of strongman activity during the early 20th century. One of his pupils was Professor Leo Stevens who is shown here balanced precariously on a few chairs with a heavy barbell strapped around his neck at the same time. Professor Stevens was sickly for most of his life and took up regular physical (at 46 years old!) to cure his ills - it looks like it worked.
Labels: Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, Neck Strength, New York Strongman, Professor Attila, Professor Leo Stevens
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Friday, August 28, 2009
Clevio Massimo Strongman PosterAn old poster of the strongman Clevio Massimo during the time he appeared on the stage throughout the country, depicting some of the feats of strength he included in his act: harness lifting, the One Arm get Up, Kettlebell Crucifix, card ripping, hand balancing etc. He included quite a variety; many not illustrated here, and his ability as a showman only enhanced his fine performances. Massimo also played the violin in one portion of his act to prove he was a capable musician as well as a genuine strongman.
Labels: Card Ripping, Clevio Massimo, Feats of Strength, Hand Balancing, Harness Lifting, Neck Bridge, One Arm Getup, Poster, Strongman Poster
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Sunday, August 16, 2009
Bill LillyWilliam Lynwood "Bill" Lilly was a great strength athlete, strongman, hand balancer, acrobat, weightlifter and Muscle Control expert from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Like many strength stars, he began physical training while engaged in gymnastics, excelling in the pommmel horse, horizontal bar and parallel bars. At the age of 19 in January of 1925, he bought his first barbell and began systematic weight training in addition to his gymnastic pursuits.
At a bodyweight of around 150 pounds, he was able to achieve the following lifts:
Lilly also practiced Muscle Control daily.Squat: 340 lbs. Stiff-Leg Deadlift: 300 lbs. Barbell Curl: 118 lbs x 6
Labels: Bill Lilly, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, One Arm Planche
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Wednesday, August 05, 2009
The York Hand Balancing CourseIt took a couple years but I finally tracked down an extremely rare copy of the York Hand Balancing Course. It was well worth the wait, you wouldn't believe what's in there.
I believe that it was written by Bob Jones. We may actually reprint the York Hand Balancing Course at some point in the near future.
Labels: Bob Jones, Hand Balancing, Training Course, York Hand Balancing Course
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Friday, June 19, 2009
 Wally Allen and Martin Wilson | Years ago, 'weight lifting' was thought by many people to make athletes musclebound and inflexible. Here's a couple gents who certainly proved that wrong. Wally Allen, on the bottom, could press 200 pounds, succeeeded with a pullover of 125 pounds and could bench press 330 - not bad considering he weighed only 175 pounds. The top man Marty allen was also a very good lifter in his own right - both of these men were York Barbell Men all the way, in addition to making their living as professional hand balancers. |
Labels: Bodyweight Feat, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Act
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Friday, May 29, 2009
Bert Elliot ~ Hand Balancing FeatWhen you think about it, this is one hell of a strength feat: Weightlifting and strongman champ Bert Elliott supports his friend Cliff Graham in a hand stand position, then slowly presses him to lockout. It's one thing to do this with a barbell but with a human being, perfectly balanced the whole time? Simply an amazing display of strength and skill by both athletes.
Labels: Bert Elliott, Cliff Graham, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, Press
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Wednesday, May 06, 2009
| Hand Balancing was part of Doug Hepburn's regular training program. He figured the the increased blood flow to the upper body while in the inverted position would be good for building his pressing strength. Given his track records, there certainly may be something to that. Here's Doug as the 'bottom man' in a unique feat: that's a 205 pound barbell and a 170 pound man he's holding overhead. This picture is more impressive than it may appear when you consider how they got in that position in the first place - a feat in itself. This picture was taken just after Doug established a new world record in the press with a lift of 353 pounds. |  Doug Hepburn ~ Hand Balancing |
Labels: Doug Hepburn, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, Press
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Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Robert B. SnyderThere have been more than a few great strongmen who are not giants. A perfect example is Robert B. Snyder of Hagerstown, Maryland. As a boy he was inspired by the strongman from the Forepaugh & Sells circus and began training by lifting barrels and stones. He also taught himself hand balancing - something which he would become exceptionally good at.
At the age of 14 (weighing 116 pounds) Snyder lifted his first barbell -- a MILO barbell owned by a local strongman. Shortly afterward, Snyder began following MILO barbell course #1 and showed tremendous improvement... so much so that he was featured in Bernarr MacFadden's Physical Culture Magazine as well as Alan Calvert's STRENGTH Magazine.
At his heaviest, Snyder weighed only 139 pounds yet was incredibly strong easily performing multiple one-arm chins with each hand as well as lifting poundages well above bodyweight. Above, Snyder performs the one-arm get up lift with a human weight.
Labels: Alan Calvert, Barrel Lifting, Circus Strongman, Hand Balancing, Human Lift, Milo Bar Bell Courses, Milo Barbell Company, One Arm Getup, Robert B. Snyder, Stone Lifting, Strength Magazine
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Jimmie PayneJimmie Payne was one of Jack LaLanne's good friends and training partners at the original Muscle Beach scene in Santa Monica, California. Payne's background in hand balancing served him well, first as a lifting champion, then as a physique title holder (He competed in the Pro Mr. America four times) and finally as a stage athlete. He and his lovely partner Cindy Layne performed across the country as "Payne and Layne."
He was no slouch in 'normal' lifts either, accomplishing a straight-arm pullover with 160 pounds, deadlifting 500 pounds for 8 reps and a standing press with a pair of 115-pound dumbbells.
Labels: Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Act, Hand Balancing Feat, Jack LaLanne, Jimmie Payne, Muscle Beach, Pro Mr. America, Santa Monica California
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Friday, April 03, 2009
| Incredible handbalancing feats were a common sight at the original Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California. Here's what I'm talking about: Starting at the top is professional hand balancer Gene Miller, Jack Lalanne, Deforest "Moe" Most, the Original Sports Director of Muscle Beach, and at the bottom is weightlifting and bodybuilding champ Harold Zinkin. This feat that is even more impressive than you might realize. Most people can't get into a full back bend position in the first place, Zinkin does so while supporting 400+ pounds. This picture was taken in 1944. |  Handbalancing on Muscle Beach |
Labels: Gene Miller, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, Harold Zinkin, Jack LaLanne, Moe Most, Muscle Beach, Santa Monica California
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Monday, March 30, 2009
The Jackson Trio... Easily one of the most amazing photographs ever taken. Jarley Smith, Jewell Waddek, and Jimmy "Muscles" Jackson were known professionally as the "Jackson Trio" as they traveled the country performing on the Vaudeville circuit.
On August 21st, 1934, with the newsreel cameras rolling, the trio balanced precariously on a ledge of the Paramount building overlooking Times Square while this famous picture was taken. While in New York, the trio always trained at Sig Klein's Gym!
Labels: Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Act, Hand Balancing Feat, Jarley Smith, Jewell Waddek, Jimmy Jackson, Sig Klein's Gym, The Jackson Trio, Vaudeville
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Friday, March 20, 2009
MaxickThe amazing Maxick was best known for his muscle control ability, but he still moved some very impressive weights. Maxick could swing a 150-pound dumbbell - a dumbbell as heavy as his own bodyweight. He could also overhead press over 230 pounds. He was also a very good hand balancer, and could easily walk up and down a flight of stairs on his hands.
Labels: Dumbbell Swing, Hand Balancing, Maxick, Muscle Control, Press
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Friday, March 06, 2009
A Man Ahead of His Time: Jimmie PayneJimmie Payne was a popular west coast bodybuilder, hand balancer and arm wrestling champ. He regularly appreared on the television show "You Asked for It" performing unusual feats of balance and dexterity. Payne trained at Yarick's Gym and was also a regular at Muscle Beach.
Here he does a little lifting while balanced precariously on a "bongo board" -- he was able to press 180 pounds for 5 reps and, on another occasion, 30 reps with 135. Fifty years ago this was known as "screwin' around" ... these days it's called 'functional training."
Labels: Balance Feat, Ed Yarick's Gym, Hand Balancing, Jimmie Payne, Muscle Beach
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Thursday, February 26, 2009
 Bill Hunt | Bill Hunt of Darwen, England was a magnificent hand balancer with many amazing feats to his credit. Here's one that you sure will not see every day: his most daring feat. Bill climbed to the top of a six-foot tall ladder, assumed the handstand position at the very top then jumped down and landed on a table beside it, all while still maintaining the handstand position! |
Labels: Bill Hunt, British Strongman, hand balancer, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Handstands!You won't see many pictures like this these days. This is a group of six Chicago "Turners" each doing a handstand on a set of parallel bars. Note the sets of Indian clubs, wooden dumbbells and Milo weights on the wall in the background. The picture dates to 1905.
Labels: Classic Gym, Gymnastics, Hand Balancing, handstand, Indian Clubs, Milo Barbell Company, Physical Culture, Physical Culture Equipment, Turnverein, Vintage Gymnasiums, Wooden Dumbbells.
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Thursday, February 05, 2009
Pudgy StocktonAt the original Muscle Beach here's the great Pudgy Stockton supporting a 180-pound man in the hand-to-hand balancing and a 165-pound man doing a hand stand on her knees. Pudgy practiced a number of different types of training, weightlifting, hand balancing and acrobatics.
Labels: Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, Pudgy Stockton
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Sunday, January 11, 2009
| Bob Jones certainly has my vote for the greatest hand balancer of all time. Here's a look at another one of his amazing feats: Jones could balance on a piano bench on his thumbs! Make no mistake about it, this level of strength and skill took years to develop. |  Bob Jones |
Bob Jones' thumbsLabels: Bob Jones, hand balancer, Hand Balancing, Thumb Strength
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Friday, December 26, 2008
 The York Hand Balancing Course | The name York Barbell is synonymous with freeweights -- barbells, dumbbells and the like, but they were all about "Strength" in all its many forms. Hand Balancing was, of course, a very popular method of training even with the typical "barbell" man. Articles with hand balancing techniques regularly appeared in Strength and Health Magazine. And, as many past champions demonstrated, hand balancing was a good method for improving one's barbell overhead press. An advertisement for the York Hand Balancing course is shown at the left. |
Labels: Advertisement, Hand Balancing, Strength and Health, Training Course, York Barbell, York Hand Balancing Course
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Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Doug Hepburn Handbalancing FeatThe great lifter and strongman Doug Hepburn was quite a handbalancer - something which has been presented here on prior occasions. (He said it helped his overhead press.)
Here's a feat you've probably never seen before though: Doug handbalancing on the top of a basketball backboard. Doug would have had to have been pretty confident in his hand balancing ability to even attempt this one, let alone accomplish it. That's a long way down. WOW!
Labels: Balance Feat, Basketball, Bodyweight Feat, Doug Hepburn, Hand Balancing
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Saturday, October 04, 2008
Pudgy StocktonPudgy Stockton was about 50 years ahead of her time... Today "fitness models" are a common thing. Pudgy was a consumate "iron lady" back in the 40's. She was adept at hand balancing, olympic weight lifting and even had her own column for years in Strength and Health Magazine. She obviously had no trouble lifting this great Milo Dumbbell down on the sands of Muscle Beach.
Labels: Hand Balancing, Muscle Beach, Olympic Weightlifting, Pudgy Stockton, Strength and Health
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Thursday, October 02, 2008
 The Porta-Gym | Direct from the pages of the old Iron Man Magazine comes the Porta-Gym! ... really just a set of pushup handles or mini-parallettes. Either way, you could still use them for some very good bodyweight exercises or sharpen up your hand balancing skills. |
Labels: Advertisement, Bodyweight Training Equipment, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Equipment, Iron Man Magazine, Porta-Gym
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Saturday, September 06, 2008
Doug Hepburn - Steel BendingDoug Hepburn was a man of many strength talents: Champion Weight Lifter, hand balancer, professional wrestler... now you can add Steel Bending to the list as well.
Labels: Doug Hepburn, Hand Balancing, Steel Bending
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Sunday, July 27, 2008
| Here's an ad for a training course you won't be seeing anytime soon: The Kings of Arm Strength by George R. Weaver and David P. Willoughby This course has all the great ones and covers a variety of feats for building bigger and stronger arms: hand balancing,card tearing, horse shoe breaking and many more... I'm fortunate enough to own a copy (and no, it isn't for sale.) This was actually Weaver and Willoughby's second course on arm building with the first titled: Powerful Arms for You. |  The King's of Arm Strength by George Weaver |
Labels: Arm Strength, Card Tearing, David Willoughby, George R. Weaver, Hand Balancing, Horseshoe Bending, The Kings of Arm Strength, Training Course
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Walt MarcyanWalt Marcyan was a great lifter, bodybuilder and hand balancer during the early Santa Monica Muscle Beach days. Walt first picked up a barbell and started training when he was 19 years old and shortly afterwards won the Central AAU Light Heavyweight Lifting Championship.
He followed that up by winning the northwest, Pacific, California, Pacific Coast and Illinois State lifting titles. Walt possessed unusual strength in a number of lifts, above he just missed a one-arm snatch of 210 pounds (at a bodyweight of only 180.)
Marcyan was also the inventor of several pieces of training equipment and his "Marcy Gym" line is still going strong today.
Labels: AAU, Golden Age Bodybuilder, hand balancer, Hand Balancing, Marcy Gym, Muscle Beach, one arm snatch, Walt Marcyan, weightlifting
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Monday, May 26, 2008
The Incredible Arm of Clevio MassimoIt was said that Clevio Massimo's family was descended from great Roman athletes of antiquity. That certainly isn't too difficult to believe, Tony was one of the most musclular men who ever lived and excelled at a number of feats.
He could support a piano and player in the Tomb of Hercules position, bend spikes and tear phonebooks.
He was also a great Hand Balancer and wrestler.
Clevio only weighed 190 pounds but you would never think it looking at his pictures.
Labels: Arm Development, Bend Spikes, Big Arms, Clevio Massimo, Hand Balancing, Italian Strongman, Phonebook Tearing, Tomb of Hercules
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Friday, May 09, 2008
Bert AssiratiOur friends across the pond are sure to recognize the legendary British wrestler Bert Assirati who held the heavyweight championship belt for several years in the 40s and 50s.
Though he was quite stout (5'6", bodyweight of 263) Assirati was one of the strongest and most athletic individuals who ever graced the wrestling ring. He could easily perform a standing backflip, was a master hand balancer and could chin himself three times with either arm, among other feats.
Labels: Bert Assirati, British Wrestler, Hand Balancing, One Arm Chin up, Wrestler, Wrestling
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Ottley Coulter A rare shot of the well-known oldtime strongman Ottley Coulter as a young man.
In the early 1900s, Coulter performed for a number of years with several Circuses, Carnivals, and Vaudeville houses.
Among being a master of many traditional Strongman feats (Spike Bending, Human Bridge, Harness Lifting, Backlifting etc) he was also rather adept at Muscle Control and Hand Balancing.
Interestingly, Coulter was not large like many other well known strongmen of the day, his bodyweight during his peak was 150 pounds.
Later, Coulter, along with George Jowett and David Willoughby formed the first weightlifting governing body in the country: The American Continental Weightlifting Association.
Coulter's vast collection of physical culture books, courses, memoribilia and letters also became the corner stone of the Todd-McLean Physical Culture Collection Holdings currently housed at the University of Texas.
Labels: Carnival Strongman, Circus Strongman, David Willoughby, George Jowett, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, Muscle Control, Oldtime Strongman Exercises, Ottley Coulter, Vaudeville
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Tuesday, April 08, 2008
The Press-UpThe Press-Up is an intermediate handbalancing movement that you must master of you want to move on to more advanced moves.
Be sure not to straighten your legs too quickly or it will cause you to lose your balance and fall foreward. Practice and master this move on parallettes before moving on to the bare floor. (You can find our more tips on this move on page 32 of Bill Hinbern's Handbalancing for Muscular Development.)
Labels: Balance, Bodyweight Exercise, Bodyweight Feat, Exercise, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, Intemediate Handbalancing Move, Parallettes, Press-Up
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Friday, March 28, 2008
| Bob Jones again shows why he was one of the greatest hand balancers who ever lived... a one-arm planche while simultaneously holding a 55-pound dumbbell in the other hand. You won't be seeing this one again any time soon... |  Bob Jones |
Labels: Bob Jones, Bodyweight Feat, Dumbbell, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, One Arm Planche
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Monday, February 18, 2008
 Hand Balancing Made Easy by E.M. Orlick | Professor E.M. Orlick was an outstanding strongman, physical culturist and gymnast who came from a long line of circus performers. Over the years Orlick wrote hundreds of training articles on a variety of topics and was also the editor or "Mr. America" magazine for a number of years as well as the assistant editor of a Boxing/Wrestling magazine. While he was certainly proficient at a number of strength feats but hand balancing was his forte, and he wrote several training courses on the subject. Orlick's training courses include: "Walking and Jumping on Your Hands," "How To Do The One Hand Handstand" and "Hand Balancing Made Easy." |
Labels: E.M Orlick, Gymnastics, hand balancer, Hand Balancing, Oldtime Strongman, Physical Culture, Professor E.M. Orlick
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Friday, February 01, 2008
 The One-Hand Balance | "The experience gained in learning a one-hand balance can play a very important part in your gymnastics program, both in practice and in competition. For the feeling and coordination necessary to balance on one hand will increase your gymnastic ability on all other apparatus. In competition, a one-hand balance can be used to advantage in your free calisthenics or parallel bar routine. In free calisthenics, a one-hand balance on the floor is rated high in difficulty and will bring you points if you hold it for at least three counts, holding your other hand to your side and using good form." |
Labels: Bodyweight Feat, Bodyweight Training, Calisthenics, Gymnastics, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, One Hand Balance
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Thursday, January 24, 2008
Bert Assirati Does a One-Hand Handstand, circa 1948While many hand balancers experts are of the smaller, "gymnastic-type" physique, there were actually several larger strength athletes who could perform hand balancing feats with ease.
The great Canadian Champion Doug Hepburn was a great hand balancer, as was the famous British strongman and Professional wrestler Bert Assirati, (shown here.)
At a young age, Bert was taught how to do all manner of hand balancing feats by an ex-circus performer. You can certainly tell by this picture that he has power to spare.
Labels: Bert Assirati, British Strongman, Doug Hepburn, Feat, Hand Balancing, Hand Balancing Feat, One Hand Balance
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
Harold ZinkinHarold Zinkin, shown here on the cover of the June, 1947 issue of Strength & Health Magazine, won the 1941 "Mr. California" bodybuilding contest and was a fixture on the original Santa Monica Muscle Beach scene where he thrilled the crowds with feats of strength, hand balancing and acrobatics.
Zinkin later invented the Universal Gym Machine.
Labels: Bodybuilding, Cover, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Hand Balancing, Harold Zinkin, Muscle Beach, Strength and Health, Universal Machine
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Saturday, January 05, 2008
Sig Klein Demonstrates The Tiger Bend PushupSig Klein was a master of many bodyweight feats in addition to his weight lifting prowess. He credits the Tiger Bend Pushup for taking his overhead press to championship levels. The tiger bend pushup is also one of the best supplementary exercises for building hand balancing skill.
Labels: Bodyweight Training, Exercise, Hand Balancing, Overhead Press, Pushup, Sig Klein, Tiger Bend Pushup
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
 Bobby Pandour | Bobby Pandour was an early physique superstar and Vaudeville performer during the 1900s. Pandour never trained with heavy weights but built his incredible physique with gymnastics, muscle control work, hand balancing and high-rep training with a pair of 10-pound dumbbells. At his peak Pandour weighed only 160 pounds at a height of 5'6". It was reported that he had a 42-inch chest, 23-inch thighs and 17-inch arms. |
Labels: Bobby Pandour, Bodybuilder, Early Bodybuilder, Gymnastics, Hand Balancing, Physique Star, Vaudeville
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Sunday, December 02, 2007
 Doug Hepburn | It was once thought that strength training would makes athletes stiff and "muscle bound." -- That line of thinking couldn't be further from the truth and here's a good example: In addition to his tremendous lifting feats, Doug Hepburn was also a great hand balancer He believed hand balancing also contributed to his pressing ability. Doug pressed 440 pounds off a rack so I think there's a pretty strong case for that. This picture was taken at Ed Yarick's Gym in Oakland, California in the early 1950's. |
Labels: Doug Hepburn, Ed Yarick's Gym, hand balancer, Hand Balancing, Press, Strongman Feat
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
 Sig Klein | It was through Sig Klein's Kettlebell course that I first learned how to train with kettlebells -- and that was over a decade and a half ago -- a long time before "kettlebell" became a household word. I think Sig had the right idea -- he was very proficient in a number of different strength "disciplines" - weight lifting, kettlebell lifting, gymnastics, hand balancing, and all along with an incredible physique to match his great strength. |
Labels: Gymnastics, Hand Balancing, Kettlebell, kettlebell lifting, Sig Klein, weightlifting
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Friday, November 16, 2007
| Otto Arco was a very popular performing strongman on the vaudeville circuit during the early 20th century. His performance consisted of hand balancing feats with his brother Pete followed by a posing display (which was particularly impressive due to Arco's muscularity.) Arco's training consisted of acrobatics, tumbling, hand balancing, muscle control, weight lifting and wrestling... |  Otto Arco |
Labels: Acrobatics, Hand Balancing, Oldtime Strongman, Otto Arco, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Tumbling, Wrestling
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Sunday, November 04, 2007
| Otto Arco was a great strongman and wrestler during the early part of the 20th century. To further strengthen the arguement that "Strength" and Power is a state of mind (along with proper training), check out the arm of Otto Arco. Arco weighed 138 pounds at a height of 5'2' and developed much of his unusual muculature through Muscle Control and Hand Balancing. You would be very surprised what regular practice of muscle control could do for your training... |  Otto Arco |
Labels: Hand Balancing, Muscle Control, Oldtime Strongman, Otto Arco
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Master Hand Balancer Professor PaulinettiHandbalancing goes back a long way although the man that took it to a whole new level was Professor Paulinetti. He perfected many of the most difficult hand balancing feats -- and was the first man to accomplish the incredibly difficult one-arm planche.
Professor Paulinetti was also the mentor to famed hand balancer Bob Jones. In fact, the image above once belonged to the personal collection of Bob Jones. On the back it is written that this photograph was taken in Italy around the year 1900.
Labels: Bob Jones, Hand Balancing, Planche, Professor Paulinetti, Strongman Feat
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Monday, October 29, 2007
 Pudgy Stockton | If there ever were a "bar belle" it was Abbye "Pudgy" Stockton. (She aquired the nickname "Pudgy" as a child and it stuck.) "Pudgy" weighed 115 pounds at a height of 5'2" and, as you can see, was quite the physical specimen -- especially impressive at a time when weightlifting for either gender was frowned upon. She and husband Les Stockton were well known at the first "Muscle Beach" at Santa Monica, California where they primarily worked on acrobatics and gymnastic feats for the crowds. |
Labels: AAU, Bodybuilding, Clean and Jerk, Gymnastics, Hand Balancing, Les Stockton, Muscle Beach, Press, Pudgy Stockton, Snatch, Strength and Health, weightlifting
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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
Bob Jones: Handbalancer ExtraordinaireEqualed in talent only by his mentor Professor Paulinetti, Bob Jones performed feats of handbalancing mastery that will likely never be duplicated.
Pictured above is one of his most famous feats.
-- He began in a full handstand position with an indian club underneath each fingertip.
One by one, he flicked away each indian club until he was balancing on his thumbs alone, an absolutely mind blowing feat of strength and dexterity.
Labels: Bob Jones, Hand Balancing, Indian Clubs, Professor Paulinetti, 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, September 23, 2007
 "Developing Grip Strength" | Stronger hands and forearms have always been a very important (but often overlooked) area of training for every athlete. Published back in 1986, Developing Grip Strength by David Gentle and David Webster became an instant classic as it was the first "book" ever written specifically on the subject of grip training. You'll be lucky to find a copy these days -- I've seen them listed at several hundred dollars on some of the used book sites. |
While this book is quite rare, you can learn how to train for many of these feats with the four different courses in our Classic Grip Course Collection
Labels: Chest Expander, David Gentle, David Webster, Grip Strength, Hand Balancing, Hand Grippers, Nail Bending, One Arm Deadlift, Phonebook Tearing, Single Finger Lifts, Sledge Hammer Leverage
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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 09, 2007
Clevio Massimo
CLEVIO MASSIMO SABATINO, professionally known as Clevio Massimo , was born in Opi Labruza, Italy in 1895. When only a small boy he immigrated into this country and made Buffalo, New York his home.
During his early school days his love for athletics found him participating in all sports, and by other systematic forms of bodybuilding built for him a musculature which even today is envied by many bodybuilders.
Shortly after finishing high school, Clevio Massimo toured the country performing strongman feats, hand balancing, adagio dancing and muscle control. For a time he even ventured into professional wrestling.
You can find out more about Clevio Massimo in The Mark Berry Bar Bell Courses.
Labels: Clevio Massimo, Hand Balancing, Mark Berry, Muscle Control, Strongman
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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