Monday, November 30, 2009
John GrimekHere's the great John Grimek performing what is commonly known as "the overhead downward pull" with a chest expander. This is an excellent movement for broadening the back muscles, and one that you should be doing if you train at all with chest expanders.
Labels: Back Exercise, Chest Expander, Chest Expander Exercises, Chest Expanders, John Grimek, Overhead Downward Pull, Upper Body Exercise, York Chest Expanders
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Thursday, November 26, 2009
The Front BridgeThe Back Bridge gets a lot of press but the Front Bridge, as demonstrated here by John Grimek, is also a very good exercise choice for building neck strength". Both exercises are discussed in detail in Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey.
Labels: Back Bridge, Bodyweight Calisthenics, Bodyweight Exercise, Combat Conditioning, Front Bridge, John Grimek, Neck Development, Neck Exercise
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Tuesday, October 27, 2009
| Ironman Magazine is a well-known publication these days but it all started way back in 1936 with this issue. As you can see it was originally called "Super-Physique" and featured John Grimek on the cover. (It wasn't titled "Iron Man" until issue #2.) As the story goes, Peary Rader found an old mimeograph machine in the garbage, fixed it up, and started putting out a magazine on physical training. There were only 50 copies of "#1" ever produced, mostly just for Rader's friends. They liked what they saw, Peary Rader edited and produced every issue of Ironman for the next 50 years! |  Ironman Magazine #1 |
Labels: Bodybuilding Magazine, Cover, Iron Man Magazine, John Grimek, Peary Rader, Super-Physique
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009
John Grimek vs. The Weaver StickJohn Grimek was a master of many different lifts, among them the The Weaver Stick. In fact, Grimek set a modern record with a lift of 11-3/4 pounds in the "front" style shown here.
Labels: Grip Strength, John Grimek, Weaver Stick, Wrist Strength
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Wednesday, September 02, 2009
John Grimek: 1940 Mr. America Here's a rare shot of John Grimek right after winning the 1940 AAU Mr. America contest. Grimek would come back and win it again the next year too. Shortly afterward they passed a rule that someone could only win the contest one time, otherwise Grimek would just have likely run away with it for the next decade or so.
Labels: 1940 Mr. America Contest, AAU, Bodybuilder, John Grimek, Mr America, Mr. America 1940
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Monday, August 31, 2009
The York Leg Developing Course"A man is as good as his legs" ... so began one of the all-time classic training booklets: "The York Leg Developing Course" written by Bob Hoffman. Originally written back in 1943, the training information is just as pertinent -- and effective -- these days. As you might guess, squats were prominently featured.
Labels: Bob Hoffman, John Grimek, Leg Development, Leg Work, Leg Workout, Squat, Training Course, York Barbell Company, York Leg Course, York Leg Developing Course
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Thursday, August 20, 2009
John Grimek and Classic WeightsWhen you work at the York Barbell Company you get to lift some classic weights any time you want to. Here's John Grimek about to do just that. The top one is the famous Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell. The middle one is a giant dumbbell which belonged to the great French strongman Apollon. Dave Sheppard can be seen lifting that one here and I can be found using it here. You can see Grimek using the bottom one here.
Labels: Apollon, Apollon's Dumbbell, Classic Equipment, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbell, John Grimek, Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell, York Barbell Company
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The 1938 World Weightlifting TeamThe 1938 World Weightlifting team that lifted in Vienna, Austria. From left to right: Steve Stanko, John Davis, John Terry, Tony Terlazzo, John Terpak and John Grimek. Davis and Terlazzo won their respective classes with the others placing second to fourth.
Labels: 1938 World Weightlifting Team, John Davis, John Grimek, John Terpak, John Terry, Olympic Weightlifting, Steve Stanko, Tony Terlazzo, York Lifters
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Sunday, August 16, 2009
John GrimekLike many of the oldtimers, John Grimek recommended the One-Arm Dumbbell Press for building wider shoulders. Grimek suggested six to seven repetitions per arm for best results.
Labels: Dumbbell Press, John Grimek, One Arm Dumbbell Press, One Arm Press, Shoulder Exercise, Upper Body Exercise, Wider Shoulders
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Wednesday, August 05, 2009
What Do You Press?"What Do You Press?" means something much different today than it did several decades back. It's a shame, the overhead press is a much better exercise for building upper-body strength than the much more popular bench press.
Are there any bodybuilders today even half as strong as John Grimek? Here's Grimek performing a continental & press with 285 pounds.
Labels: Continental, John Grimek, Overhead Press, Upper Body Exercise
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Friday, July 24, 2009
The Hip LiftOne of the most interesting training techniques of the Oldtime Strongmen is to use short-range movements with very heavy weights. This not only gives a super workout for the muscles, but strengthens the tendons and gives the psychological boost of being able to lift far above what you would normally be able to.
Here's John Grimek, training his legs by performing Hip Lifts with what looks like 600 lbs. or so. To find out more about how Grimek trained, you'll want to pick up a copy of the Mark Berry Bar Bell Courses (with this famous picture on the cover).
Labels: Grimek Exercise, Heavy Partial Movements, Hip Lift, John Grimek, Leg Exercise, Mark Berr Bar Bell Courses, Mark Berry, Tendon and Ligament Training, Tendon Strength
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Monday, July 06, 2009
The Weaver StickThe great strength author George Weaver came up with a unique strength challenge which now bears his name: The Weaver Stick.
You can easily make your own with a broom stick. An official weaver stick is exactly 42 inches long with the challenge being to grasp the end of it, no closer than 5-1/2 inches from the opposite end, and lift a weight from the floor, all the while keeping the stick perfectly level.
A lift of 6-8 pounds in this manner is exceptional. The great weight lifting champion John Davis for example, could lift 8 pounds, while John Grimek set the modern record with 11 pounds.
Labels: George R. Weaver, Grip Challenge, Grip Strength, John Davis, John Grimek, Weaver Stick, Wrist Strength
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Monday, June 22, 2009
John Grimek: One-Arm Barbell SnatchMany people have ascribed John Grimek's well-rounded physique to the fact that he was very well-rounded in his training. He pressed, he squatted, he trained his grip, he used the wrist roller, he even trained upside-down. Here's Grimek performing a one-arm barbell snatch with 145 pounds - a feat that you will rarely see these days.
Labels: Barbell, Grip Training, John Grimek, one arm snatch, Press, Squat, Wrist Roller Training, York Deep Dish 45 Pound Plate
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Monday, June 01, 2009
Grimek Training With The Automatic ExerciserJohn Grimek loved to train with just about everything. Here's the man getting in a quick set of deadlifts with one of Professor Schmidt's Automatic Exerciser machines. Schmidt machines were a pretty nifty idea even back then, someone should see about bringing them back...
Labels: Antique Equipment, Deadlift, John Grimek, Professor Schmidt, Schmidt Machine
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Monday, May 11, 2009
| |
A short video clip featuring Brooks Kubik and Dinosaur Training in action. Log lifting... Barrel Lifting... Anvil Lifting... John Davis... Doug Hepburn... John Grimek... Arthur Saxon... Heavy Dumbbells... Basement lifting... Power Rack Work... Grip Training... If you don't want your own copy after watching this then you had better check your pulse.
Labels: 1 Leg Squat, Anvil Lifting, Arthur Saxon, Barrel Lifting, Brooks Kubik, Dinosaur Training, Doug Hepburn, George Jowett, John Grimek, Odd Object Lifting, Press, Video
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Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Clash of the Titans: Grimek vs. StankoWhat would happen if two of the greatest strength athletes in history went head to head? Whether bodybuilding, olympic lifting or unusual feats of strength, I would say the matchup between John Grimek and Steve Stanko is pretty evenly matched. Only history knows the outcome of this armwrestling match...
Labels: Arm Wrestling, John Grimek, Mr. America, Mr. Universe, Steve Stanko
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Sunday, April 05, 2009
 John GrimekThe 1941 AAU Mr. America contest is notable since it was the second time it was won by John Grimek - the first and last time any man won it twice. The next year they changed the rule so that someone could only win it once -- figuring (probably rightly so) that Grimek would keep winning the contest indefinitely. | 1. John Grimek 2. Jules Bacon 3. Frank Leight 4. Elwood Holbrook 5. Ludwig Schusterich 6. Terry Robinson - Paul Como - Paul Davis - Roland Essmaker - Melvin Kahn - Constantine Kosiras - Tommy O'Hare - Joseph Peters - Steve Stern - Kimon Voyages - Elmer Witmer - Harold Woomer Most Muscular: Ludwig Schusterich Best Chest: Frank Leight Best Back: Paul Davis Best Abs: Melvin Kahn Best Arms: Elwood Holbrook |
Labels: 1941 Mr. America, 1941 Mr. America Contest, Bodybuilding Contest, Elwood Holbrook, Frank Leight, John Grimek, Jules Bacon, Kimon Voyages
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Thursday, April 02, 2009
 Upside Down Training | As mentioned several times, John Grimek trained in a variety of different ways. Here's a little something that he came up with: upside down training. Grimek was doing this as far back as the 1920's and even installed a special apparatus in the doorway of the old York Gym which allowed him to hang by his ankles. This technique had two purposes: 1. To stretch out his back and keep it flexible after a heavy workout. 2. A new angle literally for some basic exercises. Grimek's favorite upside down exercises were pullovers and lateral raises. |
Labels: Dumbbell Exercises, John Grimek, Lateral Raise, Pullover, Upside Down Training, York Gym
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Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Two Legends: John Grimek and The Mighty Atom I think it's safe to say that the York Barbell Company in York Pennsylvania is where everything in the strength world once came together... Here's a meeting between legendary oldtime strongman The Mighty Atom, Joe Greenstein and equally legendary bodybuilder John Grimek.
This meeting occured at the annual Pennsylvania Interstate Fair, at which the Atom performed feats of strength until well into his 70s. Here 'The Atom 'is showing John Grimek a poster from his recent series of performances back in the Motherland.
Labels: John Grimek, The MIghty Atom, York Barbell Company, York Pennsylvania
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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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Thursday, January 29, 2009
Bob Hoffman - "Functional Training"Modern "functional training" methods advocate training in an unstable environment. This is not a new concept, however, Bob Hoffman pioneered it decades ago on some warm York, Pennsylvania afternoon: try repetition clean and presses while balanced on the gunwale of a canoe. John Grimek looks on in amazement.
Labels: Bob Hoffman, Clean and Press, John Grimek
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Wednesday, December 31, 2008
| Iron Boots have been around for a long time and many different strength companies have their own version. The advertisement shown here is for the York iron boot, which had a unique thumb-screw attachment on the back for holding dumbbell bars in place. As the ad says, they were essentially "dumbbells for your feet." Iron boots could be used for a variety of leg exercises but were also particularly useful for abdominal work such as hanging leg raises and the like. Grimek particularly liked the standing side leg raise with iron boots. iron boots were also often referred to as "health shoes." |  Iron Boots |
Labels: Grimek Exercise, Iron Boots, John Grimek, Oldtime Strength Equipment
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Results of the 1940 AAU Mr. America Contest:
| 1. John Grimek 2. Frank Leight 3. Ludwig Schusterich 4. Chick Deutch 5. John Gallagher 6. George Lapausky - Dave Asnis - Monroe Brown - Jack Channing - Elmer Farnham - Carl Hempe - Gene Jantzen - Melvin Kahn - Terry Robinson - Tony Terlazzo - Joseph Thaler - Herman Weinsoff - Charles Whitlock |  John Grimek won the "Most Muscular" subdivision as well as the overall title |
Labels: 1940 Mr. America Contest, Bodybuilding, Frank Leight, John Grimek, Most Muscular, Mr. America 1940, Tony Terlazzo
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Sunday, December 28, 2008
John GrimekIt has been said that it was impossible to take a bad picture of John Grimek, and I believe it. Today, there there are bodybuilders who outweigh Grimek by over a hundred pounds, yet few are more impressive...
Labels: Bodybuilding, John Grimek
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
An In Interesting Grip FeatGrip Feats come in all shapes and sizes. Here's John Grimek performing an interesting one that can be done just about anywhere: pick up a chair by the leg keeping it level the whole time. Grimek could do it with extra weight, as shown by the barbell plate on the seat.
Labels: Grip Feat, Grip Strength, John Grimek
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Monday, November 03, 2008
Mark H. BerryMark Berry was well known for his excellent training courses but his contributions to the strength world extended far beyond that. He was a very successful featherweight lifter in the American Continental Weight-Lifter's Association (ACWLA) during the mid-1920's.
He also became the editor of Strength Magazine, director of the Milo Barbell Company and helped establish the Association of Bar Bell Men (ABBM) which was a governing body for weightlifting and bodybuilding.
In addition to these accomplishments, Berry was also a coach for the 1932 and 1936 Olympic weightlifting team and was an early mentor to a young John Grimek.
Labels: ABBM, ACWLA, Barbell, John Grimek, Mark Berry, Milo Barbell Company, Strength Author, Strength Magazine
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Sunday, October 05, 2008
John Grimek and Chest Expander TrainingJohn Grimek was a fan of many different types of training but chest expanders were one of his favorite. Quick, portable and most importantly: effective.
Here he is demonstrating a great shoulder exercise, the one-arm press with one of the old spring-type chest expanders... (if you're going to be using springs, I recommend wearing a shirt.)
Labels: Chest Expander Exercises, Chest Expanders, John Grimek, Spring Expander
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Monday, June 23, 2008
John Grimek, in mid-one-arm snatch. It was often written that Grimek credited his all-around development to his using a wide variety of exercises.
John Grimek - One Arm SnatchLabels: Bodybuilder, John Grimek, one arm snatch
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Friday, March 28, 2008
| One of John Grimek's favorite grip training exercises was the wrist roller. Wrist rollers range from a simple piece of wood with a cord tied around it, to a more detailed and durable steel version -- either way a couple rolls in either direction with a wrist roller will give you a great forearm workout. We're currently working on our own version, look for it soon... |  The Wrist Roller |
Labels: Grimek Exercise, Grimek Workout, Grip Equipment, Grip Exercise, Grip Strength, Grip Tools, Hand Strength, John Grimek, wrist roller
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Friday, March 21, 2008
Frank Leight - Mr. America 1942Frank Leight, AAU Mr. America 1942, with some classic globe barbells and kettlebells on the cover of the July, 1942 issue of Strength and Health Magazine.
Frank Leight finished 2nd in 1940 (losing to John Grimek and 3rd in 1941 (again behind Grimek, and Jules Bacon)before finally winning the Mr. America contest himself in 1942.
Labels: AAU, Bodybuilding, Cover, Frank Leight, Globe Barbell, Golden Age Bodybuilder, John Grimek, Jules Bacon, Milo Kettlebell, Mr. America, Strength and Health Magazine
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
 John Grimek | This photograph was taken on May 25, 1940 as John Grimek competed in the Heavy weight class (weighing 183 pounds!) at the weightlifting Senior Nationals at Madison Squar Garden, New York City. In the afternoon he placed 3rd by totalling 860 pounds (including the 285 pound press shown here) Later that day he beat Frank Leight to win the AAU Mr. America bodybuilding title, including the "Most Musclular" and "Best Arms" subdivions. |
Labels: AAU, Best Arms, Bodybuilding, John Grimek, Most Muscular, Mr. America 1940, Overhead Press, weightlifting
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Thursday, February 07, 2008
The EZ Kurl BarThe EZ-Kurl (or Curl) bar is a fairly common piece of equipment these days but there was a time when it wasn't quite so well-known.
| A man named Lewis G. Dymeck invented the Dymek Curling bar (better known as the "EZ Curl" bar) and was granted the patent for it on May 23, 1950. Dymeck invented this unusual bar to train the biceps in a different manner than with a straight bar. The idea caught on... Soon many strength equipment companies began selling their own version of this piece of equipment. That's John Grimek, of course, demonstrating the York Barbell version. |  Dymeck EZ Curl Bar Patent |
Labels: Arm Development, Bicep Exercise, Bicep Strength, Dymeck Curl Bar, EZ Curl Bar, EZ Kurl Bar, John Grimek, Louis G. Dymeck, Training Equipment, Unusual Training Equipment
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Wednesday, February 06, 2008
 John Grimek Hip Lift | The "hip lift" is an oldtime exercise where a very heavy weight is moved only a few inches with the aid of a a leather harness attached to a stout bar. With a setup like this, a tremendous amount of weight can be moved, sometimes even a ton or more. The great John Grimek demonstrates it here. You'll probably recognize this picture from the front of the Mark Berry Barbell Courses |
Labels: Hip Lift, John Grimek, Leg Development, Oldtime Lift
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
| John Grimek had his eye on lifting the Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell for a long time. Needless to say the ponderous weight defied his attempts to lift it, just as it had for the better part of nearly a century. Finally, Grimek succeeded in bent-pressing the thick-handled dumbbell overhead and added his name to a very short list. You can currently see the Cyr Challenge dumbbell at the York Barbell Hall of Fame in York Pennslyvania. |  John Grimek Bent-Presses the Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell |
Labels: Bent Press, Challenge Weight, Globe Dumbbell, John Grimek, Louis Cyr, Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell, Shot Loaded, Strongman Equipment, Thick Handle, York Barbell Hall of Fame
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Sunday, January 06, 2008
The Hip LiftThe Hip Lift is an old time exercise for building leg power. -- It involves using a belt attached to a heavy weight that will just clear the floor when the legs are straightened.
Several thousand pounds are able to be lifted in this manner.
On the left, Charles MacMahon hip lifts a heavy barbell circa 1917 at the Milo Barbell Company.
On the right, John Grimek uses the very same setup to train for Warren Lincoln Travis' Challenge at the York Barbell Company in 1949.
Labels: Charles MacMahon, Exercises Leg Strength, Hip Lift, John Grimek, Leg Power, Milo Barbell Company, Oldtime Strongman Feat, York Barbell Company
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Saturday, January 05, 2008
| You can see why they say Steve Reeves has the classic physique -- he looked like a Greek statue brought to life. He was also one of the most successful bodybuilders of all time, winning almost every contest he entered including the 1947 AAU Mr. America title. Reeves trained at the York Barbell Club in York, PA for the 1950 NABBA Mr. Universe contest (which he won.) While there, John Grimek, watched him train, and later wrote an article about what he saw in the November, 1964 issue of Muscular Development Magazine. |  Steve Reeves |
Labels: AAU, Bodybuilding, Classic Physique, Exercises, John Grimek, Mr. America, Mr. Universe, Muscular Development, NABBA, Steve Reeves, Workout
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Friday, January 04, 2008
| "The Most important muscles of the body and also the most neglected are the muscles of the mid-section." ... That's how the York Abdominal course begins, and I agree. Bob Hoffman and the York Barbell Company produced several training courses like this one and they are all classics. That's John Grimek on the cover, using the York abdominal board for situps. |  The York Abdominal Course |
Labels: John Grimek, Training Course, York Abdominal Course, York Barbell Company
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Monday, December 10, 2007
| John Grimek was impressive from all angles and excelled at a number of different strength feats -- but don't forget that the foundation of his strength and power was intense squatting and other forms of heavy leg work. Grimek was able to squat 400 pounds for reps well into his 60s. |  John Grimek Squatting |
Labels: Bodybuilding, Foundation of Strength, John Grimek, Leg Work, Power, Squat, Strength
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Tuesday, December 04, 2007
 Chest Expander Training With John Grimek | John Grimek loved training and he trained with as many different kinds of methods as you could think of. Harness lifting, the bent press, heavy dumbbell work, swings, squats, grip work and so much more -- one of his favorites though was chest expander training. Chest expanders, unlike traditional barbells and dumbbells, are not limited by gravity, therefore you can perform a number of useful movements that can't be done any other way. In the picture, John Grimek performs the "front pull" -- one of the very best chest expander exercises. |
Labels: Chest Expanders, Front Pull, John Grimek, Training Equipment
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Wednesday, November 21, 2007
| When you see that the many of the strongest men who ever lived all trained with the same exercise, you ought to start paying attention. This picture was taken at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on December 22nd, 1941. Grimek and the York Gang toured the country promoting weightlifting. At these exhibitions, Grimek performed military presses with 290 pounds. |  John Grimek: Military Press |
Labels: Barbell, Bodybuilding, Exercise, John Grimek, Military Press, Press, York Gang
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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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Friday, November 09, 2007
| The York Barbell Company sold more iron than anyone, so why is John Grimek pictured here throwing a canvas sandbag around? A couple of reasons: |  Sandbag Training With The York Gang |
Secondly, Grimek loved all different kinds of training and a sandbag offered a new challenge, something altogether different than regular barbells and dumbbells would provide. Not to mention that the sandbag provides more of a grip challenge than a barbell ever could.
Front Raises, overhead Press, Row, Deadlifts and Curls -- A pretty nifty program for full-body strength.
Labels: John Grimek, Sandbag Curl, Sandbag Deadlift, Sandbag Front Raise, Sandbag Overhead Press, Sandbag Row, Sandbag Training, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat, York Barbell Company
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007
| 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 Horse |
Labels: Eugen Sandow, John Grimek, Odd Object Lifting, Overhead Support, Power Rack, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Tuesday, November 06, 2007
John Grimek Vs. The Cyr Challenge DumbbellHere's another look at the Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell. From what I understand John Grimek never turned down a challenge. Eventually he was able to add his name to the very short list of men who could get the Cyr Dumbbell Overhead.
Labels: Challenge Weight, Globe Dumbbell, John Grimek, Louis Cyr, Louis Cyr Challenge Dumbbell
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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
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
 John Grimek: Dumbbell Curls | A workout without curls is like a day without sunshine. As a champion in bodybuilding and weightlifting, John Grimek understood the importance of "all around" strength and trained his arms just as hard as everything else. Bicep training helps balance out the triceps in heavy pressing movements and should always be a part of your program. |
Labels: Bicep Training, Bodybuilding, Curl, Dumbbells, John Grimek, 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
Thursday, October 11, 2007
 Harness Lifting 1875 Pounds | Harness lifting was very popular with many old time strongmen. It was a very simple way to move a lot of weight and with the heavy weights and short range of motion, it builds tremendous strength in the bones and ligaments as well as the muscles. You can also see John Grimek performing this exercise on the cover of The Mark Berry Barbell Courses |
Labels: Harness Lift, John Grimek, Mark Berry, Strongman Feat, Supporting 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
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Classic Muscular Development MagazineBob Hoffman and the York Barbell Company began Strength and Health Magazine in 1932 to highlight and promote the wonders of proper strength training to the world. These early Strength and Health magazines covered a variety of topics including bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, Nutrition, athletic training and more.
In 1964, the York Barbell company started its second magazine entitled "Muscular Development" which was devoted specifically to bodybuilding. The editor of Muscular Development Magazine from 1964 until 1986 was none other than John Grimek (who also graced the first cover.)
The first five issues are featured above (January to May 1964) Covermen from left to right John Grimek,Bill Pearl, Bernie Earnst, Larry Scott and Hugo Labra.
Labels: Bernie Earnst, Bill Pearl, Bob Hoffman, Bodybuilding, Hugo Labra, John Grimek, Larry Scott, Muscle Magazine, Muscular Development, York Barbell
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, September 28, 2007
Oldtime Dumbbell Training With John GrimekHere's a nice little dumbbell workout by John Grimek:
1. Two Hands Snatch w/dumbbells
2. Upright Rowing Motion
3. Side Bends
4. Shoulder Shrug
5. Lateral Raise
6. Dumbbell Swing
Grimek was using a pair of adjustable York Dumbbells but feel free to use a solid pair if that's what you have. You can find out more about some of the ways that Grimek trained in The Mark Berry Bar-Bell Courses
Labels: Dumbbell Shrug, Dumbbell Swing, Dumbbell Workout, Dumbbells, Dumbbells Row, Equipment, John Grimek, Lateral Raise, Sidebends, Snatch, Strongman Equipment, Workout
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, September 26, 2007
| Peary Rader began lifting weights at 12 years old in order to build up his 128 pound frame. Heavy, high-rep squats and plenty of milk helped him gain nearly a hundred pounds of muscle over the next few years and, as a result, he went on to become a local weightlifting champion. Needless to say, strength training became a big part of his life once he saw how effective it could be. He wanted to spread the word... In the mid 1930's Rader found a broken mimeograph machine at the school where he worked as a maintenance man, took it home, repaired it and fashioned his own magazine discussing the wonders of proper weight lifting. He mailed the original print run of just 50 copies to his friends -- who liked what they saw -- which inspired Peary Rader to keep publishing. The issues became more and more streamlined and his magazine became known first as "The Iron Man" and later just "Iron Man" which highlighted bodybuilding, weightlifting, nutrition and overall strength training. Over time, Iron Man Magazine became the "Encyclopedia" for serious trainees all over the country and the world with its simple, yet effective training messages and basic workouts. -- Something decidedly lacking in today's strength world... (Pictured above: Joe Miller, Bert Goodrich, John Grimek, Sam Loprinzi, Roy Hilligenn, Bill Pearl, Reg Park, Timmy Leong, and "Red" Lerille) |  |
Labels: Bert Goodrich, Bill Pearl, Bodybuilding, Iron Man Magazine, Joe Miller, John Grimek, Muscle Magazine, Peary Rader, Red Lerille, Reg Park, Roy Hilligenn, Sam Loprinzi, Squat Workout, Timmy Leong
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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