Wednesday, February 24, 2010
In days of yore, one of benchmark tests of strength was a "muscle out" with a 56-pound ring weight. Here's the great British champion Thomas Inch with 56 pounds in the the right hand and a 54-pounds kettlebell in the left.
Labels: 56-Pound Weight, Kettlebell, Muscle Out, Shoulder Strength, Thomas Inch
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 15, 2010
Heavyweight champ Primo Carnera was a "strong man" as well as a strongman. Here's The Preem doing a 'Muscle Out' of a pretty good size kid. I'd say that's a hundred pounds at least. Strong shoulders obviously come in pretty handy in the ring.
Labels: Italian Strongman, Muscle Out, Oldtime Boxers, Primo Carnera, Shoulder Strength
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, August 18, 2009
Gustave Empain the Belgian weightlifter, finished third at the 1903 World Weightlifting Championships, behind Francois Lancoud and Heinrich Schneidereit. His greatest feat, however, was a Muscle Out of 76 pounds, which he did in front of Professor Desbonnet at the Weightlifting Club of France. After retiring from competition, Empain opened a bar in his hometown of Charleroi, Belgium.
Labels: 1903 World Championships, Belgian Strongman, Francois Lancoud, Gustave Empain, Heinrich Schneidereit, Muscle Out, Professor Desbonnet
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 25, 2009
An extremely rare posterof the great French Strongman Apollon. he was called "Le Roi des Athletes" (The King of Athletes) for good reason, even a hundred years later no one has even come close to bettering any of his feats. He is shown performing a Muscle Out with a ring weight and a small horse! Apollon's famous wheels are pictured as well.
Labels: Apollon, Apollon's Wheels, Feats of Strength, French Strongman, Muscle Out, Poster, Ring Weights
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, March 23, 2009
One of the most interesting pieces of training equipment often used by many of the oldtime strongmen were ring weights. An early version of the kettlebell, ringweights were most often used for a variety of training techniques including throwing, such as in the Scottish Highland Games (in which the 56-pound weight for height is contested) as well as the popular oldtime lift "the muscle out."
Labels: 56-Pound Weight, Ancient Kettlebells, Antique Equipment, Equipment, Highland Game Events, Highland Games, Kettlebell, Muscle Out, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Ring Weights, Weight Throwing
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, March 14, 2009
Dr. Rouhet, the great French physical culture instructor, shows off his ability and his training equipment. His favorite feat was to muscle out a 44-pound French ring weight which he does here while also pressing a huge globe dumbbell. Among the other great oldtime equipment, note the heavy indian club on the left. The picture dates to 1910.
Labels: Dr. Georges Rouhet, Dr. Rouhet, French Strongman, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbell, Heavy Indian Clubs, Muscle Out, Physical Culture, Press
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, March 07, 2009
One of Doug Hepburn's favorite feats was to muscle out a 45-pound plate hanging from his pinky finger -- an amazing display of shoulder and grip strength. As evident here, Hepburn could do this with either hand.
Labels: 45 Pound Plate, Doug Hepburn, Finger Strength, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Muscle Out, Shoulder Strength
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, July 28, 2008
Lifting an old York deep-dish 45-pound plate by the hub is impressive enough, but this feat is out of this world. At 69 years of age, "The Mighty Norseman" Karl Norberg not only pinched the plate, he lifted it and performed a Muscle-Out with it - a simply incredible feat of strength!
Labels: Finger Strength, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Hub Lift, Karl Norberg, Muscle Out, York Deep Dish 45 Pound Plate
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, February 18, 2008
| How did the oldtimers train with Kettlebells? The answer might surprise you. In his book The Textbook of Weightlifting, Arthur Saxon lists a few of the different exercises he used: the crucifix, one arm press, and several grip and forearm exercises. Of course, kettlebells also worked pretty well for Combination feats just like this one. (I think that's Kurt Saxon being pressed overhead.) | Arthur Saxon |
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Crucifix, Feat, Human Lift, Kettlebell, Kettlebell Feat, Kurt Saxon, Muscle Out, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Overhead Support, Supporting Feat, The Textbook of Weightlifting
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 "Muscle Out" is an oldtime lift where a weight is held at arms length to the front or side of the body. Generally a block weight or ring weight was used. This lift is quite a test of shoulder strength. If you can accomplish this feat with a 56-pound weight, like the French gentleman on the right, you are indeed strong. | The Muscle Out |
Labels: Blockweights, Exercise, French Strongman, Muscle Out, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Ring Weights, Shoulder Exercise
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, January 08, 2008
| Chuck Ahrens was a giant of a man who was a part of the Muscle Beach Scene of the late 1950's. He trained at Vic Tanny's Gym and there were reports of him performing incredible feats of strength such as overhead presses with 160-pound dumbbells (for reps!), benchpressing 400 pounds for 28 reps, curling 225 with ease and tricep extensions with over 300 pounds. His shoulders were reliably measured at an incredible 26-5/8 inches across. In this famous picture, taken at Muscle Beach in 1957, Chuck Ahrens does a "muscle out" with a 75 pound girl standing on his arm. | Chuck Ahrens |
Labels: Barbell Curls, Chuck Ahrens, Dumbbell Press, Muscle Beach, Muscle Out, Tricep Press, Vic Tanny's Gym
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 16, 2007
| One amazing strength feat is tough enough already but two at once is simply outta this world. If you need a challenge, try one-arm pressing a "human weight" while muscling out a heavy kettlebell just like the gent on the right. One of the kings of Combo strength feats is Pat Povilaitis. In his dvd 336 Pounds of Fury you can see Pat lift a heavy granite stone into his lap and then close heavy grippers and bend spikes and horseshoes. -- Wow! | Strongman Combo Feats |
Labels: Human Lift, Kettlebell, Muscle Out, Overhead Press, Pat Povilaitis, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

Thomas Inch
Primo Carnera
Gustave Empain
Apollon - "Le Roi des Athletes"
Ring Weights
Dr. Rouhet
Doug Hepburn's Favorite Feat
Karl Norberg: Plate Muscle-Out
Arthur Saxon
The Muscle Out
Chuck Ahrens
Strongman Combo Feats