Friday, June 12, 2009
The Half-Moon BenchTo the oldtime bodybuilders and strength athletes "Chest Development" used to mean stretching and enlarging the ribcage, not working the pecs (which is what it has become today.) The theory behind this was simple, the deep breathing from intense leg work (i.e. squats combined with light pullovers did so very effectively. Enlarging the rib box meant wider shoulders and a much greater potential for upper-body growth.
To make the technique more effective, a half-moon bench was often used. These unusual pieces of equipment used to be commonplace in many gyms although you're more likely to win the lottery than find one these days.
To find out more about leg work, pullovers and chest expansion techniques, you'll want to check out: Super Squats by Randall J. Strossen, The Complete Keys to Progress by John McCallum and The New Bodybuilding for Oldschool Results by Ellington Darden.
Labels: Bench, Chest Expansion, Ellington Darden, Equipment, Half Moon Bench, John McCallum, Keys to Progress, New Bodybuilding for Old School Results, Pullover, Randall J. Strossen, Super Squats
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Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Classic Strongman Feats: The Human LinkCertain strongman feats are just classics and one of those is the The Human Link. Louis Cyr performed it all the way back in the late 1800s with a couple draught horses... Dennis Rogers does the same feat today with motor cycles or jet planes -- and you can find pretty much every major strongman in between having performed the same feat as well.
Here's Johan Dykhorst of South Africa performing the human link with an automobile on each arm. At the time this picture was taken he was the director of a large physical culture gym in Johannesburg, South Africa. Aside from the Human Link, Dykhorst was also great at some of the more conventional lifts, among them a straight arm pullover with 215 pounds which was equal to his bodyweight - a phenomenal achievement.
Labels: Car Lift, Classic Strongman Feats, Human Link, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Pullover, South African, South African Strongman, Straight Arm Pullover
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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, 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
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 25, 2009
| Louis Chiarelli, of New York City, is pictured here setting a record for his bodyweight by pressing (but not pulling over) 308 pounds while in the wrestler's bridge. Chirelli was 5'2" and 155 pounds at the time although this is an impressive feat at any bodyweight. Picture dates to 1929. |  Louis Chiarelli |
Labels: Bridge Press, Louis Chiarelli, New York Strongman, Pullover
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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, April 06, 2008
Dick Bachtell - Weightlifting ChampionThe great weightlifting Champion Dick Bachtell as he appeared on the cover of the January, 1936 issue of Strength and Health Magazine.
Dick Bachtell was a seven-time National Champion (1929-1931, 1934-1935, 1937, and 1943) and competed in the 1932 Olympic games in Los Angeles, Claifornia.
For his last National Title, he totaled 630 pounds in the 60-Kg class.
In addition to his Olympic Weightlifting exploits, Dick Bachtell could also one-arm snatch 154 pounds, squat 350-pounds, deadlift 425-pounds, one-arm press 92-pounds, pullover 100-pounds, swing 137-pounds and bent-press 180-pounds.
Labels: 1932 Olympics, Cover, Dick Bachtell, National Champion Weightlifter, Olympic Weightlifting, one arm snatch, Press, Pullover, Senior Nationals, Strength and Health Magazine, weightlifter
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 04, 2008
 Steve Stanko Demonstrates The Barbell Pullover | It used to be that benches didn't have uprights on them which mean if you wanted to do "the bench press" (or the supine press, as it was originally called), you had to do a pullover off the floor with the weight to get it in the proper position. ... And it was found that the pullover by itself turned out to be a fine exercise. That's Mr. America and Mr. Universe winner Steve Stanko demonstrating the barbell pullover off a 16" bench with 322 pounds -- pretty impressive! |
Labels: Back Exercise, Barbell Exercise, Exercise, Pullover, Steve Stanko
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 28, 2007
 Oldtime Pullover | I've recently read in a few places that there were "no such thing" as machines back when the oldtime strongmen trained... Here's an oldtime pullover (used for expanding the ribcage and deepening the chest) which was installed at Hemenway Gymnasium circa 1885. |
Labels: Equipment, Hemenway Gymnasium, Physical Culture Equipment, Pullover, Strength machine, Training Equipment, Vintage Strength Machines
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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