Monday, January 18, 2010
Strongman Beer SteinMuch of weightlifting's history can be traced back to taverns and beer halls so it was only natural that some "strength" themed steins were created way back when. The only "supplements" that many of the real oldtimers enjoyed were barley and hops. This one is pretty nifty because of the ringweight lid. It would also appear that it would be quite a workout drinking from this one when it was full of ale.
Sig Klein was a big fan of steins like these, and his collection was housed on shelves around his gym. This one may have actually belonged to Sig at one point.
Labels: Beer Stein, Ring Weights, Sig Klein, Sig Klein's Gym, Strongman Collectible
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Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Sandow's EquipmentWhere did Sandow get all his great stage weights? Charles Heap and Co., of course. This was back in the 1890's mind you. Sure would be great to have a place to get weights like these now-a-days...
Labels: Barbell, Classic Equipment, Dumbbell, Eugen Sandow, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbell, Ring Weights
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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
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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
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Young Professor Anthony BarkerHere a young Professor Anthony Barker shows one of the ways to lift a person i.e. with the use of a strong belt. This picture dates to around 1902. Audiences are often much more impressed when a person is lifted -- as opposed to barbells and dumbbells -- even if the "live" weight happens to be lighter than the iron! The young professor understood this, as did many oldtime performing strongmen, which is why it was a very popular feat in many of their acts .
Labels: Globe Barbell, Human Lift, Professor Anthony Barker, Ring Weights
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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
Monday, August 17, 2009
Sig Klein's GymSig Klein opened his gym in 1926 and ran it -- without a day off -- for the next 50 years. It's not hard to see why it was the place to train in the east coast. Here's some classic Kettlebells, Ring Weights and Globe Barbells. Sig luckily inherited much of the equipment when he married Professor Attila's daughter.
Labels: Antique Equipment, Classic Gym, Classic Kettlebells, Kettlebells, Ring Weights, Sig Klein, Sig Klein's Gym
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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, 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
Monday, June 08, 2009
Klein's SteinsSig Klein was as famous for his stein collection as he was for his lifting ability. As you can see, his stein collection was quite extensive, and many of which understandably featured physical training motifs with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells and ring weights etc (One actually had a ringweight-shaped lid!)
Sig kept his steins on a high shelf which ran around the top of his gym and you can see them in the background in a few classic shots.
Labels: Klein's Steins, Ring Weights, Sig Klein, Sig Klein's Gym
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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, 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
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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
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Apollon - "Le Roi des Athletes"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
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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
Monday, March 23, 2009
Ring WeightsOne 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
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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, January 30, 2009
Physical Training in Ancient Turkey The gymnastic exercises of the students of Mekteb-i Sultani, taken in Istanbul, Turkey, circa 1879. Note the use of large globe dumbbells, ring weights, kettlebells and the high bar for gymnastics. All very interesting in that the equipment looks very similar to that which was often used by Apollon.
Labels: Ancient Training, Apollon, Globe Dumbbell, Istanbul, Kettlebells, Ring Weights, Turkey, Vintage Strength Equipment
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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, January 04, 2009
J.C. Tolson's Challenge RingweightThe great strongman J.C. Tolson had a Challenge Weight with which he would perform his favorite feat. He could lift this 90-pound ringweight overhead with the little finger of one hand only! Thousands of strongmen tried to duplicate this feat yet failed. Tolson could do it with ridiculous ease.
Labels: Challenge Feats, Challenge Weight, Grip Feat, J.C. Tolson, Ring Weights
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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, 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
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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, May 01, 2008
The Young ApolloThe Young Apollo -- A.K.A. Paul Anderson (yes, really) from Australia performed many unusual feats during his colorful career. He was fond of the Human Link Feat, letting a car run over him and pulling railroad cars with his teeth.
Here's The Young Apollo supporting 540 Pounds in pretty much every imaginable way.
Labels: Australian Strongman, Car, Globe Barbell, Human Link, Kettlebell, Ring Weights, Teeth Lifting, The Young Apollo
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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, 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
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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
Monday, January 14, 2008
Louis Cyr Strikes a Classic PoseThis picture was taken in the late 1800's, a time when the subject of a photograph had to stand still for long periods of time -- which means the globe dumbbell that Louis Cyr is holding aloft here is likely just a prop.
Cyr did, however, did possess the ability to move such huge weights.
He once jerked a 132 pound dumbbell for 36 reps and his bent press of 273 pounds beat Eugen Sandow's mark. Also note the rather impressive Ring Weight.
Labels: Dumbbell Press, Globe Dumbbell, Louis Cyr, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Overhead Press, Ring Weights, Strongman Equipment
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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
Monday, December 10, 2007
| The "Muscle Out" is an oldtime lift where a heavy weight is held at arms length to the front or to the side. Doing 50-60 pounds is impressive; many of the oldtime strongmen worked their way up to holding 80-90 pounds in this manner. Kettlebells were often used for this lift, as were 56 pound ring weights, as demonstrated on the right by a young Thomas Inch. |  Thomas Inch |
Labels: Heavy Weight, Kettlebell, Kettlebell Exercises, Oldtime Lift, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Ring Weights, Thomas Inch
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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
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Ring Weight is a relative of the Kettlebell and was very popular in the training and performance of many of the Oldtime Strongmen.
You'll often see them sitting in the foreground of pictures of Oldtime Gyms.
The Ring Weight shown below belonged to The Young Mighty Apollon aka J.C. Tolson.
You'll often see them sitting in the foreground of pictures of Oldtime Gyms.
The Ring Weight shown below belonged to The Young Mighty Apollon aka J.C. Tolson.
 The Young Mighty Apollon's Challenge Ring Weight | His challenge was to lift it overhead using nothing but your little finger... a tremendous feat of tendon strength. Thousands of well-known athletes tried and failed, save "The Young Mighty Apollon" who could perform the feat with inhuman ease.
|
Labels: Grip Strength, J.C. Tolson, Kettlebell, Ring Weights, Single Finger Lifts, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat, Tendon Strength, Young Apollon
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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