Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Harry Shafran's WeightsA unique look at some of the equipment once belonging to Harry Shafran and housed in his great gym. Much of what is shown here was previously owned by Warren Lincoln Travis. The whereabouts of this equipment is currently unknown.
Labels: Classic Gym, Globe Dumbbell, Globe Dumbbells, Gym Equipment, Harry Shafran, Harry Shafrans Gym, Indian Clubs, Kettlebells, 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, August 10, 2009
Wrist Roller TrainingThe Wrist Roller is a simple but very effective method of building grip strength... and here are two other training ideas which make it even better: stand on an elevated surface to increase the range of motion or use it in a supported manner so that your arm muscles don't give out before your forearms do.
Both of these ideas were written up in The Way to Live by George Hackenschmidt written back in 1908. As a wrestler and strongman "Hack" certainly had use for tremendous grip strength.
Labels: George Hackenschmidt, Grip Equipment, Grip Strength, Grip Tools, Grip Training Equipment, Strongman Equipment, wrist roller, Wrist Roller Training
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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
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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, July 03, 2009
Sig Klein: Partial DeadliftsAt a strength show held in 1922 at New York City's Bryant Hall, Sig Klein got a chance to test out a piece of equipment designed by George Jowett which was used for performing partial deadlifts. The ACWLA on Sig's singlet stood for the American Continental Weight-Lifter's Association, which Jowett founded.
Labels: ACWLA, George Jowett, Patial Deadlift, Sig Klein, Strongman Equipment
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Monday, June 29, 2009
Classic Polish Globe WeightsGreat equipment practically begs to be used and I would say that would definitely be the case here. These classic Globe Barbells, Dumbbells, Kettlebells and Blockweights from a century ago can be found in a Polish Museum.
Labels: Ancient Kettlebells, Block Weights, Classic Equipment, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbell, Polish Weights, Strongman Equipment, Thick Bars
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
IRON MASTER DumbellsAnother look at one of Osmo Kiiha's great IRON MASTER dumbbells. This one looks well used because of all the deadlifts and shrugs I did with it (and its mate) back in high school. If we decided to bring something like these back, would you be interested?
Labels: Globe Dumbbell, Iron Master Dumbbells, Osmo Kiiha, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Training Equipment
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Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Vintage Strength EquipmentGreat workouts are more than just sets and reps, it comes down to the equipment that you use too. Basic exercises take on a whole new meaning when you are training with something unique. This set of vintage shot-loaded dumbbells certainly fits the bill nicely. You'll be seeing more of these very soon...
Labels: Dumbbell Training, Strongman Equipment, Unique Equipment, Vintage Strength Equipment
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Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Kim Wood's GymNo, it's not Professor Desbonnet's Paris Gym or Professor Attila's Health Studio but the private gym of Kim Wood. Look closely and you'll see a barbell that once belonged to Warren Lincoln Travis a Jackson Barbell Set an oak climbing ladder from the Narragansett Machine company and more than one Milo Kettlebell. There's no finer gym in the land.
Labels: Classic Gym, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Jackson Barbell Company, Kim Wood, Milo Kettlebell, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Strongman Equipment, Warren Lincoln Travis
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The CrusherHere's one from way back ... although you've probably seen one somewhere along the way. "The Crusher" -- or a simple metal spring with handles -- is a great way to "bomb and blitz" your muscles. Yow! Be careful when using it, wouldn't want to get too strong...
Labels: Antique Equipment, Chest Exerciser, Strongman Equipment, The Crusher
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Thursday, October 09, 2008
The Human Vise's Engine BlockMany Oldtime Strongmen were famous for their Challenge Weights with which they performed feats of strength. Pat "The Human Vise" Povilaitis has several unique pieces of equipment which he uses in his strength act; among them this engine block.
Labels: Challenge Weight, Human Vise, Odd Object, Pat Povilaitis, Strongman Equipment, The Human Vise
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Monday, October 06, 2008
Heavy MetalBarbells are nice... but there's plenty of other fun stuff to lift too. Here's some things you'll find back at my place. Dr. Ken's Iron Suitcases (which you may have seen before in one of Brooks Kubik's videos), an anchor chain, and various other heavy, rusty chunks of metal.
Labels: Anchor Chain, Dr. Ken Leistner, Heavy Metal, Iron Suitcase, Metal, Odd Objects, Strongman Equipment
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Strongman HammersHammers of various kinds have a long tradition in strongman training -- and they are a lot of fun to train with, in fact, I have a collection of several unusual hammers. These huge wooden hammers were originally used by the military for driving tent pegs and re-aligning tank treads.
Labels: Hammer Training, John Wood, Sledge Hammer Exercise, Sledge Hammer Leverage, sledge Hammers, Strongman Equipment, Training Equipment, Wooden Hammers
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
| A look at Sig Klein using the Roman Column at his famous gym. It was actually Sig's father-in-law Professor Attila who invented the Roman Column. The Roman Column was actually used more as a demonstration of strength than as a means of developing strength. When used for strength feats, the performer would lower his body directly to the ground, pick up a weight and then sit up with it. Eugen Sandow was a master at this strength feat. |  Sig Klein's Roman Column |
Labels: Abdominal Strength, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Professor Attila, Roman Column, Sig Klein, Sig Kleins Gym, Strongman Equipment, Training Equipment
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Friday, April 25, 2008
 George Jowett And The Bent Press | The great oldtime strongman and strength author George Jowett as he prepares to bent press a heavy globe barbell. Jowett was a master of many different strength feats, most notably, lifting a 168-pound anvil by the horn and other feats of grip strength Jowett's best bent press performance was 304-1/2 pounds. Note the great Milo Kettlebells in the background. |
Labels: Bent Press, George Jowett, Globe Barbell, Kettlebell, Oldtime Strongman Exercise, Oldtime Strongman Exercises, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Strongman Equipment, Supporting Feat
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Sunday, February 17, 2008
Another Look At Sig Klein's Gym What a place to train! -- Here's another look at Sig Klein's Gym located in Times Square, downtown New York.
The thing that makes a gym truly great is the atmosphere -- and Sig's place had it. You can just tell that many great workouts took place here.
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Sig Klein, Sig Kleins Gym, Strongman Equipment
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Thursday, February 14, 2008
Alan CalvertA very rare picture of Milo Barbell Company founder and noted strength author Alan Calvert.
Calvert established the Milo Barbell company in 1902, one of the very first training publications "Strength" Magazine in 1914, wrote several training books and courses and helped pave the way for thousands of trainees to develop size and strength.
Gotta love those classic 'bells!
Labels: Alan Calvert, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbell, Milo Barbell Company, Strength Author, Strongman Equipment
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Wednesday, February 06, 2008
1938 Mr. America Bert Goodrich With Strongman Stage Weights
One of the great things about the history of strength training is that many of the early strength athletes had their own personal training equipment made up which lent quite a bit of character to their training.
Here is a very rare picture of 1938 Mr. America Bert Goodrich with some very interesting oldtime equipment, a globe barbell and kettlebell.
Labels: AAU, Bert Goodrich, Globe Barbell, Kettlebell, Mr. America, Strongman Equipment, Vintage Strength Equipment
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Friday, February 01, 2008
The Famous Rolandow DumbbellThe Rolandow Dumbbell has a very interesting history. It was originally cast by the McLoughlin Iron Foundry in Brooklyn, New York in 1896 at the request of Warren Lincoln Travis who wanted to use it in his act.
The dumbbell was supposed to be 200 lbs. but came out of the mold just over it at 209lbs.
A few years went by and fellow strongman G.W. Rolandow offered to purchase it from Travis, on the condition that Travis deliver the bell himself.
Travis grabbed the bell, hopped on the nearest street car, transfered twice and carried the bell two blocks and up two flights of steps to Rolandow's office.
Rolandow then stated that unless he could lift the dumbbell, there would be no sale. And with that, we walked over to it, hefted it to his shoulder and commenced to bent-press it no less than seven times!
After several decades, Rolandow closed his gym and his famous dumbbell eventually became acquired by Sig Klein who featured it as a challenge weight in his gym.
If someone could succeed in bent-pressing the Rolandow Dumbbell, Klein put their name on an Honor Roll, here's how it looked:
(1) G.W. Rolandow...................1900
(2) John Grimek.........................1934
(3) Bob Hoffman........................1936
(4) Wally Zagurski..................1936
(5) John Davis............................1936
(6) Jack Kent..........................1937
(7) Frank Bates........................1937
(8) Bob Harley.........................1937
(9) Siegmund Klein...................1939
(10) Aurele Velleux..................1939
(11) George Hobby...................1940
(12) Elwood Holbrook...............1941
Labels: Bent Press, Challenge Weight, Famous Dumbbell, G.W. Rolandow, Globe Dumbbell, John Davis, Rolandow Dumbbell, Sig Klein, Sig Kleins Gym, Strongman Equipment, Wally Zagurski, Warren Lincoln Travis
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 John Y. Smith | Gotta love some of the unique and usual weights that many of the strongmen found to lift. Here's a rare shot of the great Oldtime strongman John Y. Smith as he shoulders an unusual barbell, in his later years. Smith was a very good bent-presser (with a lift of 275 lbs. at a bodyweight of just 160 lbs.) so that is probably what he is getting ready to do. |
Labels: Barbell, Bent Press, John Y. Smith, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Strongman Equipment, Unusual Training Equipment
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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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Friday, January 18, 2008
 "Good" Dumbbells | Harry Good (of Good Brothers fame) established the Good Barbell Company in the late 1930's and ran it all the way into the 1970's. With the nature of the business back then, the "Good equipment" was more prominent locally. These 75-pound Good Dumbbells sat in a cental Pennsylvania YMCA for the last 50 years. |
Labels: Globe Dumbbells, Good Brothers, Good Dumbbells, Harry Good, Strongman Equipment
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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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Monday, January 07, 2008
Milo Triplex KettlebellsMany people think kettlebells are uniquely Russian, but while they certainly have a long history in Russia, kettlebells also have a long tradition in America as well.
In 1902, Alan Calvert established the Milo Barbell Company and kettlebells were among his first products.
He went through several different designs, the patent shown above is for the Milo "Triplex" Kettlebell which was patented in 1919.
The Milo Triplex shown did not have a shot-loaded compartment but instead had globed plate "slices" inside the outer shell.
The rotating handle should also be noted.
Labels: Alan Calvert, Kettlebell, Milo Barbell Company, Milo Triplex Kettlebell, Strongman Equipment
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Saturday, January 05, 2008
The Roman ColumnAs mentioned several times on this blog, it was Professor Attila who invented the Roman Column.
Shown here, the Roman Column is an actual column in which the traineee hangs suspended vertially and moves to a horizontal position using the power of his legs and abdominal muscles.
Eugen Sandow used to perform this feat either holding a heavy barbell or a human being.
On the left is the original Roman Column, in one corner of Sig Klein's Time's Square Gym.
Labels: Equipment, Eugen Sandow, Professor Attila, Roman Column, Sig Klein, Sig Kleins Gym, Strongman Equipment, Vintage Strength Equipment
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 Barrel Lifting | Lifting Barrels and Kegs has long been a Oldtime strongman Tradition since it builds a unique kind of strength -- especially is the barrel is only partially filled... If water (or beer) is sloshing around inside the barrel, it becomes a "live" weight, and a tremendous test of strength -- and it takes a lot less weight than you think. A partially-filled barrel weighing as little as fifty pounds can give you a tremendous workout. Suggested barrel lifting exercises include: |
Labels: Barrel Lifting, Barrel Lifting Exercises, Barrels, Exercise, Keg Lifting, Lifting Barrels, Odd Object Lifting, Press, Strongman Equipment, Wooden Barrel
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Friday, January 04, 2008
The SwingbellA piece that you used to see all the time in the old magazines that has all but disappeared these days is the Swingbell -- essentially a combination of traditional free weights and medicine ball training exercises.
As you can see, a swingbell consists of a dumbbell bar loaded in the middle rather than the ends. It is grasped at either end and used for a variety of rotational and "circular" movements.
Labels: Equipment, Strongman Equipment, swingbell
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Tuesday, December 18, 2007
In the U.S. we call it chest expander training but over across the pond it's referred to as "Stand Pulling" and there have been a number of books and courses, contests, and even more than one federation that keeps official records.
Here's a look at the 20 official Strand Pulling "pulls":
Here's a look at the 20 official Strand Pulling "pulls":
| 1. Right Arm Chest Pull 2. Left Arm Chest Pull 3. Two Arms Chest Pull 4. Front Lateral Raise 5. Back Lateral Raise 6. Press Behind Back 7. Press Behind Neck 8. Dislocation (attention) 9. Downward Pull - Knuckles In 10. Downward Pull - Knuckles Out 11. Upward Chest Pull 12. Left Arm Press 13. Right Arm Press 14. Left Arm Push 15. Right Arm Push 16. Left Arm Chest Pull Anyhow 17. Right Arm Chest Pull Anyhow 18. Two Arms Chest Pull Anyhow 19. Dislocation 20. Press Behind Back Anyhow |  Strand Pulling |
All About Strand-Pulling Labels: Chest Expanders, Strand Pulling, Strand Pulling Contests, Strand Pulling Exercises, Strand Pulling Workout, Strongman Equipment
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Sunday, December 16, 2007
Iron Man Hand GrippersThere are advertisements for hand grippers going back as far as 1901, but the tradition of the heavy-duty steel hand grippers began in back in 1964 when Warren Tetting's grippers first appeared in the pages of Iron Man Magazine.
These grippers challenged many strongmen and there were four Strengths: "Light", "Heavy", "Extra Heavy" and "Super Heavy". Only the strongest hands could close the "Extra Heavy" gripper and it is unknown weather anyone actually closed the "Super Heavy" gripper level.
The Iron Man Grippers would be advertised for the next 79 issues and eventually became the inspiration for the Iron Mind Captains of Crush Grippers.
Labels: Forearm Strength, Grip Equipment, Grip Strength, Grip Training, Gripper Training, Hand Grippers, Iron Man Grippers, Strongman Equipment, Tetting Grippers, Warren Tetting
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Saturday, December 15, 2007
Globe Barbells at the 1924 Olympic GamesHere's a look at the Globe Barbells that were lined up and ready to be used at the 1924 Olympic Games held in Paris France.
This was the last year that lifters were given the choice between lifting with shot-loaded globe barbells or barbells loaded with the iron disc plates that we use today.
The only lifters to choose the shot-loaded globes at the 1924 Olympic Games were the French Weightlifting team, of which great strongman Charles Rigoulot won the gold medal in the heavyweight class and his teammate Edmond Decottignies took home the gold in the light-weight Class.
Labels: Charles Rigoulot, Globe Barbell, Gold Medal, Olympic Weightlifting, Olympics, Paris France, Shot Loaded Barbells, Strongman Equipment, weightlifting
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Squatting With Paul AndersonIf there ever were a man who was born to squat, it was Paul Anderson.
"Big Paul" often had a hard time finding bars which could hold enough weight so he had to improvise. He built this "barrel barbell" from a design pioneered by his friend Bob Peoples.
Paul would also train the squat in an unusual way:
He would dig a pit in the back yard and load up the bar to for over his normal full-squat max, then he would do partial movements, filling in the hole with dirt an inch at a time for each successive workout until he was working with a full movement.
Labels: Bob Peoples, Heavy Partial Movements, Paul Anderson, Squat, Strongman Equipment, Unusual Training Equipment
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wood's WoodWood's Wood is one of the Original Wooden Log Bars which was a gift from Dr. Ken Leistner many moons ago. It's called "Wood's Wood" because that's what is carved into the side of it. -- A Pretty Fitting Name
This is the same Log that appears in Brooks Kubik's "Bags, Barrels and Beyond" training video.
As you can see, this Log is a beast and nearly as tall as I am. It's still good for a workout every now and then but I much prefer the updated model for training.
Labels: Brooks Kubik, Dr. Ken Leistner, John Wood, Log Bar, Log Press, Log Training, Overhead Press, Strongman Equipment, Wooden Log, Woods Wood
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Thomas Inch Dumbbell ReplicaIn the late 90s, the Staver Foundry of Minnesota produced replicas of the famous Thomas Inch challenge dumbbell. These solid globe dumbbells weighed 172 pounds but the handle is slightly thicker (2.47" vs. 2-3/8" on the original.)
172 Pounds may not seem like much of a challenge to lift but the thick handle makes it nearly impossible. Thousands of athletes have tried to lift the Inch Dumbbell but only a few have succeeded. You'll need a very strong grip if you want to add your name to the list.
Labels: Challenge Weight, Famous Dumbbell, Globe Dumbbell, Grip Strength, Inch Dumbbell, Strongman Equipment, Thick Bar Lifting, Thick Handle, Thomas Inch
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Wednesday, December 05, 2007
 Al Gerard | Two decades ago, Al Gerard, a Powerlifter from North Carolina invented a piece of training equipment that would change strength training forever. His Gerard Trap Bar allowed trainees to train their legs without overtraining the lower-back. The Trap Bar became the piece of equipment for every gym. Al was able to deadlift over 725 pounds using his invention. |
Labels: Al Gerard, Deadlift, Gerard Trap Bar, Leg Development, Strongman Equipment, Training Equipment, Trap Bar, Trap Bar Deadlift
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Saturday, December 01, 2007
 Harry Shafran | Harry Shafran was an oldtime lifter who ran two gyms (one in Brooklyn and one in greater New York City) in the 1920's. Eventually Harry got tired of big city life and moved to a farm near Scranton, Pennsylvania where he converted a large barn into a gym. His collection of oldtime strength equipment was quite impressive, you can see a bit of it in the picture to the left where Shafran is harness lifting 1500 pounds (at 72 years old!) |
Labels: Classic Strongman Gyms, Harness Lift, Harness Lifting, Harry Shafran, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Equipment
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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
| How's this for an "odd" object lift? Stan Rothwell, the British All-Arounder trains with a wheelbarrow in the late 1940's. I think Steve Justa would be proud. |  Wheelbarrow Lifting |
Labels: British Champion, Odd Object, Odd Object Lifting, Stan Rothwell, Strongman Equipment, Unusual Strength, Unusual Training Equipment, Wheelbarrow Lift
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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
| You have to admit, classic globe kettlebells like this one make great pictures. Here's famous strongman Anton Matysek lifting a rather large Milo Kettlebell. Interestingly enough, the "traditional" kettlebell exercises such as snatches and clean & Jerks, are often nowhere to be found in most oldtime strongman training literature. |  Anton Matysek Lifting a Classic Kettlebell |
Labels: Anton Matysek, Kettlebell, Kettlebell Exercises, Press, Strongman Equipment
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York Rubber Chest ExpandersThe York Barbell Company sold several different versions of Chest Expanders over the years and here's a look at one of them.
Pretty ingenius really - a set of detachable hands with progressively harder rubber straps. They came in four levels: "Medium," "Athlete," "Strong" and "Hercules" strength.
On the right that's Mr. America Winner and Champion Weightlifter Steve Stanko demonstrating the overhead pulldown chest expander exercise.
Labels: Chest Expanders, Rubber Chest Expanders, Steve Stanko, Strongman Equipment, York Barbell Company
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Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Super GripperSometimes it hard to believe that the Super Gripper has been around since 1940. You used to see ads for it in Strength and Health and Iron Man Magazine. Interestingly, the design has remained largely unchanged since it was introduced -- and more importantly, it has helped build thousands of stronger grips and forearms since then.
The above ad is from an Iron Man Magazine from the early 1970's.
Labels: Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, Grip Training, Strongman Equipment, Super Gripper
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Friday, November 16, 2007
Charles Rigoulot's Unique Globe BarbellThe great French Weightlifter Charles Rigoulot used to train with a very unusual globe barbell -- at 8 feet, it was much longer than a "normal" barbell (which gave it quite a bit of "whip"), not to mention that he was using shot-loaded equipment long after shot-loaded globes went out of style.
Given this setup, he was a master of catching the weight "on the bounce" which allowed him to break a number of records -- and I bet that barbell was a heck of a lot of fun to lift with.
Labels: Barbell, Charles Rigoulot, Globe Barbell, Shot Loaded, Strongman Equipment, weightlifter
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Monday, November 12, 2007
Brooks KubikIf you've read Dinosaur Training, now you can put a face to the name Brooks Kubik.
Brooks walks the walk -- literally!
Here's a shot from a couple of years ago from one of Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur training videos where he is going for a "leisurely stroll" around the block with a pair of Dr. Ken's 180-pound iron suitcases.
Before writing Dinosaur Training, Brooks was a state Champion wrestler in high school and went on to win several National Championships in Drug-Free Powerlifting.
Labels: Brooks Kubik, Dinosaur Training, Dr. Ken Leistner, Farmer's Walk, Iron Suitcase, Powerlifting, Strongman Equipment, Wrestler
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Saturday, November 10, 2007
Strongman Sledgehammer #1Here's one of the giant Strongman Hammers from my personal collection.
I found this particular hammer at an antique shop in Flatrock, Michigan and you can see me carrying it in the "Traveling Buddies" sequence in Crazy but Powerful.
This Giant Sledgehammer weighs 28 pounds and has a 38 inch long handle. Yeah, it's a beast.
Labels: Sledge Hammer Leverage, Sledgehammer, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Hammer
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Oldtime Log BarThis unusual piece of equipment, a precursor to Dr. Ken's Log Bar, was fashioned by a Connecticut gym owner in the 1930's.
Just as today, it was made specifically for pressing and tricep work. Many people find that the parallel handles are much more comfortable than a straight barbell for these movements -- I agree.
Labels: Log Bar, Press, Strongman Equipment, Tricep Work
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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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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, November 05, 2007
Paul Anderson's WheelsWhat do you do when a normal barbell doesn't hold enough weight for your squat workouts? Paul Anderson's solution was this set of wheels which helped him build a set of 33" thighs.
Labels: Paul Anderson, Squat Workout, 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
Saturday, November 03, 2007
The "Original" Original Dr. Ken Log BarHere's a look at one of the original ideas behind Dr. Ken's Log Bar -- an actual log with handles cut into it. This "log" was patterned on an unusual parallel-handled bar used for pressing movements that Dr. Ken trained with down in Lake Helen, Florida when he worked for Arthur Jones.
As is the case with most of Dr. Ken's unusual equipment, this log was a lot of fun to train with and provided many excellent workouts for his trainees.
Labels: Arthur Jones, Dr. Ken Leistner, Equipment, Log Bar, Overhead Press, 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
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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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, October 29, 2007
Strongman EquipmentYou've got to hand it to the oldtime strongmen, they didn't mess around when it came to quality equipment. How strong do you think you could get if you were training with the globe barbells, globe dumbbells, blockweights etc, in the above picture?
If you want to get strong and I mean STRONG you have to have good training equipment and that's just how it is.
It all begins with a quality barbell, good plates and a solid pair of collars. If you have nothing else, you must have at least that much. From there, add other equipment as needed.
Other equipment that will help you tremendously includes a solid bench, dumbbells, a power rack, a Gerard Trap Bar, chest expanders, Thick Bars, Hand Grippers and anything else that you will find on our Strongman Equipment Page.
Labels: Barbells, Blockweights, Chest Expanders, Dumbbells, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbells, 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
 Train Wheel Weights | They say that necessity is the mother of invention... and that's why some of the best training equipment has come about. During the post-war years, our troops located overseas wanted to lift weights but barbells and dumbbells were hard to come by. American troops stationed in Okinawa, Japan fashioned these unique barbells and dumbbells out of narrow gauge train wheels. Can't miss a workout... |
Labels: Barbells, Dumbbells, Equipment, 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
Friday, October 26, 2007
 General Custer's Dumbbell | General George Custer first came to Kansas in 1866 as Lieutenant Colonel of the newly formed 7th U.S. Cavalry. He spent late spring of 1867 at Fort Hays, where the 7th camped until they had accumulated adequate supplies and ammunition for a summer campaign. |
It is made of bronze and weighs around 25 pounds.
Custer's Dumbbell currently resides in the Kansas Museum of History.
Labels: Antique Equipment, Custer's Dumbbell, Dumbbell, Famous Dumbbell, 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
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