Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Thomas InchIn 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
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, May 06, 2009
The Textbook of Weight-Lifting by Arthur Saxon (1910)A look at the cover of the original edition of The Textbook of Weightlifting as originally written in 1910. This book was actually produced and published by Arthur Saxon's friend Thomas Inch. Keep in mind that no one would be reading this book today if it were not for the efforts of Bill Hinbern.
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Bill Hinbern, book, Strength Book, The Textbook of Weightlifting, Thomas Inch
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, May 01, 2009
Edward Aston: Britain's Strongest ManEdward Aston ran off and joined the circus at 17 years old and never looked back. Among his other feats, in 1909 he did a one-hand swing with 162-1/2 lbs. beating Thomas Inch's record. A year later he defeated Maxick to take the title of "Britain's Strongest Man", which he held until the early 1930's.
Labels: Britains Strongest Man, British Strongman, Circus Strongman, Dumbbell Swing, Edward Aston, Maxick, Thomas Inch
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, March 20, 2009
Young Thomas InchThomas Inch as he looked when he looked at the time when he won the World's Middleweight weightlifting title (around 1907). His potential for great strength is obvious even at that young age.
As time passed he only grew stronger...
Inch went on to achieve a Two Hands Anyhow lift of 356-1/2 pounds, a two dumbbell jerk of 276 pounds, a one-arm push of 201 pounds, and a bent-press of 304-1/2 pounds.
Labels: Bent Press, Dumbbell Jerk, Dumbbell Lifts, One Arm Push, Thomas Inch, Two Hands Anyhow
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
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Small Thomas Inch DumbbellsThomas Inch is famous for the Thomas Inch Challenge Dumbbell which weighs 172 pounds... What most people do not know, however, is that there where actually three other Inch Dumbbells which were smaller and which allowed him to progressively gain strength in order to lift the biggest one. The smaller "Inch" bells weighed 75, 140 and 153 pounds respectively.
Since the original Inch Dumbbell is now sitting in my living room back home, I recently, decided to commission a series of smaller bells which would not only keep that tradition alive but also better help in bridging the gap while training with the 172-pound Inch bell.
These dumbbells were cast in a far off land and brought to the U.S. at great personal expense. They are currently the only bells of this sort on U.S. soil. The two larger ones weigh 53 kg (116.6 pounds) and the two smaller bells in the back weight 40 kg (88 pounds). I wanted to get a pair of each size for farmer's walk training.
You'll be seeing these bells in action soon...
Labels: Globe Dumbbells, Grip Equipment, Inch Dumbbell, Small Inch Dumbbells, Thick Handle, Thomas Inch, Thomas Inch Dumbbells
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
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Thomas Inch Challenge GripperThomas Inch is probably most famous for his Challenge Dumbbell but what a lot of people don't know is that he had a challenge gripper as well. Above shows Mr. Inch on a visit to the Viking weightlifting club in England. Even though he was 68 years old at the time Inch was still the only man in the place who was successfully able to close it.
Labels: Challenge Weight, Grip Strength, Gripper Training, Hand Gripper, Hand Gripper Training, Thomas Inch, Thomas Inch Gripper, Vintage Hand Gripper
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
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Thomas Inch: Two hands Anyhow The great British strongman Thomas Inch was well known for his Grip Strength and his famous Challenge Dumbbell but he was also a great all around strength athlete.
Here is Mr. Inch half-way through a Two Hands Anyhow lift, one of his specialties. The barbell was first taken to the shoulders, jerked, then switched to the right hand. The kettlebell at his feet, which weighed 90 pounds, was then brought overhead with the left hand.
Labels: British Strongman, Grip Strength, Kettlebell, Kettlebell Lift, Thomas Inch, Two Hands Anyhow
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 24, 2008
Thomas InchThe first thing that comes to mind when most people hear the name Thomas Inch is "Grip Strength" but there was so much more to the man than that.
He was a champion strand puller, a boxer, a great all-around lifter whose numbers even exceeded Sandow's in several lifts, an entrepreneur, a publisher and one of the first of the mail-order muscle barons. He was also one of the first, if not the first to introduce plate-loaded barbells and dumbbells.
Labels: British Strongman, Grip Strength, Strand Pulling, Thomas Inch
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, May 07, 2008
| What do you get if you are the first and only man to lift the "unliftable" Thomas Inch Challenge Dumbbell" since Thomas Inch himself? You get this award -- the award given to Mr. John Gallacher when he did just that at the 1957 NABBA Mr. America contest. Mr. John Gallacher fully deadlifted the Inch Dumbbell three times that night -- the only man to do so (besides Thomas Inch) in almost six decades! (A Big Thank you to John Gallacher for sending in the picture and filling us in on that fateful day.) |  "Winner - Inch Dumbbell ContestNABBA Mr. Universe Contest 1957" |
Labels: Grip Feat, Inch Dumbbell, Inch Dumbbell Challenge, John Gallacher, NABBA, Thick Bar Lifting, Thomas Inch
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, April 13, 2008
Thomas Inch's Challenge"Can you lift it?" - That's what Mr. Inch's challenge boiled down to. Here's the great historian David Webster with a placard announcing Mr. Inch's Challenge at the Aberdeen Sports Review in the early 1950's -- and Mr. Inch's famous Challenge Dumbbell.
The prize for lifting the Inch Dumbbell was announced as 30 British Pounds -- adjusted for inflatation that's over $450 in today's dollars. Whether then or now, to conquer the Inch Dumbbell's thick handle, you'll need a tremendous grip.
Labels: Challenge Weight, David Webster, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Inch Dumbbell, Inch Dumbbell Challenge, Thick Handle, Thomas Inch
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, February 15, 2008
 Inch Dumbbell Lift | History is made: John Gallacher of Glasgow becomes the first man in modern history to lift the Thomas Inch Dumbbell at the 1957 NABBA Mr. Universe Contest held in London, England. Mr. Gallacher fully deadlifted the Inch Dumbbell 3 times that night and was awarded the Special Plaque by Thomas Inch himself. As you should know, the famous Thomas Inch Dumbbell weighs 172 pounds and has a 2-3/8th inch diameter thick handle making it a tremendous grip challenge for anyone who attempts to lift it. This challenge weight defied thousands of athletes until Mr. Gallacher came along. |
Labels: Barbells Dumbbells, Challenge Weight, Globe Dumbbell, Inch Dumbbell, Thick Handle, Thomas Inch
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
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Thomas Inch's Chest Expander FeatThe name Thomas Inch often conjures up visions of his famous "Unliftable" Challenge Dumbbell and other feats of grip strength but he was actually a quite well-rounded strongman with many other types of feats to his credit.
One of Inch's specialties was feats with chest expanders, he even wrote a training course, about them: The Art of Expander Pulling.
Here's Thomas Inch pressing a 30-strand rubber chest expander while supporting two 154-pound men on his outstretched arms.
Labels: Art of Expander Pulling, Chest Expander, Chest Expander Feat, chest expander training, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Rubber Chest Expander, Thomas Inch
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, December 16, 2007
| The great British Oldtime Strongman Thomas Inch wrote a lot of training guides you probably never heard of. This one, Scientific Weightlifting was published in the 1920's and covers the finer points of heavy lifting. As you might expect, lots of useful training information is contained within these covers. This particular copy is actually autographed by Thomas Inch himself (No, it's not for sale.) |  Scientific Weightliftingby Thomas Inch |
Labels: book, Scientific Weightlifting, Strength Author, Thomas Inch, weightlifting
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, 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
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, 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
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, October 10, 2007
Thomas Inch"Mr. Thomas Inch, of England, doing his world's record arm push of 200 lbs., a feat Arthur Saxon thought to be impossible, owing to the difficulty in maintaining balace when the pelvis is fixed, owing to the rigidity of the legs, which the lift calls for. This is not a bent press, but is accomplished with the leg held absolutely straight. Inch is the man who put weightlifting on the map in Great Britain and is said to be England's strongest man."
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Barbell, Bent Press, Strongman Feat, Thomas Inch
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
Thomas InchAt just 16 years of age, Thomas Inch was Britain's Strongest Youth. From there, he became a strand pulling Champion, the first official Britain's Strongest Man and at one time had the largest physical fitness correspondence school in Great Britain.
It was Thomas Inch who pioneered the use of strength training for athletes, most notably in swimming, track and field and boxing. He was also credited with introducing the adjustable "disc"-type barbells and dumbbells into modern strength training (although that is debatable.)
But when it comes to dumbbells, Thomas Inch is most well-known for one in particular...
The Thomas Inch "unliftable" Challenge Dumbbell has defied thousands of strong men over the last hundred years (and still does today.)
Many a strength athlete have tried... but failed... to break it off the ground.
What was its secret?
You can read one of Thomas Inch's best known training courses right here: Developing the Grip and Forearm by Thomas Inch (1930)
Labels: Barbell, Dumbbell, Grip Strength, Inch Dumbbell, Oldtime Strongman, Thomas Inch
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
Edward Aston - Britain's Strongest ManIn 1911, Edward Aston won the title of "Britain's Strongest Man" by defeating the great Thomas Inch in a challenge match. Aston would hold the title for the next 23 years and retire undefeated.
Aston was the first Englishman to lift 300 lbs. overhead with one hand and could do a one-arm snatch with 180 lbs. and a one-arm clean to the shoulder with 250 lbs.
Edward Aston could also lift 496 pounds on a 2.25 inch thick bar with an overhand grip - a tremendous feat of grip strength.
He wrote the grip course How to Develop A Powerful Grip in 1946.
Labels: Edward Aston, Grip Strength, one arm snatch, Thomas Inch
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
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Thomas Inch and Hints on The Art of Expander PullingJust got a very rare oldtime strength booklet written by Thomas Inch. There's no date on it but I would guess it was printed in the 1920's and as far as rare training courses, this one is simply impossible to find.
I finally tracked one down after four years of searching.
Anyhow, Thomas Inch, who is probably most famous for his incredible grip strength and his "unliftable" dumbbell was actually a very well rounded strongmen who excelled in many different types of feats - and some of his favorites were with chest expanders.
In his strongman act he used to do a standard press out with a 56 lb. kettlebell hanging on each thumb, and the expander generally had 30 strands on it.
Not bad at all...
Heres a few hints from the master:
"The first thing to do is to make sure your expander is of the detachable kind."All good info, and all very useful if you happen to be paying attention.
"The Secret to great strength is gradual progression, and as there is no doubt whatever that a large majority of physical culturists only use expanders so that they may become stronger than their fellows, it behoves them to practice themselves in a position to practice on the right lines and this means using handles which will take several strands."
"When starting out, enter the number of strands you find comfortable and easy to exercise with, going right through your movements without a pause, if possible, thus developing endurance as well as mere muscle."
"Start with, say, only five or six repetitions each hand of each exercise, and gradually work up to ten each hand. Keep at ten for a week or two, then return to five or six repetitions, and add another strand."
"The weight lifter will be advised to use a strong pull in every day work, and each day, or every other day, try himself out on strength tests I have previously quoted with a view to increasing pushing power for different lifts."
Just goes to show you that sound training info never gets old. Chest Expanders, of course, make a great addition to any training program.
If Thomas Inch were alive today, here's the expanders he would be training with: Strongman Chest Expanders
Labels: Chest Expander, Kettlebell, Strand Pulling, Strongman, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat, Thomas Inch
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
Welcome to the Strongest Blog on the Net!
This is THE PLACE where you will find interesting bits of Iron Game history, lore and training tips from the strongest men of all time.
Previous Posts
Featured Products
Monthly Archives
Not yet a member? Subscribe now to receive daily doses of Strongman history, training tips, and site updates!
Copyright © 2010 Thunderdome Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved