Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The Sandow Grip Dumb-Bell ~ Advertisement"Why Be Weak When You Can Become Healthy and Strong?" ... still a fine question even a century later. Sandow sold thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of his nifty 'Grip Dumb-Bells' over the years and here's an advertisement for them.
Notice that there are actually six different levels, for men, youths, girls, ladies, boys and children. They also came in two different "styles" the basic style, which was just black enamel, and the "deluxe" style which was polished nickel with leather strips on the handles.
Interestingly, just like athletes of today, these dumbbells were not invented by Sandow but he did lend his name and likeness to them which increased their popularity considerably.
Labels: Advertisement, Eugen Sandow, Grip Equipment, Sandow's Grip Dumbbells, Unusual Training Equipment
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Collins DynamometerMany of the oldtime strongmen and physical culture pioneers were big on measurement (or Anthropometry, as it was known) for the sake of better understanding their training techniques as well as measuring their improvement over time. The Collins Dynamometer shown here was used for measuring grip strength.
Labels: Anthropometry, Grip Strength, Physical Culture Equipment, The Collins Dynamometer, Unusual Training Equipment
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Saturday, September 19, 2009
Zuver's Hall of Fame GymA look into the legendary "Zuvers Hall of Fame Gym" run by the Reverend Bob Zuver in Costa Mesa, California. With a variety of unusual training equipment and an even more unusual atmosphere, anyone who ever trained there sure never forgot it.
In the background, you can just make out the 'World's largest Squat Rack" and the "World's Largest Dipping Rack." Also of note are the distinctive Zuver Barbell plates to the left of the picture.
Labels: Bob Zuver, Classic Gym, Dip Bars, Squat Rack, Unusual Training Equipment, Zuver's Hall of Fame Gym
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Sunday, September 13, 2009
| Another look at a version of the Half Moon Bench used for chest and ribcage development. These used to be quite common in gyms in the old days but are rarely found now. These benches work best when used in combination with leavy leg work and light dumbbell pullovers or flys. That's 1953 AAU Mr. America Bill Pearl demonstrating. Also note the Iron Boots on the wall, as well as the Stall Bars on the right. |  The Half Moon Bench |
Labels: Bill Pearl, Chest Development, Dumbbell Exercise, Dumbbell Fly, Equipment, Half Moon Bench, Iron Boots, Stall Bars, Swedish Bars, Unusual Training Equipment
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Iron TeardropsPeople often say there's nothing new under the sun but I would disagree. Case in point, here's a unique training idea from a muscle magazine from about 20 years ago that I have never seen before or since. These "Iron Teardrops" slipped on your barbell just like plates and moved around while you lifted, adding a whole new dimension to standard lifts.
A few years back, I called the number listed on the ad just to see what would happen. A woman answered the phone and told me that yes, it was her brother which came up with the idea for the Iron Tear Drops but he was not home at the moment. She took down my address and said she would send some info but I never did hear from them. Anyone out there ever get to train with these?
Labels: Equipment, Iron Teardrops, Unusual Training Equipment
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
Archie VanderpoolIf you want to practice heavy partial deadlifts or hand-and-thigh lifts, you'll want a setup like Archie Vanderpool here. The strongman (and proud member of the York Barbell Club) from Woodbine, Iowa, specialized on a number of unusual -- and very heavy -- lifts. For example, his record in the lift shown was 1840 pounds. He also liked to do things like shouldering a 1100 pound railroad rail and then going for a walk.
He also reported carrying a barbell loaded to 400 pounds for a distance of 80 feet. If this looks and sounds familiar, it's because Archie was good friends with Steve Justa's father.
Labels: Archie Vanderpool, Heavy Partial Movements, Odd Object Lifting, Steve Justa, Unusual Strength, Unusual Training Equipment
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Sunday, June 07, 2009
25 Pound Sledge HammerEver seen a 25 pound sledge hammer? Now you can say 'yes' if someone else asks you that question. Note the thicker reinforced handle on this beast. This hammer is used for levering and not for clobberin' stuff - and it's a good one. You won't find these at a local hardware store, this hammer was actually imported from a foreign country.
Labels: 25 Pound Sledge Hammer, Grip Tools, Hammer Training, Levering Tool, Sledge Hammer Leverage, Sledge Hammer Strength, Sledge Hammer Training, sledge Hammers, Unusual Training Equipment
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Saturday, June 06, 2009
Basque Stone LiftingYou can find Stone Lifting in many different cultures but none are more famous -- or stronger - than the Basque people of Northern Spain where stone lifting is their ethnic sport known as Harrijasotzaileak.
The Basques compete in stone lifting in several ways, either the heaviest possible stone for a single repetition or a lighter stone lifted for maximum repetitions in a short amount of time. In either case, a completed 'lift' is from the ground to the shoulder or upper chest. They also lift several different standardized shapes of stones, each with their own unique challenge. I will cover those at a later date.
By the way, the current record for shouldering the heaviest possible stone is 329 kg by Mikeltxo Saralegui. - That's 724 pounds!
Labels: Basque Stone Lifting, Basque Stones, Harrijasotzaileak, Mikeltxo Saralegui, Odd Object Lifting, Stone Lifting, Traditional Exercise, Unusual Strength, Unusual Training 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, May 24, 2009
Ab Training: Shaolin StyleHow do Shaolin Monks train their abs? Here's one way: this fellow is hanging upside down with his legs over a tree branch. He fills a small cup with water from the jar below him, sits up, and dumps it into a bucket which hangs above. No sets and reps needed, the workout ends when the bucket is filled.
Labels: Abdominal Development, Abdominal Training, Martial Arts Training, Shaolin Monks, Unusual Training Equipment
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Chain Dragging (Leistner Photo)When you train at Dr. Ken's place, one of the 'fun' exercises you can look forward to is anchor chain dragging. Enjoy!
Labels: Anchor Chain, Chain Dragging, Dr. Ken, Dr. Ken Leistner, Dr. Ken Workout, Dragging, Odd Object, Unusual Training Equipment
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Monday, May 04, 2009
Black Iron Strength KettlebellsKettlebells are pretty common these days but you probably haven't seen anything like these before: precision diamond-point knurled handles, polished stainless steel, 25 ton press through construction AND made in the USA.
These kettlebells were made by Black Iron Strength the same folks who make our thick bars. Of course the inevitable question is going to be "How do they compare to cast iron kettlebells?"
The answer is "they don't" - both styles are good but in their own way and for different reasons. We may carry these at some point in the future...
Labels: American Kettlebells, Ancient Kettlebells, Black Iron Strength, Equipment, Kettlebell, Kettlebell Exercises, Kettlebells, Unusual Training 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
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Easton GymThe Easton Gym (also known as the 'Screwball Gym') was started in 1938 by brothers Dale and Harvey Easton and was located on Beverly Boulevard location in Hollywood, California. It was the earliest gym ever established on the West Coast -- and is evidently still in business.
The Easton Gym was well known for the selection of unusual equipment which was designed and built by Harvey Easton and his good friend Jack LaLanne. Easton's was also the place where Vince Gironda got his start.
Labels: Classic Gym, Harvey Easton, Jack LaLanne, The Easton Gym, Unusual Training Equipment, Vince Gironda, West Coast 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
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
| As simple as it is, the common sledge hammer is a truly versatile piece of training equipment. It can be swung for conditioning work, much like chopping wood, it can be levered like the Slim the Hammer Man, which will build great grip and forearm strength, or it can be used like a typical (albeit unbalanced) freeweight, which is a great way to add a new dimension to typical exercises. |  Sledge Hammer Training |
Labels: Sledge Hammer Exercise, Sledge Hammer Leverage, Sledge Hammer Strength, Sledge Hammer Training, sledge Hammers, Sledgehammer, Sledgehammers, Unusual Training 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
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The York CalflexOne interesting training 'gizmo' from strength training yesteryear is the York Barbell Calflex. According to the literature the York Calflex allowed the tension to be increased in both directions for complete calf development. Nice.
Labels: Calf Development, Equipment, Unusual Training Equipment, York Barbell, York Barbell Company, York Calflex
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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, December 10, 2008
The Neck HelmetA "strongman" should be strong everywhere and that means building a strong neck too. One of the best ways to build a thicker stronger neck is by using a "neck helmet" a football helmet with a retrofitted weight horn. This setup makes it very easy to train the neck from several different directions. This particular neck helmet was using some plans from an old issue of Iron Man Magazine and has been in use for over 10 years (no, it's not for sale.)
Labels: Equipment, Iron Man Magazine, Neck Exercise, Neck Helmet, Neck Strength, Unique Equipment, Unusual Training 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, June 23, 2008
Teeth Lifting was a favorite feat of many oldtime strongmen, and this particular mouthpiece was sold by the York Barbell Company in the pages of Strength and Health Magazine Several hundred pounds can be lifted in this manner and this type of lifting will build incredible neck and jaw strength, however, we do NOT recommend this style of lifting (If you decide to do it anyway, please have a dentist onhand.)
Teeth Lifting BitLabels: Jaw Lifting, Jaw Strength, Neck Strength, Strength and Health Magazine, Teeth Lifting, Unusual Training Equipment, 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
Saturday, June 21, 2008
| Sometimes you'll have to improvise if you still want to get in a workout. Back during the second World War, our troops overseas had to do just that if they wanted to keep training. Here, Cpl. Robert Hamilton of the 1st AAF in Italy fashioned a nifty dumbbell out of some narrow-gauge train wheels. I'm sure the thick handle made for some interesting workouts. |  Train Wheel Dumbbell |
Labels: Dumbbell, Thick Handle, Train Wheel, Unique Equipment, Unusual Training 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, April 19, 2008
| Some of our eagle-eyed Ironman Magazine readers might remember this one from the back cover of the August-September 1970 issue: The Neil Lewis Arm Wrestling Trainer. It was not only featured on the back cover but the inside back cover, the inside front cover and a two-page spread in the magazine with Chuck Sipes, 1970 IFBB Mr. Canada Vince Basile, "Big" Jim Forsythe and several other notables. Looks pretty nifty -- Wonder how many they ended up selling? |  The Neil Lewis Arm Wrestling Trainer |
Labels: Arm Wrestling, Armwrestling Equipment, Chuck Sipes, Equipment, IFBB, Iron Man Magazine, Neil Lewis Armwrestling Trainer, Unusual Training Equipment, Vince Basile
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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 13, 2008
| One of the unusual pieces of training equipment in traditional Indian Physical Culture is the "Gar Nal" or stone wheel. As pictured, Indian Wrestlers would wear the stone ring around their neck to add resistance while they performed their squats and other leg exercises. |  The Stone Wheel |
Labels: Gar Nal, Indian Physical Culture, Indian Wrestler, Stone Ring, Traditional Exercise, Unusual Training 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, March 28, 2008
Sandow's Pushup MachineHere's Eugen Sandow (about as "Oldtime" as you can get) back in 1902, using a unique training machine of his own design -- using chest expander strands, Sandow devised a machine which could add resistance to the simple pushup, thus making it a more intense exercise.
Labels: Eugen Sandow, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Pushup, Pushup Machine, Strength machine, Training Equipment, Unusual Training Equipment, Vintage Strength Machines
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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, February 08, 2008
Vasily Alexeev's Unusual TrainingThe Russian Champion Vasily Alexeev is one of the greatest weightlifters who ever lived.
One of Alexeyeev's most unusual training techniques was to practice his cleans in waist-deep water. This famous shot was taken of Alexeev as he trained in the Don River in Mother Russia.
Unconventional... but certainly effective:
Alexeev set the first of his 80 world records in 1970 and was undefeated for the remainder of his career which also included two Olympic Gold medal winning performances (1972, Munich and 1976, Montreal)
Labels: Barbell, Clean and Jerk, Gold Medal, Mother Russia, Olympic Weightlifting, Olympics, Russian Strongman, Unusual Training Equipment, Vasily Alexeev
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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, February 07, 2008
The EZ Kurl BarThe EZ-Kurl (or Curl) bar is a fairly common piece of equipment these days but there was a time when it wasn't quite so well-known.
| A man named Lewis G. Dymeck invented the Dymek Curling bar (better known as the "EZ Curl" bar) and was granted the patent for it on May 23, 1950. Dymeck invented this unusual bar to train the biceps in a different manner than with a straight bar. The idea caught on... Soon many strength equipment companies began selling their own version of this piece of equipment. That's John Grimek, of course, demonstrating the York Barbell version. |  Dymeck EZ Curl Bar Patent |
Labels: Arm Development, Bicep Exercise, Bicep Strength, Dymeck Curl Bar, EZ Curl Bar, EZ Kurl Bar, John Grimek, Louis G. Dymeck, Training Equipment, Unusual Training 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
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
| The Gada, or Mace, is one of the traditional pieces of training equipment in Indian Physical Culture. The Gada consists of a heavy iron or stone ball attached to the end of a stick. Maces of various weights and heights are used depending on the athlete's strength and skil llevel. For training purposes, the Gada is swung behind the back in several different ways and is particularly useful for building grip strength and shoulder endurance. |  The Gada (Mace) |
Labels: Equipment, Gada, Indian Physical Culture, Kushti, Mace, Training Equipment, Unusual Training 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, February 01, 2008
 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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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, December 15, 2007
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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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
| 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
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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