February 28, 2012
You can build a lot of strength with nothing more than a good set of dumbbells, something which George F. Jowett understood very well. In fact, these very cool dumbbells were manufactured by Jowett specifically for use with The Jowett Institute Course. The discs were finished in gold with the gripping base and shields finished in black. The gripping space on the handles is grooved to provide a tight, non-slipping grip. The discs are snuglyheld together by threaded screws which fit, one in each end, with a threaded measure that makes them easily loosened and as easily tightened. No wrench is required, just a turn of the fingers. The discs are also slightly concave so they fit together snugly and do not rattle while in use.
All in all a very nice set of dumbbells, one you would be proud to own... This designed was copied by several equipment manufacturers long after Jowett was out of the picture.
February 27, 2012
Charles A. Sampson was a turn-of-the-century strongman who, unlike any of his contemporaries, claimed his great strength came not from physical training but a result of having been struck by lightning as a small child!
As noted in Physical Training Simplified by Mark Berry, Sampson could perform a Harness Lift with 4008 pounds and frequently collaborated with the famous coin breaker Franz "Cyclops" Bienkowski.
Sampson and Cyclops were both handily defeated by Eugen Sandow in a famous challenge match in 1889.
February 24, 2012
A look at a vintage advertisement for the Milo Bar Bell Company, circa 1920. That's Anton Matysek lifting and supporting a bicycle with three riders, upping the ante on a feat originally pioneered by Thomas Inch.As the ad states
"Walking with a weight of 560 lbs. in the manner shown above requires strength in every part of the body. That this man has strength is shown by his broad shoulders, deep chestand magnificently muscled arms and legs. He is a Milo Bar Bell pupil - a man who has obtained all his development through the practice of progressive bar bell exercises. Yet when he enrolled for our course of instruction he did not even have ordinary health and strength. He will give you a good idea of what you may expect to accomplish through the Milo Bar Bell system of exercise."
While you may not necessarily have an interest in doing this particula lift, heavy lockouts and supports do go a long way in building incredible strength.
February 24, 2012
I'm afraid I don't have any information on who these gents are but I sure do like their style. You can get very strong lifting heavy, awkward weights and barrels (or partially-filled barrels) certainly fit the bill nicely. In fact, about half of George F. Jowett's Molding a Mighty Grip course is devoted specifically to barrel lifting techniques. Steve Justa, the Nebraska strongman, also wrote a excellent course on barrel lifting which is included as a chapter of his book ROCK IRON STEEL
February 24, 2012
Paul Pons won what is recognized as the very first wrestling world championship in 1898. Pons would go on to win several more world championships in 1899, 1900, 1902, 1903, 1904 and 1910. Like most wrestlers of the day, Pons was also a strongman, and, as a matter of fact, Apollon's training partner. Though Pons put most of his focus toward his wrestling, he did accomplish several notable strength feats, among them briefly holding the world record in the "Two Hands Anyhow" with a lift of 129 kg. For most of his life, Pons ran a wrestling and physical training gymnasium in Paris where he, Apollon, Batta and many other great French strength athletes trained.
February 17, 2012
From 1989 to 2000, Osmo Kiiha published "THE IRON MASTER" one of the most informative periodicals ever produced on the history of strength training.
What made this publication stand out from anything before or since was the focus on training -- every issue focused on one or more of the all-time greats but it wasn't just talk, there was always a number of workouts included so that readers could learn exactly how the champs trained.
At one point, Osmo decided to create a further link to the past by coming out with his own classic equipment. He created a series of globe barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells which were reminiscent of the kind of equipment that the MILO Barbell Company had produced a century before.
The "Iron Master" Dumbbell is shown above.
Like the MILO models, these had hollow globes which could be filled either with shot or loded with smaller plates through the handle. They were cast in either aluminum or steel and were machined, one at a time, by hand ~ true works of art.
February 16, 2012
Just another day in the old York gym over on Broad Street, circa 1958. The great featherweight Ike Berger is getting in a few presses with 205 on the platform. The gentleman looking on from the left is Eduardo Adrian, who was the lifting champion from the island of Curacao, and who spent a few weeks training in York at the time. In the background, 1944 Mr. America and 1947 Mr. Universe Steve Stanko works in on the long cable. while Jack Mills, a local high school student, rests between sets -- that's right, at one point in time you could have just show up at York and worked out right along side world champion lifters and strength athletes.
February 7, 2012
Sig Klein inherited much of his great equipment when he married Professor Attila's daughter and took over his gym in New York. Of course, Sig had pretty good taste in equipment and often had custom-made barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells fashioned to train with.
February 6, 2012
A strongman has turned up in Philadelphia. He calls himself Sebastian Miller and a distinguished gathering of physicians and Professors witnessed some of his feats of strength in the Pennsylvania hospital a day ago.
Miller stripped to the waist in order that the physicians might see the workings of his gigantic muscles, and he stepped to a light pine table on which were placed several cobblestones.
A large stone was held in place and Miller, giving three powerful swings with his right arm, brought his fist down on the stone.
The first blow cracked it, the second broke it, and the third shattered it into bits.
In doing this, Miller wrapped a piece of cloth around his hand to protect it from being cut.
But Miller's strength is not all in his arms. With a harness he has raised 3500 pounds and with his hands he can lift 1800 pounds. With three successive blows of his fist he has broken a block of Quincy granite 5 feet long, 4 feet broad and 6 inches thick.-- From The Cambridge (Ohio) Jeffersonian, dated January 3, 1899
February 5, 2012
Professor Adrian Schmidt's "Automatic Exerciser" (also called a "Schmidt Machine") was one of the very first commercially made pieces of strength equipment. It was ingenious in its simplicity since it allows for a number of exercises -- especially those which required incredibly heavy weights -- to be performed in a minimum of space. Movements such as hip lifts or deadlift lockouts (i.e. 'The Health Lift) etc which often required hundreds of pounds of weight could now be performed with only a few dozen thanks to the leverage principle.
Schmidt felt, and rightly so, that maintaining a strong healthy life was a matter of maintaining a strong and healthy back. This concept, as well as instructions for the exerciser, were all explained in his booklet "Life's Backbone." Back in 1917, when this ad appeared, you could send away for this booklet for 4 cents!
February 3, 2012
Now THAT'S a Kettlebell! ...Antonio Clevio Massimo Sabatino, professionally known as Clevio Massimo, was born in
Opi Labruza, Italy in 1895. When only a small boy he immigrated into the US and made Buffalo, New York his home. Shortly after finishing high school, Clevio
Massimo toured the country performing strongman feats, hand
balancing, adagio dancing and muscle control and for a time, even ventured into professional wrestling. You can find out
more about Clevio Massimo in The Mark Berry Bar Bell
Courses.
February 2, 2012
"The Scottish Apollo" William Beattie is shown here doing a bent-press with a pair of what are most likely 56-pound block weights. It should be noted that he fist swung them up to that position which is a fantastic feat of grip strength in holding the blocks together. Beatties was also fond of juggling these weights.Unsurprisingly, Beattie was one of the many students of William Pullum and won the British Amateur Weightlifting Association (BAWLA) 12 stone Championship in 1929. Beattie went on to perform feats of strength and acrobatics with several circuses.
February 2, 2012
Everyone should train their neck, but neck strength is especially important if you play football. The Hammer Strength neck machine is the best one I have ever used -- and I've tried 'em all. Do it strict with no monkey business and you'll go up a few collar sizes in no time. I recently got one from a local high school who said they were getting rid of it because "they didn't need it any more" ~ oh brother.
February 1, 2012
The great German strongman Hermann Goerner was known as "Goerner The Mighty" -- and for very good reason. Among his many amazing feats were a one-arm deadilift of 734.5 lbs and a "leg press" of 24 men sitting on a plank, a total weight of 4123 lbs. Above, Goerner lifts his famous challenge barbell, which was 330-3/4 lbs. and had a 2-3/8ths-inch handle. Goerner's challenge was to clean and jerk this unique barbell without moving the feet, something which he could do easily but which no one else was ever able to duplicate.
