We always have a good laugh hearing people say that barbells and dumbbells are so “oldschool” since the fact of the matter is that commercially available strength machines pre-date that type of equipment by several decades. Here’s a look at one of them: Mann’s Reactionary Lifter – one of several lifting machines to appear during the latter part of the 19th century when “The Lifting Cure” was en vogue. Mann’s machine was known as a “side lifter” since there were two perpendicularly positioned handles rather than a central bar… meaning that women could use the machine without requiring a separate set of clothes. The machine was pretty ingenious, using a series of levers to allow the user to lift a percentage of their own bodyweight.