Jack Dempsey

Posted on Thursday, November 29th, 2018 by John Wood
Jack Dempsey wasn’t a bodybuilder — but he probably could have been. This rare shot, taken after a training session in the early 1920’s, shows what kinds of shape he was in. Anyone would probably think twice about stepping into the ring after seeing that!

All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Author: John Wood. All contents, including images and text, copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc. Not to be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved. We will most likely grant permission but please contact us if you would like to repost. IMPORTANT: Equipment and books, courses etc. pictured in blog posts are generally not available for sale unless specifically noted.

Al Gerard

Posted on Tuesday, November 20th, 2018 by John Wood
Over three decades ago, Al Gerard, an engineer and 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 has become the piece of equipment for every gym. Al was able to deadlift over 725 pounds using his invention. Here’s a look at Al and the quite impressive results of heavy Trap Bar Training.

All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Author: John Wood. All contents, including images and text, copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc. Not to be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved. We will most likely grant permission but please contact us if you would like to repost. IMPORTANT: Equipment and books, courses etc. pictured in blog posts are generally not available for sale unless specifically noted.

Gennady Ivanchenko

Posted on Saturday, August 20th, 2011 by John Wood
Gennady Ivanchenko, the great Russian weightlifter, was the first light-heavyweight lifter ever to surpass the 500 kg total. This famous shot, taken by Tommy Kono, shows Ivanchenko doing snatch pulls at a training session prior to the 1971 Sr. European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria (where Ivanchenko, unsurprisingly, took gold).  You can probably see why Ivanchenko’s nickname was “The Robot.”