Online Courses

Posted on Monday, April 6th, 2020 by John Wood
ONLINE COURSES

>>>Be sure to read our Online Course FAQ Page

ONLINE COURSE #1: Oldschool Strength On-Ramp:
The first entry in our online courses catalog is intended to serve as an introduction to our mobile app so that you can become more familiar with how the app operates. Once you join on, you will get access to an eclectic mix of oldschool training materials, including:

  • Decreasing Bodyweight While Maintaining Size and Strength by Anthony Ditillo (From Peary Rader’s IronMan Magazine
  • A bodyweight program from Bob Hoffman in 1938
  • How Steve Reeves Trained by John Grimek
  • full issue of Brooks Kubik’s Dinosaur Files newsletter from the year 2000
  • Mike’s Gym Workouts 1 & 2 (commentary plus workout sheet downloads)
  • 5×5 Modification by Brooks Kubik
  • WWII Home Calisthenic Program
  • George F. Jowett Heavy Dumbbell Training
  • Plus more!

Much of this material is bodyweight-training oriented which makes it particularly useful in light of current “lockdown” circumstances — and all for the ridiculously low price of $9.99!

____________ $9.99
(Delivered via mobile app)
ONLINE COURSE #2: Rare 1893 Indian Club Course:
  • 10 Chapters
  • Addendum
  • Tables and Index

____________ $9.99
(Delivered via mobile app)

ONLINE COURSE #3: Iron Will Course by Brooks Kubik and John Wood
  • Introduction by Brooks Kubik and John Wood
  • The full text of “An Iron Will” by O.S. Marden (1901)
  • “An Iron Will” audio book, read by Brooks Kubik (1 hour, 55 minutes)
  • Iron Will Audio Seminar #1 – History and Background — (1 hour, 27 minutes)
  • Iron Will Audio Seminar #2 – Action Items and training (1 hour, 55 minutes)
  • Bonus items, time management techniques, podcast notes
  • TEN Will Power Workouts
____________ $29.99
(Delivered via mobile app)

ONLINE COURSE #3: Iron Will Course by Brooks Kubik and John Wood
  • Introduction by Brooks Kubik and John Wood
  • The full text of “An Iron Will” by O.S. Marden (1901)
  • “An Iron Will” audio book, read by Brooks Kubik (1 hour, 55 minutes)
  • Iron Will Audio Seminar #1 – History and Background — (1 hour, 27 minutes)
  • Iron Will Audio Seminar #2 – Action Items and training (1 hour, 55 minutes)
  • Bonus items, time management techniques, podcast notes
  • TEN Will Power Workouts
____________ $29.99
(Delivered via mobile app)

Notes:

1. These courses can ONLY be viewed via our mobile app and requires an up-to-date cell phone number and valid email address.

2. We have both iPhone and Android versions of the app available, you will choose your version prior to the setup process.

3. You will be required to download the app to your phone or tablet and follow a few other basic directions in order to access your course material. This process will only be necessary once and takes less than a minute to complete. If you already have the app downloaded to your phone from a prior purchase, we will grant instant access on our end once your order is completed with no further action necessary on your end.

4. All sales are final for online courses. We offer NO REFUNDS on Online Course products. DO NOT purchase ANY of these products if you are unwilling to follow the basic directions to install and/or utilize our mobile app.

5. Our mobile app can be viewed on a smart phone or tablet.

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.

Neck Training With Sonny Liston

Posted on Thursday, November 29th, 2018 by John Wood
The great boxer Sonny Liston used to strengthen his neck by doing a headstand on a table and working his body back and forth then left and right, in order to hit all four “sides” of the neck. I can say from experience that this method is simple but very effective.

This picture was taken in May of 1963 while Liston was in training to face Floyd Patterson for the second time. Liston knocked out Patterson in the first round just like he did the first time they fought. With this victory Liston retained the WBA, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles and won the vacant inaugural WBC heavyweight title.

The George F. Jowett Collection

Posted on Tuesday, April 24th, 2018 by John Wood
With George F. Jowett,
~ Follow His Methods! ~
The World-Famous JOWETT SYSTEM, which has proven itself with RESULTS for thousands upon thousands of pupils, can now be yours!

Years ago, a young boy was finally discharged from the hospital where he had suffered for most of his childhood — the result of an accident when only a few months old. He survived several major operations, then finally was told that nothing further could be done to save him so they sent him home…

George Jowett overcame a severe childhood illness to become one of the strongest men who ever lived. One of his greatest feats was to clean and press a 168-pound anvil — a phenomenal feat of grip strength!

…but they did did not know that in the heart of this sickly lad a belief had taken hold… a belief that he could rebuild his body and regain his lost health and strength through physical training. This belief so dominated the young man each night he quietly crept into the silence of the deserted forgotten attic of his home and there alone set to work the rebuilding of his puny, broken body.

This was the beginning of the climb of George F. Jowett from the deepest, darkest pit of physical weakness to the peak of physical success. The doctor’s thought that he would never even see the age of 15, yet at that age Jowett won the Junior International Gymnastics Championship, and he sure didn’t stop there… At 17, he traveled to France and returned as the World’s Welter Weight Wrestling Champion. That same year he also set the World’s Junior one arm press record of 224 lbs.– a mark which still remains unbroken.

These were the first of Jowett’s many records and achievements; he would go on to win scores more in the passing years… and with each accomplishment, his storehouse of knowledge grew ever larger as well… it is this wealth of knowledge and experience that he has put into the most wonderful physical development courses ever put before the public.

What took George F. Jowett years to learn he now teaches you within a few short sessions — faultlessly, faithfully and successfully — until you finally acquire the magnificent development and marvelous strength he is able to give you!

Strengthen Your Tendons and Ligaments!

Thousands of body-builders with strong-looking muscles are left wondering why they cannot equal the strength tests of others… and the simple reason is that their muscular ligaments and sinewy attachments are too weakly inserted to cooperate with and support the contractile power of their muscles.

The strength of your muscles depends as much upon the power of their muscular cables as upon the quality of muscular tissue. There should be exact balance between the two… but this is rarely the case. Strong muscles must have strong attachments.

Strength within the muscles is built from exercises that compel full extension and contraction of the muscular fibers. When the muscular tissue has benn developed it is absolutely necessary that the muscular ligaments also be powerfully increased so that they can support the muscles in all their movements of resistance. The George Jowett Training Syetem is especially adapted to the building of steel-like muscular cables.

The George F. Jowett Collection

George Jowett’s training courses have helped thousands upon thousands of trainees know the thrill of strength but as they were written almost a century ago, they are long out of print and original copies are VERY difficult to find in any condition… However, George Jowett’s secrets still live on today! The Jowett Collection consists of three of Jowett’s greatest training courses, now available in high-quality reprint editions for modern trainees to enjoy and benefit from.

Yes, you too can now get your hands on the original Jowett Institute 12-lesson mail order course, his most famous book The Key To Might and Muscle and his fantastic foream development course Molding a Mighty Grip. Detailed information on each title is as follows…

The Jowett Institute Course in Health, Muscle Building and Physical Perfection (1927)

This high-quality modern reprint edition of The Jowett Institute Course is reproduced faithfully from the original 1927 version. This course is intended to be undertaken over a period of six months. There are twelve lessons, with each lesson to be performed for two weeks. There is a review at week five and two more bonus lessons included at the end for further development.

Each lesson consists of three parts: a talk sheet, follwed by written details on the monthly exercises and finally photographs of said exercises which illustrate proper form and technique. The exercises consist primarily of bodyweight movements and dumbbell exercises. The step-by-step Instructions are easy to follow and very detailed – nothing is left to chance.

The Jowett Institute Course is perfect for beginner and advanced trainees alike. Trade paperback, 8-1/2-inches x 11-inches in size, over 100 rare photographs of the master, George F. Jowett in action!

The Key to Might and Muscle (1926)

You don’t have to be a strength fan to appreciate anything authored by George F. Jowett. His writing style and mastery of the written word is on par wiith any of the greatest writers throughout history in any topic…

Of course, since you ARE a strength fan, you can see that his skill with a barbell is as good as his skill with a pen… anything authored by Jowett makes you want to immediately run out and grab a barbell — and you sure can’t ask for anything better than that!

In his magnmum opus, The Key to Might and Muscle Jowett covers everything that any lifter would need to know to build great strength…

As you might expect, muscular development is discussed in great detail, but in “The Key” Jowett goes far beyond the typical training courses in that he teaches you how to develop every aspect of your body for super strength and power… with the highlights undoubtedly being his chapters on building tendon, ligament and bone strength – topics you rarely see discussed today (and easily worth the price alone.)

The Key to Might and Muscle was originally printed by the Milo Barbell Company in 1926 and this modern reprint edition remains true to the original publication. If you want to really know how the genuine Oldime Strongmen trained, this is your chance!

Trade paperback, 5-inches x 7-inches in size, 24 chapters, 294 pages, many illustrations

Classic Strength Photos!

In addition to the valuable training information, throughout The Key to Might and Muscle you will also find dozens of rare and classic photos of the strongest men in recorded history including: the great French Strongman Apollon, Britain’s Strongest Man Edward Aston, Professor Louis Attila, Ernest Cadine, William P. Caswell, Ottley R. Coulter, Louis Cyr, Sig Klein, Arthur Dandurand, Hector DeCarrie, Elliott, Giroux, Herman Goerner, George Jowett himself (of course!), Earle E. Liederman, Jim Londos, Charles MacMahon, Manger, Maxick, Angus McAskill, Karl Moerke, Bobby Pandour, Charles Rigoulot, Monte Saldo, Hermann and Arthur Saxon, Milo Steinborn, Warren Lincoln Travis, David P. Willoughby, and many more!

Molding a Mighty Grip (1930)

In 1930, George Jowett came out with some of his most popular training materials in the form of the “Molding” courses.

Each of these courses was devoted to one specific aspectof training: Molding a Mighty Arm, Molding a Mighty Chest, Molding Mighty Legs, Molding a Mighty Grip, Molding a Mighty Back and ending with Strongman Stunts Made Easy. Hundreds of thousands of these courses were sold all over the world during the Jowett Institute’s heyday.

While the rest of these booklets are currently out of print and very hard to come by, the most popular title: Molding a Mighty Grip is currently available from this website in a high-quality modern reprint format!

There’s no better person to teach you about grip and forearm strength from than George F. Jowett. He was a king in the grip department and well-known for his 8.25-inch wrists, 15.25-inch forearms, and 17.75-inch upper-arms. Jowett was a World Champion at wrist wrestling and among his legendary feats of grip strength was that of a single-handed clean and press of a 168-pound anvil!

Molding a Mighty Grip begins with Jowett’s remarks about many of the famous oldtime strongmen and their specialty feats of grip strength. After that, the course describes, in detail, many of Jowett’s favorite hand and forearm training exercises which range from very basic to the highly unusual and creative. The second half of the course is devoted to barrel lifting techniques, (a tremendously effective way to build forearm strength).

Booklet format, 8-1/2-inches x 11-inches in size, 15 pages on high quality stock, many illustrations.

Jowett’s Secrets Live On!

A popular saying back in the day was “Once a Jowett student… always a Jowett Student.”

George F. Jowett’s courses and training guides been responsible for thousands of people not just becoming stronger but building a strong and healthy lifestyle — something they carried on their entire lives.

Though his name is known only to a select few these days, Jowett’s spirit lives on…. and he still has a great deal to teach others. His courses and training guides can be used and enjoyed just as much today as when they originally appeared nearly a century ago. As a serious student of Strength, the George F. Jowett Collection should undoubtedly have a place of honor in your training library. You’ll find yourself flipping through them often, and always manage to read a new training tip that you missed before… If you truly want to learn all you can about Oldtime strength training, this is your chance!

Order now!The George F. Jowett Collection (3 Courses)
___________$89.99 plus s/h

George Hackenschmidt

Posted on Sunday, August 28th, 2016 by John Wood


“World Champion Wrestler and Record Setting Strongman Reveals All…”

George “The Russian Lion” Hackenschmidt has the unique distinction of being one of the first well known physique stars, a champion wrestler, legendary strongman, AND outspoken strength author.

He was a man of imaginable power. In fact, many of “Hack’s” greatest strength records still stand and his first wrestling bout against Frank Gotch in 1908 is widely regarded as the greatest professional wrestling match of all time…

Later that same year, Hackenschmidt published The Way to Live which was part autobiography and part training course. 21 editions later, this book was considered the highest selling book on physical culture ever written!

In The Way to Live, Hackenschmidt covers a wide range of topics, including:

How he lived … his methods of exercise … training with weights … training without weights … training for young and old … nutrition and diet … building and cultivating will power … feats of strength with heavy weights … hindrances to the acquisition of strength … tips on bathing … rest and wholesome sleep … variations in exercise … exercises for athletes, etc. and a complete course in barbell and dumbbell training…

Hackenschmidt closes the book telling the story of his life including his early days under the guidance of Dr. von Krajewski (physician to the Czar of Russia), and Dr. Theodore Siebert, the famous German weightlifting pioneer. He relates tales of his wrestling bouts with the likes of Zbysco, Lurich, Jenkins, Farmer Burns, and, of course, his most famous match against Frank Gotch.

This 5″ x 7″ trade paperback high-quality modern reprint edition features new material not found in the original printing: 173 pages, over 89 rare photos and illustrations (several of which have been added to the modern reprint edition and did not appear in the original version), and a unique look into the life of one of the strongest man who ever lived, holder of many world strength records, and world champion catch-as-catch-can wrestler.

Order now!The Way to Live by George Hackenschmidt
_________ $19.99 plus s/h

You Can Banish Weakness…

Posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013 by John Wood
Lionel Strongfort(aka Max Unger) was one of the first mail order muscle kings and this is one of his advertisements from 1928.

His “Strongfortism” system, which involved mostly body weight movements and light dumbbells, was incredibly popular in the early 20th century.  Strongfort was originally a pupil of Professor Attila.

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.