Spalding Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Spalding Quarter-Circle Exerciser

Posted on Monday, August 30th, 2021 by John Wood

Believe it or not, stength “machines” have a history that goes back even further than barbells and dumbbells. This “Quarter-Circle Strength Developer” was manufactured by Spalding in the late 1890’s. This was actually a fairly common style of machine and several different companies had their own version. It was an original design by Dudley Allen Sargent for the Hemenway Gymnasium.

The Spalding Semi-Circle Strength Developer

Posted on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017 by John Wood

Believe it or not, strength “machines” have a history that goes back even further than barbells and dumbbells. This “Semi-Circle Strength Developer” was manufactured by Spalding in the late 1890’s. This was actually a fairly common style of machine and several different companies had their own version.

The Spalding Grip Machine

Posted on Saturday, May 14th, 2016 by John Wood

What is lost upon many people is that “machines” have as much of a history with strength training as barbells and dumbbells do. Shown here is an interesting piece, The Spalding Grip Machine, circa 1914. This looks like a very well designed machine, one that would be just as effective (and important) nearly a century later.

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Spalding Ebonite Indian Clubs

Posted on Friday, February 14th, 2014 by John Wood

“In introducing our new Trade-marked Indian Clubs, we should call special attention to the perfect shape, beautiful finish, and correct weight of each club. We select the very choicest timber for these clubs, turn them by hand, and work each club down to the exact troy weight, and this care in making, together with the beautiful ebony finish, highly polished, and banded in gold, with nickel-plated heads, makes them the most beautiful and desirable Indian Clubs ever placed upon the market, We purposely keep these clubs up to the very highest grade, and to protect ourselves and customers against cheap imitations, our trade mark will be stamped on each club, as represented in the above cut.”

Spalding produced a number of interesting Indian Clubs and here is a perfect example from way back in 1886. These clubs were made of ebony, a particularly sturdy dark wood which is also quite heavy. Given the look, style and makeup, these clubs must have been a lot of fun to train with. We hold ourselves to the same standards over a hundred and twenty years later.

The Spalding Special Friction Wrestling Machine

Posted on Thursday, January 16th, 2014 by John Wood

Here’s an interesting one from days-gone-by: The Spalding Special Friction Wrestling Machine, or, in other words, two long handles attached to a friction brake. For combat training purposes one would bend or pull this way and that, with resistance of course, focusing a great deal on the muscles of the waist and trunk (what they evidently call the “core” these days.) This might even fall under the “functional” training designation today. Regardless, I’d say this design has many interesting possibilities. By the way, the $12 price tag would equal over $300 in today’s money when adjusted for inflation.

Spalding’s Athletic Library: Indian Club Exercises by Edward B. Warman

Posted on Wednesday, January 1st, 2014 by John Wood

A look at a vintage Indian Club training course, put out by Spalding about a hundred years ago. The Spalding Company put out dozens of similar booklets highlighting tips and techniques for the many types of equipment they featured in their catalog – Indian Clubs obviously being among them.