Swedish Bars Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Harry Truman’s 1948 White House Gym

Posted on Thursday, October 11th, 2018 by John Wood

A look at Truman’s gym in the White House, circa 1948. It is sparse, but certainly contains everything someone would need to stay in shape: medicine balls, Swedish Bars, Wall Pulleys, Gymnastic Rings, Rowing machine, health rider bike, situp board, and a rack of dumbbells (more of which are out of the frame.)

Russian Glute Ham Machine

Posted on Tuesday, November 11th, 2014 by John Wood

Glute Ham Machines can be found in most gyms these days but this wasn’t always the case. This movement was pioneered by the great soviet weightlifters who placed a gymnastic pommel horse near a set of Swedish Bars into which they they hooked their feet. That’s the great Alexeev shown here demonstrating the movement. This exercise didn’t make it to US shores until well into the 1980’s.

The Gymnasium of the Romania College of Physical Education

Posted on Sunday, January 20th, 2013 by John Wood

Here’s a quick look at The Gymnasium of the College of Physical Education in Bucharest, Romania. Their most well-known graduate is the famed gymnastic coach Bela Karolyi.

The Swedish Bars

Posted on Sunday, August 19th, 2012 by John Wood

The Swedish Bars

You have no doubt seen these along the walls in Classic Gyms but didn’t know what they were – so now you do. The Swedish Bars (also called Stall Bars or Gymnastic Bars) were created by the Swedish physical training pioneer Pehr Henrik Ling back in the 1800’s (a derivation of the climbing ladder).

They soon became a standard piece of gymnastic training equipment in physical culture gymnasiums, YMCAs and especially in the military. The Swedish Bars are used to build flexibility as well as to perform a variety of exercises, most notably abdominal work by hanging from them and performing leg lifts, etc..