Bob Hoffman Products Dugout Jacket

Posted on Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 by John Wood
Bob Hoffman is well-known as the father of American Weightlifting. What is not as well known is that Hoffman also had a tremendous hand in popularizing the sport of softball. At one point in time, Bob wanted to make York, Pennsylvania “The Softball Capital of The World, and for a short time, it was. The National Softball Hall of Fame was once housed at the York Barbell facility. Bob didn’t just sponsor “a” softball team, he sponsored ELEVEN: including the Bob Hoffman Products Red team, the Bob Hoffman Products Blue team, the York Barbellettes (women’s) team, and the York City police team. They all brought home many championships. Today you can find many softball fields and facilities named in Bob’s honor around the York area. Above, a rare Bob Hoffman Products dugout jacket.
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.

Steve Stanko and The Hub Lift

Posted on Monday, October 29th, 2018 by John Wood
One of the classic classic grip feats was to pick up a York Deep-Dish 45 Pound barbell plate just by the hub, something weightlifting and bodybuilding champ Steve Stanko could do with ease, even with an added 10 pounds. Steve’s best on this feat was with over 90 pounds!

York Isometric Model W.W. Power Rack

Posted on Thursday, October 12th, 2017 by John Wood
Here’s another look at the York Isometric Model W.W. Power Rack. Back in the early 1960’s, my Dad and Uncle sent away to Muscletown York, PA for one of these W.W. racks so they could do isometric training which was all the rage back in the day. Then this rack sat in storage for the next few decades until I saw the pieces in the corner and asked if I could take it up to my gym. The crossbeam was lost and the base had rotted away but I had one of our fabricators fashion the necessary pieces to get it back into working order. Initially my goal in refurbishing this piece was more from a sense of nostalgia — a family heirloom of sorts — but eventually, I found it to be invaluable. It was this rack on which I formulated the movements for “The Bone Strength Project” and it’s design is ideal for those. Who would have ever guessed that such a “primitive” rack would end up being exactly what I needed for my training goals about fifty years later?
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.

Gray Hair and Black Iron by Brooks Kubik

Posted on Saturday, September 23rd, 2017 by John Wood
SOLD OUT!

Check out our other products for hard-training info:

https://www.oldtimestrongman.com/products/

The Complete Keys to Progress by John McCallum

Posted on Tuesday, November 29th, 2016 by John Wood
SOLD OUT!

We recommend >>> Gray Hair and Black Iron

Stan Stanczyk

Posted on Wednesday, July 10th, 2013 by John Wood

Stan Stanczyk

The great Olympic weightlifter Stan Stanczyk was the first man to win three successive World titles in three different weight classes. Lifting for the York Barbell Club, he won five in all. He also won six Senior National titles, a Gold Medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England, a Gold at the 1951 Pan-American Games and a Silver Medal at the 1952 Helsinki Games.

Stanczyk set eight word records during his lifting career. He was also a fairly good bodybuilder, placing very respectably in the few contests he entered.

The York Calflex

Posted on Thursday, May 23rd, 2013 by John Wood
The York Calflex
One interesting training ‘gizmo’ from strength training yesteryear is the York Barbell Calflex. According to the ads, the York Calflex “allowed the tension to be increased in both directions for complete calf development.” Nice. N.B. There is a small hook-like piece missing from the front in the image above which locks the foot into place.
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.

1947 World’s Weight Lifting Championships Official Program

Posted on Tuesday, July 17th, 2012 by John Wood
A look at the Official Program for the 1947 World’s Weight Lifting Championships held at the Municipal Auditorium in Philadelphia, PA.  Pictured are members of the 1946 US team consisting of Stanley Stanczyk, Frank Spellman, John Terpak, Emerick Ishikawa, Bob Hoffman and Frank Kay (Not pictured: John Davis).

At the Championships, which were held on September 26 and 27th, 1947, the US team ran the table, taking the Gold Medal in every single weight class and winning 10 medals overall.

Just Another Day on Broad Street…

Posted on Thursday, February 16th, 2012 by John Wood

York Gym

Just another day in the old York gym over on Broad Street, circa 1958. The great featherweight Ike Berger is getting in a few presses with 205 on the platform. The gentleman looking on from the left is Eduardo Adrian, who was the lifting champion from the island of Curacao, and who spent a few weeks training in York at the time. In the background, 1944 Mr. America and 1947 Mr. Universe Steve Stanko works in on the long cable. while Jack Mills, a local high school student, rests between sets — that’s right, at one point in time you could have just shown up at York and worked out right along side world champion lifters and strength athletes.
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.

York Holdtite Barbell Collars

Posted on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 by John Wood

York Holdtite Barbell Collars

If you got a standard York Barbell set in the mid 1930’s through the early 1940’s, this is the set of collars that would have come with it.  These “Holdtite” collars are made of bronze and certainly live up to their name.
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.