I spent last week in the Sma Glen and lifted one of the most unusual stones in Scotland. The Saddlin Mare looks ordinary from the road. A rounded stone of about two hundred pounds lies at its base. The task is straightforward. Pick up the stone. Bring it to the plinth. Work it up the… Continue reading Saddlin the Mare, Or Why I Pushed a Rock Up a Boulder
Tag: Stone Lifting
1950s Advice on Stone Lifting
This short post brings together two twin loves of mine, Odd Lifting and the Indian Encyclopedia of Physical Culture. Published in English in 1950, the Encyclopedia details a variety of traditional and modern exercises used in India. Part of a broader effort to promote traditional Indian movements, like heavy club swinging, bethanks, dands… Continue reading 1950s Advice on Stone Lifting
Stronger, Faster, Together? Carrying Dinnie Stones in Competition
Well, I am still energized from the 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic and it did not disappoint. Thor returned with an earth-shattering performance on the deadlift, Mitch Hooper proved himself as a Strongman yet again and Angelica Jardine went from being the new kid on the block to winning the women's division outright. I love strength… Continue reading Stronger, Faster, Together? Carrying Dinnie Stones in Competition
Guest Post: A Brief History Of Stone Lifting
Stone lifting is a sport that has been around for centuries but not many people know about the history or origins of stone lifting. The sport of stone lifting has its roots in Ireland, Scotland and Iceland where people would lift stones as a way to show off their strength. Today, stone lifting is enjoyed… Continue reading Guest Post: A Brief History Of Stone Lifting
Stone Lifting in Ancient Greece: Bybon’s Stone
Stone lifting has, thankfully, come back into vogue both in strength competitions but also among the general lifting public. While previously on the site we have spoken of various acts of weightlifting in the Ancient World, it dawned on my recently that I have, to my own shame, rarely discussed some of the oldest, and… Continue reading Stone Lifting in Ancient Greece: Bybon’s Stone
Informal acts of weightlifting in Ireland
That stone had lain in that place as long as the oldest traditions in the village could remember. And from time immemorial it had been the custom of the young men of the village to test their strength by lifting it …[i] Liam O’Flaherty, 1937. Simply titled, ‘The Stone’, Liam O’Flaherty’s short Irish story from… Continue reading Informal acts of weightlifting in Ireland