My love of the World Strongest Man Competition is obvious. If you don't believe, just check out some of our previous posts on the weird and wonderful of the WSM. In particular I am a huge fan of the early WSM shows. They were a time when the sport had not yet professionalized. In reality,… Continue reading Geoff Capes: The Car Salesman?
Named after French Canadian strongman Louis Cyr, the Cyr dumbbell is one of the most recognisable lifts in modern strongman competitions. Who can forget last year's Arnold Strength Classic which saw competitors run through a gauntlet of Cyr Dumbbells? Cyr's dumbbell is so popular in modern strength contests that it is sometimes difficult to remember… Continue reading What is the Cyr Dumbbell?
I am constantly fascinated with learning how strongmen and women trained. For me, one of the most interesting things about the history of fitness is learning how and why people trained, and for what reason. Today's post looks at Pat Casey, one of powerlifting's early celebrities. Pat Casey was one of the strongest men in… Continue reading The Pat Casey Workout (1963)
Earlier this year we were treated to perhaps the most exciting Arnold Strongman Classic to date. We saw Hafthor Bjornsson win the event for the second year in a row with a domineering display of power. The 'Wheel of Pain' from Conan the Barbarian made an appearance and it was joined by an exact replica… Continue reading When Was The Arnold Strongman Classic Created?
Is it suddenly cool to care about the history of strength? One of the joys of the internet has been, for me at least, the immense interest weight lifters from around the world have shown in learning more about the strong men and women who went before them. In the past, people were forced to… Continue reading Film Club: The Rogue Legends Series Louis “Apollon” Uni
Should you drink beer during workouts? It may seem a ludicrous suggestion but this is exactly what famed German strongman, Arthur Saxon, did in the early 1900s. Previously on this website we have discussed the huge appetite Saxon and his traveling trio of strongmen had during the height of their careers. In the space of… Continue reading Beer During Workouts? Arthur Saxon Approves!
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE5DnJXFcyw&feature=youtu.be Named after Scottish strongman and athlete extraordinaire, Donald Dinnie, the Dinnie Stones are seen by many in the strength world as one of the toughest challenges around. Rediscovered in 1953 by physical culture historian and strongman contest organiser David Webster, the two stones - which both have unforgiving metal handles - have a combined… Continue reading Dinnie Stones at the 1982 Britain’s Strongest Man Contest
The past few years in particular, have been a wonderful time for strongman and strongwoman fans. For me, one of the most exciting developments has been the renewed interest shown in stone lifting. As a World's Strongest Man fan who grew up watching Kaz or Jon Pal dominate the competition, the sport has always had… Continue reading When did Strongmen Begin Using Atlas Stones?
Today's short post comes primarily from Nigel B. Crowther's wonderful chapter on Ancient Chinese sport and physical education. Looking primarily at Chinese physical cultures, Crowther found that weightlifting, archery, weight throwing, tug of war, boxing and a host of other activities were practiced by Chinese men. Of interest to us today, was the use of Ding's as… Continue reading Ding Lifting in Ancient China
