https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VOE-8lZydw&list=PLOLn97IoZOb7WhKxje0uP7BYOB8QDbCr4 Continuing my love of old British Pathé videos is today's post on Harold 'the Champion Nail Breaker'. Based in Derbyshire, Harold's feats of strength and not only impressive but also shine a light on a by then disappearing trend in health and fitness. By the time of this video (1963), fewer and fewer individuals… Continue reading Harold the Champion Nail Breaker! (British Pathé, 1963)
Tag: Strongman
Ding Lifting in Ancient China
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
Bill Kazmaier, ‘Bench Pressing Style And Technicalities’, Bill Kazmaier and the Bench Press (1981), 4-6
The basic concept of lying on a bench and taking a bar from arm's length to the chest and back is a very simple one. However, bench pressing with maximum efficiency and power is an extremely exacting art relying on many major and minor principles and utilizing the coordination of the many muscles involved. While there is… Continue reading Bill Kazmaier, ‘Bench Pressing Style And Technicalities’, Bill Kazmaier and the Bench Press (1981), 4-6
Frederick C. Hatfield, ‘Dr. Deadlift’, Powerlifting USA, Vol 10 No 4. Novemeber/1986
It’s a little known fact that the eruption of Mr. St. Helens, and the continuing subterranean growls in the area, are purely mythic. What really happened up there in the land of perpetual rain and majestic mountains was that Doyle Kenady took a heavier than normal deadlift workout. It’s not a coincidence that those after-rumblings… Continue reading Frederick C. Hatfield, ‘Dr. Deadlift’, Powerlifting USA, Vol 10 No 4. Novemeber/1986
Doug Hepburn, ‘The Challenge’ (c. 1999)
The below text is something I'm rather excited about. Earlier this month, I stumbled across Doug Hepburn's website from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Hepburn was one of the strongest men of the mid twentieth century, famed for his seemingly inhuman feats of strength. You can imagine, then the joy I felt when I… Continue reading Doug Hepburn, ‘The Challenge’ (c. 1999)
W. A. Pullum, ‘Great Strenth’, How to Use A Barbell (London, 1932), 21-24.
To gain great strength one needs to consider the factors that unite to produce it. For until this is done one cannot be sure upon what lines to work. The things that make for outstanding physical strength are great vital force, a high degree of nervous energy, and superlative quality of muscular tissue. Contrary to… Continue reading W. A. Pullum, ‘Great Strenth’, How to Use A Barbell (London, 1932), 21-24.
Fridge Racing at the World’s Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man competition is undoubtedly one of my favourite events each year. We get to see some of the world's strongest athletes push, pull and push a variety of objects. As slick as the modern contests are, there is a certain undeniable magic to the early iterations. From cheese deadlifts to sumo wrestling,… Continue reading Fridge Racing at the World’s Strongest Man
World’s Strongest Man and the ‘Flintstone Barbell’
The World Strongest Man competition is undoubtedly one of my favourite events of the year. It features the strongest athletes in the world, competing against one another in a variety of presses, pulls and runs. While today's competitions are undoubtedly professional, those from yesteryear tended to mix the serious with the spurious in a greater… Continue reading World’s Strongest Man and the ‘Flintstone Barbell’
The Birth of the Arnold Strongman Classic
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 The Birth of the Arnold Strongman Classic
Sumo Wrestling at the World’s Strongest Man
Since its inception in the late 1970s, the World's Strongest Man Competitions have used a variety of tests to determine one's strength. In the past this has included deadlifting blocks of cheese, running with refrigerators and the iconic Atlas Stones. Some events become mainstays while others, like the aforementioned cheese deadlifts slip quickly from our… Continue reading Sumo Wrestling at the World’s Strongest Man