Old time strong men

[derLowe]

Louis Cyr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTpSuGpaSBM

[derLowe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXEP2P_h9jw&list=UUOcy3wsJWHwEFCKT7AMw5QA

[derLowe]

A very good website with lots of free books on the subject.

http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/

[derLowe]

10 Amazing Strongman Feats of the Past Blogball (http://listverse.com/authors/?Blogball) November 4, 2008
For centuries strongmen have been entertaining crowds by their demonstrations of strength. Many strongmen relied on unique acts that would set them apart from other strongmen and usually claimed they were the only one in the world to perform such a feat. This list includes 10 of the most amazing and unique acts performed by the strongmen of yesteryear.
10 Thomas Topham
b.1702 – d.1749

http://i0.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/gs249-tm.jpg?resize=212%2C350 (http://i2.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/gs249.jpg)
Topham was born in London and was one of the most famous Strongmen of the 18th century possessing all around strength. Topham feats included bending thick pokers by striking them against his forearmand being able to lift 224 lbs. overhead easily with just his little fingers. His most famous act of strength occurred on May 28th 1741 when Topham lifted 3 barrels filled with water weighing 1386 lbs.
Interesting Fact: Topham’s feats are faithfully documented in Dr. John Theo Desagulaiers work called, “A course of Experimental Philosophy.”
9 Pierre Gasnier – French Hercules
b.1862 d.1923

http://i0.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/pierre-gasnier-457x324-tm.jpg?resize=400%2C283 (http://i2.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/pierre-gasnier-457x324.png)
Gasnier was born in France and was one of the first most influential of the old time circus strongmen and performed for Barnum and Bailey Circus. Gasnier could rip a deck of cards in half but his most famous feat was breaking a chain over his chest while expanding his ribcage.
Interesting Fact: Gasnier stood only 5’ 3 tall and weighed just 143.5lbs and was able to lift a dumbbell weighing 260 lbs over has head. A feat that many strongmen twice his size could not do.
8 Arthur Saxon – The Iron-Master
b. 1878 – d. 1921

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Arthur Saxon was a strongman and circus performer from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. Saxon made his name famous by a lift called the “bent press”. This is a type of weight training exercise where a weight is brought from shoulder-level to overhead one-handed using the muscles of the back, legs, and arm with which he set a world record of 370 lbs. Eventually Saxons’s two brothers, Kurt and Hermann Henning joined the group as well, forming the “Saxon Trio,” The Trio performed with circuses all over Europe.
Interesting Fact: During his performances Saxon would claim the act could not be repeated even by the famous Muscleman Eugen Sandow (see # 3) and would open the stage for anyone who would want to attempt it. Unbeknownst to Saxon, in 1898, Sandow was in the audience and accepted the challenge. Initially, Sandow was unable to replicate the lift but then eventually was able to do it. Sandow took the Saxon Trio to court and won the case with the Judge ruling that he had handled the bell in exactly the same way as Saxon which debunked Saxon’s claim that Sandow failed the lift.
7 Angus MacAskill – Giant MacAskill
b. 1825 – d.1863

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MacAskill was born on the Isle of Berneray in the Sound of Harris, Scotland and emigrated to Nova Scotia . MacAskill was known as the world’s largest “true” giant, (no growth abnormalities). By the time he was 20 he was 7 ft 4 in (223 cm), eventually reaching 7 ft 10 in (236 cm) and weighed 580 pounds. In 1849 he entered show business and went to work for P.T. Barnum’s circus appearing next to General Tom Thumb. MacAskill most famous feat was lifting a ship’s anchor weighing 2800 lb. to his chest . He also had the ability to carry barrels weighing over 300 lbs. apiece under each arm.
Interesting Fact: Queen Victoria heard stories about MacAskill’s great strength and invited him to appear before her to give a demonstration at Windsor Castle. She proclaimed him to be “the tallest, stoutest and strongest man to ever enter the palace”.
Pierre Gasnier
6 Thomas Inch
b.1881 d.1963

Thomas Inch held the titles of Britain’s Strongest Youth and Britain’s Strongest Man. However Inch is best know for a dumbbell he created now called the “Inch dumbbell” The dumbbell weighed 172 lbs 9 ounces. To keep the dumbbell from bending it was made with extra thick handles which ended up making it very popular because it was so difficult to lift. In his day Thomas Inch was one of the few people that could lift the dumbbell and would offer 200 British Pounds to anyone who could.
Interesting Fact: At the age of 72 Thomas Inch could still lift his namesake dumbbell. Even today very few people can lift it.
5 Alexander Zass – The Iron Samson
b.1888 d.1962

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Zass was born in Vilna, Poland, but lived his early years in Russia. Like many other strongmen of his era, Zass was motivated to develop his strength when he attended a circus and saw the feats done by the circus strongman. Zass started with bending green branches and twigs, climbing trees, and running with home made dumbbells and barbells. Later he trained under some of the great Russian professional strongmen. Zass developed tremendous strength that allowed him to carry a horse on his shoulders but his greatest talent was bending steel bars and breaking chains which were the center piece of his exhibitions.
Interesting Fact: In 1914, While serving in the Russian army during the First World War, Zass was wounded and taken prisoner by the Austrian forces. As a prisoner of war he continued to develop his strength with the use of isometrics by pulling on the bars and chains. Zass escaped from prison and never returned to his homeland.
4 Louis Cyr
b. 1863 – d. 1912

http://i1.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/circuscyr-tm.jpg?resize=340%2C320 (http://i0.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/circuscyr.jpg)
Louis Cyr was born in Quebec and weighed close to 18 pounds at birth. At the age of twelve Cyr was a lumberjack and stories of his amazing strength told by his coworkers are legendary. At the age of seventeen, Cyr stood five feet ten inches but weighed 230 pounds. His first public display of strength was in Boston during a strongest man competition when he stunned the crowd by lifting a horse clear off the ground. Cyr returned to Quebec in 1882 for a brief tour and performed many acts of strength. Strongmen feats are often exaggerated and Louis was no exception to this. However many of his feats were formally documented by witnesses including holding a platform of 18 men on his back. At the conclusion of his tour, Louis became a police officer in Montreal.
Interesting Fact: A district of Montreal is named Louis Cyr in his honor located in Saint-Henri, where he patrolled as a police officer. Also statues of Louis Cyr are located at Place des Hommes-Forts and the Musée de la Civilisation in Quebec City.
3 Eugen Sandow
b. 1867 d. 1925

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Eugen Sandow is often referred to as the “Father of Modern Bodybuilding” Sandow was born in Prussia (now part of Germany) and began his career as a sideshow strongman. With the help of showman Florenz Ziegfeld, Sandow decided it wasn’t enough to simply demonstrate his strength, with acts similar to the one pictured above but to actually display his muscular physique as though it were a work of art. He soon made his “Muscle Displays” the main feature of his stage show. Sandow performed all over Europe and organized the first ever bodybuilding contest on in 1901. He called it the “Great Competition” and was held in the Royal Albert Hall, London, UK. Sandow judged the contest along with, Sir Charles Lawes, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The contest was a huge success and was a sell-out with hundreds of fans turned away.
Interesting Fact: When Sandow died in 1925 it was reported in the press that he died of a stroke shortly after pushing his car out of the mud. However his actual death was more likely caused by complications from syphilis. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Putney Vale Cemetery at the request of his wife.
2 Siegmund Breitbart
b1883 – d1925

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Breitbart was born in Poland into an Orthodox Jewish family of blacksmiths. Facing continuing challenges from other strongmen and relentless anti-Semites, he was determined not to defame his people. This inspired him and made his astonishing acts of strength even more sensational. His feats included, bending iron bars around his arm in floral patterns, biting through iron chains or pulling them apart, and lifting a baby elephant while climbing a ladder. Unfortunately, while on his last tour of Europe, Siegmund was hammering a railroad spike with his bare hands through a 5 inch oak board that was resting on his knee. (like pictured above) The nail pierced his leg and as a result he contracted blood-poisoning. After 10 operations including the amputation of both legs Breitbart died eight weeks later.
Interesting Fact: Before the accident Breitbart planned to appear in Palestine and recreate the famous feats of Samson to gain world-wide attention for all Jews to join him in creating a Jewish homeland. Also, Breitbart’s life was fictionalized in Werner Herzog’s 2001 film Invincible.
1 John Holtum – Cannonball King
b.1845 d. 1919

http://i0.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/2575771246-6e20fa9aa9-tm.jpg?resize=268%2C350 (http://i1.wp.com/listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/2575771246-6e20fa9aa9.jpg)
John Holtum, was a strongman from Denmark who drew immense crowds in cities around the world by perfecting the cannonball catch. With Holtum on one side of the stage and a cannon on the other, an assistant would fire a fifty pound ball which Holtum caught with his gloved hands and chest. The feat required immense strength, steely nerves and lightning fast reflexes. Several skeptics questioned the legitimacy of his act but were convinced after Holtum brought them on stage for a demonstration. Holtum appeared before Royalty in Europe and was a great success in the U.S. as well.
Interesting Fact: Holtum’s initial attempt to catch the ball, resulted in his losing three fingers. Holtum offered 3000 francs to anyone who would perform a similar feat but no one ever took him up on his challenge.

[Armand_Duval]

Very nice vintage footages of strong men in old times!.. Thanks for sharting I'm interested in Bodybulding, actually I practiced it for almost 18 years.



Cheers.

[Gauthier]

I always wondered what kind of equipment Romans and Greeks used for bodybuilding.

[derLowe]

I always wondered what kind of equipment Romans and Greeks used for bodybuilding.

Weight Training Among the Ancient Greeks
by Benton Pride


A few years ago our editor stated that the physiques of the Ancient Greeks were unequal to those of modern best-built men because the Greeks were the result of all-around training which could not equal specialized weight training. I do not wish to take him to task, because such is the accepted attitude which can be read about in most physical education text books. The argument runs something like this: Why engage in such monotonous toil as weight exercises when results just as good can be obtained from all-around athletics, and the Greeks are pointed out as being a result of such training.

In view of archeological discoveries such ideas are false. Inscriptions on monuments and pictures on old Greek vases prove that the Ancient Greeks practiced both progressive body building exercises and competitive lifting.
They had neither mail order courses not the modern lifting or exercise devices. The first gymnasiums were open air, more like playgrounds. Later on they became enclosures. Some were built and maintained by the city state for the use of all free citizens. Then there were the wrestling schools, which were in reality private gymnasiums where former champions made their living by training wealthy patrons.
When the buildings were demolished by wars or natural disasters the athletes carried away such parts as could be made into exercise equipment. For much the same reason modern lifters visit junk yards.
The most popular piece of equipment was the jumping halter which they held in their hands to assist them in jumping. Halters used only for jumping weighed four or five pounds, while those used for exercise were much heavier.
Some were simple in design, just cobblestones with handles cut in them. Others were highly decorative, shaped like flatirons or kettles. All the dumbell exercises known to modern exercisers were known to them. The halter was used individually or in groups, accompanied by flute music, much as modern calisthenics class exercises are performed to piano music. Another kind of exercise equipment was a flat marble slab with handles cut in the sides. They measured about an inch around the edges and were made by chiseling a large slab until the whole piece looked like a pyramid. This was a progressive device and could be used for supine pressure and movements similar to our bench press. Resistance was increased with the halter by increasing the size or using heavier material such as bronze, iron or lead. There were discuses for throwing and for exercise, of various size and weight, put in leather cases and hung on the walls of Greek gymnasiums.
Athletes’ legs were developed by racing in soft sand while wearing heavy armor, or jumping out of holes with the jumping halter. Resistance was increased by using heavy halters of digging the holes deeper, but the favorite method used by the Greeks to develop their legs was pushing heavy stone rollers over soft sand. They conceived this idea by watching the leg development of slaves engaged in heavy labor. The development of slaves was analyzed as a means of devising exercises similar to the work they did. They were well aware of the fact that a person could never become as strong from work as from exercise. Slaves were never allowed to exercise; it was strictly for free citizens.
The ancient Greeks had three popular lifts which were done with square or oblong stone blocks. They grasped handles cut in the side of the block and lifted the stone to the knees, then to the waist, then to the chest, and pressed overhead in a sort of continental style. A second lift was performed by raising the stone to the shoulders in the same manner, then walking or running with it and throwing it. Both the amount of weight lifted and the distance thrown were taken into consideration. If the weight was shifted over to one hand and then thrown, more credit was given. Weight lifting had not completely separated from weight throwing at this time. In the third lift, the lifter straddled the stone, bent over and encircled it with both arms, straightened his legs and raised the weight just a fraction off the ground. In order to keep the stones from cutting the body, a special lifting costume was worn, a leather apron to protect the legs and a vest to protect the upper body.
History seems to indicate that the Greeks invented the barbell, although there are no written records. The Spartans used huge iron discs with holes in the middle for money. These discs could have been placed on a wagon axle and lifted in the same manner as a barbell. Long after Greek culture died out, the Arabs kept it alive and spread it over Europe after the Crusades. The first record we have of the barbell is from the Arabs. When Mark Berry was editor of Strength magazine an Arab wrote to him and told Mark that weight lifting was as old as the hills among his people, then proceeded to describe the apparatus used. A long wooden handle with the ends soaked in water was driven into holes cut in the middle of two stone blocks or discs. The wood would expand and fit tightly into the holes. I believe the barbell is one of the many things the Arabs learned from the Greeks and kept long after it had been forgotten in Europe.
The sixth century after the Persian War was known as the age of strength. Boxing, wrestling and weight lifting were the most popular sports. Until that time, track athletics were the favorites. Sculpture was influenced by this trend. The Farnese Hercules is a weight lifter, while Heracles of the Parthenon is a track athlete.
The story of Milo is well known. He began lifting and carrying a calf, and continued until it grew into a bull. He was also the wrestling champion of the world, but was once defeated in a weight lifting contest by a shepherd named Titormus. When challenged by Milo, he lifted a huge boulder over his shoulder, a boulder that Milo could hardly move, then he carried it sixteen yards and threw it into the river Euenus.
At Olympia block of red sandstone was found with an inscription of it telling of Bybon who lifted it over his head and threw it. The block weighed 315 pounds. a block of volcanic rock was found in Santorin weighing 480 kilos (1,058 lbs.), and dated close to the 6th century. The inscription reads: “Eunmastus, son of Critobulis, lifted me from the ground.” Theagenes, at the age of nine, took a fancy to a heavy statue in the market place and carried it home, and as a teenager became a famous boxer.
Weight lifting contests were held only in the local games. In Olympia it took place only on an exhibition basis. All Greek athletes conditioned themselves with some form of weight training, but it was the favorite form of training for boxers and wrestlers.
Trainers had a fair knowledge of skeletal and muscular anatomy which they learned from sculptors. The physicians had nothing to do with the trainers, whom they regarded as untutored quacks. Both Hippocrates and Galen practiced gymnastics.
Greek art and medicine grew in some ways from interest in athletics. The study of medicine in its earliest days often dealt with the treating of sprains and broken bones incurred in sports activities.Weight Training Among the Ancient Greeks
by Benton Pride


A few years ago our editor stated that the physiques of the Ancient Greeks were unequal to those of modern best-built men because the Greeks were the result of all-around training which could not equal specialized weight training. I do not wish to take him to task, because such is the accepted attitude which can be read about in most physical education text books. The argument runs something like this: Why engage in such monotonous toil as weight exercises when results just as good can be obtained from all-around athletics, and the Greeks are pointed out as being a result of such training.

In view of archeological discoveries such ideas are false. Inscriptions on monuments and pictures on old Greek vases prove that the Ancient Greeks practiced both progressive body building exercises and competitive lifting.
They had neither mail order courses not the modern lifting or exercise devices. The first gymnasiums were open air, more like playgrounds. Later on they became enclosures. Some were built and maintained by the city state for the use of all free citizens. Then there were the wrestling schools, which were in reality private gymnasiums where former champions made their living by training wealthy patrons.
When the buildings were demolished by wars or natural disasters the athletes carried away such parts as could be made into exercise equipment. For much the same reason modern lifters visit junk yards.
The most popular piece of equipment was the jumping halter which they held in their hands to assist them in jumping. Halters used only for jumping weighed four or five pounds, while those used for exercise were much heavier.
Some were simple in design, just cobblestones with handles cut in them. Others were highly decorative, shaped like flatirons or kettles. All the dumbell exercises known to modern exercisers were known to them. The halter was used individually or in groups, accompanied by flute music, much as modern calisthenics class exercises are performed to piano music. Another kind of exercise equipment was a flat marble slab with handles cut in the sides. They measured about an inch around the edges and were made by chiseling a large slab until the whole piece looked like a pyramid. This was a progressive device and could be used for supine pressure and movements similar to our bench press. Resistance was increased with the halter by increasing the size or using heavier material such as bronze, iron or lead. There were discuses for throwing and for exercise, of various size and weight, put in leather cases and hung on the walls of Greek gymnasiums.
Athletes’ legs were developed by racing in soft sand while wearing heavy armor, or jumping out of holes with the jumping halter. Resistance was increased by using heavy halters of digging the holes deeper, but the favorite method used by the Greeks to develop their legs was pushing heavy stone rollers over soft sand. They conceived this idea by watching the leg development of slaves engaged in heavy labor. The development of slaves was analyzed as a means of devising exercises similar to the work they did. They were well aware of the fact that a person could never become as strong from work as from exercise. Slaves were never allowed to exercise; it was strictly for free citizens.
The ancient Greeks had three popular lifts which were done with square or oblong stone blocks. They grasped handles cut in the side of the block and lifted the stone to the knees, then to the waist, then to the chest, and pressed overhead in a sort of continental style. A second lift was performed by raising the stone to the shoulders in the same manner, then walking or running with it and throwing it. Both the amount of weight lifted and the distance thrown were taken into consideration. If the weight was shifted over to one hand and then thrown, more credit was given. Weight lifting had not completely separated from weight throwing at this time. In the third lift, the lifter straddled the stone, bent over and encircled it with both arms, straightened his legs and raised the weight just a fraction off the ground. In order to keep the stones from cutting the body, a special lifting costume was worn, a leather apron to protect the legs and a vest to protect the upper body.
History seems to indicate that the Greeks invented the barbell, although there are no written records. The Spartans used huge iron discs with holes in the middle for money. These discs could have been placed on a wagon axle and lifted in the same manner as a barbell. Long after Greek culture died out, the Arabs kept it alive and spread it over Europe after the Crusades. The first record we have of the barbell is from the Arabs. When Mark Berry was editor of Strength magazine an Arab wrote to him and told Mark that weight lifting was as old as the hills among his people, then proceeded to describe the apparatus used. A long wooden handle with the ends soaked in water was driven into holes cut in the middle of two stone blocks or discs. The wood would expand and fit tightly into the holes. I believe the barbell is one of the many things the Arabs learned from the Greeks and kept long after it had been forgotten in Europe.
The sixth century after the Persian War was known as the age of strength. Boxing, wrestling and weight lifting were the most popular sports. Until that time, track athletics were the favorites. Sculpture was influenced by this trend. The Farnese Hercules is a weight lifter, while Heracles of the Parthenon is a track athlete.
The story of Milo is well known. He began lifting and carrying a calf, and continued until it grew into a bull. He was also the wrestling champion of the world, but was once defeated in a weight lifting contest by a shepherd named Titormus. When challenged by Milo, he lifted a huge boulder over his shoulder, a boulder that Milo could hardly move, then he carried it sixteen yards and threw it into the river Euenus.
At Olympia block of red sandstone was found with an inscription of it telling of Bybon who lifted it over his head and threw it. The block weighed 315 pounds. a block of volcanic rock was found in Santorin weighing 480 kilos (1,058 lbs.), and dated close to the 6th century. The inscription reads: “Eunmastus, son of Critobulis, lifted me from the ground.” Theagenes, at the age of nine, took a fancy to a heavy statue in the market place and carried it home, and as a teenager became a famous boxer.
Weight lifting contests were held only in the local games. In Olympia it took place only on an exhibition basis. All Greek athletes conditioned themselves with some form of weight training, but it was the favorite form of training for boxers and wrestlers.
Trainers had a fair knowledge of skeletal and muscular anatomy which they learned from sculptors. The physicians had nothing to do with the trainers, whom they regarded as untutored quacks. Both Hippocrates and Galen practiced gymnastics.
Greek art and medicine grew in some ways from interest in athletics. The study of medicine in its earliest days often dealt with the treating of sprains and broken bones incurred in sports activities.

[derLowe]

Physical Fitness in Ancient Roman Boys and Men Athletics, recreation and other physical activities helped to keep Roman boys and men fit for the army. Find out what kinds of activities they enjoyed 1000s of years ago.



The Roman army has a long-standing legacy as one of the most powerful and well-trained military forces in human history. Roman soldiers were widely considered to be the best trained in the Mediterranean, and popular images of the army depict it as a “highly organized, rigorously professional and savagely disciplined force run on remarkably modern lines” according to historian Adrian Goldsworthy. This is because militarism was carefully woven into many aspects of Roman life. For one, all citizens were expected to keep themselves physically fit so that they were prepared for military service. Even young boys took part in rigorous physical training, and the recreational activities they enjoyed were more for healthy exercise than for the joy of playing.
What Kind of Physical Activities Were Common in Ancient Rome?
Swimming: Swimming was one of the favorite activities of a Roman boy, and it was widely practiced in the Tiber River, next to the Campus Martius. It was an important skill for the military, as soldiers had to be able to swim through swift currents and cross rivers without bridges. Most Roman baths were also equipped with plunge pools, in which swimming was enjoyed.
Horseback Riding: Every young Roman was expected to be a good equestrian, as the cavalry was an essential component of the army. From a popular source by Plutarch, it is known that Cato the Elder trained his son to ride horses at a young age, and Vegetius’ A Book about Military Affairs explains that vaulting onto horses was to be “practiced strictly and constantly.”
Javelin Throwing: Another activity that Cato the Elder taught his son was how to throw a javelin. According to Vegetius, by practicing this exercise, boys increased their upper-arm strength and acquired valuable skills and experience in hurling missiles.
Wrestling and Boxing: Wrestling and boxing were popular sports that were usually practiced in the palaestra (a central field) of Roman baths. Both helped to improve overall fitness and build strength and stamina, and they were generally enjoyed by many Romans. Wrestling was even a part of a young boy’s formal education. Because there were no such things as boxing gloves, athletes tightly wrapped their hands in layers of cloth.
Running: Running was another important part of a young Roman’s formal education because it helped improve stamina and agility. Roman boys competed in footraces with one another on the vast floodplain of the Campus Martius, which provided an ideal location for this activity.
Hunting: Hunting was one of the oldest and most popular sports among the Roman elite. According to author of Sport in Ancient Times, Nigel Crowther, some considered it a military exercise to teach future soldiers how to outwit their “opponent.” In this way, it offered practice to boys who could hunt an animal as if it was an enemy soldier. Moreover, practicing marksmanship with weapons was undoubtedly useful in preparing for the army.
Ball Games: During their exercises, Romans also participated in a variety of sporting activities involving balls, including handball, soccer, field hockey, catch games, and perhaps even dodge ball. These usually took place in the palaestra or sphaerista (ball-courts).
Athletics and physical activities played a monumental role in keeping Roman boys and men physically fit and capable of military service. Many forms of exercise, athletics, and recreational activities that were, for all intents and purposes, considered to be recreational or leisurely pursuits were critical to a future soldier’s training. It is not an understatement to say that much of life in the city of Rome revolved around the army in some way, and the close association between leisure and physical activities and the military is yet another example of the predominance of Rome’s martial culture.
Sources:
Crowther, Nigel B. 2007. Sport in Ancient Times. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
Goldsworthy, Adrian. 2003. The Complete Roman Army. New York: Thames & Hudson.
Plutarch, Life of Cato the Elder 20.6-23.6.
Vegetius, A Book about Military Affairs.

[derLowe]

Very nice vintage footages of strong men in old times!.. Thanks for sharting I'm interested in Bodybulding, actually I practiced it for almost 18 years.



Cheers.

Good to see some fitness enthusiasts on the forum. :thumb001:

[Austo]

Impressive.
Bodybuilding was much harder in that time, so they deserve a lot more respect than nowadays bodybuilders.

[derLowe]

Weightlifting 4000 Years Ago - Irving Ray Clark (http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/12/weightlifting-4000-years-ago-irving-ray.html)

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Weightlifting Nearly 4000 Years Ago
By Irving Ray Clark


The value of halteres in training muscles for other exercises was recognized by the Romans, for in the medical writings of the 2nd Century A.D. “halter throwing” had developed into a regular system of dumbell exercises. Antyllos describes three kinds of halter training – bending and straightening the arms, the lunging, and bending and straightening the trunk, and Galen describes an exercise for the side muscles.
In a treatise on the Preservation of Health by Galen, one of the most famous Physicians of antiquity, there is a lengthy discourse on exercises suited to youths between 14 and 20 in which exercises for the legs, arms and trunk are separated. He further classified exercises into those for toning the muscles without violent movement, quick exercises which promoted activity, and violent exercises. In the first class he included carrying heavy weights and exercises for duo-resistance, and his quick exercises come into the category of violent when performed with halters.
The word “halters” was also probably applied to much weightier dumbells and the like. Martial, a poet and writer of epigrams (A.D. 40-104) asked: “Why do the strong men labor with their stupid dumbells” A far better task for men is digging a vine trench,” a sentiment to which the folks of that day with their unbounded facilities of open air exercises presumably subscribed. However, in modern days one cannot indiscriminately open a trench (vine or otherwise) when one has the urge for exercise, so the stupidity of which the poet speaks is perhaps not quite so apparent in those who still “labor” with their dumbells.

Weightlifting was not confined to Greece either. It was also practiced in ancient Egypt, according to Gardiner, who shows a drawing of an athlete lifting a huge tapering weight in the style known to us as the swing.
Weightlifting in a form presumably resembling what we practice today is traceable back in the country at least 400 years, but before referring to this ancient “heavy bar lifting” it is necessary, in order to place it in its proper perspective, to examine its connection with heavy athletics. Fundamentally all gymnastics or sport-gymnastics (such as weightlifting now is) spring from Athletics, using that word in the ancient Grecian sense of fundamental movements: running, leaping throwing, etc.
In this field we can go back even further than the traceable reference to Athletics among the ancient Greeks, for it is believed that the Irish (Tailtin) Games held as far back as 1829 B.C., no less than 3,679 years ago as I write, included weight-throwing under the name of “rotheleas” or the “wheel feat.”
Then, according to Strutt’s “Sports and Pastimes of the People of England” (Edition of 1831) “Throwing of heavy weights and stones with the hands was much practiced in former times and as this pastime required great strength and muscular exertion, it was a very popular exercise for military men.”
In Montague Sherman’s review of the history of Athletic Sports (The Badminton Library) competitions in running, jumping and hurling of heavy weights are said to be one of the chief characteristics of both town and country life in England as far back as chronicles will reach. For example, young Londoners in the reign of Henry II (1154-1189) cast the stone amongst other exercises practiced in open spaces set apart for them.
In Scotland we learn from “Sports and Pastimes of Scotland” (Fittis, 1891) that putting the stone, tossing the caber and throwing the hammer are among the oldest of the Highland Games. In former times it appeared to have been the custom in Scotland to have a putting stone lying at the gate of every chieftain’s house and on the arrival of a stranger he was asked as a compliment to throw.
Another Scotch feat was to raise a stone of at least 200 lbs. weight from the ground and deposit it on top of another four feet high, and when a “stripling” could accomplish this he was thereupon deemed a man and allowed to wear a bonnet.
Strutt goes on to say that “casting of the bar is frequently mentioned by the ‘romance writers’ as one part of a hero’s education,” and a poet of the 16th Century thought it highly commendable, even for Kings and Princes by way of exercise to “caste by violence the stone, barre or plummett.”

In Medieval Times
Henry VIII (1509-1548) after his succession to the throne, according to Hall and Holinshead, retained “the casting of the barre” amongst his many and varied amusements. This sport had not always been in Royal favor, as the Kings of England were afraid that the practice of Archery might fall into disuse, and we find Edward III (1327-1377) prohibiting, among other things, weight putting or throwing the stone, by proclamation, although even after the accession of Edward II (1307-1327) to the throne, the later’s daily amusements had included such form of exercise.
Such weightlifting as there is in the form of small dumbell work was also known in early times in this country. John Northbrook, in a treatise against Diceing, Dancing, etc. written in the time of Queen Elizabeth (1588-1603) advised young men by way of amusement to “labour with poyses’ of leadde or other metall” which consisted “in brandishing of two sticks grasped in each hand and laden with plugs of leadde at either end” which pastime “opened the chest, exercised the limbs and gave a man all the pleasure of boxing without the blows.”

The first traceable mention of weightlifting or straightforward barbell work in England appears in “The bake named The Governour” (the book entitled “The Governor”) published by Sir Thomas Elyot, in the year 1531, relating to the education suitable for a gentleman’s son who prepared to serve the Commonwealth. Under the head of “sondry fourmes of exercise necessary for every gentleman” and “Touching such exercises, as many be used within the house” appears “Liftynge . . . the heavy . . . barre . . .” thereafter lost for some considerable time, but might not one assume that, as with “pitching the barre” (Stowe’s Survey of London, 1720), it became one of the diversions of the “lower classes” only, including the pleasurable reactions usually associated with the latter pastime it feel into disuse, shorn of the patronage which has always been such a feature of popular English sports and games!
It has, however, seriously occurred to me that for centuries a certain amount of “class distinction” appeared to have entered into sports and athletics in this country, and that this even now this may be reflected in our comparatively poor showing in the Heavy Athletics field, including Field events and Heavyweight Boxing and Wrestling. In other words, the more “manual” types of physical endeavor have never been fully catered for or fostered and in one glaring instance, Rowing, definite and deliberate rules were laid down forbidding manual workers to compete in certain events.
An interesting theory, and I content myself here by showing one or two examples. According to Strutt, James I (1603-1625), addressing his oldest son, declared that whilst bodily exercises and games were very commendable, he debarred all rough and violent exercises at his court. In Poachman’s “Complete Gentleman” (1622), throwing the hammer and wrestling were held “not so good.” In “Hereward the Wake” one of the characters is reprimanded for consorting with athletes of that type.
Generally, Lindhard (“Theory of Gymnastics) points out that up to the beginning of the 19th Century athletics were always the privilege of a chosen few, of the patrician of antiquity of the Middle Ages and the upper classes of the age of enlightenment.

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[Gaijin]

Luso-American Peter Francisco, (aka "Virgina Giant", "Virginia Hercules" and "Giant of the Revolution"), perhaps the greatest soldier in American history.

This Badass Azorean lifted a 1,100-pound cannon and carried it on his shoulder to keep it from falling into the hands of the enemy.
George Washington himself stated that, Peter Francisco enabled American victories in two battles, claiming on further notice that the Revolutionary War might have been lost without his participation.

Below is a commemorative Postage Stamp:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/00PeterFrancisco.jpg

[Empecinado]

Santiago Ramón y Cajal, father of the neuroscience and Nobel prize when was young was bodybuilder:



http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iAcNqdg_b18/T4hAXkYuy4I/AAAAAAAABZo/K6LCtgF2zX0/s1600/RAMONYCAJALMENCHAKA_4.jpg

[Onur]

The world`s strongest man was the wrestler named Koca Yusuf aka Terrible Turk in 1890s. He traveled all around the world for four years and no one was able to defeat him even once. He was betting on his life before his matches.

Read this;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusuf_%C4%B0smail

[Siberian Cold Breeze]

http://i.imgur.com/ZdzCDeX.jpg

Billed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Billed weight 250 lb (110 kg) ---> message to modern men : stop eating grass !

He was huge and it is told that people didn't let him get on lifeboat ,they hit on his hands to prevented him, and left him in the ocean thinking he may be too heavy for lifeboat .

[xajapa]

Not necessarily a strong man, per se, but one strong man, built the natural way, without steroids.
32449

According to Wikipedia, Bruno set a world record in the bench press with a lift of 565 pounds in 1959.
More from the Wikipedia article: His high school, Schenley High School, didn't have a wrestling program, but he worked out with the University of Pittsburgh wrestling team under storied coach Rex Peery.[1] Sammartino became known for performing strongman stunts in the Pittsburgh area, and sportscaster Bob Prince put him on his television show. It was there that he was spotted by local wrestling promoter Rudy Miller, who recruited Sammartino for professional wrestling.[1] Miller knew that Sammartino could easily be marketed as an ethnic strongman, and that he would appeal to Italian immigrants who supported wrestling.
While working in construction in 1956, Sammartino wrestled an orangutan at a carnival. After taking much punishment, Sammartino punched the orangutan in the stomach and was disqualified by the animal's owner. Sammartino left the cage with swollen eyes and shredded clothes. Because of the disqualification, the owner refused to pay Sammartino the $50 he was promised for the match.