While the zeitgeist in today’s fitness industry is sculpted men wearing joggers & tight clothing, there remains a workout regimen of old times’ past: the strongmen workout. The first bodybuilder, Eugene Sandow, was the first publicly popular figure who unveiled some of the unique strength training & bodybuilding techniques used by the classic strong man.
Strong men were large men who would drink tons of ale in the pub, drunkenly competing with each other in strength competitions. Today there exists an actual strongman competition where the behemoths who compete are, well, STRONG men. The workouts on the other hand have remain latent for over a century with the general population. I’ll list them out here for you to try.
Mixing these workouts into whatever training program you have is a great way to pepper these exercises in. My personal theory is that you’ll boost your testosterone much more effectively using these workouts. Below are the workouts with an explanation from various sources from the early 20th century technicians.
Forearm Broom Extension
“Here is a very old exercise and test of wrist strength. Years ago it was a very common test. It is to be regretted that we do not see more of it these days. One sure thing — it will positively find the weak links in your hand, wrist and arm strength. At first practice with a broom alone. If this is too difficult when holding the end of the broom, merely move the hand down the handle and shorten the leverage. As you grow stronger move the hand grip toward the end. When this is accomplished progressively add a little weight by placing some small object on the straw end of the broom as shown. The picture illustrates an athlete raising a broom with a brick placed upon the straw end. When you become able to do this with a broom that has the regular length handle you can be well proud of your arm strength. The broom must be in a straight line with the forearm and neither the elbow or arm must rest against or on the knee. The arm must act free and independent of any other aid or support. A feat somewhat of this order was once a feature around blacksmith shops, the only difference being that they held sledgehammers out in a straight line with the shoulder, grasping the handle of the sledge at the extreme end. Many a fellow with a strong wrist and forearm fell down on this stunt because his deltoids or shoulder muscles were weak. Unfortunately there was no way of estimating the respective merits of these smiths with the brawny arms. Sledgehammers in the old smithies varied from 6 pounds to 12 pounds, while the handle lengths and thicknesses were rarely alike. The length and thickness of the handle is of greater importance in this case than the weight. The shorter the handle the better the possibilities of performing the feat. The longer or the thicker the handle the more difficult it is.” —- Molding a Mighty Grip (1932) by George F. Jowett
Forearm Roll
“Get a round stick, a thick broom-handle will do, although it should be from 1 in. to 1 ½ in. thick. Pierce a hole through this and suspend by a cord a 5 lb. weight. Now stand on two chairs and, holding the bar waist high, roll it round with both hands, winding up the cord. Continue until the weight is wound close up and then unwind to full length. Both wind and unwind with continuous and also with reverse rollings. Continue until tired. The rolling movement is to be always steady and gradual.” — The Way to Live (1935) by George Hackenschmidt
Kettlebell Tricep Extension
“A splendid arm exercise, particularly for the forearm muscles, is shown in an accompanying illustration. Stand as shown, with kettle-weight, say 10 lbs., resting on the right shoulder, grasped with the left hand, the left arm being bent with forearm resting on the top of the head. Now straighten arm, raising the ball over your head and replace. Repeat ten to twenty times, with either arm, increasing number of repetitions gradually to, say thirty times, then increase weight and commence afresh. The exercise may be varied by bringing the ball right over the head and resting it on the opposite shoulder, passing it all around the head, etc.” — Textbook of Weight-lifting (1905) by Arthur Saxon
Barbell Turns
“Hold light bar-bell at the chest as in Figure 1, with feet firmly planted on the floor. Push bell smartly forward and back to chest. Then turn bell to a slight angle as in Figure 2, and push forward smartly again bringing bell back to the chest. Each time the bell goes forward turn to a sharper angle until, in five movements, the bar is perpendicular as shown in Figure 3. Inhale when pushing forward, exhale returning to chest.” — Super Physique Body-Building Bar-Bell Course (circa 1940s) by Siegmund Klein
Hindu Push-Up
“Here is an exercise which brings practically every muscle of the body into play and, performed in the special manner I will describe, is excellent for toning up the arms and body and giving power for close-in work.Take up your position on the floor, with the body weight taken upon your hands and feet. Before bending the arms and lowering the body until the chin touches the floor, raise the buttocks as high as possible in the air. Then lower, and when the face is near the floor drop the buttocks, hollow the back and throw the body forward, almost scraping the floor with the chest and waist, and go forward until you have pressed up by arm power and find the arms straight again. Then raise the buttocks and repeat up to twelve times.
The whole movement can be reversed for the sake of variety by starting in the forward position and lowering and working back towards the feet, and then pressing up to straight arms with hollow back as before.” — Boxing and Physical Culture (circa 1940s) by Thomas Inch
Wrestler’s Bridge
“The wrestler’s bridge is of great benefit for strengthening the neck in general. This exercise consists of resting your entire weight on the head and feet alone while the back makes an arch. By raising and lowering the hips while in this position, and by walking a few inches towards the head and back again, the neck will experience quite a variation of movements. A few minutes’ daily work in this bridging exercise will greatly help the further progress of neck development.” — Muscle Building (1924) by Earle Liederman
Kettlebell-on-a-String Lateral Raise
“Here is a feat which, while never likely to be included in any competition, is well worth practicing. Get a square ring or kettle weight, such as you think you can manage. Tie a rope round the handle, and then twist it round your hand in such a way that when the arm is extended level with the shoulder, the palm turned to the front, the rope will be just taut.Now try and lift the weight from the ground in that position. I may mention that I have managed to raise 56lbs. in this fashion, say half an inch, but the strain was tremendous. The rope must be taut, the arm horizontal with the shoulder, and the palm to the front before commencing. It sounds easy, doesn’t it? Well, try the feat and see whether it is really so. The accompanying photographs will show the positions, and the feat will be found an excellent exercise for developing strength.” — Textbook of Weight-lifting (1905) by Arthur Saxon
Horizontal Equipoise of Weights
“(Balancing weights with arms outstretched sideways.) In France this performance ranks among the classical feats of strength for athletes, and there exist definite rules for its execution:
- The arm holding the weight to form exactly a right angle with the body, rather lower than higher.
- The arm and wrist must be fully stretched.
- The body must be perfectly straight, and lean in no direction.
There are two ways of performing this feat, namely – 1. The balancing of the weight on the hand, which is the less difficult. In this case the weight is of the oblong shape used for weighing purposes, and is slightly hollowed out at the bottom, so that there is an edge. It is held so that the palm of the hand presses against this edge, while the one part of the weight rests on the wrist, and the finger-tips touch the other end. One may lift the weight with both hands to the shoulder, and press it up and then let it down into the balance, or, which is considered better style, one may raise it directly sideways into the balance. It has to be fixed for a few seconds in the proper balance before being released. The weights, according to their size and heaviness, have a width from 8 to 12 in. at the bottom. For the two-arm balance, the weights are placed with a side on the hand, so that the bottom and top of the weights are seen. In balancing, the body must not be bent backwards (which would make it easier, but which counts so many points less).” — The Way to Live (1935) by George Hackenschmidt
Whole Back Dumbbell Movement
“Here is a peach for giving the entire back a workout in contraction and extension. The first time you practice it you will feel a sensation upon the breast bone and in the shoulders akin to spreading apart. It will make the cartilaginous structure of the costal region wake up a little more.Take up your position as shown in Fig. 10 (a), with the bells placed between the feet. Be sure the feet are spread a comfortable distance apart. With a mighty heave tear them off the floor. Fig. 10 (b); breath in, and hurl them to arm’s length overhead and continue by allowing the arms to fall down and out as in a crucifix position, Fig. 10 (c).
In this exercise you really describe a complete circle by raising the weights off the floor, and throwing the arms back to give the chest and shoulders all the possible spread.
Do not bend the arms while this exercise is in process and practice it as vigorously as possible. Study the illustrations carefully, and note how the head is thrown back as the downward movement commences so that the chest spreading effort is aided the most. Do not move the feet. As the bells descend to the floor between the feet prior to making the next movement, breathe out; breathe in as you repeat the circling movement.” — Molding a Mighty Back (1932) by George F. Jowett
Isometric Neck Extension
“Stand erect with hands clasped behind your neck. Now press the head forcibly down until the chin touches the chest, exerting the full strength of your neck muscles to resist the pressure. When the chin is down force the head back by exertion of the neck muscles against the hand pressure. Repeat this alternate movement, at first for five repetitions, gradually increasing same.” — The Way to Live (1935) by George Hackenschmidt
Dumbbell Windmill
“Hold dumbbell overhead as shown in Figure 1. Spread the feet about 15 inches apart keeping both legs straight at the knees, and your gaze on the bell overhead throughout the exercise. Lower body so that the left hand touches the right foot, Figure 2. Come to erect position and repeat. When holding the dumbbell in the left hand you lower the body so that the right hand touches the left foot. Breathe in when raising body, exhale lowering.” — Super Physique Body-Building Bar-Bell Course (circa 1940s) by Siegmund Klein
Bent Press
“This lift, which more than any other is associated with my name, cannot be described as being either an English or a Continental lift. The two-handed lift to the shoulder is certainly akin to the Continental method of getting the weight into that position ‘anyhow,’ but the lift itself is not overmuch practiced there.On the other hand, the body press with one hand only, part of it is purely an English style of lifting, and one scarcely practiced on the Continent at all, certainly not in the competitions.
Nevertheless, despite this, it is to my mind (and this quite apart from the successes I have achieved at it) one of the best feats, if not the very best, which has even been devised. Strength, stamina, and science all enter into it in equal proportions, and the man who would make a success of the lift, a striking success that is, must necessarily be a first-class all-round lifter.
Those of you who have studied the lists of records published in the ‘Health and Strength Annual’ cannot have failed to notice that the majority of world’s record holders are distinguished for their feats at either one or a group of lifts, in which much the same muscles are called into play. That is to say, you will rarely find that a man who has eclipsed all rivals at a two-handed jerk or push has done much at single-handed lifting or snatching. In short, that these record holders are not as a rule all-round lifters.
For this reason, I would strongly advise one and all to make a special study of the ‘bent press,’ because it is an all-round lifter’s lift; and I am firmly of the opinion that, in a match, an all-round lifter (not holding any records) would always defeat, more or less easily, a world-renowned record-holder, who had gained his fame simply and solely by virtue of his success at his one pet feat.
I have already described the final stages of the bent press in my remarks on the single-handed ‘clean all the way’ lift, so have now only to deal with that portion of it in which the bell is lifted to the shoulder with both hands from an upended position.
To do this properly, the upright bell should be grasped with the right hand in the exact center, the feet being well apart (if possible, exactly in the positions they will occupy throughout the lift). Fix the right elbow, resting firmly on the hip bone in front, and grasp the bell with the left hand, immediately below the right.
Bend well forward, leaning your head right over; bend the legs well at the knees, and pull the weight over on to your shoulder.
In order to do this properly, you must lift strenuously with both hands, leaning well back and levering the bar over by the help of both your hip bones to secure and maintain your purchase, and of your shoulder, which you naturally slide as far as you can under the bar.
The hoist to the shoulder is rendered easier by the weight of the bell itself, the top sphere or discs being unsupported in any way, helping to pull the front sphere or discs upwards. A greater weight can be lifted by the bent press, if the bell be shouldered in one movement, since less energy is expended thereby; but if it will not come over at once, an additional heave becomes necessary. In order to avoid any necessity for two or three hoists (always exhausting) use as long a bar as is obtainable.
Once, however, it is fairly shouldered, the left hand can release its hold and be thrown out to adjust the balance, while the right, after steadying the bell, shifts round gradually, following the elbow as it slides round the hip bone to the back, into the proper position for the body press.
The method described above necessitates a fairly long bar for its perfectly correct performance, and other methods must be adopted with shorter ones.
The following, which may be also used with a long bar, if preferred (although I do not recommend such a procedure), is to place the feet as before (although they will very probably shift themselves subsequently in this instance), and having gripped the bar in the exact center with the right hand, to again grip it with left, but on this occasion close to the bottom sphere or disc.
Bend the knees well and, pressing the bell against the body, with the right elbow away therefrom, lift the bell up and away from the body with the left hand. As soon as it swings clear, throw, jerk, or toss it in such fashion that you can slip your shoulder well under the bar.
On no account, now, leave go with your left until you feel that the weight is secure at your shoulder and your right elbow has gained its proper position, resting on your hip bone.
From the above it will be readily recognized that this lift is performed far more easily with a long bar than with a short one, since the second method of shouldering it (necessary with the shorter implement) imposes a pretty severe strain on the lifting muscles, owing to the lack of the fulcrum secured by the right elbow resting on the hip bone, as in the first method, and to the smaller assistance derived in overbalancing the weight.
One has only to study the further stages of the lift already described to realize that the lifting muscles need to be as fresh as possible, in order to cope satisfactorily with the press itself; and cannot afford to be strained in any way by the hoisting and tossing the bell to the shoulder, necessary with a short bar.” — Textbook of Weight-lifting (1905) by Arthur Saxon