Guest Post from Gym-Talk.com - Unconventional Training Techniques of Old-time Strongmen

This months guest post comes from Henry Croft at www.gym-talk.com. I'm a huge fan of traditional training techniques that aren't necessarily mainstream, but still work. So, I was delighted when I got this in my inbox! Check it out:

Image: Wikipedia

The exploits of the old-time strongmen are legendary.

In fact, such was their strength that many of their recorded lifts, such as Arthur Saxon�s �two hands anyhow� of 448 pounds, still remain unbroken today. To achieve this Herculean strength, these men trained using a variety of different methods, many of which you would be hard pressed to find in the air-conditioned gymnasiums of today. Which is a shame, because a lot of these �lost� exercises are extremely effective ways of building strength and explosive power.

In this article I will outline a few of the training techniques which were employed by the old-time strongmen.

A word of caution: a lot of these lifts require specialist knowledge and experience, so to avoid injury ensure you receive proper instruction before attempting them.

Lifting in water

Russian weightlifting champion Vasily Alexeev, one of the strongest men of all time, used a variety of unconventional training techniques to give himself the edge over his competition. One such technique was to wade out into the Don River in Mother Russia and practice his cleans in waist-deep water!

Pros: resistance provided by the water helps develop explosive power.

Cons: chance of drowning, wrinkled skin, Hepatitis.

Barrel Lifting

Lifting kegs and barrels was an extremely popular training method with the old-time strongmen. Louis Cyr, for example, could lift a 450 pound barrel to his chest with just the one hand! To make these barrel lifts all the more difficult, the barrels would be partially filled with liquid in order to make them unbalanced. What�s more, strongmen such as Arthur Saxon would also drink most of the contents of the keg while training, thus adding an extra dimension of difficulty!

�Supporting� Lifts

Many of the greatest old-time strongmen, such as Cyr and Saxon, incorporated a lot of �supporting� exercises into their training regimes and public performances, which involved supporting a weight rather than actually lifting it. Such exercises comprised standing supports (such as holding a heavy barbell in the back squat position), overhead supports (holding a barbell aloft), and a leg press support (supporting a weight in the leg press position).

Louis Cyr, for example, could support more than 4,000 pounds on his back!

Horseshoes and Phonebooks

Two popular tests of strength back in the day were bending horseshoes and tearing up phonebooks. In addition to building character and mental toughness, both of these feats helped create incredible grip and wrist strength.

Plus, could you think of a better party trick?

Indian Clubs

These clubs were swung around thousands of years ago by Indian warriors and wrestlers to prepare for battle (hence the name). They were used primarily to build upper body strength in addition to stronger, more flexible joints. Indian clubs were popular in England in the 19th century, especially with military cadets, however their popularity waned in the twentieth century as organised sports became more popular.

Rope climbing

Rope climbing was a staple of the strongman training regime as it helped build upper body strength and a cast iron grip. In fact, in most early gymnasiums you would find huge thick ropes suspended from the ceiling. Old-time strongmen would climb and descended these ropes, which were often up to 30 feet long, several times a day.

Wrapping it up

So, there we have it, 6 unconventional training techniques of the old-time strongmen. Ultimately, there is a lot we can learn from these old-school training techniques which can be applied to strength training today.

If you have any thoughts on this article I�d love to hear from you � just leave me a comment below!

About the author

Henry is a fitness junkie with a passion for heavy squats, distance running and Martial Arts. You can find him blogging over at GymTalk.

The Way to Results Without Spending Your Life in a Gym... by Regina H.

What an honor to receive this testimonial/review. Thank you Regina Hurley for sharing this. I hope this inspires others to add this type of life changing training in to their lives. 

"It is possible for anyone � young, old, men, women, anywhere in the world, and cancer survivors and those affected by thyroid disease like me."  --- Regina H. Connecticut

The Way to Results Without Spending Your Life in a Gym.

I did what I was told for 21 days, cardio and weights in a circuit on machines. I did lose 5 lbs but I didn�t feel any stronger, or better. The trainer was quick to say � to make the cardio harder walk up hill and put the weights on the lightest possible and said � �you don�t want to get bulky.� then was somehow disappointed with me that I didn�t achieve in 21 days � lower fat percentage, inches off my waist and hips. The trainer repeated that I need to make the cardio harder, work longer, spend more than an hour in the gym. I didn�t have that kind of time and even if I did, physically I don�t have it in me to spend hours at a gym.  I began to feel discouraged.  

However, while sitting at my desk. I saw Lauren�s book Kettlebells for Women. 

I opened up Kettlebells for Women and reread the first line �Have you been discouraged from lifting weights or resistance training due to the fear of becoming big and bulky?�  It was like a light bulb had been turned on.  That was definitely what had just happened.  Right then and there, I decided to reread her book. I had read the book back in 2012 when it first came out. Yet the last 7 years I have battled serious health issues.  

In 2007, after a bout with pneumonia, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and was put on generic thyroid meds but I did not improve. From 2007 to 2013, I had gained 70 lbs about 12 lbs a year. In 2010 after a routine mammogram, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was caught early enough and I am cancer free. 

In 2013, I finally found the right doctor for my thyroid condition.  It was his diagnosis that I most likely had Hashimoto's disease, which went untreated from 2007, and so I progressed to hypothyroidism.  My endocrinologist explained that I have been in a constant state of stress for the last 7 years and I needed a break from workouts. In March 2014, I was finally cleared to start workouts again. 

I already know Lauren to be a bad ass when it came to Kettlebells.  She is not in any way bulky or big, and has maintained a level of strength that most men don�t even have, while raising her own children, and running her own business, kettlebell classes, working with her clients, making videos, DVDs etc.  I also know her to be one of the strongest, most affective, intelligent, efficient, caring, compassionate strength coach, kettlebell instructor and fitness professional. Lauren Brooks truly wants results for her clients and works tirelessly to see to it that it happens and this book clearly shows this. 

Her book reminded me to work smarter not harder that results were achievable without spending hours in the gym. Most importantly this book helped me realize that getting strong and lean isn�t some big secret or complicated workout program.  It is possible for anyone � young, old, men, women, anywhere in the world, and cancer survivors and those affected by thyroid disease like me.   Lauren has provided simple straightforward exercises that are very effective in an easy to follow format. Kettlebells for Women also gives valuable nutrition information. Kettlebells for Women provides detailed instructions and photos about various exercises and how they benefit you.  Lastly, the book provides you with workouts for any level of fitness to help you get started and achieve results. 

More importantly, she never asked me to write this review. I contacted her and told her this was the least I could do to show my gratitude. This book changed my life for the better as it brought me from feeling discouraged, tired, out of shape to empower me with optimism and what is possible when I commit to the work. I would recommend Lauren Brooks's Kettlebells for Women to anyone looking to get strong, lean, sculpted and sexy.  Lauren Brooks truly believes that anyone can get those results and now so do I.