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Old-Time Strongman Secrets for Modern Strength Breakthroughs [PODCAST]

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"In this episode of The Hammer Cast, I do a deep dive into old-time strongman training with none other than Master SFG Pavel Macek. We talk about its integration into the StrongFirst methodology, how kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, and bodyweight work together, and...

Ivan V. Lebedev: The One-Arm Kettlebell Snatch [1916 & 1928]

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Snatch of the Standard Weight Kettlebell Starting position—Fig. 101. Place the kettlebell ¼–½ arshin [approximately 18–36 cm] in front of your feet, with the handle of the kettlebell parallel to the line running between your feet. Grasp the handle of the...

Vintage and Modern Kettlebell Chain for All-Round Strength — Kettlebell VIP Online Course Sneak Preview

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If you want one sequence that captures the spirit of the Kettlebell VIP: Vintage Iron Power for All-Round Strength, it is legendary Goerner’s Chain. Hermann “Mighty” Goerner was one of the greatest all-round strongmen in history. He trained with kettlebells,...

Lebedev 1928: Old-School Kettlebell Quick-Start Guide — Kettlebell VIP Online Course Sneak Preview

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“To start, get used to the feel of the kettlebell’s weight so as not to fear it,” writes Ivan V. Lebedev in his comprehensive kettlebell manual, published in 1928. My upcoming online course, Kettlebell VIP, begins with old-school assisted lifts as presented in...

Forgotten (But Not Lost) Kettlebell Lifts — Kettlebell VIP Online Course Sneak Preview

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Sneak peek from the upcoming online course Kettlebell VIP: Vintage Iron Power for All-Round Strength! Most people today know the kettlebell through the modern fundamentals: the swing, the get-up, the clean, the press, the squat, and the snatch — and they should. These...

The Temple of the Iron Game: Mike Sousa’s BrickHouse, Modesto, California [VIDEO]

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StrongFirst is the School of Strength—with a lineage. At Mike Sousa’s BrickHouse Strength & Conditioning in Modesto, California, that lineage is alive in every corner: kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells, old-school iron, and serious training atmosphere....

Leo Gaudreau – Two Dumbbells Clean and Jerk [1948]

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It is my belief that the lift is a good all around muscle developer and creates real strength of lasting qualities…. I make the claim that the lift builds strength of the lasting quality.

R. P. Moroz: Develop Strength—Exercises with Kettlebells [1958]

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Exercises with kettlebells are a remarkable means of developing a person’s physical strength and may be used in the training of athletes of various specializations: track-and-field athletes, skiers, weightlifters, wrestlers, gymnasts, rowers, boxers, acrobats, and...

Sandow vs. Samson and the Get-Up: The Ultimate Strongman Test

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In 1889, the strongest men in the world met in London for one of history’s most famous strongman challenges. Eugen Sandow faced the legendary Samson in a contest of heavy lifts, support feats, bent bars, broken chains, and brute strength. But the challenge may...

Side Press & Bent Press: The Old-Time Art of Heavy Overhead Lifting [VIDEO]

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The side press and the bent press belong to the same old-time strongman family. Both are one-arm overhead lifts, both use the whole body, and both demand much more than brute shoulder strength. But they are not the same lift. Side Press vs. Bent Press The simplest...

Pyotr Krylov, “The King of Kettlebells” – Training of the Kettlebell Athlete [1914]

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In recent years, among the enthusiasts I meet, there is a prevailing desire to train exclusively for records. This is the wrong system and, moreover, a harmful one. Such records are forced. They not only fail to prove real strength but wear a man out. First, develop...

Gord Venables, The One Hand Swing [1943]

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The One Hand Swing is, in my opinion, one of the best exercises for the back. It gives a far greater range of movement than does either the Two Hand Snatch or One Hand Snatch by permitting the weight to pass between the legs, thus extending the back to a far greater degree.

The “Half Your Max” Method for Pushups and Squats: Low Stress, Real Progress

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One of my daily habits is what Pavel Tsatsouline calls “morning recharge”: a set of simple calisthenic exercises such as Sun Salutations, Hindu squats, and Hindu pushups—not for strength, but as “health restoring calisthenics” and daily maintenance. According to Dr....

Less Than 5 Minutes a Day, Big Payoff: The Power of VILPA

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Most people think “exercise” has to look like exercise: a scheduled session, a change of clothes, equipment, a plan.

Current research adds a powerful (and very real-life-friendly) option: brief bursts of hard effort tucked into your normal day—minutes, not hours.

George F. Jowett, The One-Hand Swing [1925]

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The key to all speed lifts…. Fascinating lift, which, with the snatch, is the prettiest and cleverest lift as far science is concerned in lifting weights.

Dumbbell Lifting Done Right: The Fast Track to an Athletic Body, Performance, and Real-World Strength

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Strong, athletic body and real-world strength—from dumbbell curls, flies, and triceps extensions? No. From classical dumbbell lifting, from the floor to overhead. And don’t take my word for it—listen to what the legends of the Iron Game say about the benefits of dumbbell lifting done right.

Alan Calvert: Kettlebell Hand-to-Hand Swing – “General Exercise for the Back and Legs” [1911]

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This is a splendid exercise, as it develops speed and great flexibility of muscles and teaches you the importance of “timing” a weight, besides developing a wonderful grip.

Thomas Inch, Heavy Weight Lifting: The Bent Press Tutorial [1947]

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Having raised 304 1/2 Ibs. with my right hand in this style I may perhaps claim the right to speak as an authority. The movement needs constant practice with a light weight at first, always adding a little as time goes on. There are three starting points:

Iron in Ice, Results on Fire: Why Train in a Cold Environment

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Why train in a cold environment instead of lifting and exposing yourself to cold separately? Short answer: concurrent beats separate. I take a cold shower every morning and go straight into my morning recharge. This was common among old-time strongmen—many followed...

[VIDEO] The Two Main Bent Press Variations You Should Know

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Bent Press, “The King of All Lifts” – by far the favorite lift of many old-time strongmen—Eugene Sandow, Arthur Saxon, Edward Aston, Siegmund Klein, Bob Hoffman, and many others. It can be performed with a kettlebell, a dumbbell, or a barbell—but it is by far the easiest to learn with the kettlebell.