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SIMPLEXSTRONG articles

2025

Modified Side Press [1946]

2024

Kettlebell Exercises and Their Place in Modern Weightlifting Sports [1928]
Girl Once a Physical Wreck, Now Does Astonishing Feats, Easily Toys with Weighty Barbells [1899]
Lying Down and Getting Up with a Barbell [1916]
Siegmund Klein’s „The One Best Exercise“ – and Challenge! [1939]
Arthur Saxon’s Dumbbell Overhead Swing Tutorials [1905 and 1908]
Paul Anderson – One-Arm Pressing Power
Siegmund Klein: Special Preparatory Exercises for the Bent Press [1938]
W. A. Pullum: Dumbbell Squat
W. A. Pullum, The Bent Press [1930]

2023

The Bent Press: Arthur Saxon’s Style [1938]
W.A. Pullum: Three “Correct Posture” Dumbbell Exercises [1949]
Let’s Give Weightless Squats a Chance [1970]
W.L. Carquest’s Favorite Old School Leg Strength Exercises
Edward Aston, The Bent Press: The Wrong Way & The Right Way [1948]
George F. Jowett: Dumbbell Swing – Master Key to Might and Muscle [1926]
A Secret “Muscle Control” Bent Press Tip from Thomas Inch [1958]

2022

[CHALLENGE] #GGP108 Sun Salutations
York Barbell System of Training: The Bent Press

2021

Let’s Revive the Bent Press [1962]
Daily Exercises and Home Development [1922]: Part 3 – Foot Exercises & Leg Exercise
Daily Exercises and Home Development [1922]: Part 2 – Dipping + Chinning the Bar
Daily Exercises and Home Development [1922]: Part 1 – Intro + Bridging

2020

All-Round Female Athlete Diploma of the Attila System of Strength Building [1910]
Some Exercises to Test Your Strength [1923]
Tough Muscle Building Work of Advanced Non-Apparatus Training [1955]
Baithaks aka Hindu Squats [1950]
The Incomparable Arthur Saxon [VIDEO]
What Makes the Oriental Strong? The Indian Dands [1911]
Thomas Inch’s Dumbbell Get-Up Tutorial [1905]

2019

Siegmund Klein: How Much Can You Bent Press? [1936]
The Ancient Art of Club Swinging
The Bent Press by Arthur Saxon
Harold Ansorge: Systematic Practice the Bent Press – 21 Pointers [1943]
Health & Strength: Light vs. Heavy Dumbbells
Orlick/Weider: Abdominal Exercises for Strength and Power (1944)
George Hackenschmidt: One Hand [Dumbbell] Snatch [1908]
“The Russian Lion” George Hackenschmidt [VIDEO]
Arthur “Archie” Allaire: The One Hand Military Press (1928)
Barbell & Kettlebell Lifting at the 1913 Olympics [RARE VIDEO]
Siegmund Klein’s Super Physique (1943): Kettlebell Calf Raises

2018

Inch’s Dumbbell Program Minimum for Boxing [2 of 2]: The Dumbbell Jerk
Inch’s Dumbbell Program Minimum for Boxing [1 of 2]: The Dumbbell Swing
“Jonglieren”: Team Kettlebell Juggling in Germany (1925)
Harold Ansorge, Amazing Feats of Strength: Bent Pressing Heavy Weights
Alan Calvert – The One-Arm Military Press (1915)
Desbonnet’s School of Physical Culture (1885)
How to Get Strong Legs With Dumbbells

2017

One of Hackenschmidt’s Favorite Exercises: Dumbbell Get-Up
Charles MacMahon: Kettlebell Juggling (1927)
Monte Saldo’s Secret of the First Ever Bodyweight Dumbbell Swing
Arthur, Oscar, and Arno Drink Beer and Lift Kettlebells: Fun with the Saxon Trio
Siegmund Klein Teaches the Dumbbell Bent Press (1938)
Thomas Inch Learns the Dumbbell Swing
Saxon’s Bent Press Tips
4 StrongFirst SFL Barbell Tips: Deadlift, Bench Press, Back Squat, Military Press
Bob Hoffman: 12 + 1 Bent Press Thoughts (1938)
Thomas Inch, Scientific Weight Lifting (1905): Kettlebell Snatch
Eugene Sandow [Video Documentary]
Chest-Expanding and Shoulder Developing Exercise With a Pair of Kettle-Bells (1924)
Görner the Mighty and his Incredible Kettlebell Two Hands Anyhow Record
John Grimek Meets Sig Klein: “A Good Strongman Never Makes Excuses”
Legendary Old-Time Strongmen: Ernest Cadine Swings 198,42 Lbs. Dumbbell
Eugene Sandow Teaches the Kettlebell Swing/Snatch (1894)
Side Push Press? From Alan Calvert’s Book The Truth About Weight Lifting [1911]
Siegmund Klein, The Kettlebell (1932)
Edward Aston: How to Gain Strength
Sandow’s Straight Leg Situp: Oldschool Low Rep Abdominal Exercise
Joe Bonomo: Detailed Training Instructions for “One Hand Get Up” (1970)
Siegmund Klein’s Exercise for Developing a Powerful Neck
Russian Lion’s SIMPLEXSTRONG Lessons: How to Choose Starting Weight, Reps, and How to Increase the Weight
In This Year, I will Start to… Scratch it, I Will Continue to…

2016

Kettlebells in the Movies: “Ivan the Poweful”
How to Keep your SFG Skills Sharp
Two Hands Anyhow
Thomas Inch, Secrets of Strength: A Dumbbell Get-up
A Few Words of Gratitude
Kettlebell Swing Tip: 4-Count Movement, not 2
Hermann Görner and Kettlebells
The Stronger Person Will Win
Shaolin Code of Honor
Combatives & Strength Training: Hack Away at the Unessential
Carl Gustav Jung: How Difficult It Is To Be Simple

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“Lying Down and Getting Up with a Barbell,” fr

“Lying Down and Getting Up with a Barbell,” from Ivan Vladimirovich Lebedev’s Heavy Athletics (1916):

While holding a barbell with an extended arm above the head, lower yourself onto the opposite knee, using the palm of your free hand for support on the floor. Then, move from the palm to the elbow, simultaneously straightening the leg on the same side along the floor, while the other leg remains bent at the knee. Next, lower yourself from the elbow to the floor with both shoulder blades touching and stretch out both legs, keeping the barbell held with the extended arm.

To stand back up, reverse the process: rise to the position, and so on. Once, E. E. Tevyashov performed this exercise with remarkable speed and ease, lifting a barbell weighing 160 pounds.

Many athletes prefer to perform this movement with a kettlebell instead of a barbell, but this is significantly easier unless the kettlebell is held “bottom-up” (inverted), which is extremely challenging. For instance, Stepanov and Sorokin lie down and stand up holding a 3-pood kettlebell „bottom-up.”[1 pood ≈ 16.38 kg or 36.11 lbs]

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #dumbbell #getup #enterthedumbbell #bestrongfirst

Siegmund Klein, 57 years young: “There are many

Siegmund Klein, 57 years young: “There are many exercises which may be performed with kettlebells instead of the more conventional ordinary dumbbells, and several others which cannot be duplicated with any other apparatus. And kettlebell training brings excellent results.

I have never known of a case where the regular use of kettlebells failed to be beneficial.”

– Siegmund Klein, Kettlebells for “Different” Development, Strength & Health, July, 1959.

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #kettlebell #kettlebells #bestrongfirst

Girl Once a Physical Wreck, Now Does Astonishing F

Girl Once a Physical Wreck, Now Does Astonishing Feats, Easily Toys with Weighty Barbells [1899]

“One of these is the lifting of a big barbell from the floor with one hand, turning it and holding it high above the head without a tremor.

This same barbell she then places upon the floor and lies down flat on her back with the bell at her head, and raises it with both hands until it is straight above her head, then holding it with one hand only, rises to a sitting and then a standing position with the bell high above her head still.”

Full article >>> simplexstrong.com

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #getup #turkishgetup #turkishgetups #bestrongfirst

Bob Harley, student of the great Siegmund Klein, B

Bob Harley, student of the great Siegmund Klein, Bent Press. His record in this lift is 250 pounds (cca. 123,5 kg).

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #bentpress

Two Hands Dumb Bell Slow Press “This is the key

Two Hands Dumb Bell Slow Press

“This is the key press. In this lift you learn greater coordination and become able to handle more weight than in any other press lift, consequently this lift offers great opportunities to success in all other press lifts.”

—The French-Canadian Continental Training System, 1920s (?)

Photo: “A. Giroux, the French Canadian.” —Health & Strength, 1920s.

#dumbbell #dumbbells #dumbbellpress #enterthedumbbell #simplexstrong #strongfirst #bestrongfirst

The dumb-bell (the only appliance permitted) shall

The dumb-bell (the only appliance permitted) shall be taken to the shoulder with either one hand or two hands, and, after a pause of two seconds, the expiration of which shall be indicated by the referee by a sharp clap with both hands, pressed to arms’ length overhead. At the commencement of the press the bar shall not be held higher than the top of the sternum where the collar bones meet, and the feet, if separated, must be placed not wider apart than 15ins. on a plane parallel with the lifter’s front, with knees firmly braced, and the body and head held in an upright position (the eyes looking directly in front). During the press from the shoulder, no sagging or turning of the trunk, movement of the feet or bending of the legs shall be permitted, and the movement must be a steady press to arm’s length with the shoulders kept level throughout.

–Definitions of the 42 Lifts, in: British Amateur Weight Lifter’s Association Handbook, 1948 edition.

The right (and left) hand press was lift number 1. (and 2.).

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #dumbbell #enterthedumbbell #dumbbellpress #bestrongfirst

The Roots of Kettlebell Training in Czechoslovakia

The Roots of Kettlebell Training in Czechoslovakia: Emil Bahr

Video: Milo Barus performing in 1955/56 in Weissenborn, Thuringia.

#kettlebell #kettlebells #simplexstrong #strongfirst #bestrongfirst

At the beginning of the 20th century, Emil Bahr, a world champion in strength disciplines, was born in Stará Červená Voda. He came from a poor railroad worker’s family. He attended primary school in Stará Červená Voda and later apprenticed as a miller in Hukovice. By the age of fourteen, he was already working from early morning until eight in the evening, effortlessly handling heavy bags of flour. His strength became well-known in the area.

As an apprentice, Emil enjoyed showcasing his feats of strength. After completing his apprenticeship, he moved to Tyrol, where he worked as a miller and experimented with various strength sports. He traveled extensively, visiting Yugoslavia and Italy. In the mid-1920s, he returned to Vidnava and participated in his first ring matches. On October 9, 1926, he began his two-year military service in Jelšava, Slovakia, with the third infantry battalion. Like the strongman Frištenský, Emil Bahr had trouble with clothing during his service (the Czechoslovak army didn’t have a uniform in his size). The military allowed Emil to develop his talent, and during training, he had no difficulty lifting a 48-kilogram machine gun twenty-five times in a row or carrying his comrades with full gear. Fully aware of his talent, he decided to leave his miller profession and pursue a career as a professional wrestler.

[RARE ARTICLE] The Legendary Siegmund Klein’s Ch

[RARE ARTICLE] The Legendary Siegmund Klein’s Challenge: Perform a Clean & Press with two dumbbells for ten reps using a pair of 75-pound (34 kg) dumbbells.

Many Iron Game enthusiasts discuss this feat (with some claiming it’s twelve reps), but few train for it, and even fewer have accomplished it.

As part of our ongoing Hard Style dumbbell lifting project, we have finally located the original article.

The “Two Dumbbells Clean & Press” program, called #DumbbellDoubleImpact, is a follow-up to the single dumbbell program from #EntertheDumbbell (to be released soon!).

Check out the original article - type simplexstrong.com/articles in your browser - OR CLICK THE LINK IN THE BIO!

Are you ready to take on the challenge?

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #dumbbell #dumbbells #bestrongfirst

Everything old is new again. The ‘Get-up’ fro

Everything old is new again.

The ‘Get-up’ from Albert Stolz’s ‘Textbook of Strength and Muscle Development, Based on Principles of Health and Aesthetics’ (Lehrbuch der Kraft- und Muskel-Ausbildung, auf Grund gesundheitlicher und schönheitlicher Prinzipien), 1910.

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #bestrongfirst

“Pressing heavy dumbells with one or both hands

“Pressing heavy dumbells with one or both hands is a form of lifting in which Doug Hepburn reigns supreme. Here he is shown shoving up 170 pounds at Yarick’s Big Show. His best in this one-hand style is 195 pounds. He has cleaned and pressed a pair of 155-pound dumbells and has pressed a pair of 175-pounders from the shoulders. No strongman of past or present has matched these feats. Pressing two separate dumbells is much more difficult than pressing the same poundage on a bar-bell.”

Please note:

- orientation of the dumbbell - front part 12 o’clock, not 3 o’clock
- t-spine extension, head slightly up
- counterbalance of the other hand

LEARN MORE: simplexstrong.com/download - or CLICK THE LINK IN THE BIO!

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #dumbbell #dumbbellpress #enterthedumbbell #doughepburn #bestrongfirst

Logo of the All-Round Continental Weight-Lifting A

Two different types of dumbbell squats/deep knee b

Two different types of dumbbell squats/deep knee bends.

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #dumbbell #dumbbells #enterthedumbbell #squat #squats #dumbbellsquat #dumbbellsquats

“At one time - no more than five years ago, in f

“At one time - no more than five years ago, in fact - this lift was as popular as the Clean and Jerk, but in common with other dumb-bell movements it has passed from popularity, so that the only occasion upon which it is seen is when an old-timer returns to the weights.

It is a pity, because the Swing is not only a pleasing lift to watch, but possesses muscle and strength-building properties which few barbell movements can equal and to its passing from public favour can be largely ascribed the fact that the modern lifter is neither so strong nor so heavily developed as those of the past.”

–George Walsh, The Dumb-Bell Way to Strength, in: Health & Strength Annual, 1936, p. 43.

—

Learn the dumbbell overhead swing fundamentals - type simplexstrong.com - OR CLICK THE LINK IN THE BIO!

Photo: C.V. Wheeler

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #dumbbell #enterthedumbbell #bestrongfirst

Dumbbell Military Press “The dumb-bell shall be

Dumbbell Military Press

“The dumb-bell shall be taken to the shoulder and, after a pause of two seconds, pressed to arm’s length overhead.

At the commencement of the lift the bar shall not be held higher than the line of the chin.

During the press from the shoulder the trunk must not be inclined backward, forward, or sideways, the shoulder must be kept, quite level, the legs straight and the heels together , the slightest deviation from the erect position being counted cause for disqualification.

In taking the bell to the shoulder either one or two hands may be used.”

—W.A. Pullum, Weight-Lifting Made Easy and Interesting, 1926

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #enterthedumbbell

“[…] perform the exercise with a dumb-bell hel

“[…] perform the exercise with a dumb-bell held in each hand at the shoulder, feet astride (moderately) and kept flat on the ground throughout…

Note that although the bells are held close to the shoulders, no support is afforded by the latter.

Sometimes the dumb-bells are tipped so that the rear ends rest on the shoulders, but this is not recommended, as in most instances it results in a distortion of posture.

The merit of the movement performed as illustrated is that, apart from the work it throws on the legs, it is a great shoulders and trunk strengthener AND a carriage improver.

It will be appreciated, of course, that the use of moderately heavy bells is called for in this exercise. It definitely is not a “light dumb-bell movement.”

– W. A. Pullum: “Variations on the Deep Knee Bend”, in: Health and Strength, 1940s/1950s

Full article >>> simplexstrong.com

#dumbbell #squat #dumbbellsquats #enterthedumbbell #simplexstrong #strongfirst #bestrongfirst

“One of the greatest of the old-time strongmen r

“One of the greatest of the old-time strongmen reveals his rules of sane living and fitness.”

“Among the exercises Hermann Saxon uses in his keep-fit routine is the Hack squat, the exercise popularized by George Hackenschmidt, a contemporary of the author who likewise enjoys excellent health although he is an octogenarian. Saxon recommends daily light exercises for oldsters.”

– Hermann Hennig Saxon, Advice for Oldsters, in: Strength & Health, 1958.

#squat #squats #hacksquat #hacksquats #oldtimestrongman #oldtimestrongmen #simplexstrong #strongfirst #bestrongfirst @kneesovertoesguy

Cover of George F. Jowett’s booklet “World’s

Cover of George F. Jowett’s booklet “World’s Weight Lifting Rules and Records”, published in 1925.

#simplexstrong #kettlebell #kettlebells #strongfirst #bestrongfirst

“John Y. Smith, showing his perfect form in the

“John Y. Smith, showing his perfect form in the bent press.

He's one of the greatest bent pressers of history.

This picture was taken sometime between 1900-1901 and the dumbell weighs 185 pounds.

Smith could clean and bent press this weight three repetitions.

Notice how the right half of the latissimus dorsi muscle and the right half of the trapezius muscle are flexed into a compact mass and that the right arm is resting on that mass.”

–Bob Hoffman, How I Bent-Pressed 250 lbs., 1938

#dummbbell #hardstyledumbbell #enterthedummbell #bentpress #simplexstrong #strongfirst #bestrongfirst

"Tom Inch's world's record in the old 'Sandow Styl

"Tom Inch's world's record in the old 'Sandow Style' Two Hands Anyhow with Dumb-bells–276 lbs."

– Vigour, September 1946

#thomasinch #dumbbell #dumbbells #twohandsanyhow #simplexstrong #strongfirst #enterthedumbbell

Physical culture pioneer and strongman Hippolyte T

Physical culture pioneer and strongman Hippolyte Triat established a huge gymnasium in Paris where aristocrats joined spirited youth to pursue fitness.

Curriculum:

FREE HAND EXERCISES — arm rotation, leg lunges, knee bends etc.

SIX-KILO GLOBE BARBELLS — putting the bar behind the neck and the back, twists, exercises on the balance beam, etc.

RUNNING — gymnastic walking, hopping, side-stepping, jumping

LIGHT DUMBELLS — Thrusts in all directions, always alternating,
body bends, etc.

LIGHT BARBELLS — walking with resistance, lifting the arms with a half twist, etc.

HEAVY DUMBELLS AND BARBELLS — snatching, swing-lifting, pressing, cleaning, etc.

---

Triat loved to repeat certain maxims, for example:

“Exercise is not exhaustion.”

“Working out is not working to death.”

“The body’s strength, carefully directed, is a source of moral as well as physical beauty.”

Image: "Grand Gymnase" de París (1865).

#simplexstrong #strongfirst #bestrongfirst

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Recent Posts

Modified Side Press [1946]
Kettlebell Exercises and Their Place in Modern Weightlifting Sports [1928]
Girl Once a Physical Wreck, Now Does Astonishing Feats, Easily Toys with Weighty Barbells [1899]
Lying Down and Getting Up with a Barbell [1916]
Siegmund Klein’s „The One Best Exercise“ – and Challenge! [1939]
Arthur Saxon’s Dumbbell Overhead Swing Tutorials [1905 and 1908]
Paul Anderson – One-Arm Pressing Power
Siegmund Klein: Special Preparatory Exercises for the Bent Press [1938]
W. A. Pullum: Dumbbell Squat
W. A. Pullum, The Bent Press [1930]

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