Adrian Peter Schmidt was a physical culturist and strongman born in 1872 in France. Unlike many oldtime strongmen who had great genetic predispositions and health, Schmidt wasn’t so lucky genetic-wise and he also contracted typhoid fever at the age of 15. This combination left him very slim, but he still …
Galen Gough
Galen Gough was a strongman born in 1899 in Kentucky, at his grandparents’ home. Even as a child, Galen was bigger and taller than his coevals and most people believed that genes are to blame, since Galen’s father was quite large man as well. Early days Not many of us …
Develop Stronger Bones and Tendons Through Partials Training
Another post has just been put up on Breaking Muscle, featuring one of my favorite forms of training. Training Partials for Stronger Tendons and Bones I would say that 99% of the fitness and strength training is focused on the muscles and/or the cardiovascular system. But what about the rest …
The Farmer’s Walk
In my last article I discussed one aspect of Strengthen Your Structure; partial training and weight supports. A series of exercises, somewhat similar but also different in several ways, are the carrying exercises. These are similar in that your body must work to support a load in one position. Which …
PR Report 11-23-13
A short week of training due to travel, I wanted to make up for lost time by doing a much higher volume of squatting than normal. Front Squats 135 lbs. 10 x 10 And that made me pretty sore for many days so no more squatting besides that. I worked …
Clevio Massimo
Antonio Clevio Massimo Sabatino was a strongman performer better known as Clevio Massimo on the stage. He was born in 1895 in Italy with good genes, since his father and two uncles were quite large men, known as “the three giants”. Antonio grew up in Buffalo, NY where his family …
Strengthen Your Structure and the 1000 lb. Club
The majority of fitness and even strength training is focused on the muscles and also the cardiovascular system. But that’s not all there is to having a strong and fit body. If you only focus on your muscles, they may be strong but what about everything else? Injuries can and …
I was Wrong about Coffee
I’ve never been a coffee drinker…until very recently. The reason for this is that it didn’t taste good to me and I never really felt the effects of the caffeine that everyone else seemed so hooked on. Add to this that I don’t drink milk, or like to add sugar …
John Holtum
John Holtum was an oldtime strongman and circus performer born in 1845 in Dernmark. He lived an ordinary life until the age of 15, when he decided to become a sailor. Young John Holtum worked hard in shipyards and on deck, where he developed a strong, muscular body which he …
Podcast: Clay Edgin on Strongman, Grip and Mas Wrestling
This episode features Clay Edgin, famed competitor in strongman, grip sport and also the little known in the US, mas wrestling. In this podcast you’ll find tons of tips for training all of the above, that Clay used to become massively strong. [display_podcast] What is Mas Wrestling and How to …
PR Report 11-16-13
Lots of solid training this week before I hit the road to Phoenix, Arizona for Energy Medicine training. Several days of squats and lots of PR’s among them. This video includes: Front Squat 185 x 10 Front Squat 245 x 1 (new Max) Half Back Squat 455 x 5 My …
How to Get Out of a Handstand
Something that hasn’t been covered by numerous videos on my YouTube channel is how to get out of a handstand. This step is actually fairly simple, but it’s essential to know how to execute it properly and use it in your handstand training. Two of the most common problems people …
Improving Shoulder Flexibility and Mobility
If you’re looking to improve your shoulder flexibility and mobility check out these two videos from Gold Medal Bodies. The first one is focused on building the flexibility in the shoulders especially for handstands. Handstands can be one of the most difficult positions for the shoulders, especially a straight style …
Tour of My Gym
I’ve been asked to give a tour of my gym, so I decided to create this video and share it with you. My gym is actually located in a two-car garage, but since the gym takes all the space, no cars go in here. Apart from various bodyweight training and …
Maxick on Muscle Control
Strongman Profile series on Breaking Muscle wouldn’t be complete without Maxick, the master of muscle control. Strongman Profile: Maxick Teaches Us the Lost Art of Muscle Control Muscle control is for the most part a lost art that is no longer widely applied today. Yet a hundred years ago there …