Men of Old

[Guest Jeff Roark]

What exactly were the grip workouts of the old timers that produced super strong grip in almost all of the old time greats? They didn't have COCs grippers or alot of the nice things we have today but some still rein supreme in their feats. I am interested in this because the grippers aren't or can't be the corner stone to my training due to CTS. I would like to know what the common thread was between these men and their training. If I'm not mistaken wasn't David Horne already a superman in alot of grip feats when he closed the #3? I wish he could let us know how much of a carry over the other exercises provided in the shutting of the #3 and other variuos feats he has performed.

[Guest]

I believe it was almost all because of thick-handled dumbell and barbell work.  Roark is probably most suited to answering this question though.

[Roark]

Jeff,

Todd is, in my view, correct.

The oldtimers used cumbersome implements,

and I hasten to add, usually, non-revolving

handles. kettlebells, ringweights, thick handled

bells, sacks of tightly packed flour, along with a

heavy emphasis on one handed lifting all helped

create fantastic grips.

Though Sandow had his spring-dumbells (dumbell

cut in half lengthwise with springs between the halves)

that you would squeeze shut while curling, for example,

this was not tied to the delevopment of the grip so

much as to the development of his wallet.

Jowett claimed that he continued to add rounds of

tape to a dumbell until it became so thick that only he

could handle it easily. This idea has merit.

One does not gain a sense that the oldtimers went

through grip workouts in the way we do (wrist curls,

etc) but that they used variety in thick handled

lifting.

[Guest Jeff Roark]

Thanks guys. So do you think that the thick handle work attributed to the tremendous pinch feats and dynometer results? I think we may try to specialize with thick bars, when it was a daily training implement with the old timers. Roark are we related? Got any family in Ky?

[Roark]

Jeff,

There probably was not much transference from

thick bar lifting to crushing strength, so much as

there would be to pinching strength.

Thomas Inch was offering his gripper to an audience

largely untrained on the apparatus- at least to the

closure level required to squeeze his shut, and this

no doubt contributed to many strongmen failing to

close his gripper- they simply had not trained on a

similar mechanism.

This afternoon I came across a photo of Apollon at

about age 50, and his forearm development was

staggering. In addition to being blessed with long

muscle bellies and thick wrists, his thick bars added

to what were, for my money, the best forearms in

terms of strength, we have yet seen.

Jeff, you mentioned you have long muscle bellies in

the forearms- I know what you mean- I must be

cautious when trimming my nails- don't want to

cut the end of the muscle...just kidding.

Don't know if we're related, but it's good to have

you on the board.

Have you tried standing wrist curls? I place the bar

on the bench rack at a level that when standing at the

end of the bar, a partial deadlift is needed (4") to get

the bar in my palm. Then I wrist curl the 2" end, forward

and backward, then switch hands (facing the other

direction of course). As I have never thought it necessary to allow the fingers to roll down to extension

in the wrist curl, this is a handy movement, and is good

thick bar training. Following this, adding weight and doing timed holds is a nice finish.

Then I carefully trim my nails.

[Guest Jeff Roark]

Joe,

Yes I do have abnormal muscle bellies in my lower arms. As for being a benefit, I don't know at this point since it has caused CTS for me. I have always had a stronger than normal grip, much stronger than anyone I've encountered, let me say nontrained individuals and my self being nontrained also. There is a board full of guys here that make me feel like a girl in the grip dept! I would like to see some of these pictures that you speak of Joe. I remember you used to do like a gallery of oldtimers and history in one of the Weider pubs didn't you? How old are you now? I think I may have seen a picture when I was a kid of you showing your back? Or maybe it wasn't you, maybe someone else but your article, anyway it was nice for a young kid to see someone with the same name in the irongame. I am very pleased to meet you.

[Roark]

Jeff,

I will answer you here rather than in a message.

If you saw a local newspaper ad in the central

Illinois area many years ago, you may have seen

a photo of my back for a Nautilus ad. You would not

assume I was a young Dorian Yates.

My column FACTOIDS is now in its 10th year in FLEX,

and recently I took over the writing of ALL OUR

YESTERDAYS in that magazine. Working with editor

Peter McGough is a joy.

What is relevant to the grip board is that I continue

to urge Peter to allow me to include more  details

about the oldtimers and history, but Peter knows the

marketplace, and knows that the overwhelming

majority of FLEX readers do not read the mag for

history, but for training and nutrition.

For those of you who want solid history, and in

my view, the best publication available for it,

try Iron Game History from the U of Texas at Austin.

My current age is 58.

[Guest Jeff Roark]

Thanks for the response. Is there anyway to get copies of your old archived articles? Now Joe, you made a statement that most people read Flex for training articles, how do you feel about the info they provide? Do you ever try to influence them to more sensible training, similiar to the oldtimers? I for one am more impressed with a Sandow/Grimek type physique and not a Ronnie Colemen, as I am sure many around here feel the same.

[Roark]

Jeff,

Please check your 'messenger' box here on the board.