Arne Posted October 19, 2002 Share Posted October 19, 2002 When I recently visit Luxembourg and have the opportunity to put my hands on some of John Grün's (Marx) equipment, I found two blockweights (weighing around 32 kg each) http://www.cyberpump.com/gallery/IronHistory?&page=4 and http://www.cyberpump.com/gallery/IronHistory?&page=5 John Grün was able to clean and lift this two weights over his head with only one hand. I couldn't move them from the ground. The stress, especially on my thumb, was enormous. His handstrenght was truly unbeliveable if he was able to do this feat. The reason why I'll compare this blockweights with the Inch Dumbbell is because I was able to lift a simulated plateloaded "Inch Dumbells" from the ground. Grün's blockweights was much more difficult for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 19, 2002 Share Posted October 19, 2002 Those look like old fashioned 56lb. blockweights which are common back in the UK. Extra weight has been added, about 10 pounds. Those are good for grip work. I have not seen any over here in the USA. I wish I had some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted October 19, 2002 Share Posted October 19, 2002 OLDGUY You are right about the blockweights being similar to the ones in England,i have 2x56lbs,1x20kilos and 2x14lbs,they used to be used a great deal by coalmen and the weights themselves were often weighed by the weights and measures company and if found under weight,would be made up with bits of molten lead till the weight was agaein correct,my father in law supplied the knowledge,as he used to be a coal man. My father in laws nick name used to be the brickhouse,after you guessed it,and because he was built like one,anyway i asked him about the blockweights,and he said that he could put 2x56lbs overhead,1 handed after lifting them to the shoulder by 2 hands,he could put 2x20kilos blocks overhead single handed,from floor to arms length,but he would only do this for a bet,which he always won,usually beer,he said nobody else he new was able to do it,he was the strongest coalman in the Northwest! He said that the reason no one else could do it was because it was all in the wrist and thumb and that a few times he strained his wrist or thumbs,hense only doing it for a bet. Thinking about it now as i type this,as you press the blocks overhead,unless you have tremendous crushing and holding strength in the hands,wrists and thumbs,the blocks will rotate downwards and crush the hand OUCH! I will have a little go tomorrow with my left arm,as my right is still healing after falling through a garage roof! i dont think i will be very sucksessful if Big Arne could not budge his of off the floor! :crazy ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 My first experience in lifting weights, was lifting overhead with one hand a 56 lb blockweight in my father's garage. I thought I was Hercules at age 12. Another trick was to overhead a bag of cement weighing 112 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 Arne Thanks for sharing the John Gruns visit with us all,the photos are great and it must have been a real thrill to actually touch some genuine old time strongman memoramilia,i felt the same when at David Hornes,looking and examining his grip collection. I no that John Grun holds a special place in your heart,and it must have been a very special journey to Luxemburg,for you. Getting to your question of John Grunns blockweights v the Inch bell,i would say that,any man that can do any of those feats,gets my respect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 I would like to see and of course try to lift the original Inch dumbbell. To deadlift it, not overhead press it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 OLDGUY i did the cverhead cement bag as well,whilst working on the builing sites with me dad,he betted me i could not do it,and had made a couple of tears in the bag,when i lifted it the contents ended up on my head,much to the amusement of me dad and his mates! ??? Whilst on the subject of blockweights,i think the 56lbs block weight pinch would be an awesome feat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 Thomas Inch wrote about doing a variety of exercises with the 56 lb blockweight for grip and forearm developement. Funny, your dad was a coalman, mine was once a miner up in Northumberland. A coal miner. He gave that up for the army and spent the war finding landmines and making safe unexploded bombs. We have it so easy! I was so scared of him, but in a good way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Posted October 20, 2002 Author Share Posted October 20, 2002 Gazza! It was a wonderful trip! I'm going to write an articel about Grün's equipment. And remember this 56 lbs block actually weights around 70,4 lbs each. Unfortunately I didn't found his two challenge dumbbells (65kg and 60 kg with 70 mm handle). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 ARNE I look forward to your article on Grunns equipment,as i am shure lots of other people will. I noticed in one of your photos of Grunns block weights, the one with your hand in that there is room around your hand do you no how big Grunns hand was,as i also noticed at David Hornes that you have a thick hand. The 56lb blockweights that i have,i can get my hand in one easily,but is a very tight squeeze in the other. Do you no whether Grunns block weights were 56lbs blocks made up to 70,4lbs,as indicated by the lead added,maybe was used as a form of poundage progression,or were they bigger than 56lbs each to start with. i have never heard of any english block weights to be heavier than 56lbs other than those specially made. I wonder whether Apollons 80kilos blocks were made specially for him,or were they the norm in those days,it would not be considered normal to be able to lift them however. ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest woody36 Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Uberman Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 Arne, Thanks for the pics and info. I have two 50lbs scale weights(American) that are real simular to the pics. The "hole" around the handles is square instead of round, it looks like my handles are thicker but when put together the overall gripper maybe closer. Interesting note I got them when I was mixing rubber asphault for road construction they were all over the place. Anyway we would have scale guys come calibrate our scales and they had 1000lbs weights that were real simular to the 50's. They even had the little handle. On to that you hooked a chain in and lifted it into the scale with a forklift. It just looked funny to have a huge weight with the same little handle. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 20, 2002 Share Posted October 20, 2002 Here is a source for block scale weights. The shipping costs must be great however! http://weights.scaleinfo.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Posted October 20, 2002 Author Share Posted October 20, 2002 Dazza John Grün's hand was 8.5"x4.5" (my own right hand are ca 8.3" x 4.3") so I think his hands were large if you compare with his height 180 cm (5'9"). I think that they there from the beginning ordinary standard 56 lbs blockweights. I think that Grün modified his own equipment to make them even heavier and more difficult to lift. The two thickhandle dumbbells were wrapped with several layers of sheet metal (correct word?). This sheet metal handles was rotating and probably makes them harder to lift. Mike and Old Guy Thank You for your interesting information! I hope my english is undertandable. ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 ARNE Your English is fine,100 times better than my Swedish! What a pity you never came across the 60-65kilos challenge d/bells.If Grunn could lift these 2 d/bells overhead together,one in each hand,then i think he was capable of the Inch bell! Was not Grunn also capable of cleaning and pressing tha barbells in the photos,again 1 in each hand,if so what was the weight of the barbells! This morning i tried to lift 2x56lbs block weights the way you indicate in the photo,on there side ,all that i can say is like you found with Grunns heavier 70,4blocks,totally impossible for me,the pressure on the thumb is immense. If Mr.Grunn was capable of all these feats he truely was a "STRONGMAN" :0 :0 OLDGUY Thanks for the link,good site,very expensive even without the shipping,i got my blockweights for a fiver a piece at the scrapyard! I still would not mind some of the heavier blocks though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 Gazaa, I know you are in the UK try looking up scale test weights or field weights. They are not such an odd Item as I thought. I have even found a supplier within 5 miles of where I live. I might look around at some of the huge flea markets they have in my part of the world. All I am looking for is 2 blockweights of 50 to 60 pounds. Scrap metal yards might be a likely place too. Where in the UK are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Posted October 21, 2002 Author Share Posted October 21, 2002 Gazza The dumbells weights about 50 kg and 45 kg and the rotating handles was 70 mm on the heaviest dumbells and slightly less on the other one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted October 21, 2002 Share Posted October 21, 2002 OLDGUY I live in Birkenhead,over the water from Liverpool. I will keep on looking around the scrapyards,i am after some 56lbs block weights with the rings,like Apollons only lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Posted October 21, 2002 Author Share Posted October 21, 2002 Gazza! Is it possible for You to find more 56 lbs blockweights? I'm of course very interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 Arne I will keep on looking for more 56lb blockweights. At the moment i have 2x56lb block weights,1 x56lb ring weight 1 x 20kilos block weight,2x 28lb block weights,2 x 14lbs block weights and 1 x 14lbs ring weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisJames Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 Gazza, i have two 56 lb blocks that i one hand swing overhead .I usually do three sets of ten to warm up.Ialso clean and military press them for sets of ten .My grandfather showed me lots of different workouts with them.I believe Arthur Saxon used them extensively in his workouts and strength act.They build great wrist and grip strength,very functional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rockblaster Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 Chris, Do you use the York dumbell head block weights? If so, what is your opinion of them as far as achieving overall grip strength? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 Many old time strongmen had only blockweights, and ring handled scale weights to train with as far as iron was concerned. They were about the only commonly found items suitable for exercise. No doubt ring weights being what they were lead to one hand swings and similar movements. I do not believe that churchbells were used with the clapper tied down to silence them, and came to be known as dumbbells. That is too farfetched and suggests only church bellringers would be able to train with them, unless they loaned them out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazza Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 Chris The block weights that you swing overhead,are they ringweights or standard blockweights,and if the latter do you grip them the way that ARNE demonstrates in the John Grunn photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted October 22, 2002 Share Posted October 22, 2002 Blockweights have the handle attached flush with the top of the weight- the handle does not rise above the level of the weight, so the weight could rest squarely on the floor with the handle downward. Is this how you also understand a blockweight? Or are some calling the severed end of a dumbell a blockweight? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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