Strongman Origins for AOBS

Circus strongmen, bodybuilders, Olympic weightlifters, throwers or all sorts, boxers, professional wrestlers, these are all athletes who have been a part of the Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongmen. One of the founding members and most influential strongmen, was Vic Boff.

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=BK22

In addition to owning and operating one of the premier health food stores in New York City, Vic actually grew up in Red Lion, PA, where his father had owned a small department store chain. This is important because York, PA is practically right down the street!

Growing up with the Olympic weightlifting team training nearby and during the Great Depression, Vic came up with and learned a lot of training tricks that most people simply wouldn't consider today. Most of these were simple, yet highly effective.

Here is one that Vic taught me, the very first time we met. Start collecting quality solid dumbbells, like the York Solid Dumbbells. Instead of buying pairs, get different, somewhat lighter sizes, such as a 25 pounder and a 35 pounder. Because of the unique shape, you can stack them across the handles and now you have a 60 pound implement that will be fantastic for grip work, curls and a unique type of clean & overhead press. Vic was full of ideas like this. His book, Vic Boff's Bodybuilders Bible, is simply packed with them.

In honor of the AOBS Dinner this weekend, Atomic Athletic has a special on Vic's book right now. Don't miss it!

Here is the link:

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=BK22

Live strong,

Roger LaPointe

PS I hope to see many of our Atomic Athletic Bomb Proof Bulletin readers at the Dinner this coming weekend.

Olympic Weightlifter Honored

Three time Olympian Fred Lowe will be honored this weekend at the Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongmen Annual Reunion Dinner. For those of us who know Fred, this is not surprising, giving both his achievements and his long dedication to the sport of Olympic Style Weightlifting.

Congratulations Fred.

If you would like to see one of Fred's Mini-Clinics, check it out on our double DVD of the 2009 Atomic Athletic Great Black Swamp Olde Time Strongman Picnic. Fred is not just a coach, as he still competes, having recently won Best Lifter at the Masters World Championships in Poland.

If you are interested in learning more about the AOBS Organization, just click on the their highlighted link.

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=VID212

Live strong,

Roger LaPointe

PS I hope to see many of our Atomic Athletic Bomb Proof Bulletin readers at the Dinner this coming weekend.

British Army Rope Climbing

I just got a copy of the British Army Council's “Manual of Physical Training 1931”. Yeah, it is some dense heavy reading. The ending is quite clear. Follow this manual and you will be fit and strong. This is not a mystery.

To head off any questions right from the start, my copy is not for sale. However, if you keep paying attention to my bulletins and the BLOG, you will get some great chunks of knowledge.

The British military has always been fond of basic body weight exercises and the beauty of this book is not that they are telling me much that I haven't seen elsewhere, it is the way they do it. Instead of giving one photo or illustration and then a written description, this book has detailed sequential photos!

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=ROPE09S

For example, Figure 58 “Climbing on a rope” has 19 detailed photos in the sequence showing everything from how to grasp the rope with the hands to wrapping the feet around the rope. The following sequence in the series shows one how to do the same thing without using the feet.

http://www.atomicathletic.com/store/category.aspx?categoryID=755

If a frightening grip, concrete core and powerful back are of interest to you, then you need to check out those links. If not, just ignore them.

Live strong,

Roger LaPointe