Several of my fitness friends were talking about different training programs that are available for various groups. We covered some generic programs for athletic teams as well as many of the recent fitness programs for individuals. It was interesting to talk about how different fitness programs appear that advocate the latest programs for people to follow. We started to compare the programs we have seen, and even tried a few, from several years ago. We discussed the length of time that each of the fitness programs lasted before a new program appeared for the “latest and greatest” program for people to try.
Very early strength contests had strong men lifting boulders of increasing size. In Ireland the Dinty Stones were the big challenge. There are two different stones with iron handles in them. The feat of strength was to just lift the stone off the ground. The real challenge was for a strong man to lift both stones off the ground at the same time. The combination weight of the two was approximately 600 pounds. There was an article in Sports Illustrated years ago that featured Dr. Jan Todd, a University of Texas professor, as the only woman to lift both stones off the ground.
In very old strength programs the weights used were kettle bells. They are back again for those born after the 1940s, or earlier. Kettle bells are once again “new” programs in fitness and making an appearance in gyms. One of the big strength contests for strongman shows was to have the athlete lift a railroad axel and wheels. The weight wasn’t that heavy compared to what strength people can do today, but the shape and size made it difficult to lift overhead.
