Welcome To
Dino-Rack Training
By Paul Markowski
One of the innovators of radical training,Paul Anderson(shown here), got much of his lifting equipment from the local junkyard.
Dr. Squat, squattin' 1014 at age 45, was one of the true radical trainers of his time.
Just who are these Dinosaurs of weightlifting?
Ever heard of Paul Anderson, Louis Cyr, Doug Hepburn, Hermann Goerner or Arthur Saxon? If not, then read on because you will be intriqued by these and many other Dinosaur lifters of yester-year. These men all lived in a time when fancy machines and shiny barbells were not readily available to the trainee. Instead, sandbags, truck axles, wagon wheels, anvils and barrels were used to stimulate strength and muscle growth. I find it rather interesting that many of these dinosaur lifters' personal records have yet to be matched or beaten by todays steroid stuffed, muscle bound behemoths. WHY? Maybe it has a lot to do with the WAY the dinosaurs trained. Is it possible that lifting rocks overhead just might be more productive then using a well balanced barbell? Will curling a 75 pound sandbag build more strength and size then using a chromed York barbell? Can pulling a truck filled with rocks be more beneficial for over-all strength then bench pressing? I personally venture to answer YES to all the above. This is not to say that regular barbell and dumbell work is of no use. Hardly.....but what is interesting is that these dinosaurs all used very radical lifting techniques and exercises to build their incredible strength. For example, in the 1900's, a strongman named Maxick trained by pressing a 185 lb. man overhead 16 times with one arm while holding a glass of beer in the other!! I would say it is highly unlikly that any of you have ever seen any person train like this. Even when these men did use a regular barbell or dumbell, they would usually use them for many one armed exercises(which requires more balance and the stabilizing muscles to come into play).
Paul Anderson is unquestionably the strongest human ever to walk the earth. In 1957, Anderson backlifted 6270 lbs: a feat most believe will never be equalled. Anderson trained at a time when gyms were sparse to say the least. Paul actually trained for the 1956 Olympic Games in his backyard with most of his weightlifting equipment coming from the town junkyard. Anderson used truck axles, heavy barrels connected to a bar for squats and even a barbell suspended by chains to his old oak tree in his backyard to train his overhead lifts. Paul Anderson was truly radical in his techniques. The bottom line for Anderson was: 50 pounds of sand weighs the same as a 50 pound shiny olympic plate. There was no differance!! One of Anderson's other "pet" exercises was the one arm dumbell side-press. Paul still holds the world record in this lift with a one arm side-press of 380 lbs. Most people today have not even heard of the side press. Paul Anderson went on to win the Olympic Gold Medal in 1956 in the superheavyweight class in weightlifting.
Hermann Goerner was a German strongman who in 1928, at a bodyweight of 220 lbs., did a one-arm deadlift with 727.5 lbs. This feat is yet to be matched. Goerner could do a one-arm barbell clean with 297.62 lbs, a strict barbell curl with 220.46 pounds, a righthand snatch with 264.55 lbs. and a two-arm snatch with his arms crossed with 231 lbs. I'd like to see any modern lifter -at any bodyweight-on or off steroids duplicate those feats. Again, notice the emphasis on one-arm work!!!
Hepburn squatting a monstrous weight!!
Need a Lift? Anderson would accomodate!!
Modern day Dinosaur? Why yes!! This is Brooks Kubik doing a very heavy dumbell deadlift.