Tommy Kono is a legend in the weighlifting world. Born in 1930 in Sacramento, CA, Kono was the only lifter to set world records in four weightlifting classes. He was also a gold medalist in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics in Helsinki and Melbourne respectively. Tommy earned a silver medal four years later in Rome. He was world champion from 1953-1959, garnishing 21 world records along the way. He won three Pan-American Games championships during his illustrious career. In 1976, Kono was the US Olympic coach for the games in Montreal.
In addition to his highly successful Olympic weightlifting career, Kono also won the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competitions in 1957 and 1959.
Mr. Kono penned a piece titled “If I Had My Way”. It should be on the wall in every gym as it contains his philosophy on how things should be in the gym and it is based on respect and responsibility. It is reproduced here.
I have run across the article “Iron and the Soul” by Henry Rollins a couple of times, most recently today. Originally published in Details Magazine in 1994, it has appeared in various fitness sites and if you haven’t read it yet, it never gets old.
Henry Rollins, was the former front man for the 80’s Hermosa Beach, punk band, Black Flag and many projects and work since then. As a kid, Rollins suffered from low esteem and by 18 was filled with rage, something you have to have to lead a successful punk band! In the article, Rollins talks about his relationship with the Iron.
As you have read here, there are few pieces of gym equipment I have any use for, save for a couple. One is the Glute Ham Developer, (GHD) and another, the Reverse Hyper Machine, (RHM).
Some things have just one function that justifies their existence; an umbrella for instance. Scuba gear is another that comes to mind. Since most of us are weight lifters in one manner or another, we have all run into barbell collars. They have no other apparent use. Sure, you could use the ones pictured above at the dinner table to hold nice linen napkins, but I doubt any of us would actually do that. So are we in agreement that barbell collars have only one function?
Ah, yes, the lone dissenter. There’s always at least one. Read about the Chief of His Tribe in our OC Register fish wrap and first “scooped” by the local Daily Pilot newspaper. (And who says print media is dead)?
Hat tips go to Toby Taylor and Jim Morales for this gem. Since it occurred in my stomping grounds, it should be easy to find out what local gym this idiot belongs to.
My favorite comment comes from “thebig9e”r: “Interesting. I put a ring on my ex wife’s finger and she grew about 5 times her normal size too”. Ouch!
One of the most insidious devices ever constructed is the Prowler. If you ever went up against one, you know what I am talking about and you probably even know what “Prowler Flu” is. It was our “finisher” for Saturday’s training session and it fully completed it’s task with predictable outcomes.
Your training is going well. You are making gains. Lifts are going up and times are coming down. And you’re injury-free. Can it get any better? Of course it can. Here are some ideas.
Brian Hood’s American Gym is where MarkFu trains and is also home to EastWestStrength run by Scott Brengel for strongman training and a serious Boot Camp program. We train old school here and you won’t find much in the way of machines here. Take a look:
Now that the NFL draft is concluded, teams are looking forward to the mini-camps and soon after, regular training camp. In the meantime, players are employing state-of-the-art athletic training and conditioning that meet the demands of the positions they play, and also specific to their individual anatomies. This is where personal training end and professional sports athletic training begins. Read the rest of this entry
It has been about six months since several of us left a gym that became neutered from what the old-style gyms were like. As the chrome and fern corporate gyms began dotting the landscape, our box, while not hardcore, “tolerated” some of the serious old school training we did.
But that ended and we found a new gym, Brian Hood’s American Gym, which encompasses the widest range of training styles you’ll find in southern California. Brian has somehow found a way to put it all together and cater to us all and now we live in peace and harmony! Seriously, if you are in the area, come on by for a visit and train hard.
We found a kindred spirit in Jason Hanisak, of Hanisak Sports Performance in New Jersey. (It looks like these Jersey guys get it, ain’t that right Scott)?
In this week’s Elitefts, Weekly News and Articles, Jason posted a great article on“The Return of Hardcore”. Check it out. He makes the case for hard-core training as if the case even has to be made at all. Some people just need to be reminded.
You’re busy and don’t have a lot of time to train, so your plan is to get fit in the least amount of time without shortcuts. Here is your ticket to success.
Tommy Kono is a legend in the weighlifting world. Born in 1930 in Sacramento, CA, Kono was the only lifter to set world records in four weightlifting classes. He was also a gold medalist in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics in Helsinki and Melbourne respectively. Tommy earned a silver medal four years later in Rome. He was world champion from 1953-1959, garnishing 21 world records along the way. He won three Pan-American Games championships during his illustrious career. In 1976, Kono was the US Olympic coach for the games in Montreal.
