Last Week in Marion, NC

Broke away from our normal Thursday workout and went outside for some "Strongman" stuff. It was a lot of fun.

On This Day In Strength History

John Henry Davis was born on January 12, 1921, in Smithtown, NY. He grew up and rose to weightlifting fame in Brooklyn, NY. John won the US Nationals 12 times, set numerous world records, won 6 World Championships and 2 Olympic Games. At the Weightlifting Nationals of 1941 he became the first man in history to exceed 1,000 pounds in the three-lift total. Davis made 1005, breaking Steve Stanko's historic 1,000-pound American total record that had been set in April of 1941.

On This Day In Strength History

Joe Rollino bending a spike with his teeth.

On January 11, 2010, Joseph Rollino  known as the Great Joe Rollino, the Mighty Joe Rollino or the World’s Strongest Man passed away after being struck by a van while out for his daily five mile walk. The 104-year-old Brooklynite, who once lifted 635 pounds with one finger and lifted 475 pounds with his teeth,  who once lifted 3,200 pounds at Coney Island during its heyday was still bending quarters with his fingers at age 104. During his storied life, Rollino hobnobbed with Harry Houdini, watched Jack Dempsey knock out Jess Willard and was friendly with Mario Lanza. He even had a bit part in "On the Waterfront."             

On This Day In Strength History

Ron Walker was born on Dec 22, 1909.
He held no less than 21 British Heavyweight records. This included One Hand Snatches of over 200lbs, and most importantly today, a Two Hands Snatch of 297½lbs.

This Snatch of 135kg in December 1936 was the first ever World Record on one of the Olympic Set performed by a British lifter.

On This Day In Strength History

Pierre Gasnier died on December 16, 1923. Gasnier was born in France and was one of the first most influential of the old time circus strongmen and performed for Barnum and Bailey Circus. Gasnier stood only 5’ 3 tall and weighed just 143.5lbs and was able to lift a dumbbell weighing 260 lbs over has head.

On This Day In Strength History

November 22, 1935 Tony Terlazzo became first American to lift a International Weightlifting Federation world record.

FSS Deadlift Clinic

We had a great day in Marion this past Saturday. FSS was pleased to conduct a Deadlift clinic at Club Fitness. We would like to thank everyone who participated.
Check out the pics.
http://www.functionalstrengthsystems.com/11FSSDLCLINICnov19.html

FSS Lifters at IBP Nationals Video

Spiral Bow Tie Knee Wrap Video

Spiral Knee Wrap Video

FSS Marion, NC Training Video

X-Cross Knee Wrap Technique

X-Cross Knee Wrap

Here is my version of what I am calling the X-Cross knee wrap technique. I’m sure there are just about as many opinions on how to wrap a knee as there are people doing it. Hopefully this will lead you in the right direction if you are new to knee wrapping.

Steps

·         Start with a tightly rolled wrap.

·         Before commencing to wrap make sure the leg is extended, the knee is locked out and the toes are pointing upward slanted back toward the shin.

·         Begin wrapping just below the knee cap.

·         We recommend wrapping the leg from the inside, pulling the wrap over the top (front) of the leg. This is said to help your knees stay to the outside during the squat. I’m not convinced it makes that much difference but I’m sure it doesn’t hurt.

·         Wrap from bottom to top while covering about half the previous wrap as you go up.

·         Stretch the wrap and keep it tight with each rotation.

·         Once the wrap has reached the lower thigh just above the knee, the next wrap should move downward crossing the knee cap from the inside leg.

·         Wrap around the leg (at the bottom of the wrap below the knee) and move upward across the knee cap toward the lower thigh.

·         Wrap around the leg for the last time (at the top of the knee) and tuck the end of the wrap under the previous wrap.

At this point, your leg should be wrapped from the upper shin to the lower thigh with the last of the wrap crossing your knee cap from both directions in an X pattern.

Do’s

• Wrap the knee tightly. How tight is up to you. Obviously the looser the wrap is the less knee support you will experience.
• When wrapping the “X” across the knee, make sure you wrap directly across the knee cap.

Don’ts

• Do not use too much wrap below or above the knee joint. Most of the wrap should be utilized around the knee joint.
• Don’t forget to wrap over at least half the previous wrap. (The wrap should always overlap.) There should be no skin showing under your wrap when you have finished the squat!
• Don’t waste the wrap (pulling it through and) tying it at the conclusion. Excessive wrap should not be left dangling. It is most helpful when wrapped around your knee.

The knee joint is much more stable when wrapped properly. It is our opinion you should always wrap your knees when attempting to squat maximum weight.

The X-Cross is a simple and common knee wrapping technique. There are certainly more complex techniques but this is a good one to start with.

FSS will post more knee wrap techniques on the website in the near future. Let us know if you have questions. We will be more than happy to be of assistance if we can.

Keith Payne

Functional Strength Systems

PS- When I started to write this article I found it very hard to verbalize this technique so we have also produced a video that will hopefully explain this article further. It is also posted on the video page of this website.

On This Day In Strength History

On October 4, 1947, Bob Peoples pulled the “mythical” 700-pound deadlift in
the Bob Hise Show, an official contest in Chattanooga’s YMCA. When the bar was weighed it was 699; nonetheless, this world record
in the 181 pound class outstripped the world record held by Carl
Pepke, by 32 pounds.

On This Day In Strength History

September 27, 1879 Adolph G. Pitz was born in Germany. Pitz did some remarkable feats of strength having performed a "One Arm Press" with 178 pounds and a "Two Arm Press" with 220 pounds at a body weight around 165 pounds.

On This Day In Strength History

Joseph Curtis Hise died September 26, 1972. 
Hise is known as the father of American weightlifting. He is especially famous for creating the well known 20 rep breathing squats program.

On This Day In Strength History

On August 29, 1953 Reg Park successfully pressed the 258 pound dumbbells. It was a British Professional Heavyweight Record. Reg commented "I had to keep a strict military position, not the looser Olympic style, and I was forced to hold the dumbbells at my shoulders for almost half a minute before I pressed them to satisfy the referee's demand for a low enough position".

Strength

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.
Vince Lombardi

On This Day In Strength History

Charles Rigoulot died August 22, 1962. He was born in Le Vésinet and died in Paris. 
Rigoulot became French weightlifting champion in 1923 and won a gold medal in the light-heavyweight class in 1924 at the Summer Olympics.
In 1929, he made a Right Hand Snatch of 115 kilograms (253.5 pounds).  This was done at a muscular bodyweight of 215 pounds. 



 

Vemma is quite possibly the world’s most powerful liquid antioxidant.



On This Day In Strength History


John Robert “Bob” Peoples was born on August 21, 1910 in Northeast Tennessee, near Johnson City.

In the 1940s he deadlifted 728 lbs. weighing 178, minus drugs and body suits. He wore no shoes (only socks) and was the forerunner of ballet-type deadlift shoes.



This Day In Strength History

Walter Podolak "The Golden Superman" was born on August 19, 1909. He was recognized as the strongest man in America in 1933. Posolak once held the world's amateur record for a deadlift of 654 pounds.











 

Vemma is quite possibly the world’s most powerful liquid antioxidant.