LA fitness news

The science of strength.

April 28, 2010

Believed to be the strongest man who has ever lived, French Canadian Louis Cyr could clean and press a thick handled 240 lb. dumbbell with one arm. Most people couldn’t even grip it.

Next time you’re in the gym try picking up a 100 lb dumbbell (be careful) and you’ll get some idea of just how strong this guy was. When Cyr was operating - in the late nineteenth century - there wasn’t that much information about the science of strength training, but now there is plenty. One of the things that any fitness specialist will tell you is that progression is key to success.

Increasing the weight is an obvious way of progressing but you might also like to consider changing your position (incline, decline, wider feet, wider arms, standing rather than sitting and so on); changing the type of resistance (from machines to dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls or just plain body weight); going from bilateral to unilateral movements (maybe flat flies with one arm, then the other) or adding a balance challenge like trying shoulder presses while standing on a Bosu Ball.

Talking about strength, remember the guy in the video to the right?