Georg Hackenschmidt, as a professional wrestler and an experienced philosopher, always maintained that training begins in the head. First you need to put things in order there: set yourself up for success, direct your thoughts in the right direction. Conquering all your weaknesses is also first in your head. And then start acting.
Training starts in the head...
Here are the basic rules of Georg Hackenschmidt's training system:
1) Desire must be accompanied by action.
Determination to become strong is essential to achieving success. All people of outstanding strength achieved their physical perfection only with the help of significant willpower: they wanted to be strong - and became so. With willpower you can achieve anything.
2) Be the master of your thoughts.
Compliance with this rule is necessary in absolutely all areas of life. If you want to be successful, you need to focus your thoughts on success. The right direction of thoughts and positive thinking should accompany even the smallest circumstances of everyday life. And, of course, you need to focus your thoughts on your desire to be strong and healthy.
3) Be the master of your body.
Alcohol significantly reduces the amount of energy we have and nullifies some of the internal forces of our body that mean a lot to us, but which we may not be aware of.
Nicotine has a detrimental effect directly on the heart and blood vessels.
Moderation in sexual matters, according to Georg Hackenschmidt, is also of great importance. During the developmental period and adolescence, complete abstinence should be observed. About the enormous benefits chastity Only those who follow this rule can judge.
Now about the essence of the training itself.
Russian Lion training system
Naturally, the direction and ability for physical development differs depending on the individual’s individuality. A mature man, a young man, an old man, a woman, a child - everyone needs different approaches to training.
- The first and main principle of training is correctness and regularity.
- It is better to do gymnastics with weights two hours before lunch or two hours after it. In any case, training should be stopped 15 minutes before meals so that the body calms down and is ready to eat. Otherwise you may lose your appetite.
- To begin with, exercises should not last more than 15 minutes. Only after a few months can you increase the training time by 5 minutes. Ultimately, 30 minutes is enough for constant support and development of muscles and endurance.
- Gackenschmidt recommends do not take breaks during training. This can lead to unnecessary muscle tightness.
- You should wear minimal clothing while exercising. After one of the series of exercises, wrap yourself in a towel and walk back and forth. This promotes blood circulation, removal of waste tissue, improves evaporation and the metabolic process.
- All exercises must be done slowly and with concentration. You should carefully monitor your breathing. After each repetition, air should enter the lungs through the nose.
And, of course, it’s more fun in a group... It’s better to exercise in the company of two or three friends training together.
- During training, pay attention to the development of all muscles in strict harmony. You cannot increase the load on some muscles while weakening others. Vary your exercises.
- To achieve maximum and best results there must be systematicity.
Exercises without weights
Georg Hackenschmid argued that if the body wants to have health, it must also have strength. If you perform the following series of exercises with a certain sequence, your body will develop well and become healthy.
Taking a closer look at the exercises, you can understand that they contain all the movements that are necessary for the development of different parts of the body:
— for those suffering from digestive disorders, chronic constipation or a painful stomach, exercises 6, 8, 9, 10 and 13 will be useful;
- for those who need to develop the muscles of the chest, back of the head and throat, pay attention to exercises 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 14.
Among other tips, it is important to maintain proper nutrition, rest and breathing exercises.
For gymnastics without weights, it is better to use the time immediately after waking up or before going to bed in the evening.
The main job of training should be to develop those muscles that need it.
So, 14 simple exercises without weights:
1. NECK. Standing straight, join your hands at the back of your head. Firmly press your head down until your chin touches your chest, and use the muscles of the back of your head to resist the pressure.
Repeat 5 times.
2. NECK. Standing straight, make circular movements with your head.
Repeat incrementally from 10 to 20 times.
3. SHOULDERS. Stand straight, elbows along the body. Clench your fists and place your forearms at right angles. Move your shoulders up and down and back and forth until you feel tired.
4. CHEST. Standing straight, arms extended forward, palms inward. Bring your arms back along the shoulder line; raise above your head with palms facing forward; lower your arms to your sides. Having described a semicircle behind your back and above your head, bring it to its original position. Repeat for 1 minute.
5. LEGS, BACK, CHEST, SHOULDERS. Stand up straight. Bring your right leg behind your left. Hands are on the shoulders. Suddenly jumping, spread your legs and throw your arms out to the sides along the shoulder line. Return to starting position. Repeat – up to 20 times.
6. For proper digestion, strengthening the spine, waist mobility.
Stand up straight. Feet together. Extend your arms above your head. Perform circular movements with your torso, focusing rotation at the hips.
Repeat – from 5 to 10 times depending on endurance. Don't get too tired!
7. LEGS, BACK, CHEST, SHOULDERS. Stand up straight. Feet together. Clench your fists and extend your arms above your head. Tightening all your muscles and lifting your left leg, slowly lean forward. The extended leg, back and arms should be in one horizontal line. There may be some bending of the right leg at the knee. Return to starting position. Repeat – 5 times with a change of leg. Increase the repetitions once each week with each leg.
8. PRESS, BACK. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms above your head, palms facing inward. Bend your torso forward as much as possible without bending your knees. Then forcefully push the body back as far as possible. Repeat – from 5 to 20 times with a gradual increase.
9. PRESS, BACK, LEGS. Lie with your back on the floor and stretch out. Raise your legs at right angles to your body. Repeat – 5 times with a gradual increase, once weekly.
10. PRESS, BACK. Starting position – similar to exercise 9. Raise the torso to a right angle. Try to keep your legs still.
11. PRESS, BACK. Stand straight, hands on hips. Place your legs crosswise. Forcefully bring your front leg back. The body will assume the position of an ancient curtsey. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. Repeat the cycle – from 5 times, increasing once weekly to 20 times.
12. LEGS. Stand up straight. Place your heels together and point your toes out to the sides. Extending your arms to the sides, slowly lower yourself on your toes so that in the end you can almost sit on your heels. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise with your arms extended forward. For the third repetition, extend your arms above your head. Repeat – 3 times with a gradual increase 1 – 2 times weekly.
13. BACK, PRESS, HANDS. Assume the position of a runner at the start. Extend your arms and touch the floor with your fingers. Bend the front leg at the knee more than the other. Concentrate the weight of the body in your hands. Push off strongly with your back leg and, at the moment of slightly lifting your body, change the position of your legs. The jump should be smooth to avoid straining your back, hips and calves. Repeat - from 15 times with an increase of 3 - 5 times weekly until reaching 30 - 40 repetitions. Do the exercise no more often than every other day.
14. HANDS. Stand about 30 cm from the wall. The value is individual and selected so that the center of gravity is slightly in front of the body. Lean your hand on the wall and transfer the weight of your body onto it. Push off forcefully and change hands. Perform as quickly and energetically as possible until you feel tired.
Exercises with weights
To develop true strength, you need to lift heavy weights. Only thanks to such gymnastics can you get the development of each muscle group that they are capable of.
There are about 500 muscles in the human body, which can be divided into the following groups:
- muscles of the back of the head (neck)
- muscles of the shoulders, forearms and chest
- abdominal muscles
- leg muscles.
Depending on the muscles worked, all gymnastics with weights is divided by Hackenschmidt into 4 series.
FIRST EPISODE
Muscles of the back of the head
1. Same as exercise 1 without weights. Repeat – from 5 to 20 times.
2. Repeat exercise 1, but the hands are already holding the head, and the muscles of the back of the head are pushing them back.
3. Similar to exercise 2 of gymnastics without weights. Repeat – from 5 to 20 times.
4. Make a bridge with your body while simultaneously squeezing a dumbbell weighing 13–23 kg. Place a hard pillow under your head. Support for the body is the head and soles. The steeper the bridge, the easier it is to lift the weight. Repeat incrementally every week from 3 to 10 times. Next, add 2 kg of weight and reduce the number of repetitions in the cycle to 3 times, again gradually increasing weekly.
5. Stand on the floor, leaning on your hands and knees. Hang a weight weighing 4.5 kg on the back of your head (not on your neck!) on a wide belt. Slowly lower and raise your head until you feel tired.
SECOND SERIES
Muscles of the neck, shoulders, forearms and chest
1. Stand up straight. Take a 4.5 kg dumbbell with each hand. Try to raise your shoulders as high as possible. Lower them. Repeat – up to 10 times. Adding up to 20 times. Then add weight and start again with 10 repetitions.
2. Similar to exercise 1, but bend your arms at the elbows and describe rotational movements with your shoulders.
3. Stand up straight. Hold a dumbbell weighing 2.3 kg in your hands. Bending your arms one at a time, lift the dumbbells to chest level, placing your elbow to the side. Start with 5 repetitions. Increase gradually by one repetition, then increase the weight by 0.5 kg and start again with 5 repetitions.
4. Take a 22.5 kg dumbbell with both hands and squeeze it, using only the shoulder muscles. Repeat – 10 times: 5 times with palms facing you, and 5 times with palms facing back. Gradually increase the number of repetitions and weight.
5. Hold a 4.5–7 kg dumbbell with your hands so that your fingers point inward. Lift the weight from your hips to your shoulders. Movement exclusively with the forearms. Repeat – 5 times. Having reached 10 times, increase the weight by 2.3 kg. With your palms facing outwards, the initial weight can be 9 – 11 kg.
6. Take a 13.6 - 22.6 kg dumbbell with your hands and lift it above your head to outstretched arms. Start with 5 reps. Reach up to 10 times and increase weight by 2.3 kg. Perform exercises with palms facing both inward and outward.
7. With one hand, push the 11-18 kg dumbbell out to its full length. Raise the dumbbell with one hand to shoulder level, the other rests your elbow on your thigh. All the heaviness is in my legs. Then the elbow is removed from the hip, the body is lowered down, the knees are bent, the hand pushes the dumbbell up and the body quickly straightens. Movements should be fast and energetic. Repeat up to 5 times with each hand. Every two weeks, increase the repetition by one until you reach 10 times. Then increase the weight by 2.3 kg and start with 5 repetitions.
8. Perform push-ups. The body must be straight. Repeat – from 10 to 20 times.
9. Lie on your back. Hold a 13.6 - 22.6 kg dumbbell with your hands with your fingers facing outward. Press the dumbbell 5 times. Having increased the weight once a week up to 10 times, increase the weight by 2.3 kg and start again with 5 repetitions.
10. Stand up straight. Lower your hands and take a dumbbell 6.8 - 13.6 kg. Palms facing inward. Having described a semicircle with your hands, carry the weight upstairs. Repeat – 5 times. Having reached 10 repetitions, increase the weight by 2.3 kg.
11. Lie on your back. Stretch your arms above your head. Take a dumbbell 4.5 - 9 kg. Raise the dumbbell with your arms extended at right angles to your body. Repeat – 5 times. Increase to 10 times, add 2.3 kg of weight and start over.
12. Similar to exercise 11, but extend your arms to the sides. Take 4.5 kg dumbbells in each hand. Raise your arms and bring them together above you without bending your elbows. Repeat 5 times. When you reach 10 repetitions, increase the weight by 0.5 kg and start over.
THIRD SERIES
Abdominal, back and thigh muscles
1. Hold a 13.6 kg dumbbell lying on the floor with your hands so that your palms are facing you. Straighten up and raise the dumbbell to chest level. Keep your shoulders back. Repeat – 5 times. Having reached 20 times, increase the weight by 2.3 kg and start over.
2. Similar to exercise 1, but replace one dumbbell with two 9 kg each, one in each hand. Repeat – 5 times. Having reached 10 times, increase the weight by 2.3 kg and start over.
3. Raise a 4.5 – 9 kg dumbbell above your head with outstretched arms. Without bending your arms, bend down making a right angle. Repeat – 5 times. Having reached 10 times, increase the weight by 2.3 kg and start over.
4. Take a 22.6 - 31.7 kg dumbbell lying on the floor with your hands. Legs and arms should bend. Load on the hips. Repeat – 5 times. When you reach 10 repetitions, increase the weight by 4.5 kg and start over.
5. Lie on your back. Hands along the body. Raise the extended legs until they form a right angle with the body. Repeat – 5 times. Having reached 10 repetitions, start over, but with a 2.3 kg dumbbell tied to each leg.
6. Similar to exercise 5, but you need to raise your torso until you form a right angle. Legs should be motionless. To make the exercise easier, first place a dumbbell on your feet. Repeat – from 5 times with a gradual increase to 10 times. Then start over, but hold a 2.3 kg dumbbell with your hands at your head. Subsequently, you can replace one dumbbell with the same two.
SERIES FOUR
Special development of leg muscles
The exercises presented below should be especially careful for those who are predisposed to hernia. In this case, it is better to abandon exercise 5 from this series.
1. Join your hands behind your back. Take a dumbbell 4.5 - 9 kg. Connect your heels together, toes apart. Rise on your toes and slowly lower yourself as low as possible. Take the starting position. Repeat – 5 times. Having reached 20 times, increase the weight by 2.3 kg and start over.
2. Exercise in high and long jumps with and without a run-up. Pay special attention to standing jumps. Jump with and without weights. Practice the triple jump: step, jump and squat.
3. Jumping over a rope, especially one threaded through the toe of one leg.
4. With both hands, hold a 9–18 kg dumbbell behind your head and on your neck. Slowly lower yourself down without lifting your heels from the floor. Repeat – 3 times from the beginning. Reach 10 repetitions and increase the weight by 2.3 kg, start over.
5. Lie on your back. Raise your legs up, bending your knees at a right angle and pressing your knees to your stomach. With your hands, take a 9-13.6 kg dumbbell lying near your head. Place the dumbbell firmly on the soles of your feet. With your legs positioned at right angles to your body, press the dumbbell upward. Repeat – from 3 to 5 times.
How to choose the right weight for weights
In the exercises described above, the weight of gravity is given in very general terms. You need to set the exact weight for yourself in accordance with your strengths.
It is wrong to exercise with the same weight, increasing solely the number of repetitions of the exercise. There is a huge difference between endurance and strength. Tendons are the lever that transfers the weight of the load to the bones. It can only be developed through gymnastics with heavy weights.
How to find the most suitable weight for an exercise?
You should try, when you are not yet tired, to do one of the exercises with a certain weight with maximum tension. If it works, then the weight is determined correctly, and the exercise can be repeated, but no more than 5 times daily.
What is the most appropriate way to increase dumbbell weights and reps?
After determining the correct weight, each exercise must be done 5 times. Every week, add 1 repetition to the repetitions until the upper limit of a particular type of exercise is reached for a certain person. Then you need to return to fewer repetitions, but with increased weight (usually 2 - 2.5 kg per arm).
When to start training with heavy weights?
You should switch to exercises with heavy weights no earlier than after 3 months of training with light dumbbells or kettlebells. You should never work with weights that you cannot lift 10 times without getting too tired. Otherwise, there is a risk of acquiring a hernia, sprain, even rupture of ligaments and muscles.
Georg Hackenschmidt advises measuring your body and weight from the very beginning and recording the readings, noting the changes and successes achieved. You need to take measurements before training.
Perhaps at first you will notice that the muscles, on the contrary, lose volume. This happens because fat and water are removed from the muscles first. Therefore, you should not be disappointed from the very beginning of classes. This is a completely understandable phenomenon.
Thus, by choosing the right weight and number of repetitions for your body, you can achieve excellent results as quickly and easily as possible.
All the exercises described do not require a gym or rare equipment. Such training can be done at home, saving time and money on visiting the gym.
So, having familiarized yourself with the life story of the great natural athlete and wrestler of the early 20th century, having learned the secrets of his victories and achievements, there is very little left to acquire a strong and healthy body: master the exercises and begin to apply them in your life. And the result will not be long in coming.
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Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt (Hackenschmidt) (July 20 (August 1) ( 18770801 ) , Tartu - February 19, London) - Russian wrestler and circus athlete who performed at the beginning of the 20th century (Baltic German by nationality), one of the first professional wrestlers and the first world champion in freestyle wrestling, who also set several strength records, winner of the World Championships weightlifting. He began his professional career in Russia and lived most of his life in London, where he acquired the nickname "Russian Lion". He is considered the creator of a number of wrestling techniques and a system of physical exercises.
Wrestling career
George had many adventures in his life, for example, once on a tour in Samoa, the local king liked him so much that he immediately offered George a royal title and, in addition, a harem, which he would collect at his own discretion. Georg politely refused. In Manchester, he was attacked by a gang of 6-7 thugs, whom he dealt with in a few minutes.
Gackenschmidt remained undefeated until he faced American wrestler Frank Gotch. This fight took place on April 3, 1908, in the pavilion Dexter Park in Chicago, it lasted 2 hours 3 minutes. During this time, none of them fell even once. It is believed that Gotch won unfairly. In order to make his body slippery, he specially smeared himself with oil. At the same time, he constantly broke the rules: he scratched Georg’s eyes and performed prohibited techniques. The rematch of the fight took place in 1911, but Georg was unable to take revenge then due to his leg injury. After this incident, he left the ring.
Outside the ring, he tried to develop a scientific system for developing his own strength and did not support the brutal tactics of many wrestlers.
After retirement, Hackenschmidt became a mystical philosopher, wrote Man and Cosmic Antagonism to Mind and Spirit(1936) and other books. He became a French citizen after the First World War and took British citizenship in 1950.
Nutrition
Georg paid great attention to his diet. He ate large quantities of nuts, fresh vegetables and fruits. Estonian sources mention that Georg was a vegetarian and did not eat meat.
Anthropometric data
anthropometric data of Georg Hackenschmidt (measurements 1905):
- height - 176 cm,
- weight - 93 kg,
- chest - 125 cm,
- neck - 50 cm,
- biceps - 47 cm,
- hip - 68 cm,
- waist - 85 cm.
Hackenschmidt came up with an effective exercise that allowed maximum use of the front of the thigh, it is known as the hack squat. Georg Hackenschmidt performed this exercise with a barbell and had very beautiful quadriceps, and then they came up with a machine with the same effect. The hack squat and hack machine are used by bodybuilders all over the world to train their quadriceps.
After the victory and setting a world record by Yuri Vlasov, at the London tournament in July 1961, Georg Hackenschmidt presented him with a medal, and there he also presented Vlasov with his photograph with a dedicatory inscription (Yu. Vlasov Justice of Force. Lenizdat 1989)
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“Allez, mon ami, [Go, my friend,” said Princess Marya. Prince Andrey again went to his wife and sat down in the next room, waiting. Some woman came out of her room with a frightened face and was embarrassed when she saw Prince Andrei. He covered his face with his hands and sat there for several minutes. Pathetic, helpless animal groans were heard from behind the door. Prince Andrei stood up, went to the door and wanted to open it. Someone was holding the door.- You can’t, you can’t! – a frightened voice said from there. – He began to walk around the room. The screams stopped and a few seconds passed. Suddenly a terrible scream - not her scream, she could not scream like that - was heard in the next room. Prince Andrei ran to the door; the scream stopped, and the cry of a child was heard.
“Why did they bring the child there? thought Prince Andrei at the first second. Child? Which one?... Why is there a child there? Or was it a baby born? When he suddenly realized all the joyful meaning of this cry, tears choked him, and he, leaning with both hands on the windowsill, sobbed, began to cry, as children cry. The door opened. The doctor, with his shirt sleeves rolled up, without a frock coat, pale and with a shaking jaw, left the room. Prince Andrey turned to him, but the doctor looked at him in confusion and, without saying a word, walked past. The woman ran out and, seeing Prince Andrei, hesitated on the threshold. He entered his wife's room. She lay dead in the same position in which he had seen her five minutes ago, and the same expression, despite the fixed eyes and the paleness of her cheeks, was on that charming, childish face with a sponge covered with black hairs.
“I love you all and have never done anything bad to anyone, so what did you do to me?” her lovely, pitiful, dead face spoke. In the corner of the room, something small and red grunted and squeaked in Marya Bogdanovna’s white, shaking hands.
Two hours after this, Prince Andrei entered his father’s office with quiet steps. The old man already knew everything. He stood right at the door, and as soon as it opened, the old man silently, with his senile, hard hands, like a vice, grabbed his son’s neck and sobbed like a child.
Three days later the funeral service was held for the little princess, and, bidding farewell to her, Prince Andrei ascended the steps of the coffin. And in the coffin was the same face, although with closed eyes. “Oh, what have you done to me?” it said everything, and Prince Andrei felt that something was torn away in his soul, that he was guilty of a guilt that he could not correct or forget. He couldn't cry. The old man also entered and kissed her wax hand, which lay calmly and high on the other, and her face said to him: “Oh, what and why did you do this to me?” And the old man turned away angrily when he saw this face.
Five days later, the young Prince Nikolai Andreich was baptized. The mother held the diapers with her chin while the priest smeared the boy’s wrinkled red palms and steps with a goose feather.
The godfather grandfather, afraid to drop him, shuddering, carried the baby around the dented tin font and handed him over to his godmother, Princess Marya. Prince Andrei, frozen with fear that the child would not be drowned, sat in another room, waiting for the end of the sacrament. He looked joyfully at the child when the nanny carried him out to him, and nodded his head approvingly when the nanny told him that a piece of wax with hairs thrown into the font did not sink, but floated along the font.
Rostov's participation in Dolokhov's duel with Bezukhov was hushed up through the efforts of the old count, and Rostov, instead of being demoted, as he expected, was appointed adjutant to the Moscow governor general. As a result, he could not go to the village with his entire family, but remained in his new position all summer in Moscow. Dolokhov recovered, and Rostov became especially friendly with him during this time of his recovery. Dolokhov lay sick with his mother, who loved him passionately and tenderly. The old woman Marya Ivanovna, who fell in love with Rostov for his friendship with Fedya, often told him about her son.
“Yes, Count, he is too noble and pure of soul,” she used to say, “for our current, corrupted world.” Nobody likes virtue, it hurts everyone's eyes. Well, tell me, Count, is this fair, is this fair on Bezukhov’s part? And Fedya, in his nobility, loved him, and now he never says anything bad about him. In St. Petersburg, these pranks with the police officer were something they joked about, because they did it together? Well, Bezukhov had nothing, but Fedya bore everything on his shoulders! After all, what did he endure! Suppose they returned it, but how could they not return it? I think there weren’t many brave men and sons of the fatherland like him there. Well now - this duel! Do these people have a sense of honor? Knowing that he is the only son, challenge him to a duel and shoot so straight! It's good that God had mercy on us. And for what? Well, who doesn’t have intrigue these days? Well, if he is so jealous? I understand, because he could have made me feel it before, otherwise it went on for a year. And so, he challenged him to a duel, believing that Fedya would not fight because he owed him. What baseness! That's disgusting! I know you understood Fedya, my dear count, that’s why I love you with my soul, believe me. Few people understand him. This is such a high, heavenly soul!
Georg Hackenschmidt is an outstanding Russian athlete. He was considered, if I'm not mistaken, the strongest man. He repeatedly broke the records of the notorious Evgeniy Sandov, who was the founder of bodybuilding. Georg Hackenschmidt amazed with his brilliant data and remarkable strength. One of Hackenschmidt's favorite exercises was walking with weights. Georg Hackenschmidt's system is distinguished by its originality and uniqueness.
Georg Hackenschmidt:
There is no age that does not allow for the opportunity or right to engage in gymnastics. But all attention, naturally, should be paid to the younger generation. All sorts of excuses and references to advanced age, lack of time or favorable conditions - all this certainly does not deserve respect.
- With systematic physical exercise, not only the body is strengthened, but the will is strengthened, energy and independence are generated, and the joy of life is felt more intensely.
- Physical exercises do wonders, but a big role is played by willpower, confidence in achieving favorable results, the consciousness that every gesture, every movement leads to the intended and desired goal.
- The ability to concentrate, to be aware of your motives and thoughts at any moment is a necessary condition for success in any enterprise.
Physical exercises on which your thought and consciousness are not focused will be ineffective, because they will be reduced to simple muscular work, which is only tiring.
- In training, you should not rush, but slowly and surely move towards the goal.
- The exercises are done slowly, consciously and with concentration. Make sure you are breathing correctly.
- Breathe fresh air more often and always through your nose. Cross-country running exercises are very useful.
- It is necessary to monitor the healthy condition of the skin.
Dry yourself daily with cold water, followed by vigorous rubbing with a towel.
Take a bath twice a week. Swimming is very useful.
- Long stays in the fresh air provide good sleep, which is necessary for recuperation.
Sleep duration is at least 8 hours.
- Moderation is the golden rule of nutrition. Avoid all kinds of spicy and seasoned foods. Sugar should be consumed only in its pure form, eating dates, figs and similar fruits. Harmful factors - alcohol, tobacco, coffee.
It should be noted that Hackenschmidt himself constantly followed these principles and continued to train until his old age. When Hackenschmidt was 60 years old, he was still performing in the circus (almost all the athletes of that time were circus athletes) and training. Truly an amazing person!
Exercises.
1. Squeezing the barbell with two hands while standing on a wrestling bridge. The exercise is performed on the floor with a soft support under your head. The initial weight of the bar is 12 - 20 kg. In the first classes, repeat the exercise three times, adding one more time each week, and so on up to ten repetitions, after which the weight of the barbell should be increased by 2 kilograms and started again with three repetitions.
2. Get on your knees, bend your torso forward and rest your hands on the floor. Having hung a four-kilogram weight on the back of your head on a wide belt, raise and lower your head. The exercise is performed until the neck muscles become tired. Raising your head, inhale, lowering it - exhale.
3. Hands with dumbbells along the body. Raise and lower your shoulders. Raising your shoulders - inhale, lowering - exhale. The initial weight of dumbbells is 4 kilograms.
Start repeating ten times, increasing by one movement weekly, and so on up to twenty times, after which increase the weight by half and start again with ten repetitions.
Variation of exercise No. 3. Bend your arms with dumbbells at right angles, make circular movements with your shoulders back and forth. When moving forward, exhale; when moving backward, inhale.
4. Dumbbells in lowered hands. Alternately bend and straighten your arms at the elbow joints.
Breathing is voluntary. The initial weight of dumbbells is 2 kilograms. Starting with five repetitions, add one every day and so on until twenty.
5. Then increase the weight of the dumbbells by half a kilogram and start again with five repetitions.
6. Raise the barbell with both hands to your chest. Without bending your torso, press the barbell up - inhale, then lower it to your chest - exhale. Repeat the exercise five times with an overhand grip and five times with an underhand grip. The initial weight of the barbell is 20 kilograms.
Start with five repetitions, add one every week, and so on until ten. Then the weight of the bar increases by 2 kilograms.
7. One-handed barbell push. Raise the barbell with one or two hands to your shoulder. After a short squat, straighten your legs while simultaneously pushing the barbell up. Having clearly fixed the bar at the top, lower it to your shoulder. Movements should be fast and energetic. The initial weight of the barbell is 10 - 16 kilograms. Repeat the exercise five times with each hand, adding one repetition every two weeks, and so on until ten, after which the weight increases by 2 kilograms.
8. The exercise is performed without weights. While lying on the floor, bend and straighten your arms. The torso and legs should be in line. Bending your arms - inhale, straightening - exhale. Start with ten repetitions and add one each week.
9. Lie on the floor on your back. Hold the barbell with both hands on your chest. Squeeze the barbell up - inhale, then slowly lower it to your chest - exhale. The initial weight of the barbell is 12 - 20 kilograms. Five repetitions with weekly addition of one movement until ten, after which the weight is increased by 2 kilograms, and again perform the exercise five times, alternating presses with an overhand grip and an underhand grip.
10. Barbell in lowered hands with an overhand grip. With straight arms, lift the barbell up - inhale, then slowly lower it to the starting position - exhale. Five repetitions with weekly addition of one movement and so on until ten, after which the weight increases by 2 kilograms.
11. Lie on your back on the floor. With straight arms, take the barbell lying behind your head and lift it up until your arms are vertical - exhale. Then slowly lower the barbell behind your head - inhale. The initial weight of the barbell is 4 - 8 kilograms. Five repetitions with weekly addition of one movement until ten, after which the weight increases by 2 kilograms.
12. Lie on the floor on your back, arms with dumbbells at your sides. Bring your arms straight in front of you - exhale, then return to the starting position - inhale.
The initial weight of dumbbells is 4 kilograms.
The repetition is the same as in exercise 10.
13. Barbell on the floor near your feet. Bend over, grab the bar with both hands with an overhand grip shoulder-width apart and, straightening your torso, lift the barbell to your chest, then lower it to the floor. As you bend your torso forward, exhale, while straightening, inhale. The weight of the bar is 12 kilograms. Repeat five times, followed by weekly additions once and so on until twenty, after which the weight increases by 2 kilograms.
14. Lift the barbell up with both hands. Bend your torso forward, trying not to bend your arms - exhale, then return to the starting position - inhale.
The weight of the bar is from 4 to 8 kilograms. The repetition is the same as in the previous exercise.
15. Lie on your back, arms along your torso, attach two-kilogram dumbbells to your legs. Raise your straight legs to a right angle - exhale, then slowly lower them to the starting position - inhale. Repeat the exercise 5 to 10 times.
16. Lie on the floor on your back. Place your feet under some fixed support. Sit - exhale, then slowly return to the starting position - inhale.
At first, perform the exercise without weights, and then hold your hands behind your head with a dumbbell weighing 2 kilograms. The number of repetitions is from 5 to 10.
17. Tie a cord to the middle of a thick round stick, and attach a two-kilogram weight to the free end of it. Stand on two chairs and begin to slowly wind the cord around the stick, then with a reverse movement of your hands, unwind the cord all the way to the floor. Perform the exercise until the forearm muscles fatigue.
18.
Place your hands behind your back, at your sacrum, and hold the barbell with your palms facing away from you.
Rise on your toes and smoothly, as low as possible, squat down - exhale. Then return to the starting position - inhale. The weight of the bar is 4 - 8 kilograms.
Repeat from 5 to 20 times, then increase the weight by 2 kilograms.
19. Squats on the entire foot, holding a barbell weighing 8-16 kilograms on your shoulders with your head. Repeat three times with a weekly addition of one up to ten times, after which the weight increases by 2 kilograms.
20. Practice the following exercise as well. Lie on your back, raise your legs and place a barbell on your soles. While maintaining balance, bend and straighten your legs. Initial weight 8-12 kilograms.
Repeat the exercise from 3 to 10 times, followed by increasing the weight of the barbell by 2 kilograms.
“Russian Lion” Georg Hackenschmidt lived a long and busy life. We don’t know much about his life - after all, after 1911 he lived abroad. But all his life he continued training. So, in the Strangt and Health magazine by Hoffman you can see a photograph of Georgiy Georgievich in training. He is 86 years old. He's wearing shorts and running shoes. He is wiry like an old man, wrinkled, but broad, and his muscles have not yet been worn out by age. No longer alive Georg Hackenschmidt, nicknamed "Russian Lion". He died in London on February 19, 1968, in his ninety-first year.
Muscle strength and a beautiful figure - how can this be combined and how can this be achieved? For those involved in bodybuilding today, muscle size has come to the fore. Times change, fashion changes, and training methods change. It's no secret that today's professionals use steroids and build up impressive facades. And if a person does not want to take chemistry, then how can he develop muscle strength and build a beautiful body?
And I decided to turn to the forgotten experience. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the twentieth centuries in Russia there were quite a lot of strong and famous people who amazed their contemporaries not with the beauty of their bodies, but with the phenomenal strength of their muscles.
One of these athletes is Georg Hackenschmidt. I will not retell his biography; there is a lot of information about this on the Internet. I was interested in the method of developing strength that Georg developed. The first question that may arise is: “Is this technique really that effective?” I won’t talk about the strength records that the famous athlete Gakkeschmidt set - they are truly amazing. Let's look at what nineteen-year-old Georg could do.
He shoulder pressed 145 pounds with his right arm 12 times. 145 pounds is 65.77 kilograms. Georg's height is 176 cm. It turns out that he squeezed (!) almost his own weight with one hand 12 times. And this at nineteen years old after five years of training (and really in two years). Who is capable of this today? Phenomenal muscle strength!
I very carefully read Gakkenshmidt’s book “The Path to Strength and Health” and concluded for myself that the proposed methodology certainly has a sound core. There is a system that today is considered outdated, there are recommendations for nutrition and recovery, there are guarantees that the results achieved truly reflect muscle strength, and not the achievements of chemistry and pharmacology.
I do not encourage you to blindly copy the techniques described by Georg, but this is food for thought. Strength and muscles begin in the head, i.e. first knowledge, and then muscle strength. In any case, the decision is yours to make.
In the meantime, let's look at the system of developing strength and muscles using weight exercises from Georg Hackenschmidt - the “Russian Lion”.
1. Squeezing the barbell with both hands while standing on a wrestling bridge. The exercise is performed on the floor with a firm support (hard pillow) under your head. Initial weight 12-20 kg. In the first lessons, repeat the exercise 3 times with a weekly increase of 1 time, and so on up to 10 repetitions, after which increase the weight by 2 kg and start again with 3 repetitions.
2. Kneel down, tilt your head forward and place your hands on the floor. Hanging a 4 kg weight on the back of your head on a wide belt, raise and lower your head. Perform the exercise until the neck muscles tire (but not to the point of exhaustion). Exhale as you raise your head, and inhale as you lower your head.
3. Hands with dumbbells along the body. Raise and lower your shoulders. Raising your shoulders - exhale, lowering - inhale. The initial weight of dumbbells is 4 kg. Start with 10 reps, increase by one movement weekly and so on up to 20 reps, then increase the weight by half and start again with 10 reps.
4. This exercise differs from the previous one in that the arms are bent at the elbows and the shoulders make circular movements back and forth.
5. Dumbbells in lowered hands. Alternately bend your arms at the elbow joints. Breathing is voluntary. The initial weight of dumbbells is 2 kg. Start with 5 repetitions, add one repetition weekly and so on - up to 20 times. Then increase the weight of the dumbbells by 0.5 kg and start again with 5 repetitions.
6. Raise the barbell to your chest with both hands. Without bending your torso, press the barbell up – exhale, then lower it to your chest – inhale. Repeat the exercise 5 times with a forward grip and 5 times with a reverse grip. The initial weight of the bar is 20 kg. Add one repetition every week, and so on until 10. Then increase the weight by 2 kg.
7. Push the barbell with one hand. Raise the barbell with one or two hands to your shoulder. After a small squat, straighten your legs and push the barbell up at the same time. Having clearly fixed the barbell at the top, lower it to your shoulder. Movements should be fast and energetic. Initial weight 10-16 kg. Repeat the exercise 5 times with each hand, adding 1 repetition every two weeks, and so on up to 10. Why increase the weight by kg.
8. The exercise is performed without weights. While lying on the floor, bend and straighten your arms. The torso and legs should be on the same line. Bending your arms - inhale, straightening - exhale. Start with 10 repetitions and add one repetition each week.
9. Lying on your back. Hold the barbell with both hands on your chest. Squeeze it up - exhale, then slowly lower it - inhale. The initial weight of the bar is 12-20 kg. Start with 5 repetitions with a weekly addition of 1 movement, and so on up to 10. After which the weight is increased by 2 kg, and again with 5 repetitions. Alternate an overhand grip with an underhand grip.
10. Barbell in lowered hands with an overhand grip. With straight arms, lift the barbell up - exhale, then slowly lower it to the starting position - inhale. The initial weight of the bar is 4-8 kg. Perform 5 repetitions with one repetition weekly, and so on until 10, after which the weight increases by 2 kg.
11. Lying on your back. With straight arms, take the barbell lying behind your head and lift it up to a vertical position - exhale. Then slowly lower the barbell to your chest – inhale. The initial weight of the bar is 4-8 kg. Perform 5 repetitions with one repetition weekly, and so on until 10, after which the weight increases by 2 kg.
12. Lying on your back, arms with dumbbells to the sides. Bring your arms straight in front of you – exhale, then return to the starting position – inhale. Initial weight – 4 kg. Perform 5 repetitions with one repetition weekly, and so on until 10, after which the weight increases by 2 kg.
13. Barbell on the floor near your feet. Bend over, grab the barbell with both hands with an overhand grip shoulder-width apart and, straightening your torso, lift it to your chest. Then lower it to the floor. The weight of the barbell is 12 kg. The exercise is performed 5 times, followed by weekly additions once and so on until 20, after which the weight of the barbells increases by 2 kg.
14. Lift the barbell up with both hands. Bend your torso forward, trying not to bend your arms - exhale, then return to the starting position - inhale. The weight of the rod is from 4 to 8 kg. The exercise is performed 5 times, followed by weekly additions once and so on until 20, after which the weight of the barbells increases by 2-3 kg.
15. Lying on your back, arms along your torso, attach two-kilogram dumbbells to your legs. Raise your straight legs to a right angle - exhale, then slowly lower them to the starting position - inhale. Repeat the exercise 5 to 10 times. Increase weight by 1 kg.
16. Lying on your back, secure your legs under a stationary support. Sit - exhale, then slowly return to the starting position - inhale. At first, perform the exercise without weights, and then hold a 2 kg dumbbell behind your head. The number of repetitions is from 5 to 10. Then add 50% to the dumbbell weight.
17. Tie a cord to the middle of a thick stick, to the free end of which attach a weight weighing 2 kg. Stand on 2 chairs and begin to slowly wind the cord around the stick, then in the opposite direction unwind the cord all the way to the floor. Perform the exercise until the forearm muscles fatigue.
18. Place your hands behind your back at your sacrum and hold the barbell with your palms facing away from you. Rise on your toes and smoothly, as low as possible, squat down - inhale. Then return to the starting position - exhale. The weight of the bar is 4-8 kg. Repeat from 5 to 20 times, then increase the weight by 2 kg (Hackenschmidt performed this exercise with a five-pound weight).
19. Squat on your entire foot, holding a barbell weighing 8-16 kg on your shoulders behind your head. Repeat the exercise 3 times, increasing once a week and so on up to 10 times, followed by increasing the weight of the barbell by 2 kg.
20. Lying on your back, raise your legs and place the barbell on your soles. While maintaining balance, bend and straighten your legs. Initial weight 8-12 kg. Repeat the exercise from 3 to 10 times, followed by increasing the weight of the barbell by 2 kg.
The weight of the weights is indicated approximately and depends on the initial strength of the practitioner. You need to train 3 times a week.
That's it for building strength with weights. As you can see, the exercises are quite simple and can be done even at home. Muscle strength is most likely your desire and hard, regular work.
One of the “nuggets” of past years includes a truly outstanding person who, through his efforts, developed the field of athletic sports in Russia in the 20th century, Georg Hackenschmidt or the “Russian Lion”. Let's tell you his amazing story, his approach to training and the invention of the Hack machine.
In the present age, behind glossy covers, loud provocative headlines in magazines and the Internet, we look back less and less at the experience of past generations. The media captivates us with current events, when the significance of the past is often devalued.
The first athlete who managed to take the world championship in freestyle wrestling. His name is Georg Hackenschmidt, and today’s article will focus on him, as well as his famous technique for pumping and enhancing the capabilities of one’s own body.
Brief biography of Hackenschmidt
Georg is known as a professional wrestler, who went down in history for the first time he managed to take the world championship in freestyle wrestling. The rapidly spreading fame contributed to the popularization not only of his person personally, but also of the special techniques that helped him achieve these heights.
However, everything was his own merit. Each exercise was developed by him independently and practiced with special diligence.
Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt (Hackenschmidt) - was born in 1877, on August 1, in a London hospital. From birth, the boy was distinguished by his size, too large for an ordinary child.
Since both of Georg’s parents were of average build, as the athlete himself claimed, his athletic build was inherited from his maternal grandfather. The boy himself was the eldest child in the family and was a real support for his younger brother and sister.
Georg Hackenschmidt is a German, born a Baltic, whose career began in Russia. The athlete showed a particular interest in strength exercises in his youth, while studying at school. Since Georg was initially attracted to sports, he was passionate about running and swimming. Later, the boy discovered the delights of cycling.
However, Georg became convinced that he needed to connect his future life with sports as an employee of a machine-building plant. It was there that he realized that physical activity brings pleasure.
Next, the young man himself makes his own individual hammer, which for some time served as the main equipment for training. The weight of the hammer was approximately 16 and a half kilograms. Around the same period, Georg met his first coach - a wrestler with a namesake named Georg Lurich.
Start of an athlete's career
It is not surprising that after just a year, thanks to such intensive, persistent training, by 1896 the young man was already able to calmly bench press 98 kilograms with just one hand. It is known that with the efforts of his right hand alone, he lifted as much as 56 kilograms! Now Georg begins his public activities.
The athlete began performing in front of people, demonstrating in every possible way his natural as well as acquired physical talent. It must be said that Georg’s development as a master of sports was influenced by his coach, who instilled in him a serious passion for freestyle wrestling.
The year 1898 was significant for Hackenschmidt’s life, as the athlete took part in the European Greco-Roman wrestling championship. Now let’s think, do you have any doubts about the fact that this person won the championship there? Of course he won. This success marked the beginning of a whole series of victories on the path of the then young athlete.
Moving to Russia
The decision to move to Russia came to George in 1898. St. Petersburg was chosen as the city for relocation. Hackenschmidt was brought here by his acquaintance, Doctor Kraevsky, whom he met in Vienna. It was Kraevsky who showed the right path to the young athlete, taught him to eat properly and balanced, and combine physical training with diet.
By 1900, Georg gained his first professional achievements at a professional tournament that took place in Moscow. Within forty days, the athlete established himself among his rivals as the strongest of all.
Throughout this difficult period, he was supported by Doctor Kraevsky, who by that time had become a true friend, brother, even a second father for Georg. Georg attributes all his victories that were won to the merits of Kraevsky.
Anthropometric data of Hackenschmidt
At his peak, Georg demonstrated the following anthropometric parameters, phenomenal for his time:
- Athlete's height: 176 centimeters;
- Weight: 94 kilograms;
- Biceps volume: 47 centimeters;
- Torso circumference: 125 centimeters;
- Thigh circumference: 67 centimeters.
"Russian Lion" Georg Hackenschmidt
The title awarded to the athlete by our Russian compatriots, inspired by his exceptional strength, as well as outstanding physical abilities. Georg defeated everyone he met in the ring. And it didn’t matter who his opponent was: a seasoned pro or a three-time champion. Hackenschmidt was not inferior to anyone. Georg was also active in the circus business: he performed with his own program, where he demonstrated his talents and unprecedented strength.
By his early twenties, he could already boast that he could easily lift a hundred heavy weights with one hand. “Russian Lion” is his nickname, which was assigned to Georg when the total number of his victories exceeded a thousand.
The king "gives" George a harem
We agree, this is far from the most common case. However, this also happened in the busy life of an athlete. This happened during the period when Georg was touring Samoa. As was the custom at that time, Hackenschmidt emerged victorious from each fight, which attracted considerable interest from the king. Who was so shocked by the unprecedented strength and physical fitness of the “Russian Lion” that he decided with all his might to keep him in his homeland.
The ruler invited the young man to his place for dinner, during which he tried in every possible way to persuade him to stay in Samoa. He promised all possible and impossible benefits, he wanted to give the athlete one of the titles, make him a high-ranking person, including offering a whole harem of girls. But the athlete was adamant. He had a strong civic position and was not going to exchange his moral values for material wealth.
Exercises by Georg Hackenschmidt
Gackenschmidt began to train intensively using his own method, which included exercises to develop muscles. The main equipment was still: weights, a self-made pound hammer. The young man spent all his free time practicing in an athletic club, sparing no effort and time for self-development.
Georg gave a key place in pumping up his own body to the legs - here both equipment and various exercises for strength endurance were used. To develop muscles, the athlete resorted to jumping rope and various barbell lifts. Let's look at 12 basic strength exercises for an athlete.
The most notable training was climbing the steps of a church with a load hanging around my neck, as well as several weights in my hands. Typically, weights weighing about 32 kilograms were used. The athlete, accompanied by a boy or alone, climbed daily from the foot of the stairs to the spire itself.
Jumping was a constant component of the training. He jumped in all directions: long, high, but a mandatory element was additional weighting in the form of dumbbells or weights.
An interesting fact from life: the athlete did not stop his training even when he was already very old. So you understand, Georg kept in shape even at the age of 82 - he still used a jump rope as a key element for jumping. Sometimes its alternative was an ordinary rope, which was stretched between a pair of chairs.
Hack Machine - Georg's amazing invention
The design of this exercise machine is a steel frame with shoulder pads with movable sleds - for greater convenience during exercises. This machine was designed by Georg himself.
Hackenschmidt simulator - the principle of its operation is to effectively develop and pump up the muscles of the legs, buttocks, thighs, and, in principle, enhance the potential of the legs. It must be said that this invention was unique in its kind back in those days, even now, after so many years, it has not lost its effectiveness, but on the contrary, it is in great demand among modern bodybuilders. It is produced by every serious manufacturer of sports equipment for fitness clubs.
Hack machine squats
Hack machine squats are performed similarly to the principle of fixed back squats. Hackenschmidt squats produce the same effect, but at the same time, exercises involving them will be much more effective, since a much wider range of muscles are involved here, and, therefore, you will be able to pump up faster. Muscle training is carried out by moving additional weight along the plane, bending the legs at the knees.
Girls and beginners can exercise on the simulator, as it is considered the least dangerous when performing basic technical tips. There are several options for positioning the feet on the platform while performing the exercise.
- Legs on top of platform - Gluteus and Biceps hamstrings
- Legs on the bottom of the platform - Quadriceps
- Feet together - Quadriceps
- Legs apart - Hip adductors
Which muscles are actively working in each case - follow the following instructions.
We recommend considering the technical aspects of performing squats in a hack machine using the following technique as an example.
Hack squats with narrow feet
It is worth noting that exercises in the Hack machine are somewhat different from classic squats with a barbell. Here the pressure of the projectile shifts to the lower body, and not to the shoulders (for this you will need to resort to a different type of training). The simulator helps improve the condition of the muscles of the buttocks, quadriceps, and as synergists - the muscles of the calves, legs and abs. That is, muscle pumping is done in a comprehensive manner.
What do you need to perform proper squats in a hack machine?
First, you need to choose the most optimal weight for yourself on the simulator. Here it is important not to overdo it, but to calculate everything correctly. It is necessary to take a position in such a way that your back rests against the back of the “apparatus”. Straighten up so that your shoulders touch the shoulder pads, and place your feet on the platform parallel to shoulder width. Bend at the lower back, then lean forward a little.
- Place your feet back to the starting position.
- Then proceed to prepare the projectile for movement: you need to unlock the restraining fasteners and remove the clamps.
- As you exhale, slowly begin to lower the platform by bending your knees, lowering yourself to a 90-degree angle at the knee joint.
- At the bottom support, make a smooth push with your feet, directing the weight upward. Then straighten your legs, then return to the starting position.
Squats in a hack machine must be performed several approaches, exactly as many times as specified in the training structure. We recommend looking at the detailed technique, tips and mistakes of the exercise in the next video.
Squats in a hack machine have a number of features that make it stand out from regular classic squats. It has its advantages, which include:
- easy accessible technique for performing exercises. You automatically no longer need to “balance” with the barbell to better transfer its center of gravity;
- load capacity increases;
- minimal risk of injury during training, since the entire load is evenly distributed;
- squats in a hack machine will allow you to develop your body on your own, without backup, without resorting to the services of third parties;
- As the muscles in your legs develop evenly, your body will begin to produce hormones responsible for growth.
Example of a training program with a hack machine
Combining exercises into a complex for leg development is extremely simple. If you have a Hack machine in your gym, combine it with leg presses, sitting and lying leg curls. We offer the following basic training for beginners on equipment.
How did the athlete eat?
Georg was very meticulous about his diet, in particular, he strictly adhered to the diet that Kraevsky developed especially for him. In this diet, each element was as balanced as possible, that is, it was exclusively beneficial.
Georg himself never overeated, but consumed exactly as much food as was enough for him to maintain a balance of strength and energy. The basis of the diet was: fruits, vegetables, nuts. Since Gakkelschmidt was a vegetarian, it was necessary to eat them daily in large quantities in order to replenish the fat and carbohydrate content in the body. No less important in the diet were protein-rich foods, which served as the basis for normal muscle growth and nutrition.
Hackenschmidt's first and last loss
“Nothing lasts forever under the sun,” so the invincible “Russian Lion” at one point ceased to be considered invincible. This legendary event happened in Chicago on April 3, 1908. Many fans spoke of it as something truly tragic, since it seemed that Georg was invincible. The battle lasted at least 2 hours. None of the wrestlers ever fell, so as not to give an advantage to the other.
It was noted more than once by fans that Frank, Hackenschmidt’s opponent, fought dishonestly. The enemy used “forbidden techniques” like scratching, in addition, his body was covered with some kind of oily liquid, which gave him some advantage, because the enemy could not hold his body for long (his hands slipped). Thus, it was simply impossible to capture it or turn it over. There was even an opinion that the judges were simply bribed, that they simply turned a blind eye precisely for this reason.
To say that this fight caused violent indignation with many controversies for many years is to say nothing. Georg's fans were indignant. So, in 1911, a rematch was supposed to take place, which never happened, because Hackenschmidt received a serious leg injury. This event was fatal for the career of the “Russian Lion”. The loss affected him so much that the champion refused to take part in further tournaments.
The legacy of an athlete. Book The Path to Strength and Health
Leaving the ring stimulated the great athlete to work on his own scientific system, which would help the whole world. With these works he was going to lay down all his knowledge, skills, as well as methods and techniques of training. Even though he didn’t compete in battles himself, he helped active athletes with advice, support, and wise guidance “from the shadows.”
After a while, the mystic philosopher Georg Hackenschmidt replaced the retired “Russian Lion”. In 1941 (according to various sources), his most famous book, “The Way to Live: Health & Physical Fitness,” was published.
Despite being almost a century old, many of his thoughts remain, paradoxically given the current development of science, relevant to this day. The illustrated developmental sets of exercises with weights and bodyweight, as well as exercises for experienced athletes, are simply excellent.
A useful book for anyone who wants to take the path of strength and health. An interesting fact: in an interview, Yuri Vlasov, the great Soviet weightlifter, gives a special role to this particular book by Hackenschmidt, on which he grew up and became a great athlete.
Back in 1909, the book “The Complete Science of Wrestling” was published.
After World War I, George became a French citizen and later took British citizenship in 1950.
Such is the amazing life of one of the founders of modern bodybuilding and strength sports.
