Speed in Relation to Weight Lifting - Thomas Inch (1948)

From the March 1948 issue of Vigour magazine and

Courtesy of Liam Tweed. Thinking of you climbing that mountain, Brother.

What giant strides weight lifting has made since the time when I was actively engaged in the sport. No one has been more impressed than myself by the wonderful records which continually mount up until one begins to wonder where it will all end. 

There is not the least doubt that training methods have altered very much for the better and, of course, lifters use better finished bar-bells-- though I would remark that when I lifted for the British (Professional) Championship about about 40 years ago {around 1908}, I then used a revolving (oil-bath) barbell with quickly adjusted collars, very much like the present-day championship bar-bell. 

{I am in the process of finding out from non-newbie lifters like myself just what a revolving "oil-bath bar-bell" is and how it worked. When it becomes understandable (to even me!} I will put that in the comments here, below.}

I have certainly always, ever since I started lifting over 50 years ago {1898!}, endeavored to impress upon pupils that . . . 

SPEED DOES PLAY AN IMMENSE PART IN LIFTING AND MUST DEFINITELY BE TRAINED FOR. 

{So close here, at that earlier date, to the concept of dynamic work, and for all I know they were doing specific speed work long before this. He's noting the importance of speed in lifting, and although he's not yet onto the methods we use, he easily sees its importance.}

Thus I was led to recommend such aids as self-massage, short sprints, practicing "getting set with quick explosive starts at word of command for sprinting, punching, a little boxing and a few light suppling exercises without apparatus of any description. 

It may be that I was a little before time, but the fact remains that this advice still holds good. 

Obviously, if you increase speed and energy and if you have better muscular control you will achieve more with the weights. 

I read the other day of a remarkable "save" by Creus 

Julian Creus, an inspirational lifter we should know . . . 
https://www.englandweightlifting.org/1950s-the-incredible-julien-creus-/ 

I also imagined the terrific speed which my friend Jim Halliday must have worked up to to do that wonderful 240-lb snatch -- prodigious. 

A small bit more on Halliday and his training here: 

http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2009/05/maximum-work-jim-halliday.html  
There's more around, some of it on this blog. 

I recall the only time I saw the late Arthur Saxon try the Two Hands Snatch. He stopped at 265 pounds, which we thought a very wonderful lift in those daays. But Arthur weighed 15 st. {210 pounds}, and Halliday is many stones less. 

Here's something interesting: 

https://www.facebook.com/JumpingJimHalliday/ 

Thus we can to some extent estimate the progress lifting has made. When speaking of speed, and fitness for lifting one must not omit mention of the handy skip rope, beloved by all boxers, amateur and professional. The skip rope gives tone to the legs, improves wind and energy, improves staminal power. A few minutes a day will well repay the short time given, it is cheap, handy and efficadious -- try it for yourself and note results. 

{This kind of recommendation from the past never fails to jump out at me. Try skipping. A few minutes a day. No big thing. Nowadays we'd be deluged by intricate hour long near-sucide ordeals at the two ends of a rope. And we'd be willing to pay for it like some Holy Grail from yet another money-lovin' self-proclaimed guru wearing yet another self-issued Golden Fleece in his mind. How do the guys at "Famous So and So Barbell Club" do it. All that. We is all champeens now and this is our calling.}  

I am also in favour {I can't resist the "u" some days and the beauty of the word "programme"} the chest expander but worked on a method of my own, one which I have advocated for about 50 years. This is to use the machine in the ordinary way, 10 or 12 repetitions each exercise, then at the finish considerably increase the strength of the expander and only use about 4 easy positions, going all out in strength pulls to tone up for pushing power. 

This always helped me with my bent press, 304.5 pounds right hand, an intriguing lift, now, alas, unpopular. {That's all we have for now from this article. Perhaps at a later date the rest will be available, but it gives you something to think about for sure. People realized the importance of "speed" and training for it long, long ago in weight lifting. Please feel free to put your version of what you figure the last couple of paragraphs.}

Enjoy Your Lifting!