When most people think of weightlifting , they generally visualise dumbbells and barbells. There are of course many other types of iron weights and the best of these are odd objects which you would not tend to associate with gyms. The beauty is that they work muscles in a myriad of ways , and the more awkward the object the greater the overall benefit. In particular the grip can be significantly taxed.

The aesthetic aspect of these objects cannot be underestimated. Genarally these are discarded rusty pieces of metal which mean nothing to the casual passerby. Often though they yield a fascinating history which may even hark back to pioneering times. Certainly there is a wealth of industrial objects just waiting for a loving home , a degrease, descale and paint job. Leaving some of the patina intact is vital on the older items , and I tend to use a non-toxic rust converter. This turns the rust black and buffs up to a nice low sheen. You can wax them too.

Here are some examples :


An old pulley , possibly off a crane. The internal collar is solid brass. I use this weight for wide grip training and can add weight by simply attaching a chain. Naked , she weighs 20kg.
This is about as wide as you would want to go - any wider , you risk spraining your thumb.
 It is very easy to injure tendons with too much weight , width or volume.

An old axle of some sort , maybe part of a cart. The outer end has a notch presumably where a wedge would have retained the wheel. Here is such a machine nor far from home
 Machines 1


The spindle is hand forged and you can see the hammer marks quite nicely . It cost me 2 bucks and weighs exactly 16kg , coincidentally the Russian unit of measurement , the pood. . I like to toss it from hand to hand in the vertical plane . The spindle measures from 2-3 inches so it works the wide grip over a decent range. I can attach extra weight via a hole in the flat tapered end , thus rendering it useful for "V' bar lifting.

It could make a good clubbell , but I am not hefty enough to handle it as such...yet



A short portion of railway track. This works the pinch grip. It doubles as a small anvil and again was bought for a song. It also has a convenient hole for attaching a chain, to make life harder. I also have a longer piece (~ 5ft) which is quite heavy.



Chain. Available in any junkyard , it can be used to climb (hard on the grip) and to attach to other weights. As you lift the weight it gets heavier , like a snake coming out of a snake-charmer's basket and just as sinister! Avoid really rusted chain (e.g. from corroded moorings) as it catches on clothing and skin...



As an aside , my ironmaster great-grandad Charles Howell worked for Netherton & Sons , the firm which cast the Titanic's anchor. This was the only part of the ship designed to sink , so after the disaster the foundryworkers kept their jobs. ;<) There is a family photo of my ancestor outside the foundry next to a huge pile of anchor chain. I must get a copy here soon. Old anchors could make interesting awkward objects , but are collector's items and thus priced accordingly. I do not have one.



Anvils

Lovely objects and useful tools. Hard to find nowadays. Anvil lifting described in section on blacksmithing.


My old anvil , 50kg (1 cwt)









The new one , 124kg (2 1/2 cwt). There's not much lifting one can do with this , other than a deadlift.

That's a Vulcan' fine anvil!

Block Weights

These are used for all kinds of things that have nothing at all to do with weightlifting. For example , holding down stage props. Supposedly this is where block weight lifting originated - travelling strongmen in Victorian times frequented stages , and challenges were made. Bent pressing a pair of blockweights is good fun , though the handles can crush the hands a bit.
Not long ago when procuring a belt for my forge blower , I came across a bunch of them at a belting workshop. They were being used to hold rubber panels together whilst the glue sets. Being of fairly modern vintage I didn't even put in an offer.


Here is a nice one of fair vintage weighing 28lbs (1/4 cwt) . It has a satisfying patina. I just applied some rust converter.
Sometimes I use this weight for finger lifts. It suits the little finger quite well.


It is stamped "Crane Foundry" which was an English manufacturer. http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/OtherTrades/CraneFoundry/Foundry.htm


There is another one of similar weight but from a different foundry. I may pick this up soon as it's been hidden behind the door of a secondhand shop for sometime.


















A stormwater grid. This is marked "HCC" which stands for Hobart City Council. No , I didn't nick it off the road - they occasionally dump stuff at therecycle centre. This grid weighs exactly 32kg (2 poods in Russian terms) and I use it for finger carries and overhead presses. Though not particularly heavy it is a little awkward and works those little unseen muscles...Also , it makes a satisfying thunk when dropped from overhead onto the grass.










A metal drum, in lieu of a beer keg. This one is around 11 gallons capacity.

It has a very thin lip , which makes gripping tough but improves pinch grip strength and endurance.
I partly fill the drum with sand and practise snatches and presses. Some use water. Either substance moves around and makes the weight harder to control. And that is a good thing.







"Ab wheels" are all the rage for developing core strength for those who don't have a garden or lift heavy things.

I have various objects scattered around the garden which I pick up & use from time to time.

This rusty wheelbarrow wheel works well and is a lot cheaper & more convenient than a chiropractor.

This is a yoga "downward dog" -  risky , only in that the dog always wants to lick my face near ground level. Or,  on occasions a "barker's egg" may be encountered.



Heavy duty shackle

This was found at the resource recycling centre. It was missing a bolt , but a month or so later I acquired one with the correct thread. The outfit is as long amy hand & weighs 4kg . It is the sort of shackle you'd see attached to a crane or large ship.
My youngest son has used this as a sort of kettlebell - he calls it the "shacklebell" and can swing , snatch , jerk and press the little devil. The handle is about the same thickness as a competition kettlebell.

I have used this attached via a  strap to stones - the tight angle means I am forced to use only 2-3 fingers for carrying. them in the farmer's style.