I can't find anything regarding Zass's ethnicity. Born in then Polish Wilno (Vilnius) but was he Lithuanian, Russian, Polish, Belorussian, German? I suppose ultimately it doesn't make that much of a difference but I'm a geneticist so I can't help but ask.
@@LesGrossman_69 He could have given up in the prison, loosing his strength and wasting away in chains. But even under those conditions he found a way to train and stay strong. That's the power of the mind.
@@LesGrossman_69 You think they gave enemy prisoners nourishing meals during a war? Food that would grow your strength? Prison was not the place that made him, what are you talking about? He was strong before prison and once in chains and chained to the floor he started loosing his strength. Did you watch the video at all? That's when he applied his will power and mind to find a way to get strong again in spite of being in chains. And that's when he developed isometric training. But by any rate, it is always a strong mind and strong will power behind any training that makes it successful. Being born with strong bones and tendons is only the tip of the iceberg.
Breaks off seals of a train to make dumbbells without stealing a pin from the train, rescues a dying horse out of bonding, escapes prison four times only to make it back to the circus, and leaves his entire estate to a colleague out of empathy. This guy must have been a demi god.
Exactly what I was thinking but with 1 omission: Never harmed anyone while escaping, and loved his animals. He actually sounds like a deeply compassionate, caring guy, who's strong + mentally tough. You know ... like how ... strong men make good times ... good times create weak men. ... weak men create hard times. ... rinse + repeat. 😢 where we are today withe the alphabet idiots.
@@trumanhw Your lack of self awareness in casting shade and contempt on people different from you in your own comment about this extraordinary man who was marked by both great strength AND great empathy & pacifism... You leave yourself in no such company but shame, lest you be a troll. You disgrace his memory. You said it yourself, he never hurt his captors... People who enslaved, beat, and tortured him... And he never sought revenge. All he ever did was fight his way out of his circumstances so that he could live his life the way he wanted to... Free from oppression. Not so different from what many oppressed people groups around the world are attempting themselves. I think it's time to look inward there, sparky. Play fetch.
Cause it's obvious that the numbers attributed to him are entirely fabricated. They just say "15 miles". So he ran that? Everyday? It'd take over 6 hours to walk that, one way. So we start with this made up bullshit. At this point I'd attribute this entire video to pictures of a man that's ideal with a made up story. All this is so ridiculous that it's unbelievable. By that I don't mean that it's real and wild. I mean it not believable.
There are so many folk who've lived fascinating lives whose experiences never get made into movies (few of which are even written about) - but, if it were otherwise so, then we'd have many more great movies to watch.
It seems Hollywood doesn’t have much interest in this stuff. There’s a pretty good documentary made about The Mighty Atom but iirc it was funded but his family. I don’t know if there are any proper feature films made about old school lifters/strongmen.
There is a film documentary that was made in Québec in 2013 about Louis Cyr's life. You should definitely give it a watch! (Titled ''Louis Cyr'') @@NattyLifeYT
It reminds me quite a bit of a novel called Life on Umbriel, in which a 19th century strongman was groomed to take down a legendary outlaw who lived on top of a mountain.
that stoneage barbell was ingenious. he even added some rope for better grip. he took the rule "find something heavy and lift it" very seriously. He was truly a strongman both in body and mind. He was a surivivalist and very intelligent. What a life. Great documentary. Real great.
I think it’s possible that his story is almost too ridiculous even for Hollywood to touch.. like how do you make a “true story” movie where a guy carries his horse off the battlefield?!? Some of his most heroic moments sound more like origin stories of a comic book hero than a real life one so it would actually be quite a challenge to make a movie that comes across as reality and not fantasy, no matter how real it actually is!
The (overcoming) isometrics training was my entry to strength training and is something I do to this day religiously. And from my experience I can tell everything Alexander says is true. I do shoulder presses, bicep curls, RDLs , rows, bench presses and squats all isometrically 3 times a week and just trying it once you'll see that it's no bs. Your muscles start burning after 3 seconds. And the gains? Lightning speed. I was as a beginner able to go from 0 to 4 pull-ups in 2 weeks with just isometrics. Granted newby gains also played a part in this, but I think it's nothing short of incredible nonetheless. What's also true that this kind of training builds powerful tendons and strong muscles, but not big muscles. Rather than big, voluminous muscles, this training builds dense, compact, rock-like muscles, which will leave no one doubting the power behind them. Bruce Lee would also train this way, as per his notes and famous photos of him performing a bicep curl and a reverse curl with a metal bar chained to the floor. And Bruce Lee was considered one of the strongest pound-for-pound human. And he was also very lean with small muscles, which were, however, as stated by his student, hard as a rock. Another example is the unbeaten Indian wrestler The Great Gama, who would push on trees as a part of his training. And when he was asked why he does it, he said (paraphrase) "Because compared to the tree, throwing humans is a piece of cake." Another strongmen to allegedly have utilised isometrics were Paul Anderson or The Mighty Atom. I can sing nothing but praises to this forgotten way of training and if I've piqued your interest, I recommend the RUclips channels NoLimitSquad (who dedicates his entire channel to isometrics) and Red Delta Project (a modern-day fitness genius who's written a book on isometrics and talks about them often), but The Bioneer and Hybrid Calisthenics have also made videos about them. And there's also the channel Eric Moss, a modern day strongman who performs similar feats of strength nowadays, who also credits a big part of his strength to isometrics. All I can say about overcoming isometrics is a famous quote by Shia Laboeuf: "Just do it!"
Making an8x12 gym and I am installing a large eyebolt in the foundation for just that purpose. To hook a chain and bar to it and attempt impossible deadlifts.
Newbie gains are a thing my friend when you just start lifting almost any kind of stimulus will get you results. If you want to maximize your muscle growth of athletic ability I recommend watching some of Dr mikes videos from RP hypertrohy. They do more than just body build there.
If you program them correctly you can still reach new levels. I didn't get close to the one-arm pull-up till I started making most of my workouts overcoming isometrics with a dash of dynamic work every few days. And there are a few more of us out here. www.youtube.com/@studioathletics
Thank you, what a heartbreaking story - especially when he stayed with his beloved horse and rescued it by carrying it home... What a beautiful person! ❤
I would like to be remembered for having taken the time to appreciate such people. Those featured on this channel are true champions, and history refuses to give them up. It is truly inspiring!!
This is an incredible documentary, most people today would have never heard of this man if it was not for this video. Those photos of him staring into the camera were chilling considering what that man had seen and experienced in his life.
As I've said in the past, I've faught a few. theres this method... It envovles the sences, does it smell clean ??? When she pulls her pant's down does it dring a tear to you're eye ???
I subscribed to this channel when it had only a couple of thousand subs. I am watching a video after like 6 months now and I am glad to see the growth and the quality of videos are getting so much better! Bravo!
these " little RUclips videos " are really good quality mini documentaries and cool pieces of history, again really well done and peace and positivity to everyone.
Many thanks! I know it looks pretty simple when it’s all done, but as a one man show it’s quite a lot of time to put these together 😁. I’m really honoured that people would even call it a documentary though, I try to improve the quality a little bit every time. 💪
@@NattyLifeYTtrust me brother, at least from me, I notice the hard word, great job man, please make more videos like this👍 maybe one about that Greek that did progressive overload by carrying I think a bill everyday from a calf👍👍👍
@@Jgfhujnggg23342 Thank you brother! I already made a video about Milo of Croton, back when I read my scripts extra slow 🤣 ruclips.net/video/EaHoGlwOV9c/видео.html
Read his book myself and thought that if someone were to encapsulate it in a video, then there is no better candidate for this task but you. And you did so magnificently.
As a high school student more than 50 years ago I was considered to be the strongest on campus. Isometric training was certainly a part of my regimens. Thanks for this great video.
IDK if you had already made a video about french canadian strongman Louis Cyr but if you didnt yet...YOU DEFINATELY SHOULD. a true legend .Im from Quebec myself and really proud of him.😊
The fact that a modern day (and at the time) world strongest man pumped full of as many chemicals as possible can barely walk with a horse on his back and this guy did it with relative ease in the middle of a warzone where he hadn't eaten for a day or two. I think calling him the strongest man on earth would seem somehow to be an understatement.
Looks like you don't know much about circus. Just like their American carny counterparts, circus strongmen have always manufactured outlandish stories about their strength feats, inflated their PBs and body measurements, retouched (crudely) their photos, used fake weights and wrestled against plants from the audience. Also, given the height of Zass, the horse he's carrying in that photo would barely qualify as a pony if it were standing next to you.
@@rh_BOSS can you disprove his story, because it wasn't just him who said it, it was the army as well. He is an older man in that photo and walking through water, of course it's going to be smaller. Also you do know how tiny human variation in height is you can tell the size of horse by it's comparison to a human, if he was what a foot taller that would make barely any difference in telling the size of that horse.
@@Alex-cw3rz You have no idea, how these things work, do you? Claims have to be proven, not disproven. The burden of proof lies on whoever is making the claims. "What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence." Wikipedia cites a collection of anecdotes called "Pop Culture Russia" as the source for the horse story, which is laughable as far as the standard of proof goes. I bet, the story originated from Zass' 1925 autobiography and has never been independently corroborated. It's all a bunch of BS, just like the stories about The Mighty Atom flattening bullets with his forehead and biting through surgical instruments.
@@rh_BOSS but in this case the claim has been proven, he said it and the army said and I presume that means his commanding officier said it. Therefore you need to disprove it, it seems you've just presumed there was no evidence before actually doing any research.
@@Alex-cw3rz Can you cite even a single source? So far I haven't seen any. Anyone can claim that "the army said it" (whatever that even means). Find a transcript of someone in official capacity at the time referencing this story. At least cite a book that references an exact date and place. You'd think that such a story would be newsworthy at the time, especially when it's backed by army officials. Show me a news clipping from a WWI-era Russian newspaper. Anything beyond baseless claims.
Zass is a true inspiration. Among Hercule Grün, Steve Reeves and Hermann Görner, these guys are more than just strongman. They give taste to life and show what the human mind and body is capable of.
Maybe Turgenyev or Dostoyevski wrote that book, hesitated to publish it, but a fairy read it, used her magic and created a little boy. Who knows, maybe it is true!
That was a fantastic video! Isometrics are exactly as Alexander zass said for the tendons, and they really do increase strength in a way you just can't get from regular barbell training, isometrics are great for anyone who is into grappling because it builds strength in many different angles/positions 🎉💪👍
The brain inhibites our true strength due to the risk of tear of tendons and articculations.So that is the secret of the super strenght of the bronze era
I can't thank you enough for posting this video. I honestly have never heard of this truly amazing human being. I love learning about people from the past who had such true hardships yet in the face of such difficulties persevered none the less. This man never gave up. He found his passion and though faced with possibly having to give up on that dream to satiate his fathers ambitions for him, fate once again intervened with a poster of the Circus while on his way to begin his apprenticeship for the train conductor career. I feel fortunate to now know about this man and his amazing story. For me this is what i appreciate about the internet. To learn about people that once passed this way and lived such incredible lives. If not for this video i may have never learned about this truly amazing man. Thank you sincerely. I also believe a great movie could be made about this guy and if placed in the right hands could become an Oscar worthy story.
One of the most unusual and amazing stories on your channel. In addition to his physical prowess, Alex comes across as a very decent human being. Many thanks for this!
Yes, and there's more, like in his first escape, in order to make money, he proposed a money making scheme to a friendly prison guard, where in exchange for him smuggling him lamp oil, he would give him money, which he made from renting out an oil lamp he made out of tincans to the other prisoners so they could gamble in the dark.
Watched this video twice and showed it to two others. Such an great historical account of an amazing story. The video is very well done and I love how you added additional commentary to make it funny lol.
As I recall, Charles Atlas also used isometric training as part of his program and a variation he called "dynamic tension". As a gymnast, we used isometric strength training as part of our workouts. For example, the iron cross and the planche are isometric strength moves. However, I learned the hard way that one should slowly relax the muscles after isometric contractions to avoid injury to tendons from the sudden release of contractions. I enjoyed the video immensely.
College was my peak strength period. We never used weights, but the first time I bench pressed I pressed way more than my body weight. Many years ago.@@johnmoyer5515
"Dynamic tension " is the movement of the muscles under contraction. The martial artist harry wong wrote a training book called " dynamic strength ". It works.
Thank you for this brother. I did isometrics for a while, i didnt had money to train on a gym and i needed something new so i saw some things about this great man, bought a chain, and let me tell you, isometrics are a must. Incredibly painfull to do, you gotta be carefull but, the strength gain to me was almost godly after 4 months
I never enjoyed traaining in gyms. I built my own gym at home, in the kitchen (i lived with my parents). I used anything that could make resistance, or just anything heavy, in addition to doing pushups. I learned a lot more from this than in the gym. It's like the man in the video said, if u really wanna do this, ur gonna find a way
@@daviddupre5591Not necessarily, it can be performed with less intensity and longer duration, and also short duration and higher intensity, like with all training it should be done steadily at the start and progress in resistance/effort over time👍
It has always fascinated me when anyone comes across their destiny. When as a young boy he sees the circus, that is it for him. It is vital for anyone to help inspire young people to reach for something greater.There are so many distractions in social media for young people now and it makes them lazy.
Excellent work with this informative video,who should be considered by film writers to put in screenplay this life lived more than legend could possibly imagine,thanks again for posting this amazing piece!
Wow, came across this video. I live in Vilnius and I am writing this comment from Vilnius currently, these places, especially Lithuania produced a lot of strongmen and in general the men are strong, but not as much these days, as we are eating fake food and living in comfort
I used big sprockets from an engineering company. I also used 168lb kerb stones for shoulder pressing, bent over rowing and inclined bench pressing with a plank placed on a window ledge.
I had a very good doctor from China, who was once imprisoned in very small cell. He began from the feet, tightening muscles and holding for some time, then moving up to higher muscles. An article was published in a US health magazine about the technique. At 70 his skin was taunt as a child and he was very strong and healthy. He taught himself how to do acupuncture on his own body. He once released the frozen neck of the Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rambuka, by inserting a very long needle into his spine at just the right spot. Rambuka used to hare to sleep in a chair with his head on a desk. He had been unable to sleep lying in a bed for several years due to this injury from a fall. Many other attempts for relief and normalization had failed.
This was one of, maybe even the best video, from you, so far. Really fantastic story. I want a biopic movie of samson, right now! Can someone call Nolan or Scott? This story motivated me like hell for my upcoming training later. Thanks for your great work, really love your channel!
Thanks for this video. I couldn't get enough of this legend. My fitness journey started with watching my father do dynamic tension. I also became a student of Charles Atlas. My forte has always been out lifting guys that were bigger than me. I didn't know it then but I always valued building tendon strength.
Another example of a hero and someone to admire and look up to , these people we can learn from what an example of will mind and strength just listening to this has inspired me to push harder at all i do , thank you
Loved the documentary! You told the story very well, and I liked how you put in the extra effort to find the historical pictures. This is definitely one of the best fitness channels on RUclips. :)
Many thanks! Yeah it's a bit of a challenge. I used some AI generated pic here for the first time to help fill some of the space. I know some other people film themselves instead and cut to the face cam when they have nothing else to show, but I'm no good in front of the camera 😂
Wow, at the age of 60, an inspiration for me to continue training and implement isometrics! Thanks for this amazing story. It deserves to be seen on the Big Screen!
Really great video. One of the most interesting and insightful RUclips biographies I've watched. Well done! I think beyond the ISO and tendons, Sampson was ballsy, bright and had a will of iron (topped off with a really high tolerance for pain).
I see a man who had a dream that was constantly held down but through mental fortitude and the inability to accept defeat his dreams became his reality. Lots of lessons to be learned, Alexander Zass strong inside and out
what a freaking legend oh my god. what stirkes me the most is his love for animal.s such an amazing thing. in my mind i feel like humans are meant to be strong and capable, that he proved, but also to be an aid to nature and its creations, and that he also did. what a lovely man, that is true masculinity honestly. i wish to only have a fraction of his strength, i oughta do more isometrics. 24.7.29
Great history video. Loved it. Isometrics, especially Overcoming Isometrics but also static contractions like Maxick are the base for everything I do. If your tendon strength is there along with efficient and powerful muscle fibers the rest will come. I first started using them in 2016 and found that even though I was training for strength, it improved my stamina and explosiveness and I was reaching new heights in some of the physical tests we took in the Corps like the Combat Fitness Test(CFT).
Interesting story! His focus on strengthening the tendons before the muscles is completely in line with all traditional training in ancient China (kung fu, Qigong, etc.) and where rather small and lean men are able to perform incredible features.
Absolutely killer video, bro! There were some dark moments and some super hilarious moments. The part about him stealing the train handles and not taking anything from the trains it’s just plain funny.
Just wow!...I don't think I would wish to be as physically strong as he was as much as I would have his character, his discipline, his level of dedication to a goal.
Hey dude, I applied very little of this and my strength exploded on less than 2 months. The heavy concrete bench is no longer an isometric exercises, I can lift it! Thank you very much
Thank you! Truly inspiring…the next time I find myself lamenting my lot in life, I will remember his story and think how fortunate we are to be living in a more modern day with every type of convenience. Not to mention, that our society is relatively free, at least compared to his time. His life is more fantastic than any film could ever depict!
We still need a video on a true pioneer of modern strength Joseph Curtis hise, I’ve tried to promote him but RUclips still hiding my channel from the good folk who watch this stuff.
Old School Bodybuilding playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLK7oVKkif-qXRDEob5MKbaT0KEZRe9niu
Brother please make video on prof rammurti naidu the indian hercules love from Bharat Bharat🇮🇳😊💪
whoa whoa whoa. you looked up how to pronounce the Hungaian words and did a great job of it! or... where are you from?
I can't find anything regarding Zass's ethnicity. Born in then Polish Wilno (Vilnius) but was he Lithuanian, Russian, Polish, Belorussian, German? I suppose ultimately it doesn't make that much of a difference but I'm a geneticist so I can't help but ask.
@@leszekwolkowski9856 I wasn't talking about Zass
@@Gabrong Appologies. My inquiry was directed toward the @NattyLifeYT
The storms of this man's life were intense.
His greatest strength wasn't in his body, but his mind.
Mind that made Alex so strong. I am 69 and do pull ups, push ups, dumb bells and other exercises.
agreed, and well said!
@@kazimierzspaczynski7401 gr8! heres ur medal!
@@LesGrossman_69 He could have given up in the prison, loosing his strength and wasting away in chains. But even under those conditions he found a way to train and stay strong. That's the power of the mind.
@@LesGrossman_69 You think they gave enemy prisoners nourishing meals during a war? Food that would grow your strength?
Prison was not the place that made him, what are you talking about? He was strong before prison and once in chains and chained to the floor he started loosing his strength. Did you watch the video at all?
That's when he applied his will power and mind to find a way to get strong again in spite of being in chains. And that's when he developed isometric training.
But by any rate, it is always a strong mind and strong will power behind any training that makes it successful. Being born with strong bones and tendons is only the tip of the iceberg.
This man gave a hole new meaning to the expression "hold your horses"
"Who's gonna carry the boats!? And the logs!!"
Yes indeed, a whole new meaning!
Maybe he invented the saying in the first place?
Whole*
:D you believe those photoshoped pictures and dumb tales? do you also believe in santa clauss still ?
Now I want to see the movie of this man's life ...
Well done !
He definitely deserves it.
Not many could do today, what he did.. not even with movie magic could it give him the full respect he deserves.
Hollywood will embellish the movie story with falshoods.
@@coppertopv365😂
Check out the movie ''Louis Cyr''. The strongest man that ever lived, a fascinating legend!
This young man, is what one would really consider a real legend.
What a machine.
This was so inspirational that I want to get a picture of Alexander for my home gym.
Hell yeah! Go for it dude
Can I send u a pp pic to put on your gym?
It'll be hard. The guy is already dead
@@worldsdumbesttrumpturd....3143 Get out lol
Breaks off seals of a train to make dumbbells without stealing a pin from the train, rescues a dying horse out of bonding, escapes prison four times only to make it back to the circus, and leaves his entire estate to a colleague out of empathy. This guy must have been a demi god.
Superbad he was a great strong man Alexander' Robert Stanley
Exactly what I was thinking but with 1 omission:
Never harmed anyone while escaping, and loved his animals.
He actually sounds like a deeply compassionate, caring guy, who's strong + mentally tough.
You know ... like how
... strong men make good times
... good times create weak men.
... weak men create hard times. ... rinse + repeat. 😢 where we are today withe the alphabet idiots.
@@trumanhwyikes
@@scladoffle2472 Truth not yikes. That whole rainbow shtick is yikes.
@@trumanhw Your lack of self awareness in casting shade and contempt on people different from you in your own comment about this extraordinary man who was marked by both great strength AND great empathy & pacifism...
You leave yourself in no such company but shame, lest you be a troll.
You disgrace his memory.
You said it yourself, he never hurt his captors... People who enslaved, beat, and tortured him...
And he never sought revenge.
All he ever did was fight his way out of his circumstances so that he could live his life the way he wanted to... Free from oppression.
Not so different from what many oppressed people groups around the world are attempting themselves.
I think it's time to look inward there, sparky. Play fetch.
How has there not been a movie made about this man??!!
What a video dude. Easily the best of yours that I've seen.
He makes Houdini seem pedestrian
Thanks so much :)
Starring Idres Elba lol.
Cause it's obvious that the numbers attributed to him are entirely fabricated. They just say "15 miles". So he ran that? Everyday? It'd take over 6 hours to walk that, one way. So we start with this made up bullshit. At this point I'd attribute this entire video to pictures of a man that's ideal with a made up story. All this is so ridiculous that it's unbelievable. By that I don't mean that it's real and wild. I mean it not believable.
There are so many folk who've lived fascinating lives whose experiences never get made into movies (few of which are even written about) - but, if it were otherwise so, then we'd have many more great movies to watch.
Imagine your entire childhood and adolescence seeing only one form of entertainment. The focus that must instill, the amazement is unimaginable to us
Music and dancing were regular entertainment for russian peasants. He also had books.
How on earth has nobody made a movie about this dude?
It seems Hollywood doesn’t have much interest in this stuff. There’s a pretty good documentary made about The Mighty Atom but iirc it was funded but his family. I don’t know if there are any proper feature films made about old school lifters/strongmen.
@@NattyLifeYT I know. If it has any actual charm, much less (God forbid) realism, latter-day Hollywood isn't interested.
There is a film documentary that was made in Québec in 2013 about Louis Cyr's life. You should definitely give it a watch! (Titled ''Louis Cyr'') @@NattyLifeYT
It reminds me quite a bit of a novel called Life on Umbriel, in which a 19th century strongman was groomed to take down a legendary outlaw who lived on top of a mountain.
Hollywood has no space for this kind of toxic story.
They would prefer a story about a more "transitioning" sort of man.
that stoneage barbell was ingenious. he even added some rope for better grip. he took the rule "find something heavy and lift it" very seriously. He was truly a strongman both in body and mind. He was a surivivalist and very intelligent. What a life. Great documentary. Real great.
It is AI generated. Not the real one.
This dude's life is pure inspiration. His feats of strength are on another level. And he isn't even huge.
He was a 1 inch taller and 5 lbs heavier than me. He was The Man.
He's not even 260 though. Bradley Martin would destroy this little man.
That and also his personality. The guy was humble, heroic, empathetic and had love for animals. A sweet soul in a rock solid body :)
@@dialecticalmonist3405he’s not on PEDs tho
lol @@dialecticalmonist3405
how has this guy's story not been made in to a movie?
I was wondering too...
I think it’s possible that his story is almost too ridiculous even for Hollywood to touch.. like how do you make a “true story” movie where a guy carries his horse off the battlefield?!? Some of his most heroic moments sound more like origin stories of a comic book hero than a real life one so it would actually be quite a challenge to make a movie that comes across as reality and not fantasy, no matter how real it actually is!
you don't need movies when you have videos like this.
The (overcoming) isometrics training was my entry to strength training and is something I do to this day religiously. And from my experience I can tell everything Alexander says is true. I do shoulder presses, bicep curls, RDLs , rows, bench presses and squats all isometrically 3 times a week and just trying it once you'll see that it's no bs. Your muscles start burning after 3 seconds. And the gains? Lightning speed. I was as a beginner able to go from 0 to 4 pull-ups in 2 weeks with just isometrics. Granted newby gains also played a part in this, but I think it's nothing short of incredible nonetheless. What's also true that this kind of training builds powerful tendons and strong muscles, but not big muscles. Rather than big, voluminous muscles, this training builds dense, compact, rock-like muscles, which will leave no one doubting the power behind them. Bruce Lee would also train this way, as per his notes and famous photos of him performing a bicep curl and a reverse curl with a metal bar chained to the floor. And Bruce Lee was considered one of the strongest pound-for-pound human. And he was also very lean with small muscles, which were, however, as stated by his student, hard as a rock. Another example is the unbeaten Indian wrestler The Great Gama, who would push on trees as a part of his training. And when he was asked why he does it, he said (paraphrase) "Because compared to the tree, throwing humans is a piece of cake." Another strongmen to allegedly have utilised isometrics were Paul Anderson or The Mighty Atom. I can sing nothing but praises to this forgotten way of training and if I've piqued your interest, I recommend the RUclips channels NoLimitSquad (who dedicates his entire channel to isometrics) and Red Delta Project (a modern-day fitness genius who's written a book on isometrics and talks about them often), but The Bioneer and Hybrid Calisthenics have also made videos about them. And there's also the channel Eric Moss, a modern day strongman who performs similar feats of strength nowadays, who also credits a big part of his strength to isometrics. All I can say about overcoming isometrics is a famous quote by Shia Laboeuf: "Just do it!"
Making an8x12 gym and I am installing a large eyebolt in the foundation for just that purpose. To hook a chain and bar to it and attempt impossible deadlifts.
Newbie gains are a thing my friend when you just start lifting almost any kind of stimulus will get you results. If you want to maximize your muscle growth of athletic ability I recommend watching some of Dr mikes videos from RP hypertrohy. They do more than just body build there.
If you program them correctly you can still reach new levels. I didn't get close to the one-arm pull-up till I started making most of my workouts overcoming isometrics with a dash of dynamic work every few days.
And there are a few more of us out here. www.youtube.com/@studioathletics
Bruce Lee was an actor and performer. Don't believe all his self publicity. The Guy never even fought in any tournaments.
Thank you for posting these resources!
Thank you, what a heartbreaking story - especially when he stayed with his beloved horse and rescued it by carrying it home... What a beautiful person! ❤
I've read Zass's books. This little documentary is very well done. Great job.
Many thanks :)
Did they mention how to make your tendons strong ?
Yes through overcoming isometrics. @@jacobclark89
Are they in Russian?
Yes but they have been translated into english@@vwilhelm5788
I would like to be remembered for having taken the time to appreciate such people. Those featured on this channel are true champions, and history refuses to give them up. It is truly inspiring!!
This is an incredible documentary, most people today would have never heard of this man if it was not for this video. Those photos of him staring into the camera were chilling considering what that man had seen and experienced in his life.
Thanks so much!
Imagine Zass confronting the strutting and posing muscle men of today.
As I've said in the past, I've faught a few. theres this method... It envovles the sences, does it smell clean ??? When she pulls her pant's down does it dring a tear to you're eye ???
@@damageincorporatedmetal43v73 WTF
I subscribed to this channel when it had only a couple of thousand subs. I am watching a video after like 6 months now and I am glad to see the growth and the quality of videos are getting so much better! Bravo!
these " little RUclips videos " are really good quality mini documentaries and cool pieces of history, again really well done and peace and positivity to everyone.
Many thanks! I know it looks pretty simple when it’s all done, but as a one man show it’s quite a lot of time to put these together 😁. I’m really honoured that people would even call it a documentary though, I try to improve the quality a little bit every time. 💪
@@NattyLifeYTtrust me brother, at least from me, I notice the hard word, great job man, please make more videos like this👍 maybe one about that Greek that did progressive overload by carrying I think a bill everyday from a calf👍👍👍
@@Jgfhujnggg23342 Thank you brother! I already made a video about Milo of Croton, back when I read my scripts extra slow 🤣 ruclips.net/video/EaHoGlwOV9c/видео.html
What an amazing video and audio. Thank you for the knowledge and entertainment.
Read his book myself and thought that if someone were to encapsulate it in a video, then there is no better candidate for this task but you. And you did so magnificently.
That's very kind of you to say, thank you :)
As a high school student more than 50 years ago I was considered to be the strongest on campus. Isometric training was certainly a part of my regimens. Thanks for this great video.
IDK if you had already made a video about french canadian strongman Louis Cyr but if you didnt yet...YOU DEFINATELY SHOULD. a true legend .Im from Quebec myself and really proud of him.😊
I’ve covered some of his feats in one of my videos, but definitely will be making a full biographical video on him at some point
@@NattyLifeYT I thank you already in advance 😁
Great fishin up in K-Beck.
*definitely
@@pewpewTN it's pronounced _quee-beck_
The fact that a modern day (and at the time) world strongest man pumped full of as many chemicals as possible can barely walk with a horse on his back and this guy did it with relative ease in the middle of a warzone where he hadn't eaten for a day or two. I think calling him the strongest man on earth would seem somehow to be an understatement.
Looks like you don't know much about circus. Just like their American carny counterparts, circus strongmen have always manufactured outlandish stories about their strength feats, inflated their PBs and body measurements, retouched (crudely) their photos, used fake weights and wrestled against plants from the audience.
Also, given the height of Zass, the horse he's carrying in that photo would barely qualify as a pony if it were standing next to you.
@@rh_BOSS can you disprove his story, because it wasn't just him who said it, it was the army as well.
He is an older man in that photo and walking through water, of course it's going to be smaller. Also you do know how tiny human variation in height is you can tell the size of horse by it's comparison to a human, if he was what a foot taller that would make barely any difference in telling the size of that horse.
@@Alex-cw3rz You have no idea, how these things work, do you?
Claims have to be proven, not disproven. The burden of proof lies on whoever is making the claims. "What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."
Wikipedia cites a collection of anecdotes called "Pop Culture Russia" as the source for the horse story, which is laughable as far as the standard of proof goes. I bet, the story originated from Zass' 1925 autobiography and has never been independently corroborated. It's all a bunch of BS, just like the stories about The Mighty Atom flattening bullets with his forehead and biting through surgical instruments.
@@rh_BOSS but in this case the claim has been proven, he said it and the army said and I presume that means his commanding officier said it. Therefore you need to disprove it, it seems you've just presumed there was no evidence before actually doing any research.
@@Alex-cw3rz Can you cite even a single source? So far I haven't seen any. Anyone can claim that "the army said it" (whatever that even means). Find a transcript of someone in official capacity at the time referencing this story. At least cite a book that references an exact date and place. You'd think that such a story would be newsworthy at the time, especially when it's backed by army officials. Show me a news clipping from a WWI-era Russian newspaper. Anything beyond baseless claims.
I literally cannot express how exceptional and inspiring your channel is. Thank you for all your hard work and passion!
Thanks so much bro! It means a lot 💪
What a strong and kind man. I am truly inspired by his determination.
Zass is a true inspiration. Among Hercule Grün, Steve Reeves and Hermann Görner, these guys are more than just strongman. They give taste to life and show what the human mind and body is capable of.
And work ethic.
Add Rajmund Paprzyca-Niwinski
This is up there with one of most inspiring stories I ever heard. Much respect to him!
Maybe Turgenyev or Dostoyevski wrote that book, hesitated to publish it, but a fairy read it, used her magic and created a little boy. Who knows, maybe it is true!
That was a fantastic video! Isometrics are exactly as Alexander zass said for the tendons, and they really do increase strength in a way you just can't get from regular barbell training, isometrics are great for anyone who is into grappling because it builds strength in many different angles/positions 🎉💪👍
The brain inhibites our true strength due to the risk of tear of tendons and articculations.So that is the secret of the super strenght of the bronze era
It’s always important to leave a comment to support great effort like this.
It's very much appreciated :)
Man, they should make a movie about this guy's life.
Definitely
What did you just watch then
they wont, hollywood hates strong male figures
I can't thank you enough for posting this video. I honestly have never heard of this truly amazing human being. I love learning about people from the past who had such true hardships yet in the face of such difficulties persevered none the less. This man never gave up. He found his passion and though faced with possibly having to give up on that dream to satiate his fathers ambitions for him, fate once again intervened with a poster of the Circus while on his way to begin his apprenticeship for the train conductor career. I feel fortunate to now know about this man and his amazing story. For me this is what i appreciate about the internet. To learn about people that once passed this way and lived such incredible lives. If not for this video i may have never learned about this truly amazing man. Thank you sincerely. I also believe a great movie could be made about this guy and if placed in the right hands could become an Oscar worthy story.
One of the most unusual and amazing stories on your channel. In addition to his physical prowess, Alex comes across as a very decent human being. Many thanks for this!
Yes, and there's more, like in his first escape, in order to make money, he proposed a money making scheme to a friendly prison guard, where in exchange for him smuggling him lamp oil, he would give him money, which he made from renting out an oil lamp he made out of tincans to the other prisoners so they could gamble in the dark.
@@2DReanimation Alex put determination and innovation on another level!
Liked! Thanks for posting this. He seems like a really intelligent guy. His story evokes both empathy and motivation.
This is one of your best videos ever. Excellent job!
Much appreciated brother! It’s definitely the one I spent the most time on, I’m glad it shows 😁
Watched this video twice and showed it to two others. Such an great historical account of an amazing story. The video is very well done and I love how you added additional commentary to make it funny lol.
As I recall, Charles Atlas also used isometric training as part of his program and a variation he called "dynamic tension". As a gymnast, we used isometric strength training as part of our workouts. For example, the iron cross and the planche are isometric strength moves. However, I learned the hard way that one should slowly relax the muscles after isometric contractions to avoid injury to tendons from the sudden release of contractions. I enjoyed the video immensely.
Yes He did and if you follow His Course It is Very Challenging ,Calisthenics & Bodyweight exercises too
By the way, love rockabilly@@retrobilly1719
I did gymnastics in high school it I think was the strongest I ever was I believe
College was my peak strength period. We never used weights, but the first time I bench pressed I pressed way more than my body weight. Many years ago.@@johnmoyer5515
"Dynamic tension " is the movement of the muscles under contraction. The martial artist harry wong wrote a training book called " dynamic strength ". It works.
Thank you for a well entertaining insight to this incredible man’s life and really well narrated too. Top job! 👌🏻
Many thanks for the support!
Most adventurous inspiring. Unimaginably wonderful life of SAMSON.GREAT GREAT GREAT.
First time on your channel and what a story! Wonderfully narrated and illustrated. This guy was tough-emotionally, mentally and physically. Nice job!
Thank you for this brother. I did isometrics for a while, i didnt had money to train on a gym and i needed something new so i saw some things about this great man, bought a chain, and let me tell you, isometrics are a must. Incredibly painfull to do, you gotta be carefull but, the strength gain to me was almost godly after 4 months
I never enjoyed traaining in gyms. I built my own gym at home, in the kitchen (i lived with my parents). I used anything that could make resistance, or just anything heavy, in addition to doing pushups. I learned a lot more from this than in the gym. It's like the man in the video said, if u really wanna do this, ur gonna find a way
a Movie of this man needs to be made. Absolutely Incredible !
Watch the movie of Louis-Cyr you will understand why Samson never add a movie.....he was a fake and a fraud.
A great character, I been trying some of his training methods for the last months.
Are you finding the training?
@@NattyLifeYT Some of them, like the chain isometrics.
Sorry meant to say how are you liking the training? Are you seeing any interesting results?
This type of training will reàk havoc on your nervous system, so watch out.😦
@@daviddupre5591Not necessarily, it can be performed with less intensity and longer duration, and also short duration and higher intensity, like with all training it should be done steadily at the start and progress in resistance/effort over time👍
It has always fascinated me when anyone comes across their destiny. When as a young boy he sees the circus, that is it for him. It is vital for anyone to help inspire young people to reach for something greater.There are so many distractions in social media for young people now and it makes them lazy.
this story gave me goozebumps several times
Glad you enjoyed it bro :)
Excellent work with this informative video,who should be considered by film writers to put in screenplay this life lived more than legend could possibly imagine,thanks again for posting this amazing piece!
I can aldready tell this is gonna be a banger. Also, the editing is great!
Many thanks brother!
Any time!
Guy was one motivated induvidual. What an amazing story!
This man is legendary. This man needs a movie made
Just listening to his story is such an inspiration...he sounded like a great man with true time tested strength...amazing
Wow, came across this video. I live in Vilnius and I am writing this comment from Vilnius currently, these places, especially Lithuania produced a lot of strongmen and in general the men are strong, but not as much these days, as we are eating fake food and living in comfort
I used big sprockets from an engineering company. I also used 168lb kerb stones for shoulder pressing, bent over rowing and inclined bench pressing with a plank placed on a window ledge.
My grandfather used to lift horses. Men and women used to be very strong. My grandparents' wrists are bigger than mine
I heared that men had much more testosterone 100 years ago than men today. Testosterone makes you stronger and boost your immune system
Can I ask you some questions
@@skeletorlikespotatoes7846 yeah of course
@@mehmethancelik638 what was his trade? Can you give an estimate of their wrist size?
@@mehmethancelik638 did you ever talk with them about it?
I had a very good doctor from China, who was once imprisoned in very small cell. He began from the feet, tightening muscles and holding for some time, then moving up to higher muscles. An article was published in a US health magazine about the technique. At 70 his skin was taunt as a child and he was very strong and healthy. He taught himself how to do acupuncture on his own body. He once released the frozen neck of the Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rambuka, by inserting a very long needle into his spine at just the right spot. Rambuka used to hare to sleep in a chair with his head on a desk. He had been unable to sleep lying in a bed for several years due to this injury from a fall. Many other attempts for relief and normalization had failed.
incredible story, rare to come across good content like this nowdays!
Thank you for taking me on this journey!
Thanks for the support :)
This was extremely inspirational to me. Thank you for posting this video detailing Alexander's extraordinary life.
This was one of, maybe even the best video, from you, so far. Really fantastic story. I want a biopic movie of samson, right now! Can someone call Nolan or Scott?
This story motivated me like hell for my upcoming training later. Thanks for your great work, really love your channel!
Thanks so much :)
Thank yoh for this inspiration, it really helps us to pursue the path of being a noble natty .
That was excellent. Thank you for putting that together.
Many thanks!
Truly an astounding man and documentary. So well done.
Much appreciated bro!
Thanks for this video. I couldn't get enough of this legend. My fitness journey started with watching my father do dynamic tension. I also became a student of Charles Atlas. My forte has always been out lifting guys that were bigger than me. I didn't know it then but I always valued building tendon strength.
Another example of a hero and someone to admire and look up to , these people we can learn from what an example of will mind and strength just listening to this has inspired me to push harder at all i do , thank you
I've been waiting fot this
A man like that today would put all others to shame in this generation.
Dude this was such an entertaining and inspiring doc. Astounding work.
Thanks so much!
Thank you very much for this video. The reference books you have added at the end are a great bonus.
Thanks for the support!
Holy crap man this video is amazing! Thank you amd make more like this please!
Thanks so much! Definitely more to come :)
Great Job, Thank you for taking the time to bring us all this story.
Great video! I love stories of amazing men’s lives and adventures 👍
Many thanks!
I think this is your best video so far! Thanks!
Loved the documentary! You told the story very well, and I liked how you put in the extra effort to find the historical pictures. This is definitely one of the best fitness channels on RUclips. :)
Many thanks :)
One of the most inspiring stories I have yet come across.
Fantastic presentation & story. It must have been very difficult to make a video like this with such a small amount of footage. Bravo!
Many thanks! Yeah it's a bit of a challenge. I used some AI generated pic here for the first time to help fill some of the space. I know some other people film themselves instead and cut to the face cam when they have nothing else to show, but I'm no good in front of the camera 😂
@@NattyLifeYT I know how you feel. I create boxing documentaries of fighters from the 1920s - 1960s, makes you want to rip your hair out sometimes.
Wow, at the age of 60, an inspiration for me to continue training and implement isometrics! Thanks for this amazing story. It deserves to be seen on the Big Screen!
What a great video! What a great story! What a remarkable man!💪😮
Many thanks!!
my personall headcanon is that samson never died, he just ride off into the sunset and will come back one day.
What a man he was. Thanks for making this video.
Thanks for the support!
Really great video. One of the most interesting and insightful RUclips biographies I've watched. Well done!
I think beyond the ISO and tendons, Sampson was ballsy, bright and had a will of iron (topped off with a really high tolerance for pain).
Love to see more long videos from you!!
Great video! Thank you , I found this story incredibly inspiring and even touched my heart. What a great human being.
Outstanding presentation and research, BRAVO.
Much appreciated :)
I see a man who had a dream that was constantly held down but through mental fortitude and the inability to accept defeat his dreams became his reality. Lots of lessons to be learned, Alexander Zass strong inside and out
what a freaking legend oh my god. what stirkes me the most is his love for animal.s such an amazing thing. in my mind i feel like humans are meant to be strong and capable, that he proved, but also to be an aid to nature and its creations, and that he also did. what a lovely man, that is true masculinity honestly. i wish to only have a fraction of his strength, i oughta do more isometrics.
24.7.29
Amazing video❤
The isometric exercice saved me when needed heal my body from a motorcycle accident. I practique it every day.
Great history video. Loved it.
Isometrics, especially Overcoming Isometrics but also static contractions like Maxick are the base for everything I do. If your tendon strength is there along with efficient and powerful muscle fibers the rest will come.
I first started using them in 2016 and found that even though I was training for strength, it improved my stamina and explosiveness and I was reaching new heights in some of the physical tests we took in the Corps like the Combat Fitness Test(CFT).
You did an amazingly great job on this video, I could see the entire story in my mind unfold as you spoke.
I must admit I was hoping you would do a video on him.
Amazing Narration
Great Biography.
Really enjoyed this content. Good Work 👍
Amazing video again! Loved it!
Many thanks brother!
Excellent documentary. What an incredible life! It's a shame he never had children.
Interesting story! His focus on strengthening the tendons before the muscles is completely in line with all traditional training in ancient China (kung fu, Qigong, etc.) and where rather small and lean men are able to perform incredible features.
Absolutely killer video, bro! There were some dark moments and some super hilarious moments. The part about him stealing the train handles and not taking anything from the trains it’s just plain funny.
Just wow!...I don't think I would
wish to be as physically strong as he was as much as I would have his character, his discipline, his level of dedication to a goal.
Seriously...for all of his physical strength, the real strength is in this man's mind. Incredible will
Hey dude, I applied very little of this and my strength exploded on less than 2 months.
The heavy concrete bench is no longer an isometric exercises, I can lift it!
Thank you very much
Great! Really enjoyed the video.
Many thanks bro!
Thank you! Truly inspiring…the next time I find myself lamenting my lot in life, I will remember his story and think how fortunate we are to be living in a more modern day with every type of convenience. Not to mention, that our society is relatively free, at least compared to his time. His life is more fantastic than any film could ever depict!
We still need a video on a true pioneer of modern strength Joseph Curtis hise, I’ve tried to promote him but RUclips still hiding my channel from the good folk who watch this stuff.
You did a great job telling this story! What an inspirational life!!
Thanks so much!
pound for pound he's one of the strongest ever.