GET IN TOUCH TODAY!
"*" indicates required fields
The Iron Age Principles of Old-school Strength
What Modern Lifters Can Learn from Sandow, Saxon, and the Dinosaur Training Era
Modern training is often overloaded with complexity. Countless programmes, endless “optimal” debates, and a flood of shiny new methods create the illusion that progress requires constant novelty. Yet the strongest, most resilient athletes in history built their physiques long before the rise of supplements, machines, and performance-enhancing drugs.
This article brings together the timeless old-school strength training philosophy of Eugen Sandow, Arthur Saxon, George Hackenschmidt, and later revivalists like Brooks Kubik, whose Dinosaur Training helped the modern world rediscover old-school strength. These principles form a simple, sustainable, tendon-friendly foundation for any fitness professional or enthusiast seeking long-term progress, durability, and an authentic, athletic physique.
What follows is a complete Iron Age training philosophy: smart, tough, and built to last.
Strength Is the Foundation of a Great Physique
Before the steroid era, muscle size was a by-product of strength. Early lifters built their bodies around a simple truth: when you improve full-body strength, your physique follows. Professionals today can learn from this emphasis. Instead of chasing pump-focused hypertrophy alone, anchoring your programme to progressive strength training shapes a balanced, powerful body that lasts.
For coaches, this principle underlines an important lesson. A client who gets stronger becomes more confident, more capable, and more adherent. Mastery increases motivation. Strength development is a gateway to long-term behaviour change.
Train the Body as a Connected System
Sandow and his peers never split training into chest days or arm days. They trained the whole body because the body works as a unit. Full-body sessions three days a week allowed them to train often, lift heavy, and stay fresh.
This approach resonates perfectly with modern coaching practice, where movement patterns trump muscle groups and sustainability trumps exhaustion. Full-body or upper–lower systems remain the safest, most versatile methods for general populations, beginners, and athletes alike.
It also protects tendon health. When movement is spread across fewer sessions, there is less repeated stress in the same pattern, lowering the risk of overuse injuries such as biceps or patellar tendon irritation.
Keep Training Simple, Heavy, and Honest
Looking at photographs and manuals from the late 1800s and early 1900s, one thing stands out: simplicity. Their gyms were sparse. Their equipment was minimal. Their exercises were basic. Their technique was impeccable.
They focused on a foundation of movements every coach still teaches today:
-
Squats
-
Deadlifts and hip hinges
-
Presses
-
Rows
-
Pull-ups
-
Carries
-
Cleans, snatches, and high pulls
-
One-arm dumbbell lifts
This simplicity made consistency easier. There were no shortcuts and no distractions. This is a powerful reminder to modern professionals: the basics only stop working when they stop being done well.
Quality Over Quantity
High-volume bodybuilding did not exist before the steroid era. Instead, lifters used low-volume, high-quality sessions. Two to three sets per lift, performed with slow, controlled form, was enough to build strength and impressive muscularity.
This model is extremely effective for today’s clients who struggle with time, recovery, or joint limitations. It also aligns perfectly with NHS physical activity recommendations, which emphasise moderate-to-vigorous whole-body strength work two or more days per week for general health.
A small number of perfect sets outperforms a large number of rushed or sloppy sets every time.
Form Comes Before Load
Sandow-era training manuals repeatedly highlight form. These men were technicians. They valued strict mechanics, smooth rhythm, and deliberate positions. They treated lifting as a skill.
This is something every coach understands but also something many clients forget. Technique is protective. It improves efficiency, increases strength, and reduces injury risk. Clients who learn to move well train longer, progress faster, and develop confidence in their ability.
In an industry where many seek shortcuts, a return to technical excellence is a competitive advantage for fitness professionals.
Progress Gradually, Never Recklessly
Sudden increases in load or training volume were as frowned upon in 1890 as they are today. Old-school lifters understood recovery. They lifted heavy but allowed their bodies time to adapt.
A progression rule that honours this tradition is simple and effective: increase total training load by no more than ten percent per week. This keeps connective tissues healthy, supports long-term adherence, and prevents flare-ups in tendons and joints.
Slow progression is not slow progress. It is sustainable progress.
Avoid Failure on Structural Lifts
Training to absolute failure on big movements such as deadlifts, presses, or squats was never part of the pre-steroid playbook. These lifts were treated with respect. They knew grinding repetitions increased injury risk and slowed nervous system recovery.
Modern coaching confirms the wisdom: leaving one to three repetitions in reserve on heavy lifts leads to higher-quality movement, better strength development, and fewer setbacks.
Save failure for isolation lifts or high-rep conditioning when appropriate.
Master the Classics Before Chasing Variety
Because equipment was limited, early lifters were forced to repeat the same movements for years, often decades. They mastered the craft. They knew precisely how to generate tension, how to breathe, and how to stabilise a load.
Today, novelty is often emphasised for engagement, but mastery always beats variety for results. Coaches who help clients build long-term consistency in the basics will deliver superior outcomes.
Use Simple Tools for Rugged Strength
One of the hallmarks of the era was minimal equipment. Thick-handled dumbbells, globe barbells, early kettlebells, sandbags, clubs, and rings created grip strength, coordination, and full-body tension that machines cannot.
Modern fitness professionals can incorporate loaded carries, suitcase holds, sandbag lifts, kettlebell swings, and odd-object work to develop functional, athletic ability in clients who want more than aesthetics. These movements also build mental resilience and confidence.
Grip Strength Is a Marker of Total Strength
Old-time strongmen frequently demonstrated grip feats because grip often limited performance elsewhere. Modern research echoes this. Grip strength is linked with better ageing outcomes, improved longevity markers, and athletic potential.
Simple additions such as farmer’s carries, hangs, thick-bar holds, or sandbag pick-ups can significantly enhance a client’s overall capacity.
Look After the Tendons
Sandow, Hackenschmidt, and Saxon lifted for decades. They understood the importance of tendon health, even if they did not use the modern terminology. They warmed up thoroughly, avoided reckless load jumps, and used preparatory exercises for the elbows, shoulders, and lower back.
This mirrors contemporary recommendations from sports science, where isometrics, controlled eccentrics, and gradual loading form the backbone of tendon rehabilitation and prevention.
Fitness professionals can benefit enormously from incorporating tendon-protective habits into programmes, especially for clients over 35 or those increasing training frequency.
Train With Rhythm, Control, and Tension
Old-school lifters practised “muscle control”—flexing, breathing patterns, posture training, and the early form of the mind–muscle connection. Their bodies were not just strong but athletic, coordinated, and expressive.
Today, incorporating controlled tempo, deliberate tension, and mindful lifting can drastically improve technique, client engagement, and muscular development.
Build Athleticism, Not Just Muscle
Physical culture was about being capable: climbing, jumping, bending, lifting, balancing, carrying. These men could perform feats of strength in the real world.
Modern personal trainers can offer clients the same benefits through simple additions such as kettlebell work, jumping progressions, loaded carries, crawling patterns, and outdoor conditioning.
An athletic client is a confident client.
Respect Recovery
Sandow famously walked outdoors daily. Hackenschmidt promoted rest, reading, mindfulness, and fresh air. They understood that heavy lifting taxes the nervous system, not just the muscles.
Sleep, stress management, walking, and regular deloads form the backbone of long-term training success today. Coaches who emphasise recovery consistently produce better results.
Consistency Beats Intensity
The greatest physiques of the pre-steroid era were not built from brutal sessions but from decades of sensible, high-quality training. The modern fitness professional can reassure clients that long-term progress depends far more on consistency than perfection.
Small, sustainable habits outperform sporadic heroics.
Train for Life
Perhaps the most powerful principle of all from Old-school Strength: training was not a phase. It was a lifestyle. The goal was to build a body capable of living, working, adventuring, and performing. Not for a season, but for a lifetime.
This message, when shared with clients, strengthens motivation and reduces the pressure to chase rapid results. A lifelong outlook leads to better health outcomes, greater adherence, and a deeper sense of meaning.
Listen to the Podcast
Next Steps
If you would like help applying these principles to your own programme or want support developing old-school, sustainable strength methods for your clients, you can:
-
Subscribe to the blog and podcast for weekly training guidance, evidence-based insights, and practical coaching strategies.
-
Enrol on one of Storm Fitness Academy’s qualifications to deepen your coaching skills and build a meaningful career in health and fitness.
- If you’d like personal guidance on building a career in fitness, get in touch — we are always happy to help you map out the best next step. Just fill out the contact form below.
"*" indicates required fields