Back Strength According to Alan Calvert
"There is no greater asset in the business world, and in the social world, than a fine physique." -Alan Calvert
I recently finished Super Strength by Alan Calvert. This is easily one of the best books from the Bronze Era I have come across. Calvert was a weightlifter, magazine publisher, author, and businessman. In 1902 he founded the Milo Barbell Company, one of the earliest barbell companies in the world, which after he sold it eventually became York Barbell.
If there is one thing Calvert knew, it was strength. He begins Super Strength by addressing the back, specifically the small of the back, or the “keystone of the arch of a man’s strength” as he describes it. He goes on to say that regardless of the arm and leg development, if a man is weak in the lower back and hips, he can never be classed as a real “strong man.” He mentions that he finds it hard to separate the legs from the lower back, as many of his preferred back exercises involve the use of the legs as well.
His preferred lifts for strengthening the back and teaching the back and legs to work together are the straight leg deadlift with a rounded back, the alternating one arm kettlebell swing, and variations of the deadweight lift.
Now referred to as the Jefferson Curl, this variation of the straight leg deadlift requires the lifter to perform the movement with a rounded back. A posture that has been frowned upon in the modern health and fitness industry, Calvert thought this movement was essential for building strong spinal erectors. Calvert notes that while this is not a lift or a feat of strength and it is certainly not the correct way to lift heavy weights from the ground, doing all the bending by arching the spine will develop a remarkable pair of spinal erectors. He recommends a beginner of average size beginning this exercise with only 20 or 30 pounds, and only add 5-10 pounds to the exercise when the training weight can be accomplished without perceived exertion. Take Calvert’s advice and go slow, but gradually building strength in this exercise will create a pair of thick, muscular cables running up along each side of the spine.
Calvert recommends performing the 1-arm kettlebell swing by alternating hands at the top of the movement. He claims this is about the best exercise for strengthening the back and legs, and for teaching them to work together. He notes that the movement should be initiated by hinging the hips while bending the knees slightly, not by rounding the back rather keeping it in a neutral position. While he recommends beginning with a 20- or 25-pound kettlebell to learn the technique and acclimate to the hand exchange, it will only be a matter of weeks before you can use a 75-pound kettlebell and not long after until you’ll be swinging a 100-pound bell. He states the benefits of this exercise are many including learning to instinctively keep the back flat during great exertion, you will develop a firmer grip on the ground with your feet, you will learn how to time a heavy moving object, you will increase grip strength, you will experience greater development of the front of the shoulder, and you will become able to jump further and higher.
The dead weight or hands-alone lift (what we now refer to as the deadlift) according to Calvert, should be performed with the feet about 8 inches apart unlike the photo from Super Strength shows above where the heels are together with the toes pointed slightly out. The knees should bend slightly with most of the bend coming from the hips, and the hands should grab the bar in the mixed grip with one palm facing forward and the other facing back. According to the text he seems to prefer the hand and thigh lift, likely since it will allow the individual to lift exponentially more weight, but he does state that the dead weight lift is a good test of strength since any unskilled man can perform it easily.
The “hand and thigh” lift detailed in Calvert’s book is essentially a partial deadlift done from the upper thigh. The range of motion is minimal which allows for a tremendous amount of weight to be lifted.
Hopefully this article inspired you to pay some attention to building the lower back as a strong lower back contributes greatly to our overall strength and health.
I hope you enjoyed this article and until next time, stay strong and healthy!