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Maxalding? What on earth is that anyway?

Maxalding is an exercise system of muscle control using isometrics, very similar to the dynamic tension technique championed by Charles Atlas.  The name Maxalding comes from the combined names of its founders Max Sick (usually know as Maxick) and Monte Saldo.  You can find copies of the original course here.

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Max Sick 

Max Sick was a German strongman.  He was born in Württemberg in 1892 and moved to Britain in 1909.  He died in South America in 1961.  He maintained a remarkable physique and level of strength into old age, as can be seen in these photos where he performs a front lever on parallel bars.

His most remarkable lifting was said to be the double-bodyweight plus continental clean and jerks that he performed from the moment he set foot in the UK.  Excerpts from the outstanding biographers David Willoughby and David Webster can be found here. 

He was famously involved in a lifting competition with the up-and-coming English champion Edward Aston.  At the time, Thomas Inch was regarded as the strongest man in Britain but his time was passing and the young Aston was clearly ready to take the crown.  This article by Monte Saldo describes the face-off between Aston and Max Sick once Inch had surrendered the opportunity to contest the throne.  And here is Aston’s own perspective on the contest.

As usual, the site oldtime strongman has a number of short articles about the great man.

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Monte Saldo

Monte Saldo was the stage name of Alfred Montague Woollaston who was apprenticed to Eugen Sandow.  He was born in London in 1879 and died in 1949.  Ron Tyrrell has written a brief but very informative biography here.

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What have I learned from these two strongmen?

As I’ve been going along, I’ve been commenting on what lessons I have learned from these remarkable men.  While reading through this site, I have learned that:

• It is possible to be in good shape and strong into old age;
• If you want to be really, really good at something, learn it from someone who has already been there and done what you want to achieve;
• People are more likely to remember you for a small number of really good lifts than for a large number of mediocre ones.

No more legendary strongmen from now on!  But I will do a summary post of what I’ve learned next week.