How Franco Columbu Built “Unfair” Strength With a Technique Nobody Uses Today

How Franco Columbu Built “Unfair” Strength With a Technique Nobody Uses Today

Franco Columbu's strength was legendary—at just 5'5" and 185 lbs, he deadlifted 750 pounds, benched 525, and outlifted men who towered over him at Gold's Gym. But his "unfair" power didn't come from genetics alone. Franco used a forgotten training technique that blended Sardinian farm labor, boxing explosiveness, powerlifting intensity, and odd-object strongman work into one complete system. This method built dense, functional strength that modern bodybuilders and powerlifters rarely develop today. In this documentary, we explore Franco Columbu's unusual training style, his incredible strength feats, and why his approach to building muscle and power practically vanished from gym culture after the Golden Era ended.

If you remember the iron game of the 1970s—when Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, and Franco Columbu trained at the original Gold's Gym in Venice Beach—you'll recognize this lost style of training. Franco combined heavy compound lifts with controlled tension through every rep, partial overload work to strengthen tendons, and real-world carries like lifting cars and moving refrigerators. His technique required patience, focus, and a willingness to train differently than everyone else. Today's fitness culture has moved toward specialization and machines, but Franco's old-school strength methods still work. This is the story of how the Sardinian Strongman built world-class power using a system that almost nobody teaches anymore—and why older lifters still remember his approach as the gold standard for functional, lasting strength.

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