Schemansky Stalks the Bar...

Norb Schemansky
From the late 1940s to mid-1960s, Norb Schemansky was America's most successful Olympic Weightlifter and the first weightlifter to medal in four Olympic Games, (despite missing the 1956 games.)

Do you think he means business in the shot above?

Here's a look at Norb Schemansky's achievements over the course of his career:

Olympic Champion - 1952 Olympic Games, Helsinki

Silver Medal - 1948 Olympic Games, London

Bronze Medal - 1960, Rome, 1964, Tokyo

World Champion (1951, 1953, and 1954)

1955 Pan American Games Heavyweight Champion

Silver Medal - Senior World Championships (1947, 1962, 1963)

Bronze Medal - Senior World Championships (1964)

And best career marks:

Press - 415 lbs.
Snatch - 363 3/4 lbs.
Clean and Jerk - 445 lbs.
Total - 1200 lbs. (400-335-445)

In addition to his weightlifting exploits, he also famously cleaned, then thrice jerked the Apollon Wheels.

---

Louis Cyr and Horace Barre' - John Robinson's $25,000 Challenge Feature

Louis Cyr and Horace Barre' - John Robinson's $25,000 Challenge Feature
During the 1898 Circus Season, Canadian Strongman Louis Cyr and his assstant/protege' Horace Barre performed their unique feats of strength all around the country in the John Robinson Circus.

As they criss-crossed the map, John Robinson put up $25,000 for any person who could duplicate any one of either of their feats.

Their performance included the back lift, Cyr's Barrel Lifting Feat, supporting feats, and lifting other heavy dumbbells or blockweights of various sizes and shapes.

Adjusting for inflation, that would be nearly $600,000 today, and, ironically enough, their money would still be safe...

---

Charles Rigoulot: One-Arm Snatch

Charles Rigoulot: One-Arm Snatch
The great French Strongman Charles Rigoulot snatches 242 pounds with one arm in old, Old, OLD Vienna, circa 1929.

Note the continued use of globed dumbbells long after they went out of style.

Just a few years earlier at the 1924 Olympic Games, the athletes still had a choice of either using a solid, revolving, plate-loaded barbell like you would see these days, or the archaic shot-loaded globe barbells of year's past.

All the members of the French weightlifting team, including Rigoulot, chose to lift with the oldtime globe barbells instead of the modern ones... Rigoulot won the gold medal in the light-heavyweight class while his teammate Edmond Decottignies also took home the gold in the light-weight Class.

Perhaps they knew something that others didn't. I think I know what it is... Click here to find out.

---

Oldtime Dumbbell Training With John Grimek

Oldtime Dumbbell Training With John Grimek
Here's a nice little dumbbell workout by John Grimek:

1. Two Hands Snatch w/dumbbells
2. Upright Rowing Motion
3. Side Bends
4. Shoulder Shrug
5. Lateral Raise
6. Dumbbell Swing

Grimek was using a pair of adjustable York Dumbbells but feel free to use a solid pair if that's what you have. You can find out more about some of the ways that Grimek trained in The Mark Berry Bar-Bell Courses

---

Bruce White: The Man From Gnowangerup

At the tender age of four years old, Bruce White began lifting weights under the guidance of his father, a former weight lifting star. (Although he readily admits that lifting was a bit of a chore and he didn't reach 'maximum enthusiasm' until he was 21 years of age.)

For those of you who don't know about Australian grip master Bruce White, he is probably THE guy when it comes to hand strength feats in the Iron Game publications of the 60s and 70s.

Well anyhow, early on, Bruce decided that the Deadlift was the one true test of strength and that it was more important than any other lift (interestingly enough, a notion he shared with fellow Australian and distance running coach and legend Percy Cerutty.)

Bruce has a number of amazing lifts to his credit including a Deadlift of 630 pounds and the ability to chin himself on rafters WITH an additional 70 pounds tied around his waist.

He once deadlifted 402 pounds for 24 straight reps, lifted a 147 pound anvil by the horn, pinch-gripped 117 pounds with one hand and lifted his own Inch Dumbbell replica which he has specially made. (shown above)

Did I mention that Bruce was only 5' 7' and 150 pounds at the time of these lifts?

---

Alfred Danks: "The Chest Expander as a Strength Builder"

"A well-known strongman, world's record holder and ex-world's champion weight lifter has put it on record on several occasions that he never trains for a record lift without a strong chest expander.

He has given full credit to this type of chest expander, and I am quoting him here in order to endorse what I am about to say from my own experience... "With but little training I have made records on the "dumbbell swing," the "single handed press," the "Crucifix" and on some special feats of my own. I wish to make it quite clear that not only my muscular development but my great strength as a weightlifter and strongman was obtained solely by the use of the chest expander."

Alfred Danks

---

Oldtime Leg Press

The Leg Press
The need for intense leg training should be obvious -- But don't try this one at home! Just because you "can" do a certain exercise doesn't necessarily mean you should...

For one of the very best ways to build leg and back strength that is both safe and productive, try a Gerard Trap Bar instead.

---

Classic Ironman Magazine

Peary Rader began lifting weights at 12 years old in order to build up his 128 pound frame. Heavy, high-rep squats and plenty of milk helped him gain nearly a hundred pounds of muscle over the next few years and, as a result, he went on to become a local weightlifting champion. Needless to say, strength training became a big part of his life once he saw how effective it could be. He wanted to spread the word... In the mid 1930's Rader found a broken mimeograph machine at the school where he worked as a maintenance man, took it home, repaired it and fashioned his own magazine discussing the wonders of proper weight lifting. He mailed the original print run of just 50 copies to his friends -- who liked what they saw -- which inspired Peary Rader to keep publishing. The issues became more and more streamlined and his magazine became known first as "The Iron Man" and later just "Iron Man" which highlighted bodybuilding, weightlifting, nutrition and overall strength training. Over time, Iron Man Magazine became the "Encyclopedia" for serious trainees all over the country and the world with its simple, yet effective training messages and basic workouts. -- Something decidedly lacking in today's strength world... (Pictured above: Joe Miller, Bert Goodrich, John Grimek, Sam Loprinzi, Roy Hilligenn, Bill Pearl, Reg Park, Timmy Leong, and "Red" Lerille)

---

Norb Schemansky Lifts The Apollon Wheels

Norb Schemansky Lifts The Apollon Wheels
At the turn of the century, the French strongman Apollon introduced his famous challenge weight -- a pair of railcar wheels attached by a thick axle.

The whole affair weighed 366 lbs. but the real challenge laid in the 1.93 inch thick axle which meant that only the strongest pairs of hands would ever have a shot at breaking it free of the ground.

Apollon, who likely had the strongest grip in history, was the only man who ever lifted it for decades...

Many a strongman tried but all failed until the great french weight lifter Charles Rigoulot finally achieved the feat in 1930 after having trained for it over the course of several months.

Nearly two decades later the American weightlifting champion John Davis was able to lift the wheels on his second try (after passing out on his first attempt.)

On October 14th, 1954 another American weightlifting champion, Norbert Schemansky, "cleaned" the Apollon wheels and jerked them three times in succession, thus writing his name (again) in the record books.

---

Maxick: Master of Muscle Control

Maxick: Master of Muscle Control
He began his life named "Max Sick" and it was certainly fitting as he suffered with a variety of ailments.

As a young man he was introduced to physical training as a method for improving his condition. Using isometrics, hand balancing and weightlifting he built himself back to health and later became reborn as "Maxick" champion Strength athlete.

One day, while working as an artists model he noticed that he was able to isolate his abdominals in a certain way while he held a specific pose for periods of time. As time passed, he began to experiment with isolating other muscle groups and the unique art of "Muscle Control" was born.

The audiences of the time had never seen anything like it. It was not only quite a sight but Maxick himself used primarily Muscle Control to build an incredible physique. Though he rarely lifted weights, Maxick was incredibly strong,

At a bodyweight of around 150 pounds, he could perform the following:

Two hands military press with barbell: 230 lbs.

Right hand military press: 112 lbs.

Right hand snatch with barbell: 165 lbs.

Right hand swing with dumbbell: 150 lbs.

Two hands clean and jerk with barbell: 272 lbs.

Due to the unique benefits and training effects of practicing muscle control, many physique stars and physical culturists practiced it including: Otto Arco, Alan P. Mead, John Grimek and Ed Jubinville.

---

Frank Gotch

Frank Gotch
He defeated George Hackenschmidt twice, and the likes of Tom Jenkins, Benjamin Roller and Stanislaus Zbyszko on his way to holding the Heavyweight Championship longer than any man before or since.

It was his technique that made him a Champion (Gotch's feared step-over-toe-hold was nearly impossible to defend) but it was his training that made him a Legend.

There have been few wrestlers since then who trained more seriously than Gotch... and he trained just like a wrestler should.

Calisthenics, road work and sparing gave Gotch a killer's heart and an advantage in every single match.

The "Old Farmer" Farmer Burns understood the game of wrestling better than anyone and trained his student to be the best.

---

Modern Strongman Dennis Rogers

Over the last decade and a half, Dennis Rogers has become the most widely seen Strongman in history. -- More people have probably seen Dennis than all the other performing strongmen - ever! Dennis has appeared on The Discovery Channel, The Best Damn Sports Show Period, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Oprah Winfrey Show and dozens of other television shows in the US and all over the world.

Dennis Rogers

You may not believe this but Dennis Rogers weighed 79 lbs. in high school and even today tips the scales at only 160 pounds. Even though he may not fit what you think of as a typical "Strongman" Dennis has performed feats that have yet to be duplicated.

Keep an eye on this BLOG for an upcoming post taking a closer look at some of Dennis' amazing feats...

In the meantime, you can see these feats (and even learn how to do some of them) with Dennis' outstanding Oldtime Strongman DVDs:

How to Drive a Nail Without a Hammer

336 Pounds of Fury

Crazy But Powerful

Secrets of Odd Object Bending

---

Developing Grip Strength by David Gentle and David Webster

"Developing Grip Strength"

Stronger hands and forearms have always been a very important (but often overlooked) area of training for every athlete. Published back in 1986, Developing Grip Strength by David Gentle and David Webster became an instant classic as it was the first "book" ever written specifically on the subject of grip training. You'll be lucky to find a copy these days -- I've seen them listed at several hundred dollars on some of the used book sites.

The two Davids do not disappoint -- citing a number of classic sources, they cover an incredible array of topics:

Phonebook Tearing

Crushing Bottle Caps

Hand Balancing

Ripping a Deck of Cards in Half

Hand Grippers

The Wrist Roller

Wrist Curls and Reverse Wrist Curls

Sledge Hammer Leverage Exercises

One Arm Deadlifts

Pinch Gripping

Grip Training with Chest Expanders

Isometrics

Nail Bending and Bar Bending

Single Finger Lifts

Wrist Wrestling

Training with Bricks

and more!

While this book is quite rare, you can learn how to train for many of these feats with the four different courses in our Classic Grip Course Collection

---

Karl Swoboda: Austrian Strongman

Karl Swoboda
An Austrian by birth, Karl Swoboda was one of the early strength "Giants" -- literally. Swoboda eventually reached a bodyweight of over 400 lbs. He owned his own restaurant and did plenty of lifting back in the "bier garden."

Of course, his tremendous strength also matched his great bodyweight. Here's a look at some of his best marks:

Two Arm Jerk: 441 pounds

Two Arm Continental Press: 359-1/2 pounds

Right Arm Military Press: 154-1/4 pounds

Two Arm Continental Press w/Dumbbells: 286 pounds

Left Hand Snatch: 158-1/2 pounds

Right Hand Snatch: 169-3/4 pounds

You can read more about Karl Swoboda in Physical Training Simplified by Mark Berry and The Truth Abut Weight Lifting by Alan Calvert

---

The Grip Strength of John Grimek

John Grimek trained his hand and forearm strength
John Grimek was most famous for his amazing physique but he was quite an all-around strength athlete.

He did, of course, represent the United States in the 1936 Olympics so he was quite an Olympic Weightlifter in his own right, but he also excelled in many other unusual feats of strength simply because he loved to train.

These include: harness lifting, heavy supports, hand balancing and, as pictured here, ripping a deck of cards in half, Phonebook Tearing and lifting an old York 45 lb. Barbell Plate by the hub.

It would be a very good idea to follow John Grimek's example and strengthen your hands and forearms to their maximum...

---

Frank "Cannonball" Richards

Frank "Cannonball" Richards"
Frank "Cannonball" Richards isn't a household name but chances are you have seen him before...

You may have seen his picture on the cover of the Van Halen "III" CD, or you may have caught him spoofed in an episode of The Simpons, or maybe you have even seen the famous footage as it has been used in several commercials over the years, either way he will go down in history as the man with the world's hardest stomach.

He began by simply letting folks punch him in the stomach (including Jack Dempsey and "Red" Buman, pictured above)and it hardly had an effect. From there they went to breaking boards over his gut, full-out blows with a sledge hammer and finally he allowed a cannon to shoot him dead-center in the stomach.

Despite engineers estimating the impact of the 104 lb. cannon ball on his stomach at 5000 lbs. of force, it, nor any of the other blows had any effect.

Strength feat or act of lunacy?

You be the judge, either way it is impressive.

---

Quite a Bar"Belle"

Bar"Belle" Norma Wieland

Bar"Belle" Norma Wieland lifts some interesting train-wheel weights at Yaco's Gym in downtown Detroit, Circa 1945. Of course, something as nifty as a train-wheel barbell would have to come from Detroit. There is just something about the look and feel of unique training equipment that makes for better workouts. I bet those particular weights were fun to lift...

---

Farmer Burns on Medicine Ball Training

Just before the turn of the century, Martin "Farmer" Burns was one of the fiercest wrestlers the world had ever seen. He wrestled over 6000 matches, lost only 7 and held the World's Championship on two seperate occasions. Once his competitive career came to an end, the "Old Farmer" as he was known, focused on managing and training other wrestlers and athletes.

Farmer Burns

His most famous pupil was Frank Gotch, who, thanks in large part to Farmer Burns' coaching, became arguably the greatest wrestler of all time.

The foundation of Burns' method was physical conditioning. After all, a wrestler can never be too strong or well conditioned -- and at his "School of Wrestling" in Omaha, Nebraska, he employed any method that would help his athletes become the best.

Here's a look at his thoughts on training with the medicine ball:

The Medicine Ball

"Perhaps some of my students are not familiar with the Medicine Ball. It is a ball that has been used in training during recent yeats and from my observations in training camps, I have decided that it has an important part to play in the routine work of the athlete...

It is a large leather ball of considerable weight, yet soft enough to avoid hurting or damaging the contestants.

Two persons are required when exercising with the ball. It is merely thrown back and forth from one to another, but is thrown and caught in a great variety of positions.

It should be thrown and caught in a variety of positions. It should be thrown with both hands over the head, from the right side and from the left side. It can also be thrown with the right arm alone and the left arm alone, and from various positions when you are sitting or lying down.

The person catching the ball should catch it first with the right arm and then with the left and make special efforts to exercise as much as possible, while catching and returning the ball to his companion.

If you have never worked out with the medicine ball, you will think from this description that it is child's play, but let me assure you that if you devoted ten minutes to fast work with the medicine ball, you will change your mind and readily appreciate the fact that it is a great exercise for limbering up the muscles and working up a good sweat."

Of course, if Farmer Burns were still alive and running his school of wrestling today, this is the medicine ball he would be training with:

Everlast Classic Leather
Medicine Balls

---

Casey Viator and The Colorado Experiment

Casey Viator gained 63 Pounds of Muscle in 28 Days
In the early 1970's, Arthur Jones wrote a series of articles for Iron Man magazine outlining some of his unique training ideas...

These training articles were like nothing anyone had ever seen before... Arthur simply gave a name to some ideas about training that had always been "true" -- and while they were simple, and involved common sense and self-evident truth they rocked the strength world to its knees.

He had, in the previous years, put his ideas into practice and the results were tremendous, but what he needed was close supervision and justification for his ideas in a controlled setting where the results could be monitored and recorded.

In 1973, he got his wish and "The Colorado Experiment" began at the Department of Physical Education, Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado and supervised by Dr. Elliott Plese, Director of Exercise Physiology Lab.

Over the course of one month, with himself and Casey Viator as the subjects, training ideas would be put into practice and studied extensively.

For an article in the September 1973, Volume 32 Number 6 of Ironman Magazine, Arthur wrote up his thoughts:

PURPOSE of the EXPERIMENT . . . it is the author's contention that the growth of human muscular tissue is related to the intensity of exercise; increases in strength and muscle-mass are rapidly produced by very brief and infrequent training ... if the intensity of exercise is high enough.

It is the author's second contention that increasing the amount of training is neither necessary nor desirable . . . on the contrary, a large amount of high intensity training will actually reduce the production of strength and muscle mass increases.

It is the author's third contention that "negative work" (eccentric contraction) is one of the most important factors involved in exercise performed for the purpose of increasing strength and muscle-mass.

It is the author's fourth contention that nothing in the way of a special diet is required . . . so long as a reasonably well-balanced diet is provided.

It is the author's fifth contention that the use of the so-called "growth drugs" (steroids) is neither necessary nor desirable ... on the contrary, repeated tests with animals and double-blind tests with human subjects have clearly demonstrated that the use of such drugs is strongly contraindicated.

It is the author's sixth contention that maximum-possible increases in strength and muscle-mass can be produced only by the use of full range, rotary form, automatically variable, direct resistance.

And the results:

First subject (Casey Viator), 28 days
Increase in bodyweight........45.28 pounds
Loss of bodyfat..............17.93 pounds
Muscular gain.................63.21 pounds

---

Arthur Dandurand

Many of the oldtime strongmen were famous for their ability to lift heavy, awkward objects.

Their reasons were simple: Not everyone can relate to a loaded barbell... but everyone knows that if you can "lift" a piano, anvil, safe or a cannon on your back you must be pretty damn strong. Here's a look at the famous Canadian strongman Arthur Dandurand as he supports a 406 lb. Ford engine block on his shoulder. Dandurand was only 5'8" and 180 pounds but possesed very unusual strength.

Arthur Dandurand

He was documented as having first accomplished this feat on January 17th, 1930 and could do it any time he was asked. -- and, even more impressive, no other strongman was ever able to duplicate it!

You can read more about Arthur Dandurand in Physical Training Simplified by Mark H. Berry

---

Henry Holtgrewe: The Cincinnati Strongman

Henry Holtgrewe: The Cincinnati Strongman
Henry Holtgrewe was born in Hanover, Germany in 1872 but came to live in the United States at an early age. He settled in Cincinnati, where he ran a saloon near old Chester Park in Northside.

In his spare time he delighted in performing feats of strength, especially lifting barbells and dumbbells with thick handles -- which not only confounded smaller-handed competition, but also allowed Henry Holtgrewe to build a tremendous 15-1/2 inch forearm in the process.

Holtgrewe also out "pressed" the great Louis Cyr with a single-arm lift of 287 pounds. It was said that each time Eugen Sandow performed in Cincinnati Holtgrewe challenged to a lifting contest -- and each time Sandow refused.

In 1904 Holtgrewe backlifted two opposing baseball teams at Redlands Field in Cincinnati. The combined weight was estimated at 4103 pounds easily placing him among the strongest backlifters of all time.

---

Bob Peoples' Dungeon Gym

Bob Peoples'"Dungeon" Gym
Bob Peoples was the first man to officially deadlift over 700 pounds and did so back in the 1940's without any suits, wraps or other assorted foolishness.

When the weather was warm he trained outside but when Winter came, he moved inside into the training area he literally carved out of stone in his basement which he called "The Dungeon." It was here that Bob Peoples pioneered many of the pieces of equipment and training techniques that are commonplace these days including the power rack, negative training, and heavy supports and partials.

Bob Peoples

Notice the Milo Kettlebells and the makeshift circular "Trap Bar" leaning against the far wall. This allowed Bob to stand on a platform and increase his range of motion.

You can read more about Bob Peoples and his training techniques in Developing Physical Strength

---

Siegmund Breitbart: The Iron King

Siegmund Breitbart

In the early part of the 20th Century, Siegmund Breitbart was one of the most well-nown strongmen the world had ever seen and stories of his great strength graced newspapers all across the country. He bent steel bars, drove nails with his hands, supported automobiles, twisted horse shoes, pulled wagons with his teeth and even bit through chains! Breitbart was from a family of blacksmiths and was known professionally as "The Iron King" -- like many strongmen of the period, he also had his own mail-order training course. He would probably have ended up a household name had he not tragically passed away from blood poisoning at the age of 42.

The movie "Invincible," (2001) directed by Werner Herzog, was loosely based on his life.

---

Sig Klein's Gym

Sig Klein's Classic Old-Time Gym
Here's another look at one of the classc gyms we have featured before: Sig Klein's place in New York City. This was the original location -- he moved into a facility overlooking Times Square later on.

Notice the mirror on the right revealing a set of globe barbells on the far wall, block and ring weights in the foreground and you can just make out a Roman Column on the extreme left.

There's nothing like Classic Equipment to make your training special. You can tell a lot of great workouts happened down at Sig's Place.

Sig Klein inherited much of the equipment after he married Professor Attila's youngest daughter in 1927. Professor Attila, of course, was the man who taught Eugen Sandow how to train.

---

John Grimek

There were few men more naturally impressive that John Grimek. It was no surprise why he graced the cover of a number of so many strength magazines throughout his life (The January 1940 Issue of Strength & Health pictured right.) Grimek had a physique better than any Greek statue but he was also a very accomplished Olympic Weightlifter, having represented the United States at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The foundation of his strength and physique development was intense squatting, as taught to him by Mark Berry.

John Grimek

---