Wednesday, May 28, 2008
| A young Bernarr Macfadden pressing a 100-pound dumbbell overhead and looking very spry after a 7-day fast. Macfadden was one of the first pioneers of the physical culture lifestyle. His views on the benefits of daily exercise, proper diet and clean living were radical at the time (the early 1900s) but are widely accepted today (although,ironically, probably just as seldom practiced.) |  Bernarr Macfadden |
Labels: Bernarr Macfadden, Dumbbell Press, Globe Dumbbell, Physical Culture
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Doug HepburnDoug Hepburn's mighty right arm... the same arm he performed a one-hand holdout and 37 overhead presses with a 120-pound dumbbell. It will be a long time before we see the likes of Doug Hepburn again.
Labels: Canadian Strongman, Doug Hepburn, Dumbbell Press, one arm holdout
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Circus Strongman Pierre Gasnier Rips a Deck of CardsStanding only 5'3" and weighing 135 pounds, the "French Hercules" Pierre Gasnier possessed a great deal of strength and power as is evident in this rare picture. He was one of the first, and most influential, of the oldtime Circus strongmen, performing for the Barnum and Bailey circus throughout the 1890s.
Shown here ripping a deck of cards with ease, Gasnier was said to be able to perform a one-arm snatch with bodyweight whilst his ankles were tied together. Gasnier is featured prominently in Alan Calvert's book Super Strength.
Labels: Barnum and Bailey Circus, Card Ripping, Circus Strongman, Deck of Cards, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Pierre Gasnier
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Bert Elliott's 276 Pound Bent PressBert Elliott performs a bent-press with 276 pounds on a russian Olympic set at a strength show at Pasedena, California in the 60's. This lift was approximately 100 pounds over bodyweight for Bert. That's Pat Casey spotting on the right.
Labels: Barbell, Bench Press, Bert Elliott, Feat, Pat Casey, Russian Olympic Set
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Monday, May 26, 2008
| "Maxalding" was a method of training developed in 1909 by two masters: Maxick and Monte Saldo. This unique training style was a combination of abdominal muscle control and breathing exercises, and required no equipment. Courses on Maxalding proved to be very popular and were sold well into the 1970's. This advertisement is from 1956 and features Monte Saldo's son Courtlandt Saldo. |  Maxalding |
Labels: Maxalding, Maxick, Monte Saldo, Muscle Control, Muscle Control Course
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The Incredible Arm of Clevio MassimoIt was said that Clevio Massimo's family was descended from great Roman athletes of antiquity. That certainly isn't too difficult to believe, Tony was one of the most musclular men who ever lived and excelled at a number of feats.
He could support a piano and player in the Tomb of Hercules position, bend spikes and tear phonebooks.
He was also a great Hand Balancer and wrestler.
Clevio only weighed 190 pounds but you would never think it looking at his pictures.
Labels: Arm Development, Bend Spikes, Big Arms, Clevio Massimo, Hand Balancing, Italian Strongman, Phonebook Tearing, Tomb of Hercules
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| Sig Klein came up with a number of innovative training ideas. One day he took the board he had often used for the Tomb of Hercules Feat, chained it to the wall and devised an early version of the "Leg Press" machine. He eventually discarded this design as the resistance decreased too much at the top of the movement due to the physics involved. |  The Leg Press |
Labels: Equipment, Exercise, Exercise Machine, Leg Press Machine, Sig Klein, The Leg Press, Tomb of Hercules, Vintage Strength Equipment
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 Abe Boshes | Abe Boshes of Brooklyn New, York won Bernarr Macfadden's gold medal at Madison Square Garden in 1903 and was featured prominently in MacFadden's "Physical Culture" Magazine. Boshes would go on to become one of Earle E. Liederman's top students. Boshes became an expert in Chest Expanders, wrote several training courses on the subject and eventually employed a young Angelo Siciliano (later becoming Charles Atlas) to demonstrate his wares. |
Labels: Abe Boshes, Angelo Siciliano, Charles Atlas, Chest Expanders, Earle E. Liederman, Jewish Strongman, Oldtime Strongman
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Thursday, May 22, 2008
Loprinzi's GymA look at Sam Loprinzi and his famous gym in the Portland, Oregon area. Loprinzi took great care in the equipment selection and layout of his gym which is why it was known as one of the top gyms in the country for many years. (I hear it's still in business.)
The pro-wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura used to train there early in his career and mentions that he benched 500 pounds for the first time while training at Loprinzi's place.
Loprinzi's gym also was one of the very first gyms in the country with a full set of Nautilus Machines.
Labels: Bench Press, Classic Gym, Jesse Ventura, Loprinzi's Gym, Nautilus Machines, Sam Loprinzi
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Bob Harley Bob Harley, of Sig Klein's Gym was one of the world's greatest masters of the bent press. In fact, Bob Harley was the winner of the New York City Bent Press contest and was one of the few men to bent press the Rolandow Dumbbell.
Labels: Bent Press, Bent Press Feat, Bob Harley, Rolandow Dumbbell, Sig Klein, Strength Feat
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Strongman HammersHammers of various kinds have a long tradition in strongman training -- and they are a lot of fun to train with, in fact, I have a collection of several unusual hammers. These huge wooden hammers were originally used by the military for driving tent pegs and re-aligning tank treads.
Labels: Hammer Training, John Wood, Sledge Hammer Exercise, Sledge Hammer Leverage, sledge Hammers, Strongman Equipment, Training Equipment, Wooden Hammers
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The Osman TrioThree great strongmen formed the act known as the Osman Trio. Wilhelm Turck was a butcher by trade who became the World's Weightlifting Champion in 1898. He could perform a two-hands anyhow dumbbell lift of 279 1/4 pounds: 140 lb. DB in right hand, 139 1/4 lb. DB in left hand.
Franz Stahr was one of the first strongmen to lift 200 pounds overhead with one hand.
Georges Jagendorfer was a very popular strongman who performed with Cooke's Circus. The trio often used elaborate stage weights in their performances around Europe.
Labels: Circus Strongman, Cooke's Circus, Franz Stahr, Georges Jagendorfer, Osman Trio, Wilhelm Turck
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Joan RhodesThe lovely Joan Rhodes looked every bit the blonde bombshell but could perform incredible feats of strength that most men twice her size could not even dream of accomplishing. She left home at the age of 13 to join the circus where she was "adopted" by the Strongman who taught her how to build her strength.
She was featured prominantly in magazines articles and newsreel clips bending iron bars, breaking nails, and tearing phonebooks as shown in this classic shot from the 1950's.
Labels: Bar Bending, Circus, Joan Rhodes, Nail Breaking, Phonebook Tearing, Strongwoman
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
| Tommy Kono succeeds in jerking unusual classic barbell at Cayeaux's Paris gym (the same place where Norb Schemansky lifted the Apollon Wheels.) This non-rotating thick-handle barbell weighed 358 pounds and the smaller plates necessitated a longer pull making it quite a challenge. The first two men to clean and jerk this weight were Charles Rigoulot and John Davis. |  Tommy Kono |
Labels: Charles Rigoulot, Classic Gym, Clean and Jerk, Famous Barbell, Jerk, John Davis, Thick Handle, Tommy Kono
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| A look at Sig Klein using the Roman Column at his famous gym. It was actually Sig's father-in-law Professor Attila who invented the Roman Column. The Roman Column was actually used more as a demonstration of strength than as a means of developing strength. When used for strength feats, the performer would lower his body directly to the ground, pick up a weight and then sit up with it. Eugen Sandow was a master at this strength feat. |  Sig Klein's Roman Column |
Labels: Abdominal Strength, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Professor Attila, Roman Column, Sig Klein, Sig Kleins Gym, Strongman Equipment, Training Equipment
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Karl AbsKnown as the father of German Strength Sports, Karl Abs was the first man in Germany to jerk 130 kg. He could also bent press 242 pounds and was a very good professional wrestler, often billed as "The German Oak."
Labels: Bent Press, German Oak, German Strongman, Jerk, Karl Abs, Oldtime Strongman, Wrestler
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John Davis PinchliftThe Olympic Champion John Davis pinch-gripping 55 pounds with one finger and a thumb while training as Ed Yarick's Gym.
Try it!
Labels: Ed Yarick's Gym, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, John Davis, Pinch Lift
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Friday, May 16, 2008
Slim The Hammer Man's GymA unique look into part of Slim the Hammer Man's "dungeon" gym. Slim has been performing for over 50 years and there's a lot of history on those walls - event posters, pictures of The Mighty Atom, memorabilia, famous strongmen and friends, bent horseshoes and nails, chains, and, of course, his famous sledge hammers.
...That's the Mighty Atom's coat on the chair in the foreground.
Yes, it's even more amazing to see it in real life but if you can't make it to Pottstown, PA, you can still check it out for yourself here.
And, like I said, this is only part of Slim's place.
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Classic Strongman Gyms, Sledgehammers, Slim The Hammerman, Strongman Memorabilia, The Dungeon, The MIghty Atom
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Joe Rollino"The Great" Joe Rollino bends a spike with his teeth. According to an article in Strength and Health, some of Rollino's best lifts include: a teeth lift of 475 pounds, a one-finger lift of 635 pounds, a deadlift of 585 pounds, a curl of 185 pounds, a back lift of 3200 pounds, and a hand and thigh lift of 1500 pounds -- all at a bodyweight of only 175 pounds.
Labels: Backlift, Curl, Hand And Thigh Lift, Joe Rollino, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Strength and Health, The Great Joe Rollino
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
| What weighs more than one kettlebell? - Two kettlebells! (How's that for logic?) In many cases the Oldtimers didn't have an easy method to add weight to their equipment -- so they made due with what they could. Hence, why you will sometimes see them holding two dumbbells or two kettlebells in one hand which also added a level of difficulty to their exercises as they trained. |  The 2-Kettlebell Deadlift |
Labels: Exercise, Kettlebell Lift, kettlebell lifting, Kettlebells, Milo Kettlebell, Oldtime Strength Equipment
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Monday, May 12, 2008
Dave Sheppard Training at The York GymOne of the greatest gyms of all time was the old York gym on Broad street. An untold number of champions trained there, among them Dave Sheppard, shown here practicing his high pulls with 360 pounds.
Sheppard used a wide grip, as if snatching, and pulled the weight high enough to touch his chest lightly on each rep. This was one of the key exercises that allowed him to snatch 316-1/2 pounds at a bodyweight of 190 pounds.
John Davis looks on as he waits his turn to lift.
Labels: Broad Street Gym, Classic Strongman Gyms, Dave Sheppard, High Pull, John Davis, Snatch, York Gym
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Steve Stanko Cleans 370 PoundsThe Mighty Steve Stanko showing the form that allowed him to become the first man to officially total over 1000 pounds in the three Olympic Lifts and the first American to snatch 300 pounds.
The shot was taken during a workout in 1940. A year later Stanko went on to break the 1000 pound barrier. (His bodyweight at the time was only 220 pounds.)
Labels: 100 Pound Total, 300 Pounds Snatch, Clean, Olympic Weightlifting, Steve Stanko
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Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Superman PushupThe "Superman Pushup" is tough enough by itself and few people can perform it. Here is 55 year old J.A. Smyrna performing this incredible feat with an additional 135 pounds. He accomplished this lift at the George State weightlifting championships in 1941.
Labels: Abdominal Strength, Bending Feat, Pushup, Superman Pushup
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| You might have heard of Ed Zercher from the famous lift which bears his name but the St. Louis native was a master of many different lifts. Here's Ed Zercher deadlifting 536-pounds at a bodyweight of only 155. |  Ed Zercher |
Labels: Deadlift, Ed Zercher, Oldtime Strongman, Zercher Lift
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| The Super Gripper is one of the classic pieces of grip training equipment and has actually been around since the early 1940s if you can believe it. The first Super Gripper was invented by a man named Daniel Marvosh of Flint, Michigan and it was advertised in the pages of Strength and Health and Ironman Magazines. This ad is from 1963. |  The Super Gripper |
Labels: Advertisement, Daniel Marvosh, Grip Equipment, Grip Strength, Grip Tools, Iron Man Magazine, Strength and Health, Super Gripper, The Super Gripper
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Friday, May 09, 2008
Sig Klein Demonstrates The One Arm GetupSig Klein demonstrates one of most popular of the "oldtime" lifts: the one arm getup (also called the Turkish getup.)
This was a favorite lift of the vaudeville performers of yesteryear who performed it with live weight, dumbbell or kettlebell as shown here. The athlete begins with back flat on the floor and the weight pressed to arm's length. Then, through a series of movements, ends up with standing with the weight overhead.
Some performers did not consider the lift completed until the sequence was reversed. This lift requires great stamina and a good sense of balance.
Labels: Balance, Kettlebell Lift, Oldtime Strongman Exercise, One Arm Getup, Sig Klein, Turkish Getup
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Bert AssiratiOur friends across the pond are sure to recognize the legendary British wrestler Bert Assirati who held the heavyweight championship belt for several years in the 40s and 50s.
Though he was quite stout (5'6", bodyweight of 263) Assirati was one of the strongest and most athletic individuals who ever graced the wrestling ring. He could easily perform a standing backflip, was a master hand balancer and could chin himself three times with either arm, among other feats.
Labels: Bert Assirati, British Wrestler, Hand Balancing, One Arm Chin up, Wrestler, Wrestling
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Louis Cyr's BackliftA rare woodcut of the great Louis Cyr's famous backlift. Cyr astonished the world with a lift of 4337 pounds!
Labels: Backlift, Feat, Heavy Partial Movements, Louis Cyr, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Orville Stamm - The Boy HerculesA top vaudeville attraction for several decades, Orville Stamm, who performed as "The Boy Hercules" possessed many talents. He would often sing a song to the accompanyment of a piano which he happened to be supporting in the "Tomb Of Hercules".
He could also tear cards, played the violin with a 66-pound bulldog tied to the bow, lifted a horse with one hand and performed acrobatic feats.
Sounds like quite a show!
During World War I, Orville Stamm also served as physical instructor to the Navy and one of his students was president-to-be Franklin D. Roosevelt. After FDR was elected, Orville and his wife were often guests at the Whitehouse.
Labels: Acrobatics, Card Tearing, Horse Lifting, Orville Stamm, Supporting Feat, The Tomb of Hercules
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| What do you get if you are the first and only man to lift the "unliftable" Thomas Inch Challenge Dumbbell" since Thomas Inch himself? You get this award -- the award given to Mr. John Gallacher when he did just that at the 1957 NABBA Mr. America contest. Mr. John Gallacher fully deadlifted the Inch Dumbbell three times that night -- the only man to do so (besides Thomas Inch) in almost six decades! (A Big Thank you to John Gallacher for sending in the picture and filling us in on that fateful day.) |  "Winner - Inch Dumbbell ContestNABBA Mr. Universe Contest 1957" |
Labels: Grip Feat, Inch Dumbbell, Inch Dumbbell Challenge, John Gallacher, NABBA, Thick Bar Lifting, Thomas Inch
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The Front SquatOne useful variation of the squat is the front squat, where the bar is held on the front of the shoulders instead of on the back (hence the name). This exercise is one of the most effective supplmentary exercises for Olympic weightlifting as it builds leg power coming out of the clean.
Speaking of Olympic Weightlifters, in the picture that's Dave Ashman front squatting 435-pounds at Muscle Beach in the 1950s. Ashman was a three-time Sr.National weightlifting champ (1957, 1958, 1959) and briefly held world records in both the snatch and clean and jerk.
Labels: Barbell Exercise, Dave Ashman, Exercise, Olympic Weightlifing Exercise, The Front Squat
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Mac batchelor's 2000-Pound Hip LiftMac Batchelor was well-known for his grip strength but he excelled at many other different types of strength feats.
Here's Mighty Mac performing a harness or hip lift with over 2000 pounds.
Labels: Harness Lift, Hip Lift, Mac Batchelor, Oldtime Strongman Feat
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The great Eugen Sandow wrote a number of books over his lifetime. Here is a look at them, in order of publication:
 Eugen Sandow |
Labels: Bodybuilding, Eugen Sandow, Life is Movement, Physical Training, Sandow's System of Physical Training, Strength Author
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Joseph VitoleAt a bodyweight of only 150 pounds, Joe Vitole broke the World's Record with a teeth lift of 550 pounds. Needless to say, teeth lifting builds incredible neck strength. While you may not necessarily want to include teeth lifting in you routine, you should unquestionably be training your neck.
Labels: Feat, Joseph Vitole, Neck Strength, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Teeth Lifting
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Tuesday, May 06, 2008
The Iron Shoe ExerciserAnother look at the "Iron Shoe." There's nothing better than an Iron Shoe for building "short-range" strength and learning how to bend horseshoes.
Labels: Armwrestling Equipment, Bent Horseshoes, Iron Shoe, Iron Shoe Exerciser, John Wood, Oldtime Strength Equipment
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Monday, May 05, 2008
Reg Park - Dumbbell Standing PressReg Park locking out a standing press with a pair of dumbbells, 235-pounds total. I certainly can't think of anyone more fitting to play "Hercules" in the movies.
Labels: Dumbbell Press, Hercules, Reg Park Workout, Standing Press
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Sunday, May 04, 2008
Sam LoprinziSam Loprinzi was a very popular bodybuilder in the 1940s and 1950s. The picture above shows the kind of shape that he was in when he finished second at the 1946 AAU Mr. America contest and also took home the "Most Muscular" sub-division trophy.
Sam Loprinzi was on the cover of Strength and Heath Magazine several times and also ran a successful gym in the Portland, Oregon Area (which, evidently, is still in business.)
Labels: 1946 Mr. America Contest, AAU, Bodybuilding, Loprinzi's Gym, Most Muscular, Sam Loprinzi, Strength and Health Magazine
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Steve Stanko and The Hub LiftOne of the classic classic grip feats was to pick up a York Deep-Dish 45 Pound barbell plate just by the hub, something weightlifting and bodybuilding champ Steve Stanko could do with ease, even with an added 10 pounds. Steve's best was with over 90 pounds!
Labels: 45 Pound Plate, Bending Feat, Finger Strength, Grip Feat, Hub Lift, Steve Stanko, York Barbell, York Deep Dish 45 Pound Plate
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The Dumbbell BenchpressThe Dumbbell Benchpress is an excelllent alternative to the more commonly done barbell version. By performing the benchpress with dumbbells, you can get a greater range of motion and since you can't bounce the barbell off your chest, there's little chance for monkey business.
Here's Sanford Kapner of Pittsburgh, PA using a pair of 130s for sets of 5. How about that bench he's using?
Labels: Dumbbell Benchpress, Dumbbell Exercise, Dumbbell Training, Exercise
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Friday, May 02, 2008
Elwood Holbrook - Master of the Bent PressElwood Holbrook took 4th at the 1941 AAU Mr. America Contest AND took home the "Best Arms" award (He had also competed in the afternoon's weightlifting contest where he finished 6th with a 715-pound total in the 165-pound class.)
While Holbrook was a very talented strength athlete and equally good at bodybuilding as well as weightlifting, his real gift was the bent press -- he won the national Bent-Press Championship in a contest held by Sig Klein.
Holbrook was also one of the few men to bent press the famous Rolandow Dumbbell - a feat which he did on his first try and without a warmup.
Here's a shot of a 48-year old Elwood Holbrook bent-pressing 240 pounds -- 75 pounds above his bodyweight. That unique dumbbell belonged to Paul Anderson.
Labels: 1941 Mr. America Contest, AAU, Bent Press Arthur Saxon, Best Arms, Bodybuilding, Elwood Holbrook, Olympic Weightlifting, Paul Anderson, Rolandow Dumbbell, Sig Kleins Gym, Total
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Thursday, May 01, 2008
The Young ApolloThe Young Apollo -- A.K.A. Paul Anderson (yes, really) from Australia performed many unusual feats during his colorful career. He was fond of the Human Link Feat, letting a car run over him and pulling railroad cars with his teeth.
Here's The Young Apollo supporting 540 Pounds in pretty much every imaginable way.
Labels: Australian Strongman, Car, Globe Barbell, Human Link, Kettlebell, Ring Weights, Teeth Lifting, The Young Apollo
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The Brothers McCannThe Brothers McCann, Henry and Louis, were known as Hercules and Samson when they became professional strongmen in the late 1800s. In 1890, they challenged Eugen Sandow to a match - and Won!
... although they were defeated by Louis Cyr in a similar contest a few years later.
Labels: Amazing Samson, Challenge Match, Eugen Sandow, Hercules, Louis Cyr, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Oldtime Strongmen, The Brothers McCann
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