Wednesday, March 03, 2010

  • Weightlifting at the 1906 Olympics


  • A rare look at the "two arm" lifting event at the 1906 Olympics. Silver Medal winner Joseph Steinbach of Austria is shown here lifting while the eventual winner Demetrius Tofalos of Greece, looks on. (Steinbach took Gold and Tofalos Silver in the "One Hand" event later on.)

    Labels: , , , , , ,


    Wednesday, March 03, 2010

    www.oldtimestrongman.com

    <<< BLOG Home

    All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

    Bookmark and Share

    Wednesday, February 03, 2010

  • Tug O' War at the 1906 Olympic Games


  • Here's a rare look at the Tug O' War event at the 1906 Olympic Games held in Athens Greece. It looks like the Gold Medal -winning German team is on the right - notable because several of its members were also champion weightlifters, namely Heinrich Rondi and Heinrich Schneidereit. The Greek team took Silver while Sweden took Bronze. Joseph Steinbach was also a member of the Austrian team which finished was fourth.

    Labels: , , , , ,


    Wednesday, February 03, 2010

    www.oldtimestrongman.com

    <<< BLOG Home

    All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

    Bookmark and Share

    Wednesday, January 06, 2010

  • Alexandre' Maspoli


  • The great French lifter Alexandre' Maspoli was born in Lyons in 1875 and was an amateur champion an astounding 19 years in a row (1901 to 1920). He won a Bronze Medal at the 1906 Olympic Games. He also competed in the long jump in the 1906 games but did not place. Maspoli's greatest lifts include a right hand snatch of 207-1/2 pounds, a two-dumbbell clean and press of 231-3/4 pounds, and a two-dumbbell jerk of 298 pounds. Maspoli was also a successful sculptor.

    Labels: , , , , , ,


    Wednesday, January 06, 2010

    www.oldtimestrongman.com

    <<< BLOG Home

    All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

    Bookmark and Share

    Wednesday, September 23, 2009

  • Heinrich Rondi

  • Shown here is a rare picture of the German strongman Heinrich Rondi, one of the strongest men of the early 20th century. Rondi had a good year in 1906: he won the the European Lifting Championships, a World Greco-Roman wrestling title and a Gold Medal in the Tug O' War at the 1906 Olympics (where he also won two Bronze Medals in the weight lifting events.)

    In 1907, he added World Lifting Championship by besting his countryman Heinrich Schneidereit.

    In 1910, Rondi set two Amateur records with a right hand snatch of 203-1/2 pounds and a left hand snatch of 186-3/4 pounds.
    Heinrich RondiHeinrich Rondi

    Labels: , , , , , , , ,


    Wednesday, September 23, 2009

    www.oldtimestrongman.com

    <<< BLOG Home

    All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

    Bookmark and Share

    Thursday, August 20, 2009

  • Tullio Camillotti


  • Tullio Camillotti was an early Italian, weightlifter, strongman and wrestler who won Italy's first Olympic medal in weightlifting. At the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Camillotti took home the Silver medal in the "One-Hand Lifting" contest. (Heinrich Schneidereit won Bronze while Josef Grafl won Gold.)

    Labels: , , , , ,


    Thursday, August 20, 2009

    www.oldtimestrongman.com

    <<< BLOG Home

    All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

    Bookmark and Share

    Friday, August 07, 2009

  • Heinrich Schneidereit


  • Heinrich Schneidereit the German Strongman, finished second to Francois Lancoud at the 1903 World Championships in Paris, France. He came back to win it all, however, in 1906 in Lille, France.

    At a bodyweight of only 176 lbs., his winning lifts were: a one-hand snatch of 176-1/2 lbs, Crucifix of 71-1/2 lbs (each hand), overhead press of 231 lbs, and a barbell clean & jerk of 275-1/2 lbs.

    Schneidereit also competed in the 1906 Intercalated Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. He finished third in both the one hand and two hand lifting events but did end up with a Gold Medal though as a member of the German Tug of War team.

    Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,


    Friday, August 07, 2009

    www.oldtimestrongman.com

    <<< BLOG Home

    All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

    Bookmark and Share

    Tuesday, January 27, 2009

  • Demetrius Tofalos


  • The great Greek Lifter Demetrius Tofalos finishing up a lift with a classic barbell in an early weightlifting contest. Tofalos was the gold medal winner at the 1906 Olympics.

    Labels: , ,


    Tuesday, January 27, 2009

    www.oldtimestrongman.com

    <<< BLOG Home

    All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

    Bookmark and Share

    Wednesday, July 30, 2008

  • Demetrius Tofalos


  • Demetrius Tofalos was a Greek weightlifter who survived a serious childhood injury and went on to defeat Josef Steinbach to win the Gold Medal at the 1906 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The winning lift for Tofalos in the "two-hand barbell lift" (i.e. clean and jerk) was 142.4 Kilograms.

    It really was a "clean" and jerk - lifters were penalized if the barbell touched any other part of their body as they brough it to their chest..

    Tofalos was also a very successful professional wrestler although a defeat and injury by American Champion Frank Gotch forced his retirement. Tofalos eventually went on to manage Jim Londos, "The Golden Greek."

    Today, a sports arena is named in Tofalos' honor in his hometown of Patras, Greece.

    Labels: , , , , , , , ,


    Wednesday, July 30, 2008

    www.oldtimestrongman.com

    <<< BLOG Home

    All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

    Bookmark and Share

    Wednesday, August 15, 2007

  • Oldtime Strongman Joseph Steinbach


  • Joseph Steinbach Austrian Strongman

    Joseph Steinbach of Vienna, Austria, officially performed a Two Hands Continental Jerk of 387 pounds, a Two Hands Snatch of 264 3/4 pounds and a Two Hands Continental and Press of 335 pounds (besting Louis Cyr's mark by 34 pounds.)

    At the same time, he held the world's records on lifts performed with two dumb bells, won the gold medal in the "One Arm" event and a Silver in the "Two Arm" event at the 1906 Olympics.

    You can read more about him in Physical Training Simplified by Mark H. Berry or The Truth About Weight Lifting By Alan Calvert

    Labels: , , , , , , ,


    Wednesday, August 15, 2007

    www.oldtimestrongman.com

    <<< BLOG Home

    All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

    Bookmark and Share

    Welcome to the Strongest Blog on the Net!

    This is THE PLACE where you will find interesting bits of Iron Game history, lore and training tips from the strongest men of all time.

    Monthly Archives