Wednesday, January 20, 2010
John Grun MarxAt an exhibition in Paris, in 1905, John Grun Marx bent and broke three horseshoes in a time frame of 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
Labels: Bending Feat, Bent Horseshoes, Broken Horseshoes, John Grun Marx, John Grunn Marx, Oldtime Strongman, Paris France
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Rolled Frying PansRolling up a frying pan is one of the classic feats of strength and one that always knocks 'em dead during a live performance. Dennis Rogers makes it look easy but the feat requires tremendous fingertip strength to accomplish. You can always tell the frying pans that Dennis has rolled because they are rolled so tight that they can easily fit through the straps of a wrist watch.
Labels: Bending Feat, Classic Strongman Feats, Dennis Rogers, Feats of Strength, Fingertip Strength, Frying Pan Rolling, Grip Strength
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Chain BreakingOne of the feats that Alexander Zass performed in his strength act was to break chains with his hands. "Samson" would let an audience member choose a specific link then twist it back and forth with the strength of his hands until it weakened and broke. (In this case it was the sixth link in the chain.) This twisting caused the chain to become so hot that Samson's fingers ended up blistered afterward but the amazing feat did bring the house down every time - the price of show business!
Labels: Alexander Zass, Amazing Samson, Bending Feat, Chain Breaking, Feats of Strength, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Steel Bending
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Dennis Rogers' Steel ScrollingA few years back Dennis Rogers performed in Detroit and gave me the piece of steel he bent during the show. If you look closely you can see that it is dated 11/06/2005 and signed by Dennis.
Labels: Bar Bending, Bending Feat, Dennis Rogers, Steel Bending, Steel Scrolling, Strength Feat
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Monday, July 13, 2009
Steel Bending"The Amazing Samson" Alexander Zass engaging in a bit of steel bending. Though is is certainly not for everyone, steel bending can be quite a workout, one that can make you very strong in some very unusual ways.
Labels: Alexander Zass, Amazing Samson, Bending Feat, Feats of Strength, Full Body Strength, Grip Training, Steel Bending, Wrist Strength
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Bent HorseshoeIn the world of Strongmanism there are bent horseshoes and there are bent horseshoes. This one was turned inside out by the hands of "The Human Vise" Pat Povilaitis.
Labels: Bending Feat, Bent Horseshoes, Horseshoes, Steel Bending, Strongmanism
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Infinity ScrollAll of the great steel-bending strongmen all had their signature scroll. Master scroller Erik Vining calls his "The Infinity Scroll" and is featured above. If you want to find out how to create this unique piece, Erik shows you step by step in Basic Scrolling -- and it aint easy.
Labels: Bending, Bending Feat, Erik Vining, Infinity Scroll, Steel Bending, Steel Scrolling
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Human Vise Strikes Again!Why do they call Pat Povilaitis the Human Vise? This collection of bent steel should explain it: About fifty bounds of bent, mangles steel: nails, spikes, horseshoes, rebar, bolts, wrenches, drill bits... nothing is safe when "The Vise" does his thing.
Labels: Bend Spikes, Bending, Bending Feat, Bent Horseshoes, Bent Steel, Bolt Bending, Human Vise, Nail Bending, Pat Povilaitis, Steel Bending
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
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
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, May 04, 2008
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
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, February 14, 2008
 Joe Ponder | Of all the recorded oldtime strongmen feats, Joe Ponder may very well have accomplished the most unusual (and maybe the most impressive, all things considered.) Ponder was particularly skilled at feats of teeth and jaw lifting -- here he lifts a 343 pound pumpkin in that manner. Yow! |
Labels: Bending Feat, Jaw Lifting, Joe Ponder, Oldtime Strongman, Teeth Lifting, Unusual Strength
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Friday, February 01, 2008
Mac Batchelor"I was in L.A. about ten years ago. I went into one of the gyms and asked about a man named Mac Batchelor. They told me how to find the tavern where he worked and that night I drove over to see him.- from "Grip and Forearm Development"in The Complete Keys to Progress by John McCallum
The tavern was full of thirsty customers, but there was no doubt who was Batchelor. He weighed about 330 and most of it was muscle. I climbed up on a bar stool and introduced myself.
"Tell me Mac, "I said, "You still the world's best arm wrestler?"
He laughed. "I think so." He propped an arm like an elephant's leg up on the bar.
"Wanta try?"
I looked at the arm. "No Thanks."
He looked surprised. "No? How come?"
Mac, I'll tell ya, I said. "You might break my arm and I don't think my insurance would cover it."
He smiled broadly. "You know," he said, "you're one of the very few people who ever walked in here and didn't think they could beat me.
"Good grief," I said," I ain't too bright, but I'm not crazy. I tell you what I would like, though. I'd like to see some of those strength feats of yours I've heard about."
"Sure," he said. "Here." He reached under the bar and brough our four bottlecaps. He jammed one betwen each finger on his right hand and held his hand out. "Watch." He squeezed lightly and the four caps crumpled like Kleenex..."
Labels: Bending Feat, Bottlecap Bending, Grip Feat, John McCallum, Keys to Progress, Mac Bachelor, Mac Batchelor
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Monday, January 07, 2008
| Stanley Radwan was a catch wrestler and strongman who performed during the 40s and 50s in the Cleveland, Ohio area. He is not especially well known outside of the Cleveland area but very well known and well loved inside the Cleveland area especially among the Polish community. This event poster from 1949 advertises him pulling cars with his teeth, biting through steel, breaking chains, bending horseshoes, bend nails and spikes, nail driving by hand, tearing decks of cards, and performing the human link feat. It was said he could also bend coins with his hands. |  Stanley Radwan |
Labels: Bending Feat, Coin Bending, Nail Bending, Nail Driving, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Polish Strongman, Stanley Radwan, Steel Bending
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Siegmund Breitbart vs. The Iron GirderSiegmind Breitbart was a great Oldtime Strongman with a number of incredible strength feats in his repertoire. He was best known as a Steel Bender and a Nail Driver but here's one you probably haven't seen:
Here's Siegmund Breitbart bending a 32-foot Iron Girder over his head. There's 12 people on each side. - YOW! This picture was taken October 29th, 1923 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Labels: Bending Feat, Cleveland Ohio, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Siegmund Breitbart
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Saturday, December 15, 2007
| John Grunn Marx was well known as a strongman who could bend and break horseshoes. Many oldtime strongmen faked their feats but this photo proves that John Grunn Marx really did understand how to bend horseshoes. The technique shown in this photo is how to actually bend horseshoes as demonstrated by Pat Povilaitis in 336 Pounds of Fury |  John Grunn Marx |
Labels: Bending Feat, Bent Horseshoes, Horseshoe Bending, John Grunn Marx, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Steel Bending
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Steel Bending With The Young Mighty ApollonYou just can't be a strongman without a strong grip. J.C. Tolson, who took his stage name from his favorite strongman Apollon, had some of the strongest hands of all time and was a very talented steel bender. He bent this bolt (pictured actual size) to win a bet in the 1920's.
Labels: Bending Feat, Bolt Bending, Grip Strength, J.C. Tolson, Steel Bending, Strongman Feat, Young Apollon
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
The Double Bent WrenchIt's hard enough to bend a wrench one time but Dennis Rogers can bend one twice... It's a very tough feat that takes incredible grip strength to accomplish.
Labels: Bending, Bending Feat, Bent Wrenches, Dennis Rogers, Double Bent Wrench, Feat, Strongman Feat, Wrench Bending
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
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.
Previous Posts
Featured Products
Monthly Archives
Not yet a member? Subscribe now to receive daily doses of Strongman history, training tips, and site updates!
Copyright © 2010 Thunderdome Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved