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
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Friday, August 14, 2009
The Young Mighty ApollonJ.C. Tolson, "The Young Mighty Apollon", was a master of many different strength feats, including bending horseshoes as shown here. Tolson was not a large man but had tremendous full-body power. In 1927, at a bodyweight of only 185 pounds, he easily deadlifted 550 pounds, one of the first men to do so.
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Deadlift, Horseshoe Bending, J.C. Tolson, Oldtime Strongman, Steel Bending, Young Apollon
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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
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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
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Thursday, October 09, 2008
Horseshoes at Slim's PlaceIn Slim's Dungeon Gym you'll find every brand of horseshoe known to man. What would you expect from a man who bent horseshoes for a living? Nothing impresses an audience more than bending steel by hand.
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Classic Strongman Gyms, Horseshoes, Slim The Hammerman, The Dungeon
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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, 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
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, 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
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, February 19, 2008
 The Iron Shoe Exerciser | The Iron Shoe exerciser was a great oldtime piece of training equipment which has roots going back pretty far into strength history. As you may notice by the design, it is "horse shoe" shaped -- which is meant to mimic an actual horse shoe, the bending of which was a great oldtime feat and a mark of great strength. The "iron Shoe" provided a method of progressive resistance in some of the positions needed for horseshoe bending and trained the body, especially the grip and forearms in a very unique manner. |
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Grip Equipment, Grip Strength, Iron Shoe, Oldtime Strength Equipment, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Steel Bending
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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
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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, November 30, 2007
| John Grunn Marx, known as "The Luxembourg Hercules," broke three horseshoes in the short span of 2 minutes and 15 seconds at an exhibition in Paris around 1905. He was also very proficient at lifting thick-handled equipment and was said to be able to bend coins. |  John Grunn Marx: Horseshoe Breaker |
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Broken Horseshoes, Coin Bending, Grip Strength, John Grunn Marx, Steel Bending, Strongman Feat, The Luxembourg Hercules, Thick Bar Lifting
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Friday, November 02, 2007
Horseshoes Bent by The Mighty AtomThe Mighty Atom bent these horseshoes and iron bar at the 1962 York, Pennsylvania Interstate Fair. That year marked his 42nd consecutive appearance at that particular fair.
These bent horseshoes are currently on display at the York Barbell Company museum in York, Pennsylvania.
It takes quite a bit of grip and forearm strength to be able to accomplish that strength feat. To see footage of horseshoes being bent by modern Strongman Pat Povilaitis, you'll want to check out 336 Pounds of Fury.
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Pat Povilaitis, Steel Bending, Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom, York Barbell, York Barbell Company
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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, October 29, 2007
Joseph Greenstein aka "The Mighty Atom"Joseph Greenstein aka The Mighty Atom twisted horseshoes, drove nails through boards with his bare hand, broke chains, bent iron bars, BIT nails in half, he even held back an airplane with his hair...
Find out more about the Might Atom from his #1 student Slim The Hammer Man
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Joseph Greenstein, Nail Bending, Nail Driving, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom
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, October 19, 2007
 Siegmund Breitbart | Many of the Oldtime Strongmen were strong enough to bend their own horseshoes by hand. On the left you'll see see a piece of square stock hand-bent by the famous Oldtime Strongman Siegmund Breitbart. Notice that it has bent on the edge, not the side, which is how you can tell this piece of steel has legitimately been bent by hand. |
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Siegmund Breitbart, Steel Bending, Strongman 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
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Mighty StefanSteve "The Mighty Stefan" Sadicario is undoubtedly the most talented man in Strength-Show Business! "Mighty" keeps the great strongman feats of the past alive, but he adds a bit of his own personal style.
The Mighty Stefan tears phonebooks, breaks chains, twists horseshoes, bends steel bars, sings opera -- and he raps... in Yiddish!, no less.
You may have seen The Mighty Stefan on the MTV "White Rapper" TV show a few months back where he wowed all the judges by bending a nail while spittin' his crazy rhymes. Steve also EM-CEEs the Association of Oldtime Barbell and Strongmen (AOBS) Annual Dinner and Reunion each year and does a fantastic job.
Labels: AOBS, Bent Horseshoes, Mighty Stefan, Oldtime Strongman, Phonebook Tearing, Steel Bending, Steve Sadicario, Strongman 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, October 01, 2007
Pat Povilaitis - The Human VisePat Povilaitis is the current link in the long line of Strongmen going all the way back to the Mighty Atom.
"The Human Vise" (as he is professionally known) bends nails and horseshoes, rips phonebooks, lifts stones, rips decks of cards and closes the #3 Iron Mind hand Gripper... sometimes all at the same time!
You can catch Pat Povilaitis in action along with his mentor Dennis Rogers in 336 Pounds of Fury
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Pat Povilaitis, Steel Bending, The Human Vise
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, June 20, 2007
 The Mighty Atom | His real name was Joseph Greenstein but he was better known as "The Mighty Atom" -- and he became one of the most well known "Strongmen" of all time despite the fact that he stood only 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed in at 140 pounds. As a young boy in Poland young Joseph Greenstein was befreinded by a Russian Strongman named "Champion Volanko" who taught him the Secrets of Strength. The Mighty Atom could bend horseshoes, break chains by expanding his chest, bite nails in two, hold back airplanes and even once stopped a bullet... |
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Chain Breaking, Champion Volanko, Joseph Greenstein, Polish Strongman, Slim The Hammerman, The MIghty Atom
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
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