Friday, February 26, 2010
Samson: The Strongest Man on EarthA rare look at an advertising poster from Charles Sampson's stint at the Royal Aquarium in London, circa 1899. It was here that he was famously challenged -- and defeated -- by Eugen Sandow. Regardless of the circumstances, you have to admit that this poster still looks pretty sharp.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Challenge Match, Charles Sampson, Eugen Sandow, Poster, Strongman Poster
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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
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Chain BreakingLook familiar? Slim The Hammer Man learned this classic strongman feat from The Mighty Atom. You can see Slim perform this feat live here.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Chest Expansion, Classic Strongman Feats, 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
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Stanless SteelStanley "Stanless Steel" Pleskun from South Brunswick, N.J has been quietly performing amazing feats of strength for years. He can lift over 600 pounds with one finger, break chains, drive nails, lever sledge hammers and, incredibly, bend a penny with his bare hands. Stanless attributes his great strength to the ability to harness the power of his own mind.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Coin Bending, finger lifting, Mental Strength, Mind Power, Nail Driving, Oldtime Strongman, Sledge Hammer Leverage, Stanless Steel, Steel Bending, Steel Bending Strongman
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, August 10, 2009
Dennis Rogers: ShackledModern Strongman Dennis Rogers is shown here in the spotlight performing his "Shackled" feat.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Dennis Rogers, Feats of 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
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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
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Chain Breaking Through Chest ExpansionThe Mighty Atom demonstrates one of the classic oldtime strongman feats: breaking chains through chest expansion. The Atom taught the secrets of this feat to Slim The Hammerman. Slim also performed this feat in his act for years thus carrying on the Atom's legacy. In case you're interested in learning too, Slim covers this feat in detail in his strength DVD.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Chest Expansion, Feats of Strength, 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
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Mighty Atom Escapes!Back in the Summer of 1939, The Mighty Atom Joseph Greenstein attempted an amazing (and quite dangerous) feat. He would be chained to a chair with a car traveling at 40 miles per hour spaced out far enough to give him two minutes of lead time. If the Atom couldn't break free of the chains in time the speeding automobile would run right over him. Pic magazine was on hand with a photo crew to document the action, and, as you can see, the Atom made it - barely.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Feat, Joseph Greenstein, The MIghty Atom
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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
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Charles A. SampsonStep right up... a rare ticket from Charles A. Sampson's performance at Royal Albert Hall, London England, on Novemnber 22nd and 23rd, 1899. If you had been in attendence, you would have seen Sampson perform his signature feats: harness lifting, coin bending, lifting heavy thick-handled globe barbells and breaking chains wrapped around his bicep.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Charles Sampson, Coin Bending, Harness Lift, Royal Albert Hall
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 10, 2009
CyclopsFranz Bienkowski, known professionally as 'Cyclops' , was the first lifter to introduce the bent press to Britain. His best performance in this lift was 250 pounds. His favorite feats though were breaking chains wrapped around his arms (shown here) as well as bending or breaking coins.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Coin Breaking, Cyclops, Franz Bienkowski, Oldtime Strongman, Polish Strongman
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 10, 2008
Pyotr Krylov The great Russian Strongman Pyotr Krylov was well known for his shoulder development and the large tattoo of the Double-Headed eagle gracing his chest. In the early 20th century Krylov performed a Crucifix Lift with a 90-pound dumbbell in each hand - a record that has never been equaled or beaten. One of his favorite feats as a strongman was to break chains across his chest or with his arms.
Labels: Chain Breaking, Crucifix, Dumbbell Lift, Krylov, Oldtime Strongman, Pyotyr Krylov, Russian Strongman
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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