Wednesday, August 05, 2009
 Harold Ansorge | Harold Ansorge, the strongman from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was one of the great masters of the bent press. At a bodyweight of around 220 lbs., he was able to bent press 335 lbs. (left handed!) Although he was primarily known for his bent pressing ability, Ansorge was a fine all-around strength athlete. He curled over 200 lbs. and was an excellent deadlifter with an achievement of 680 lbs. in that lift. In fact he credited much of his strength success to his deadlift specialization - which is a good thing to keep in mind if you are looking for a "secret" to getting stronger. Ansorge performed many other strength feats as well in an act with his sister Jean. They were billed as Ames and Ansorge. |
Labels: Bent Press, Curl, Deadlift, Deadlift Training, Grand Rapids Michigan, Harold Ansorge, Jean Ansorge
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, June 25, 2009
Hermann GoernerHere the great German strongman Hermann Goerner does an improvised curl with a stocky kid (who happens to be Tromp Van Digglen's son, "Lil' Hercules").
Labels: Curl, Hermann Goerner, Human Lift, Tromp Van Diggelen
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, June 08, 2009
Viktor SolovyevViktor Solovyev, the great Ukrania strongman and wrestler, is shown here looking quite impressive in this rare picture take around 1906. As far as his lifting feats, he was able to 'slow clurl' 165 pounds, perform a Crucifix Lift with 60 pounds in each hand and could jerk 293 pounds. As a wrestler, he defeated Franz 'Cyclops' Bienkowski, the French Giant Louis 'Apollon' Uni, George Lurich, Pyotr Krylov and many others on the way to winning several world championships.
Labels: Apollon, British Wrestler, Curl, Cyclops, Franz Bienkowski, George Lurich, Oldtime Strongman, Pyotyr Krylov, Slow Curl, Ukranian Strongman, Viktor Solovyev
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, April 01, 2009
 Kettlebell Curls | I recall reading somewhere that performing curls with a kettlebell is not a 'good' exercise... Having tried them myself and done them for a while now, I think they are actually pretty good. Sig Klein thought so too, in fact, he listed curls among his favorite kettlebell exercises. |
Labels: Bicep Exercise, Curl, Kettlebell Curls, Kettlebell Exercises, kettlebell lifting, kettlebell training, Sig Klein
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 11, 2009
Basil KorolevBasil Korolev was Russian by birth but left his native land in 1919 at the start of the revolution. He settled in Japan were he was undefeated in Judo and boxing contests and held the heavyweight title in both sports until his retirement in 1936.
Here is Basil at a strength demonstration curling a pair of 80-pound kettlebells with only his little fingers.
Labels: Basil Korolev, Boxing, Curl, Finger Strength, Judo, Kettlebell, Mother Russia, One Finger Lift, Russian Kettlebells, 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
Monday, February 16, 2009
Gene Fisher - "The Man With The Biceps"Gene Fisher - "The Man With The Biceps" - curls 203 pounds in pretty strict form. You can tell just by looking at him that he has the genetics to accomplish such a feat. In addition to his prowess with a barbell, Fisher also ran a successful gym in the San Diego, California area for many years.
Labels: Barbell Curls, Bicep Exercise, Bicep Strength, Curl, Gene Fisher, San Diego Gym
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 03, 2008
Steve Stanko Cable CurlsSteve Stanko, 1944 AAU Mr. America, often used cables for training his arms. In this shot Steve appears to be using the "flat band"-type of York Chest Expander and I'd say it's doing the job pretty well.
Labels: 1944 Mr. America, Bicep Exercise, Chest Expander, Curl, Steve Stanko
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 24, 2008
Joe NordquestOne of the true unsung strongman is undoubtedly Joe Nordquest. His name is rarely mentioned at the top of the list of all-time greats yet his strength feats would certainly rank him among them.
He could jump from a table to the floor while maintaining a handstand position, curl 180 pounds and bent press 277-1/2 pounds. He could military press 124-1/4 pounds with one hand, an American record at the time and did a "bridge press" with 388 pounds (breaking Arthur Saxon's record.) -- and he did it all on one leg, having lost a limb in an accident as a boy.
Labels: Bent Press, Curl, Dumbbell Press, handstand, Joe Nordquest
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, September 07, 2008
 Bert Assirati | With teachers like George Hackenschmidt, Alan Mead and William "Apollo" Bankier, Bert Assirati was destined for greatness as a strongman and as a wrestler. And great he was... Assirati's best marks read like a Ripley's Believe-it-Or-Not feature: Press on Back: 400 lbs. Right Hand Press: 160 lbs. Left Hand Press: 145 lbs. Two Arm Curl: 180 lbs. Crucifix: 90 lb. dumbbells x 2 Clean and Jerk: 380 lbs. Overhead Press: 285 lbs. Squat: 550 lbs. x 10 One-Leg Squat: 200 lbs. Assirati was also an accomplished hand balancer. |
Labels: 1 Leg Squat, Bert Assirati, British Strongman, British Wrestler, Clean and Jerk, Crucifix, Curl, hand balancer, Military Press, Overhead Press, Squat
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, July 04, 2008
 45 Plate Hub Curl | Rocky Erickon of Chicago, Illinois performs an incredible feat of grip strength: a hub "lift" and curl of a pair of old York Barbell "deep dish" 45-pound plates. Lifting a 45-pound plate by the hub is impressive, but Rocky takes it to a whole new level with this feat. |
Labels: Barbell Plate, Curl, Exercise, Finger Strength, Grip Exercise, Grip Feat, Grip Training, 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
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
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 15, 2008
Reg Park's Arm WorkoutSome of the most impressive arms in history belonged to Reg Park. Reg built his arms with basic exercises and focused on getting stronger through time. In his many training courses, Reg recommended a lot of overhead pressing for tricep work and the simple barbell curl for biceps.
Labels: Arm Development, Arm Workout, Bent Press, Big Arms, Bodybuilder, Curl, Exercises, Reg Park
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, November 09, 2007
 Weightlifting ChampionJohn Davis | John Davis was one of America's greatest Olympic weightlifting champions. Throughout his career he won two gold medals: 1948(London) and 1952(Helsinki) He was also a Senior World Champion in 1938, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, and 1951. His best Olympic lifts were: |
Labels: Apollon's Wheels, Clean and Jerk, Curl, Deadlift, Gold Medal, John Davis, Olympic Weightlifting, Olympics, Press, Snatch, Squat, Weaver Stick
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
Doug Hepburn was born in Vancouver B.C. on September 16th, 1927. He was of average height and build and took up weight lifting to bulk up.
Soon it became apparent that Doug wasn't so average after all --- he began to progress very quickly in his training.
Although he had a slight handicap (a club foot) that did not stop him from becoming one of the most powerful men in history. He became a Senior World Champion in 1953 and set eight World Records during his career.
Soon it became apparent that Doug wasn't so average after all --- he began to progress very quickly in his training.
Although he had a slight handicap (a club foot) that did not stop him from becoming one of the most powerful men in history. He became a Senior World Champion in 1953 and set eight World Records during his career.
| Here's a look at some of his best lifts: Right Hand Military Press - 175 Pounds Two Hands Press (Off Rack) - 440 Pounds Behind Neck Press - 350 Pounds Two Hands Curl - 260 Pounds Bench Press - 580 Pounds Jerk-Press (Off Rack) 500 Pounds Two Hands Snatch - 297-1/2 Pounds Two Hands Clean & Press - 381 Pounds Squat - 760 Pounds Two Hands Deadlift - 705 Pounds |  Doug Hepburn |
Labels: Bench Press, Canadian Strongman, Clean and Jerk, Curl, Deadlift, Doug Hepburn, Jerk, Military Press, Oldtime Strongman, Olympic Weightlifting, Overhead Press, Snatch, Squat, 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
Sunday, November 04, 2007
| It was on this date in 1932 in Leipzig, Germany that Hermann Goerner performed a tremendous feat of curling strength. With the barbell in the "hang clean" position, Goerner curled 242-1/2 pounds (110 Kilos)using sheer arm power and without any body swing. |  Hermann Goerner |
Labels: Arm Development, Bicep Strength, Curl, Hermann Goerner, 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, November 01, 2007
Bill Pettis: 23-1/4 Inch ArmsThere were a lot of big guys during the 1970's West Coast Bodybuilding Scene -- but none bigger than Bill Pettis.
He's not a name you see mentioned much because he had no interest in competing - just building the biggest and strongest arms he possibly could.
Looks like he succeeded.
As reported by Iron Man Magazine in 1975, his workouts were legendary -- 100 sets of arm work, standing triceps curls with 315 pounds on the bar, 180 pound curls and endless sets of pushups to "flush gallons of blood through the great muscle mass and get an extreme pump."
On several occasions his entire workout consisted of 3000 or more pushups (which took him five hours!)
Among his other lifts you can also add a 475 bench press and a squat with 620 pounds.
Labels: Bench Press, Bill Pettis, Bodybuilding, Curl, Feat, Pushups, Squat, Tricep Curls
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, October 31, 2007
 John Grimek: Dumbbell Curls | A workout without curls is like a day without sunshine. As a champion in bodybuilding and weightlifting, John Grimek understood the importance of "all around" strength and trained his arms just as hard as everything else. Bicep training helps balance out the triceps in heavy pressing movements and should always be a part of your program. |
Labels: Bicep Training, Bodybuilding, Curl, Dumbbells, John Grimek, weightlifting
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 22, 2007
 Strongman Dennis Rogers |  At 5'9" and a bodyweight around 160 pounds, Dennis Rogers sure doesn't look like your average strongman... But when it's time to lift some iron, Dennis can do some things that will shock and amaze you. One of Dennis' unusual abilities is his incredible bicep strength. At Memorial City Mall in Houston, Texas Dennis Rogers' established a World Record One Arm Dumbbell Curl record of 98 pounds x 10 Reps with an Iron Master Dumbbell- he weighed 148 Pounds at the time. (Above) |
Labels: Bicep Strength, Curl, Dennis Rogers, Dumbbell, 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 11, 2007
In 1971, Casey Viator won the Mr. America Bodybuilding Title in the most spectacular fashion in history. Not only did he win the overall contest, he won the following sub-divisions as well: Most Muscular, Best Arms, Best Back, Best Chest and Best Legs - all at 19 years of age!
And, interestingly enough, Viator did not spend hours in the gym like many other bodybuilders of the time. Instead, as trained by Athur Jones, Casey's workout took very little time and was performed only three times per week.
Here's a look at his exact workout:
The above workout, as performed on June 10th, 1971, took exactly seventeen minutes and fourty seconds.
And, interestingly enough, Viator did not spend hours in the gym like many other bodybuilders of the time. Instead, as trained by Athur Jones, Casey's workout took very little time and was performed only three times per week.
Here's a look at his exact workout:
 Casey Viator's Mr. America Workout | 1. Leg Press 2. Leg Extension 3. Squat 4. Leg Curl 5. Dumbbell One Leg Calf Raise 6. Nautilus Pullover 7. Nautilus Behind Neck Press 8. Nautilus Rowing Machine 9. Nautilus Behind Neck Pulldown 10. Dumbbell Lateral Raise 11. Barbell Behind Neck Press 12. Nautilus Curl Machine 13. Chinup w/Bodyweight 14. Nautilus Tricep Extension 15. Parallel Dip w/Bodyweight |
Labels: Arthur Jones, Bent Press, Bodybuilding, Casey Viator, Curl, Leg Curl, Leg Extension, Mr.America Contest, Nautilus, Squat, Workout
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, September 04, 2007
Reg ParkWhereas Steve Reeves was known for his classic symmetry, Reg Park was the example of strength, size and power. Reg Appeared on more magazine covers than any bodybuilder in history.
| Over the course of his career he won the following titles: |  Reg Park |
Reg Park was as strong as he looked, here's his best lifts (all performed in the 1950's):
- Behind the Neck Press - 300 Lbs. For one rep.Reg also played Hercules in several movies and once owned the Thomas Inch Dumbbell.
- Behind the Neck Press - 260 Lbs. For four reps.
- Behind the Neck Press - 240 Lbs. For eight reps.
- One Arm Dumbbell Press - 165 Lbs. For two reps.
- Front Squat - 405 for a single.
- Lying Triceps Extension - 300 Lbs. For three reps. This was done at Muscle Beach in 1957.
- Standing Dumbbell Press - Two 120 Lb. Dumbbells for five reps.
- Standing Dumbbell Press - Two 140 Lb. Dumbbells for one rep.
- Dumbbell Bench Press - Two 185 Lb. Dumbbells for five reps.
- Squat - 605 for two reps at Buster McShane and Ivan Dunbar's Gym in Belfast.
- Strict Barbell Curl - 200 Lbs. For one rep.
- Incline Dumbbell Press - Two 185 Lb. Dumbbells for five reps.
Labels: Behind The Neck Press, Bodybuilding, British Champion, Buster McShane, Curl, Dumbbell Press, Hercules, Mr. Britain, Mr. Europe, Mr. Universe, Reg Park, Reg Park Workout, Squat
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