Rolandow Jumping The Barbell

Rolandow Jumping The Barbell
One of the signature feats of the great strongman G.W. Rolandow was jumping back and forth over a loaded barbell. This barbell was loaded to 130 lbs. but his record was over 200 lbs. Note that he is only able to hold the barbell with three fingers while performing this stunt.

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Rolandow's Jumping Feats

The great strongman G.W. Rolandow was very well known for his traditional feats of strength and the oldtime equipment that bears his name but he also excelled at feats of jumping. Shown here, he could hold a 75 pound globe dumbbell in each hand and jump over a table that was 36 inches high and 25 inches wide. He could also turn a somersault holding dumbbells in each hand.

G.W. Rolandow

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The Famous Rolandow Dumbbell

The Famous Rolandow Dumbbell
The Rolandow Dumbbell has a very interesting history. It was originally cast by the McLoughlin Iron Foundry in Brooklyn, New York in 1896 at the request of Warren Lincoln Travis who wanted to use it in his act.

The dumbbell was supposed to be 200 lbs. but came out of the mold just over it at 209lbs.

A few years went by and fellow strongman G.W. Rolandow offered to purchase it from Travis, on the condition that Travis deliver the bell himself.

Travis grabbed the bell, hopped on the nearest street car, transfered twice and carried the bell two blocks and up two flights of steps to Rolandow's office.

Rolandow then stated that unless he could lift the dumbbell, there would be no sale. And with that, we walked over to it, hefted it to his shoulder and commenced to bent-press it no less than seven times!

After several decades, Rolandow closed his gym and his famous dumbbell eventually became acquired by Sig Klein who featured it as a challenge weight in his gym.

If someone could succeed in bent-pressing the Rolandow Dumbbell, Klein put their name on an Honor Roll, here's how it looked:

(1) G.W. Rolandow...................1900
(2) John Grimek.........................1934
(3) Bob Hoffman........................1936
(4) Wally Zagurski..................1936
(5) John Davis............................1936
(6) Jack Kent..........................1937
(7) Frank Bates........................1937
(8) Bob Harley.........................1937
(9) Siegmund Klein...................1939
(10) Aurele Velleux..................1939
(11) George Hobby...................1940
(12) Elwood Holbrook...............1941

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Sandow Lifts The Rolandow Barbell

Sandow Lifts The Rolandow Barbell
I've mentioned the Rolandow Barbell before. And as I also mentioned, it goes back a long way and that several famous strongmen have lifted it...

Here's a look at Eugen Sandow rocking the Rolandow Barbell back into position so that he can bent press it in 1902 or so.

The thick handle is, of course, a distinguishing mark of real "Oldtime" barbells and Rolandow lifted it many times.

Kind of amazing that a century later you can go to the York Barbell Company Museum (where the Rolandow Barbell Currently Resides) and touch the very same weight that so many great strongmen once lifted.

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The Rolandow Barbell

The Rolandow Barbell
The Rolandow Barbell once belonged to the Swiss Strongman G.W. Rolandow who would bent-press it each night in his performance. This barbell has been lifted by many famous strongmen, including Eugen Sandow.

The Rolandow Barbell has had many famous owners over the years. It was purchased by Professor Attila, then Sig Klein (as shown). The Rolandow Barbell can currently be seen in the York Barbell Company Museum in York, Pennsylvania.

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G.W. Rolandow

G.W. Rolandow was a Swiss Strongman who publically challenged Sandow to a contest on several occasions only to have Sandow turn him down each time. Rolandow accomplished the following lifts: One Arm Snatch - (Right Arm) 180 pounds Bent Press - 298 Pounds Partial Deadlift 1650 Pounds Tomb of Hercules Support - 3500 Pounds Card Tearing - three card decks at once

G.W. Rolandow

Rolandow could also jump over a table, 36 inches high and 25 inches wide while holding a 75 pound dumbbell in each hand.

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