Tuesday, March 02, 2010

  • John Davis at Muscle Beach


  • John Davis was among the many famous visitors to Muscle Beach during its heyday. This picture was probably taken during the period of time when Davis spent some time out on the West Coast training at Yarick's Gym. Looks like around 300 pounds on the bar.

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    Tuesday, March 02, 2010

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    Tuesday, August 18, 2009

  • The 1938 World Weightlifting Team


  • The 1938 World Weightlifting team that lifted in Vienna, Austria. From left to right: Steve Stanko, John Davis, John Terry, Tony Terlazzo, John Terpak and John Grimek. Davis and Terlazzo won their respective classes with the others placing second to fourth.

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    Tuesday, August 18, 2009

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    Monday, August 17, 2009

  • Young Steve Stanko


  • Steve Stanko is shown here snatching 260 pounds on his way to winning the 1938 Junior Nationals in Cleveland, Ohio. Just 20 years old at the time, it was clear that big things were in store for Steve Stanko... Five years later he became the first man to break the 1000-pound barrier in the three Olympic Lifts, eight years later he became Mr. America and eleven years later, the first Mr. Universe.

    John Davis looks on from the right. Just 17 years old Davis had just won the light-heavyweight class with an 810 lb total, showing more than a little promise himself...

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    Monday, August 17, 2009

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    Monday, July 06, 2009

  • The Weaver Stick


  • The great strength author George Weaver came up with a unique strength challenge which now bears his name: The Weaver Stick.

    You can easily make your own with a broom stick. An official weaver stick is exactly 42 inches long with the challenge being to grasp the end of it, no closer than 5-1/2 inches from the opposite end, and lift a weight from the floor, all the while keeping the stick perfectly level.

    A lift of 6-8 pounds in this manner is exceptional. The great weight lifting champion John Davis for example, could lift 8 pounds, while John Grimek set the modern record with 11 pounds.

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    Monday, July 06, 2009

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    Tuesday, June 09, 2009

  • The Bench Press


  • Non-Functional? Please... When performed correctly, the bench press certainly can be an excellent upper body strength builder. John Davis certainly wasn't any worse for the wear for bench pressing in his routine, and he was one of the finest Olympic weightlifters and all-around strength athletes in history.

    The bar looks to be loaded to around 400 pounds and Davis seems to be handling it pretty easily. Note the fact that there are no uprights. This shot was taken at Yarick's Gym in Oakland, California.

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    Tuesday, June 09, 2009

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    Tuesday, June 02, 2009

  • The 1947 U.S. World Weightlifting Team


  • The 1947 U.S. World Weightlifting Team:

    Back Row: John Davis, Norb Schemansky, Stan Stanczyk and Harold Sakata.

    Center Row: Tony Terlazzo, Frank Spellman, Pete george and John Terpak

    Front row: Emerick Ishikawa, Bobby Higgins, Joe DiPietro and Richard Tom

    The 1947 World Weightlifting Championships were held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and were the first such competition ever held on U.S. soil. This team of American lifters scored 27-3 victory over everyone else and equalled or exceeded 12 World records. This event was also held in conjunction with the very first Mr. Universe contest where Steve Stanko took home the crown.

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    Tuesday, June 02, 2009

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    Wednesday, May 20, 2009

  • Louis Abele


  • Louis Abele, lifting out of the Lighthouse Boy's Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a three-time Sr. National Silver medalist and briefly held the American Record in the press. He would also have lifted at the 1940 Olympic games although unfortunately they were canceled. Had he been born a few years earlier Abele would probably be a lot more well-known since he was in his prime right around the same time as Steve Stanko and later John Davis.

    Abele was adamant about the incredible strength benefits of heavy, high-rep squatting (something which is pretty evident in the picture.) His best marks were: 400 lbs. x 18, 450 lbs. x 10, 475 lbs. x 7 and 500 lbs. x 3.

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    Wednesday, May 20, 2009

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    Thursday, March 05, 2009

  • Ed Yarick


  • We have featured his gym, his equipment, even his wife... the only thing missing is the man himself, so here he is: Ed Yarick.

    In addition to running one of the most popular gyms in the land, the 6'4" Yarick won the tall class in the "Mr. Pacific Coast" bodybuilding contest and was also the coach of the 1952 National Jr. Weightlifting Team.

    Yarick's Gym was located at 3355 Foothill Blvd. in Oakland, California and was one of the centers of the strength world on the West coast. It was also where Steve reeves got his start and the training headquarters at various times of Roy Hilligenn, John Davis, Clancy Ross, Jack Delinger, Tommy Kono and Doug Hepburn (among others)

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    Thursday, March 05, 2009

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    Friday, February 20, 2009

  • One Secret of Strength and Power


  • One Secret of Strength and Power... you want to get strong? Work your legs like you mean it. John Davis understood this better than most. Here he is rock-bottom squatting over 500 pounds. You sure don't see squatting ability like this very often these days... nor men with the kind of all-around strength that Davis had.

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    Friday, February 20, 2009

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    Friday, December 26, 2008

  • Roy Hilligenn

  • Roy HilligennRoy HilligennRoy Hilligenn Mr. America 1951 and 1952 Jr. Light-heavy weightlifting champ is a strongman athlete of rare ability.

    Here he is in mid-clean with Ed Yarick's 142-pound dumbbells while weighing less than 180 pounds himself. The average man would be lucky to clean a pair of 100's.

    These are the same dumbbells that John Davis is cleaning and pressing here.

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    Friday, December 26, 2008

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    Monday, November 10, 2008

  • John Davis - Dumbbell Clean and Press


  • A classic shot of the great John Davis cleaning and pressing a pair of 142-pound dumbbells at Ed Yarick's gym. This lift is likely one of the greatest lifts ever accomplished.

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    Monday, November 10, 2008

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    Saturday, August 23, 2008

  • John Davis


  • The great John Davis snatching his personal best of 330-1/2 pounds at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.

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    Saturday, August 23, 2008

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    Friday, August 01, 2008

  • Doug Hepburn - 1953 Heavyweight World Champion


  • Doug Hepburn's final lift to win the 1953 Heavyweight World Weightlifting Championship held in Stockholm, Sweden. (defeating John Davis) The lift pictured here was a 363-pound clean and jerk -- the highest of the contest. Doug's other lifts of the day were a 371-pound press and a 297-pound snatch for a total of 1031 pounds.

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    Friday, August 01, 2008

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    Tuesday, May 20, 2008

  • Tommy Kono

  • Tommy Kono succeeds in jerking unusual classic barbell at Cayeaux's Paris gym (the same place where Norb Schemansky lifted the Apollon Wheels.)

    This non-rotating thick-handle barbell weighed 358 pounds and the smaller plates necessitated a longer pull making it quite a challenge.

    The first two men to clean and jerk this weight were Charles Rigoulot and John Davis.
    Tommy KonoTommy Kono

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    Tuesday, May 20, 2008

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  • John Davis Pinchlift

  • John Davis PinchliftJohn Davis Pinchlift

    The Olympic Champion John Davis pinch-gripping 55 pounds with one finger and a thumb while training as Ed Yarick's Gym.

    Try it!

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    Tuesday, May 20, 2008

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    Monday, May 12, 2008

  • Dave Sheppard Training at The York Gym

  • Dave Sheppard Training at The York GymDave Sheppard Training at The York Gym

    One of the greatest gyms of all time was the old York gym on Broad street. An untold number of champions trained there, among them Dave Sheppard, shown here practicing his high pulls with 360 pounds.

    Sheppard used a wide grip, as if snatching, and pulled the weight high enough to touch his chest lightly on each rep. This was one of the key exercises that allowed him to snatch 316-1/2 pounds at a bodyweight of 190 pounds.

    John Davis looks on as he waits his turn to lift.

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    Monday, May 12, 2008

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    Sunday, February 17, 2008

  • John Davis' Flag

  • John Davis FlagJohn Davis Flag

    There's no question that John Davis was one of the greatest strength athletes who ever lived. - He was exemplary at nearly every lift he tried, whether grip feats such as lifting the Apollon wheels or pinch gripping feats or Olympic lifting and other incredible lifts.

    Here John Davis performs the incredible bodyweight feat "the flag" while training at Ed Yarick's Gym in Oakland,California.

    Although Davis makes it look easy, this feat is harder than it looks - try it.

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    Sunday, February 17, 2008

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    Friday, February 01, 2008

  • The Famous Rolandow Dumbbell

  • The Famous Rolandow DumbbellThe 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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    Friday, February 01, 2008

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    Wednesday, January 30, 2008

  • Another Look at John Davis Lifting The Apollon Wheels

  • John Davis Lifting The Apollon WheelsJohn Davis Lifting The Apollon Wheels

    I've covered John Davis lifting the famous Apollon Wheels before, but you've probably never seen it from this angle before. This shot is from a French Newspaper and probably hasn't seen the light of day for over five decades.

    You saw it here first...

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    Wednesday, January 30, 2008

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    Monday, January 14, 2008

  • Can You Curl Like John Davis?

  • John DavisJohn DavisCan you curl like John Davis? -- In Dinosaur Training, Brooks Kubik looks at John Davis' curling ability in detail.

    John Davis, as reported in an article in The Iron Master by Osmo Kiiha, could curl 215 pounds at a bodyweight of just 193 pounds. -- That's 1.11 times bodyweight, a staggering feat of strength.

    Here's John Davis curling 205 pounds in damn good form.

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    Monday, January 14, 2008

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    Sunday, December 09, 2007

  • John Davis - Pinch Grip Feat

  • John Davis had a mighty grip to go along with his incredible strength. -- He would need a pretty terrific grip to lift the Apollon wheels.

    Davis could also perform three one-arm chinups with either hand. Pictured here is Two-time Olympic Gold Medal Winning Weightlifter John Davis performing a unique grip feat: pinching a pair of York "Deep Dish" 35-pound barbell plates.

    Not many people practice pinch gripping, or gripping a smooth surface with the fingers extended.

    Pinch gripping modern barbell plates is hard enough, what Davis is doing here is very impressive considering those particular plates are twice as wide as any barbell plates you'll find these days.
    John Davis - Pinch Grip Feat- John Davis -
    Pinch Grip Feat

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    Sunday, December 09, 2007

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    Friday, November 09, 2007

  • Weightlifting Champion John Davis

  • Weightlifting Champion
    John 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:

  • Press - 342 Pounds
  • Snatch - 330-1/2 Pounds
  • Clean & Jerk - 402 Pounds
  • He also excelled in a number of other lifts, deadlifting 705 pounds, squatting 525 pounds eight times in succession, curling 215 pounds, chin himself with either arm multiple times, a right-hand lift of 8 pounds on a Weaver Stick in the Forward Lift style and one of the few men in history to Clean and Jerk the Apollon Wheels

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    Friday, November 09, 2007

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    Tuesday, October 23, 2007

  • Squat!

  • Olympic Champion John Davis SquattingOlympic Champion John Davis - Squat!

    If you are truly interested in size and strength, you need to train your legs. -- and one of the best leg exercises is the barbell squat. In fact, heavy squats have built the foundation of some of the greatest strength athletes in history.

    Here's a look at the great John Davis squatting at Ed Yarick's Gym in Oakland, California in the 50s -- and that's how you should be squatting: full and deep.

    No monkey business there, just pure power development.

    I don't recommend squatting with a board under the heels but it seems to work for John Davis, who was Twice Olympic Weightlifting Champion (1948 and 1952) and Six Time Senior World Weightlifting Champion (1938, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951).

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    Tuesday, October 23, 2007

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    Monday, October 22, 2007

  • John Davis Lifts The Apollon Wheels

  • John Davis Lifts The Apollon WheelsJohn Davis Lifts The Apollon Wheels

    September 13th, 1949 -- American Olympic Weightlifting Champion John Davis succeeds in cleaning & jerking the famous Apollon Wheels. This weight once belonged to the great French Strongman Louis "Apollon" Uni who would lift it each night in his act.

    The wheels themselves weigh 366 pounds connected by a 1.93" diameter axle making this feat an incredible test of grip strength. The widest diameter of each disc is 26 inches.

    After passing out on a previous attempt, (dropping the weight and slightly bending the axle) John Davis cleaned the ponderous weight with a mixed grip, switched hands in mid-air, and jerked it overhead.

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    Monday, October 22, 2007

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    Tuesday, September 25, 2007

  • Norb Schemansky Lifts The Apollon Wheels

  • Norb Schemansky Lifts The Apollon WheelsNorb Schemansky Lifts The Apollon Wheels

    At the turn of the century, the French strongman Apollon introduced his famous challenge weight -- a pair of railcar wheels attached by a thick axle.

    The whole affair weighed 366 lbs. but the real challenge laid in the 1.93 inch thick axle which meant that only the strongest pairs of hands would ever have a shot at breaking it free of the ground.

    Apollon, who likely had the strongest grip in history, was the only man who ever lifted it for decades...

    Many a strongman tried but all failed until the great french weight lifter Charles Rigoulot finally achieved the feat in 1930 after having trained for it over the course of several months.

    Nearly two decades later the American weightlifting champion John Davis was able to lift the wheels on his second try (after passing out on his first attempt.)

    On October 14th, 1954 another American weightlifting champion, Norbert Schemansky, "cleaned" the Apollon wheels and jerked them three times in succession, thus writing his name (again) in the record books.

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    Tuesday, September 25, 2007

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    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.

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