Monday, January 25, 2010
The Mighty Atom ~ Nail DrivingAnother classic shot ofThe Mighty Atom performing The Nail Driving Feat - a feat he did until well into his 70s. For more information about The Mighty Atom and his nail driving prowess, you'll want to sit down with the Hammer Man.
Labels: Feats of Strength, Nail Driving, Oldtime Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom
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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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Monday, July 06, 2009
Warren Lincoln TravisPictures of Warren Lincoln Travis in action are extremely rare, but this just happens to be one (and you saw it here first). Here, Travis supports close to a ton of human weight on his shoulders.
Labels: Feats of Strength, Human Lift, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat, Warren Lincoln Travis
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Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Classic Strongman Feats: The Human LinkCertain strongman feats are just classics and one of those is the The Human Link. Louis Cyr performed it all the way back in the late 1800s with a couple draught horses... Dennis Rogers does the same feat today with motor cycles or jet planes -- and you can find pretty much every major strongman in between having performed the same feat as well.
Here's Johan Dykhorst of South Africa performing the human link with an automobile on each arm. At the time this picture was taken he was the director of a large physical culture gym in Johannesburg, South Africa. Aside from the Human Link, Dykhorst was also great at some of the more conventional lifts, among them a straight arm pullover with 215 pounds which was equal to his bodyweight - a phenomenal achievement.
Labels: Car Lift, Classic Strongman Feats, Human Link, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Pullover, South African, South African Strongman, Straight Arm Pullover
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Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Paul KronusAs a young man, Paul Kronus of Germany was inspired to become a strongman after watching a performance by Karl Abs. During the 1920's Kronus traveled throughout Europe and the U.S. performing feats of strength, among them this harness lift of a car said to weigh 3600 pounds.
Labels: Car, German Strongman, Harness Lift, Karl Abs, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Paul Kronus, Supporting Feat
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Wednesday, December 31, 2008
| Siegmund Breitbart was a strongman of many unusual talents... Like many of the oldtime strongmen, he performed feats such as bending steel bars, nail driving, supporting feats etc etc but one type of strength that he was simply in a class by himself was the strength of his jaw. He could pull cars or wagons with his teeth but even more amazing was that he could bite clean through steel chain links. Yes, real steel, real chains, one of which is pictured on the right. This feat is almost to incredible to be true. Amazingly enough, the Mighty Atom was able to accomplish this feat as well. |  The Actual Chain that Breitbart bit through |
Labels: Chain Biting, Nail Driving, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Siegmund Breitbart, Steel Bending, Supporting Feat
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Friday, June 13, 2008
At 94 years old jack LaLanne is still going strong. He once did 1033 pushups in one hour, swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf while handcuffed and towing a fleet of boats, and starred in the longest running fitness show in the history or television. Here he is as a young man working on his one-arm chinning ability.
Jack LaLanneLabels: Bodyweight Feat, Endurance Feat, Jack LaLanne, Oldtime Strongman Feat, One Arm Chin up, Pushups, swimming
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 Mac Batchlelor Plays the Violin | Mac Batchelor was a man of many talents...Besides Arm Wrestling and Bending Bottlecaps he could also play the violin... Of course, like any strongman, he added his own unique twist, that's a pair of 50-pound Milo Kettlebells hanging from his right arm. |
Labels: Feat, Mac Batchelor, Milo Kettlebell, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Violin
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Circus Strongman Pierre Gasnier Rips a Deck of CardsStanding only 5'3" and weighing 135 pounds, the "French Hercules" Pierre Gasnier possessed a great deal of strength and power as is evident in this rare picture. He was one of the first, and most influential, of the oldtime Circus strongmen, performing for the Barnum and Bailey circus throughout the 1890s.
Shown here ripping a deck of cards with ease, Gasnier was said to be able to perform a one-arm snatch with bodyweight whilst his ankles were tied together. Gasnier is featured prominently in Alan Calvert's book Super Strength.
Labels: Barnum and Bailey Circus, Card Ripping, Circus Strongman, Deck of Cards, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Pierre Gasnier
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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
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Friday, May 09, 2008
Louis Cyr's BackliftA rare woodcut of the great Louis Cyr's famous backlift. Cyr astonished the world with a lift of 4337 pounds!
Labels: Backlift, Feat, Heavy Partial Movements, Louis Cyr, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Mac batchelor's 2000-Pound Hip LiftMac Batchelor was well-known for his grip strength but he excelled at many other different types of strength feats.
Here's Mighty Mac performing a harness or hip lift with over 2000 pounds.
Labels: Harness Lift, Hip Lift, Mac Batchelor, Oldtime Strongman Feat
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Joseph VitoleAt a bodyweight of only 150 pounds, Joe Vitole broke the World's Record with a teeth lift of 550 pounds. Needless to say, teeth lifting builds incredible neck strength. While you may not necessarily want to include teeth lifting in you routine, you should unquestionably be training your neck.
Labels: Feat, Joseph Vitole, Neck Strength, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Teeth Lifting
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Thursday, May 01, 2008
The Brothers McCannThe Brothers McCann, Henry and Louis, were known as Hercules and Samson when they became professional strongmen in the late 1800s. In 1890, they challenged Eugen Sandow to a match - and Won!
... although they were defeated by Louis Cyr in a similar contest a few years later.
Labels: Amazing Samson, Challenge Match, Eugen Sandow, Hercules, Louis Cyr, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Oldtime Strongmen, The Brothers McCann
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Friday, April 25, 2008
Art WalgeOne of the greatest grip exercises is also one of the simplest: the one arm deadlift performed with an Olympic Barbell.
Here's Big" Art Walge doing just that: deadlifting 400 pounds with one hand. Art stands 6'6", weighs 275 and held the World Record for the bent-arm pullover.
Labels: Art Walge, Bent-Arm Pullover, Grip Exercise, Grip Feat, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Olympic Barbell, One Arm Deadlift
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| Charles Batta, or, as he was more commonly known "Batta" was an oldtime strongman famous for his incredible grip strength. Standing at 5'10" and a bodyweight of only 200 popunds, Batta was the only man who duplicated one of the Apollon's greatest feats: the lifting of four 44-pound blockweights overhead -- each tied to a finger of one hand. It was also written that Batta cleaned (but did not jerk) Apollon's famous railroad wheels - an incredible feat in its own right, but even more so due to his light bodyweight. |  Batta |
Labels: Apollon, Apollon's Wheels, Batta, Blockweights, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat
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 George Jowett And The Bent Press | The great oldtime strongman and strength author George Jowett as he prepares to bent press a heavy globe barbell. Jowett was a master of many different strength feats, most notably, lifting a 168-pound anvil by the horn and other feats of grip strength Jowett's best bent press performance was 304-1/2 pounds. Note the great Milo Kettlebells in the background. |
Labels: Bent Press, George Jowett, Globe Barbell, Kettlebell, Oldtime Strongman Exercise, Oldtime Strongman Exercises, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Strongman Equipment, Supporting Feat
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
| The era of Strongmanism, several generations ago, used to feature many strongman stunts that baffled and amazed the public. Here's a rare shot of one of the feats performed by Sig Klein and his stage partner Jack Bier. Here Sig holds a Neck Bridge while holding a globe barbell at arm's length as his partner stands on his chest. -- that's several hundred exta pounds supported by Sig Klein's neck alone. Having accomplished a similar feat, I can say this is NOT easy! |  Sig Klein's Neck Bridge Feat |
Labels: Feat, Globe Barbell, Jack Bier, Kettlebell, Neck Bridge, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Sig Klein, Strongmanism, Supporting Feat
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Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Milo Steinborn vs. The Motor Car An unusual feat of strength(?)by Henry "Milo" Steinborn. Milo used to lie down and let a motor car drive over his chest. Impressive -- but it came with a price -- Milo was seriously injured while performing this feat although fortunately he did make a recovery and was eventually able to wrestle again.
Labels: Car, Henry Milo Steinborn, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Tuesday, April 08, 2008
| The Mighty Norseman Karl Norberg could perform many incredible strength feats -- one of which involved a simple Olympic barbell. Norberg could do a front holdout with the bar (which is pretty impressive by itself.) |  Karl Norberg Olympic Bar |
Labels: Barbell, Forearm Strength, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Hand Strength, Karl Norberg, Leverage Feat, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Olympic Barbell, Wrist Power, Wrist Strength
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H.E. MANNH.E. MANN was an old 1930's Tennessee farmer who followed in the footsteps of Milo of Crotona by lifting a calf each day until it became a full-grown bull.
It worked! ... and thus, progressive resistance training was born. This principle is particularly useful for heavy squatting although I prefer lifting iron to livestock.
Labels: Bull, Bull Lifting, H.E. MANN, Milo of Crotona, Odd Object Lifting, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Progressive Resistance Training
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Monday, April 07, 2008
 Warren Lincoln Travis | You aren't a real Oldtime Strongman until you lift a Cannon... The great Warren Lincoln Travis shows he's still got it as an old man, Harness Lifting a Cannon and a Globe Barbell - combined weight: over 1500 pounds. |
Labels: Cannon, Cannon Lifting, Harness Lift, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat, Warren Lincoln Travis
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Sunday, April 06, 2008
 Al Berger | Al Berger was a great strength athlete and classic bodybuilder during the 1940's. Berger was a very good bodybuilder but was most well-known for his ability to perform incredible feats of strength while "pinch gripping" rafters in his basement. |
Im addition to his pinch-gripping feats, Berger could perform a reverse curl with 165 pounds.
Labels: Al Berger, Bodybuilder, Finger Strength, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Hand Strength, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Pinch Grip, Pinch Grip Chinup, Pinch Lift, Rafter Chinup, Reverse Curl, Thumb Strength
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Friday, March 28, 2008
Arthur Saxon - Master of the Bent PressIt is pretty safe to say that Arthur Saxon's records will never be broken. Saxon was certainly not a large man, but the rugged, functional muscle he possessed is especially evident in these shots.
Moving or holding heavy weights in the bent press (more of a supporting feat than a lift) likely contributed to Saxon's tremendous upper-body power.
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Bent Press, Oldtime Strongman Feat
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Thursday, March 20, 2008
 Bert Elliott Bent-Press | The great weightlifter Bert Elliott was also a specialist in the bent-press. He had a special 201-pound globe "Challenge" Dumbbell that few could budge but which he could lift with ease. It was thought by many "old time" weight lifters that due to the incredible midsection strength that was developed by the bent-press, improving that lift would also improve one's total. Sure looks that way here. |
Labels: Bent Press, Bert Elliott, Challenge Weight, Globe Dumbbell, Oldtime Strongman Feat, weightlifting
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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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Saturday, February 16, 2008
| Mac Batchelor was most well-known for his feats of grip strength but he was no one-trick pony -- Mac trained many different lifts and was exceptional in all of them. In this classic shot, "Big Mac" warms up with 30 or 40 reps in the Backlift with half a ton. |  Mac Batchelor |
Labels: Backlift, Mac Bachelor, Mac Batchelor, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Friday, February 15, 2008
 Harold Ansorge | Harold Ansorge, the great strongman from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was a bent-press specialist. He never broke Arthur Saxon's record of 336 pounds but came very close with a lift of 335 pounds. Here is Ansorge bent-pressing a great 200 pound dumbbell. His gym, the Harold Ansorge Health Studios, was listed at the following addresses: 2124 Plainfield Ave., N.E and 141 28th Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Anybody know what's there now? |
Labels: Bent Press, Classic Strongman Gyms, Harold Ansorge, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat
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 Jack Walsh's Bridging Feat | The great strongman Jack Walsh from New Jersey performed some very unique feats of strength over the years. Here he holds 300 pounds in the wrestler's bridge position -- he claimed to have once held 520 pounds like this! |
Labels: Barbell, Feat, Jack Walsh, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Wrestlers Bridge
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Thursday, February 14, 2008
Hermann Goerner's Human Bridge FeatA look at Hermann Goerner's incredible "Human Bridge" stunt where he supports a platform on his shoulders while an automobile loaded with passengers drives over it.
It was said that at the heaviest point in this feat, Goerner supported over 3000 pounds on his shoulders.
This may not be quite as heavy or as dangerous as Lionel Strongfort's Human Bridge Feat but it's still very impressive.
Labels: German Strongman, Hermann Goerner, Human Bridge, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Thursday, February 07, 2008
| A young Lionel Strongfort, circa 1900, billed as "America's Most Perfect Athlete" (and he certainly looked it.) Actually Strongfort was a great athlete -- he excelled in boxing, wrestling, track and field events as well as feats of strength. He could perform a somersault with a 50-pound dumbbell in each hand along with many other traditional oldtime strongman feats. |  Young Lionel Strongfort |
Labels: Lionel Strongfort, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Somersault, Young
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The Mighty Atlas You've probably seen the old feat of strength where a strongman puts an anvil or large stone slab on his chest and lets someone hit it with a sledge hammer...
I guarantee you haven't seen this feat before though, -- "The Mighty Atlas," Morris Shapiro, a professional wrestler from Brooklyn, New York, teeth-lifting an anvil while someone else hits the anvil with a sledge hammer.
Now that's impressive!
Labels: Anvil, Anvil Lifting, Mighty Atlas, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Teeth Lifting, Wrestler
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Wednesday, February 06, 2008
 Arthur Dandurand | Arthur Dandurand was yet another great Canadian Strongman. It was said that he had a 16-inch forearm at a bodyweight of only 185 pounds and it certainly looks that way in this classic shot. Dandurand was often called the "Canadian Sandow" and some of his best lifts were as follows: In addition to these feats, Dandurand was very good at juggling and bent-pressing human weights. He also could shoulder a 406 Pound truck engine and at a contest in 1908, Dandurand pushed a wheelbarrow loaded to 4300 Pounds for a distance of 23 feet. |
Labels: Arthur Dandurand, Bent Press, Canadian Strongman, Forearm Strength, Kennedy Lift, Military Press, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Reverse Curl, Wheelbarrow Lift
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Tuesday, February 05, 2008
The Mighty Samson's Nail DrivingAlexander Zass, aka "The Mighty Samson, was one of the greatest of the Nail Driving strongmen. He used the unorthodox style pictured above to drive the nail through a 3" wooden board -- and, like no other strongman I know of, also used to pull the nails out as well.
Labels: Alexander Zass, Mighty Samson, Nail Driving, Oldtime Strongman Feat
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| 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 |
Labels: Feat, G.W. Rolandow, Globe Dumbbells, Jumping Feats, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Somersault
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Friday, February 01, 2008
The Tomb of Hercules Feat"A feat of supporting strength that is commonly performed is the one known as "The Tomb of Hercules."- George Jowett in The Key to Might and Muscle, Chapter 6
The athlete takes up his position with the hands and feet only upon the floor, and the face looking upwards. The hands are turned back along a line parallel with the body which gives a better arm lock in the elbows.
The body is held up fairly well, but not so high as to have the body level with the line of the knees and the shoulders.
The arms and legs from the foot to the knee must be perpendicular so that no lateral pressure is suggested. Then a platform is placed on the body so that it has four points of rest, both knees and the shoulders.
A number of men are then seated upon the board, which is supported by the athlete for a few seconds. Some athletes make this stunt more spectacular by supporting a whole orchestra while it plays, and others allow an automobile to run over a trestle supported in this manner.
In this latter feat, the machine is only supported a bare fraction of a second, and the fact that the machine is moving across distributes the weight so that actually the entire weight of the machine is not supported all at one time by the body.
But enough weight is supported to make the act very dangerous.
If I remember rightly, Monte Saldo, an English athlete was one of the first to introduce this stunt."
Labels: George Jowett, Monte Saldo, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat, The Key to Might and Muscle, The Tomb of Hercules
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 John Y. Smith | Gotta love some of the unique and usual weights that many of the strongmen found to lift. Here's a rare shot of the great Oldtime strongman John Y. Smith as he shoulders an unusual barbell, in his later years. Smith was a very good bent-presser (with a lift of 275 lbs. at a bodyweight of just 160 lbs.) so that is probably what he is getting ready to do. |
Labels: Barbell, Bent Press, John Y. Smith, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Strongman Equipment, Unusual Training Equipment
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Arthur Saxon's Leg Press Support FeatHeavy supporting feats were very popular with the oldtime strongmen. They could often support incredibly heavy weighst which always impressed the audience.
Here's Arthur Saxon supporting nine men on his feet, and two more (the other members of the Saxon Trio, Kurt and Herman) on a globe barbell held at arms's length.
It's been said that a feat such as this where Arthur Saxon held several thousand pounds was his greates strength feat, even topping his 448-Pound Two-Hands-Anyhow record.
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Globe Barbell, Herman Saxon, Kurt Saxon, Leg Press, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Saxon Trio, Supporting Feat
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
John Davis Lifting The Apollon WheelsI'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...
Labels: Apollon's Wheels, Challenge Weight, John Davis, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Thick Bar Lifting
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
 Lionel Strongfort | Lionel Strongfort, (Real name Max Unger) began his strongman career as a pupil of Professor Attila Strongfort went on to thrill audiences all over the world with his incredible and very dangerous Human Bridge feat where he supported over 7,000 pounds in the Tomb of Hercules position. Strongfort was also one of the most successful Mail Order Muscle Barons and his training courses on "Strongfortism," which only required bodyweight and some light dumbbells, were incredibly popular in the early 20th century. |
Labels: Human Bridge, Lionel Strongfort, Mail Order Muscle Courses, Max Unger, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Professor Attila, Strength Author, Strongfortism, Supporting Feat, Tomb of Hercules
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Friday, January 25, 2008
Hans BeckHans Beck was a great German weightlifter and Strongman toward the end of the 1890's. He won two German championships and a European Championship from 1895-1897 and was the first man to "continental" and jerk 330 pounds (as pictured.)
Like many German Strongmen, he was also very good at barrel lifting feats pressing a 249 pound barrel overhead for three repetitions and a barrel filled to 275-1/2 pounds for one rep.
Labels: Barrel Lifting, Barrel Lifting Exercises, Bench Press, Continental, German Strongman, Hans Beck, Jerk, Oldtime Strongman Feat
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 Joe Nordquest | Joe Nordquest was one of those rare individuals who seemed to posses incredible strength at whatever lift he tried. He could perform a one-finger and holdout with a 70-pound dumbbell and his record 388 pound "shoulder bridge press" still stands, (at least to my knowledge.) Here is Joe Nordquest in mid-bent press. (He could bent press nearly 300 pounds with ease.) -- Gotta love that globe barbell. |
Labels: Bent Press, Globe Dumbbell, Joe Nordquest, Oldtime Lift, Oldtime Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat
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Edward Aston, Britain's Strongest ManEdward Aston was The World's Middle-weight Weightlifting Champion, British Heavy-weight Champion Weightlifter, and Britain's Strongest Man from 1911-1934 (Retiring undefeated.)
Here Aston demostrates his unique version of the "clean pull" - note the position of the elbow. -- This simple adjustment in technique will allow you to "pull" up to 15% more weight!
Labels: Art of Expander Pulling, Britains Strongest Man, British Champion, British Strongman, Clean Pull, Edward Aston, Globe Barbell, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Upper Body Exercise
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Thursday, January 24, 2008
Paul Anderson Winning the 1956 Melbourne OlympicsWith this lift, Paul Anderson won the Gold Medal in the heavyweight class at the 1956Olympic Games held in Melbourne, Australia.
It sure didn't come easy...
Big Paul was suffering from an ear infection at the time which caused him to lose his balance and stagger once he had the weight overhead, thus missing several lifts he would normally make with ease.
Here's how he ended the day:
Though he totaled, 1101 pounds, it was far from his best. Still, it was a gold medal winning performance, and one that cemented his name in the history books.
Labels: Bench Press, Clean and Jerk, Gold Medal, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Olympics, Paul Anderson, Snatch, Total, weightlifting
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 Karl Norberg | Next time you are thnking that you are "too old" just take a look at Karl Norberg, shown here bench pressing 380 pounds at 69 years of age. Norberg could bench press over 300 pounds well into his 80s. (Wow!) At the same event where this picture was taken, Karl Norberg also military pressed 230 pounds with ease. |
Labels: Bench Press, Karl Norberg, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Overhead Press
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Friday, January 18, 2008
| I count the reverse curl as one of the true "secret" exercises -- it is simple to do, very effective and will hit one of the most important areas of your body that no other exercise will match. To do it, simply curl with your palms facing down instead of up -- Keep your elbows tight, the bar should move in a semi-circle, this is not a "clean." Anton Matysek could perform this lift with a 3" thick-bar loaded to 88 pounds and tied a belt around his arms to keep it strict. |  The Reverse Curl - Anton Matysek |
Labels: Anton Matysek, Exercise, Oldtime Lift, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Reverse Curl, Thick Bar, Upper Body Movement
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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
| The "Muscle Out" is an oldtime lift where a weight is held at arms length to the front or side of the body. Generally a block weight or ring weight was used. This lift is quite a test of shoulder strength. If you can accomplish this feat with a 56-pound weight, like the French gentleman on the right, you are indeed strong. |  The Muscle Out |
Labels: Blockweights, Exercise, French Strongman, Muscle Out, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Ring Weights, Shoulder Exercise
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
The Brothers MarxJohn Grunn Marx and his brother Aloysius used to perform together as "The Brothers Marx" - American Gladiators, The Strongest Men Living.
(It was actually brother Al who taught John Grunn the strongman trade.)
As this oldtime strongman poster indicates, their act consisted of the lifting of large globe dumbbells, kettlebells and various supporting feats... And as also indicated on the poster, their apparati was available for inspection.
Labels: Aloysius Marx, Globe Barbell, Globe Dumbbell, John Grunn Marx, Kettlebells, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Oldtime Strongmen, Performing Strongmen, Poster, Supporting Feat, The Brothers Marx
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Monday, January 14, 2008
Sandow's One Arm DeadliftSandow was a master of many different kinds of strength feats. Don't know if he ended up lifting this 1500 lb. block of sandstone (doubtful) but he sure looked like he could.
While you may not have a stone like this around, the one-arm deadlift while straddling two benches or platforms to increase the range of motion is an excellent exercise. Normally I don't recommend straps but Sandow can get away with it when he's lifting that kind of weight.
Labels: Eugen Sandow, Oldtime Strongman Feat, One Arm Deadlift, Stone Lifting
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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
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