Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Tommy Kono ~ 350 lb. PressA look at the great Tommy Kono pressing 350 lbs. - a World record. Tommy's bodyweight was only 183 lbs. at the time.
Labels: Overhead Press, Press., Tommy Kono, World Record
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Saturday, December 05, 2009
Dr. RouhetDr. Georges Rouhet is shown here demonstrating an overhead press with his favorite barbell.
Labels: Barbell, Dr. Georges Rouhet, French Strongman, Globe Dumbbells, Overhead Press
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Wednesday, August 05, 2009
What Do You Press?"What Do You Press?" means something much different today than it did several decades back. It's a shame, the overhead press is a much better exercise for building upper-body strength than the much more popular bench press.
Are there any bodybuilders today even half as strong as John Grimek? Here's Grimek performing a continental & press with 285 pounds.
Labels: Continental, John Grimek, Overhead Press, Upper Body Exercise
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Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Doug Hepurn - Press!I wonder how different things would be if the standing press were as popular as the bench press? I suspect there would be many more strong folks walking around. Here's the great Doug Hepburn pressing 425 pounds from a rack - that's more than most people can squat! One thing's for sure, increase your press and you'll get a whole lot stronger everywhere else too.
Labels: Barbell, Doug Hepburn, Overhead Press, Upper Body Exercise
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Friday, March 27, 2009
Sandbag TrainingDuring the second World War, the military needed a way for large groups of people to build physical condition. Excess iron and steel was needed for the war effort so normal "weights" were out...
Instead, they instituted a system of physical training which utilized sandbags. Above shows a session of sandbag training at the U.S. Navy pre-flight School in Athlens, Georgia, circa 1942.
Labels: Odd Object Lifting, Overhead Press, Sandbag Overhead Press, Sandbag Strength Training, Sandbag Training, Upper Body Exercise
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Sunday, February 08, 2009
Big Paul"Big Paul" - Paul Anderson -- shows how it's done, pressing 415 pounds for a double at Muscle Beach. Chuck Ahrens and Bert Elliott are visible in the crowd.
Labels: Bert Elliott, Chuck Ahrens, Overhead Press, Paul Anderson
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Friday, January 23, 2009
An Unusual BarbellJ. J. Brown doing a few overhead presses with a very interesting looking barbell in a gymnasium at the Shakespeare Avenue police station in Chicago, Illinois circa 1924. I wonder if he borrowed it from Arthur Saxon.
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Globe Barbell, Overhead Press
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Sunday, January 04, 2009
Two Kinds of Overhead PressSig Klein demonstrates two different kinds of overhead press: the 'strict' press on the left and more of a 'push-press' on the right. The merits of both are discussed in The Milo Bar Bell Courses.
Labels: Milo Bar Bell Courses, Milo Barbell Company, Overhead Press, Push Press, Sig Klein, Strict Press
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Sunday, December 28, 2008
Vintage Earle E. Liederman AdA vintage ad for Earle E. Liederman's training courses. Notice the exercises: being touted: bent over row, Jefferson Lift, Overhead Press, Bent Press, Bridging -- all serious muscle builders. You sure won't see 'em like this these days.
Labels: Advertisement, Bent Over Rowing, Bent Press, Earle E. Liederman, Jefferson Lift, Neck Bridge, Overhead Press
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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
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Friday, August 22, 2008
Russ Knipp from Pittsburgh, Pensylvania pressing 355 at the 1969 Sr. Nationals ( An American & National meet record.)
Knipp never did medal at the Olympics but he did compete at two Games (Mexico City - 1968. Munich - 1972), won seventeen medals in international competition, was a three-time U.S. National Champion and set nine worlds records. |  Russ Knipp |
Labels: 1968 Olympics, 1972 Olympics, Olympics, Overhead Press, Russ Knip, Senior Nationals, weightlifting
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Friday, April 25, 2008
Michael Mayer - Oldtime StrongmanThe strongmen of old worked on their overhead press much like modern trainees work on their benchpress. The difference is that the overhead press is a much better exercise. Michael Mayer, at a height of but 5'6", was one of the first men to press 300 pounds overhead.
Labels: Michael Mayer, Oldtime Strongman, Overhead Press
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Thursday, March 27, 2008
Doug Hepburn Presses the Jowett DumbbellDuring his pro-wrestling career, Doug Hepburn often performed feats of strength in the ring. Here Doug presses the 169-1/2 pound George Jowett dumbbell overhead. This special dumbbell was said to have a handle "four-times" thicker than a normal dumbbell. -- Yet another incredible pressing feat from the great Canadian Strongman.
Labels: Challenge Weight, Doug Hepburn, Dumbbell, Dumbbell Press, George Jowett, George Jowett Dumbbell, Globe Dumbbell, Overhead Dumbbell Press, Overhead Press, Shoulder Exercise, Thick Handle
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
 John Grimek | This photograph was taken on May 25, 1940 as John Grimek competed in the Heavy weight class (weighing 183 pounds!) at the weightlifting Senior Nationals at Madison Squar Garden, New York City. In the afternoon he placed 3rd by totalling 860 pounds (including the 285 pound press shown here) Later that day he beat Frank Leight to win the AAU Mr. America bodybuilding title, including the "Most Musclular" and "Best Arms" subdivions. |
Labels: AAU, Best Arms, Bodybuilding, John Grimek, Most Muscular, Mr. America 1940, Overhead Press, weightlifting
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Saturday, February 16, 2008
| It was said that the great Louis Cyr could pretty much lift whatever he wanted -- this photograph, however, was obviously staged. On May 7, 1896 Louis Cyr is credited with several impresive lifts, and among them was a one-hand Jerk of 254 lbs. Of course, lifting rocks is an altogether different animal. |  Louis Cyr |
Labels: Feat, Louis Cyr, Odd Object Lifting, Overhead Press, Rock Lifting
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Wednesday, February 06, 2008
| William Boone was a well-known lifter in the 1930's and 1940's who became tremendously strong training by himself in the back yard with nothing more than a set of squat racks and some rusty weights. He also liked to perform his overhead pressing with a specially made 10-foot olympic bar, shown right. |  William Boone |
Labels: Barbell, Oldtime Strongman, Overhead Press, WIlliam Boone
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Thursday, January 24, 2008
 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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Monday, January 14, 2008
Louis Cyr Strikes a Classic PoseThis picture was taken in the late 1800's, a time when the subject of a photograph had to stand still for long periods of time -- which means the globe dumbbell that Louis Cyr is holding aloft here is likely just a prop.
Cyr did, however, did possess the ability to move such huge weights.
He once jerked a 132 pound dumbbell for 36 reps and his bent press of 273 pounds beat Eugen Sandow's mark. Also note the rather impressive Ring Weight.
Labels: Dumbbell Press, Globe Dumbbell, Louis Cyr, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Overhead Press, Ring Weights, Strongman Equipment
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Saturday, January 05, 2008
Sig Klein Demonstrates The Tiger Bend PushupSig Klein was a master of many bodyweight feats in addition to his weight lifting prowess. He credits the Tiger Bend Pushup for taking his overhead press to championship levels. The tiger bend pushup is also one of the best supplementary exercises for building hand balancing skill.
Labels: Bodyweight Training, Exercise, Hand Balancing, Overhead Press, Pushup, Sig Klein, Tiger Bend Pushup
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wood's WoodWood's Wood is one of the Original Wooden Log Bars which was a gift from Dr. Ken Leistner many moons ago. It's called "Wood's Wood" because that's what is carved into the side of it. -- A Pretty Fitting Name
This is the same Log that appears in Brooks Kubik's "Bags, Barrels and Beyond" training video.
As you can see, this Log is a beast and nearly as tall as I am. It's still good for a workout every now and then but I much prefer the updated model for training.
Labels: Brooks Kubik, Dr. Ken Leistner, John Wood, Log Bar, Log Press, Log Training, Overhead Press, Strongman Equipment, Wooden Log, Woods Wood
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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Overhead PressThe standing barbell press is a great lift -- one of the simplest, and one of the best -- for building upper-body power.
This exercise should be a part of your program.
Here Doug Hepburn presses 361 pounds at the Pacific Coast Championship in the 1950's.
Labels: Barbell Exercise, Doug Hepburn, Exercise, Overhead Press
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Monday, November 19, 2007
Log Lifting With Brooks KubikIt takes a real maniac to lift things like logs, barrels, anvils, etc...
Here's Brooks Kubik doing an overhead press with a log named "Wood's Wood" - a present to my Dad from Dr. Ken and on loan to Brooks's for his Dinosaur Training video: Bags, Barrels and Beyond.
230 Pounds is a very good lift, especially since this log is not perfectly balanced. Notice how Brooks has wrapped chains on the end of the log to add weight. Parallel-grip overhead pressing is a tremendous tricep developer
Labels: Brooks Kubik, Dinosaur Training, Log Bar, Odd Object, Overhead Press, Woods Wood
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Friday, November 16, 2007
| One amazing strength feat is tough enough already but two at once is simply outta this world. If you need a challenge, try one-arm pressing a "human weight" while muscling out a heavy kettlebell just like the gent on the right. One of the kings of Combo strength feats is Pat Povilaitis. In his dvd 336 Pounds of Fury you can see Pat lift a heavy granite stone into his lap and then close heavy grippers and bend spikes and horseshoes. -- Wow! |  Strongman Combo Feats |
Labels: Human Lift, Kettlebell, Muscle Out, Overhead Press, Pat Povilaitis, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Monday, November 12, 2007
Progressive Log TrainingSome of our military friends will have some "fond" memories over this one...
How do you exercise large groups of men in a short amount of time with limited equipment and only a few trained instructors?
Logs like this one are the military solution -- and a great way to build strength, stamina, coordination as well as teamwork. "Log Drill" exercises include situps, squats and overhead presses -- and they only work when everyone works together.
Labels: Log Training, Military Press, Odd Object Lifting, Overhead Press, Progressive Log Training, Situps, Traditional Squats
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Friday, November 09, 2007
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
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Saturday, November 03, 2007
The "Original" Original Dr. Ken Log BarHere's a look at one of the original ideas behind Dr. Ken's Log Bar -- an actual log with handles cut into it. This "log" was patterned on an unusual parallel-handled bar used for pressing movements that Dr. Ken trained with down in Lake Helen, Florida when he worked for Arthur Jones.
As is the case with most of Dr. Ken's unusual equipment, this log was a lot of fun to train with and provided many excellent workouts for his trainees.
Labels: Arthur Jones, Dr. Ken Leistner, Equipment, Log Bar, Overhead Press, Strongman Equipment
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sig Klein Dumbbell Clean and PressSig Klein called the two dumbbell clean and press THE ONE BEST EXERCISE because of its simplicty and tremendous training effects on upper body strength.
In the 1940's Klein suggested to get started with this exercise with 20 pounds less than your two arm press and build from there. He also questioned whether there were a dozen athletes in the country who could do 10 clean and presses with a pair of 75 pound dumbbells... Hmmm.
Labels: Clean and Press, Dumbbells, Globe Dumbbells, Overhead Press, Press, Sig Klein, Strongman Feat
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Monday, October 22, 2007
Sig Klein One Arm Dumbbell PressThe One Arm Dumbbell Press is a great power builder for the shoulders and upper body. -- You should include it in your program and work up to well over a hundred pounds. Here's a look at the great Sig Klein pressing an old Milo Globe Dumbbell. At a bodyweight of only 150 pounds, Sig Klein could do a ten reps with each arm in a 'see-saw' press with a pair of 100 lb. dumbbells.
Labels: Globe Dumbbells, Milo Barbell Company, Oldtime Strongman, Overhead Press, Sig Klein, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat
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Monday, October 15, 2007
J.C. Tolson - The Young Mighty ApollonJ.C. Tolson was a British performing strongman in the 1920's who took the name "The Young Mighty Apollon" after his hero, the great French Strongman Louis "Apollon" Uni.
As he traveled the continent, he issued a strength challenge to all which included the following feats:
Few accepted his challenge.
Labels: Apollon, J.C. Tolson, Oldtime Strongman, Overhead Press, Steel Bending, Strongman, Strongman Feat, Young Apollon
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Saturday, September 22, 2007
Karl SwobodaAn Austrian by birth, Karl Swoboda was one of the early strength "Giants" -- literally. Swoboda eventually reached a bodyweight of over 400 lbs. He owned his own restaurant and did plenty of lifting back in the "bier garden."
Of course, his tremendous strength also matched his great bodyweight. Here's a look at some of his best marks:
You can read more about Karl Swoboda in Physical Training Simplified by Mark Berry and The Truth Abut Weight Lifting by Alan Calvert
Labels: Jerk, Karl Swoboda, Oldtime Strongman, Overhead Press, Snatch, Strongman Feat
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Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Clevio Massimo with a Classic KettlebellDoing snatches and clean & jerks with a kettlebell is actually a pretty common thing these days although you rarely saw many oldtime strongmen doing them... they mainly used kettlebells for overhead pressing.
Here Clevio Massimo strikes a classic pose with a classic kettlebell.
Labels: Clevio Massimo, Kettlebell, Overhead Press, Strongman Equipment
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Saturday, July 07, 2007
John Grimek Overhead Presses a Heavy Globe BarbellAny training course worth it's salt recommends the overhead press as as exercise. John Grimek, the greatest bodybuilder of all time built his tremendous upper-body strength and power with plenty of overhead pressing (and intense leg work.)
You'll become extra strong if you do your pressing with antique globe barbells.
Labels: Globe Barbell, John Grimek, Overhead Press, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat
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