Maxick

Maxick

Even a hundred years later, there aren't many men who can compete with Maxick in terms of pure muscularity. His incredible condition came about mostly from practicing Muscle Control but he was no slouch when it came to moving some heavy iron either. Maxick could "swing" a 150-pound dumbbell - a dumbbell as heavy as his own bodyweight. He could also overhead "press" over 230 pounds - impressive feats for any sized athlete.

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Barrel Lifting at "The Pit"

Barrel Lifting at "The Pit"

No matter how you slice it, barrel lifting is a great workout, as shown on this classic cover of Hardgainer Magazine (#30, May-June 1994). In this shot, Bob Farris from Dick Conner's place "The Pit" Barbell Club in Evansville, Indiana presses a 150-pound water-filled barrel for 13 reps. If you've ever trained with barrels, you know this is STRONG!

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Doug Hepburn

Doug Hepburn

Doug Hepburn doing his thing. At the time this picture was taken Doug had cleaned and pressed 381 pounds -- the heaviest weight that had ever been lifted in this manner. This picture was taken as Doug was preparing for the 1954 British Empire games in his hometown of Vancouver (At which he won a gold medal.)

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Norb Schemansky

Norb Schemansky

Champion Olympic Weightlifter Norb Schemansky as he looked pressing 160 kg at the 1960 Rome Olympics (where he won Bronze) and on the cover of the September, 1962 issue of Strength and Health Magazine.

Over his career Schemansky was an Olympic Champion in 1952 (Helsinki), Three time World Champion (1947, 1962, 1963) and set 26 World Records.

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Pete George

Pete George

Akron, Ohio's Pete George on the cover of the March, 1956 issue of Strength and Health Magazine.
Over his career, George won five World Championships (1947, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955) and three Olmpic Medals (Silver: 1948 games London, England; Gold: 1952 Games, Helsinki, Finland; Silver: 1956 games Melbourne, Australia).

He set three world records and his best lifts were as follows:

Press: 122.5 kg

Snatch: 127.5 kg

Clean and Jerk: 164.5 kg

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Charles Rigoulot

Charles Rigoulot

In July of 1924, Charles Rigoulot was crowned the light-heavyweight Champion at the Olympic Games held in Paris, France. Today there are only two Olympic lifts, but things were a little different back then when a variety of lifts were contested.

Here's a look at Rigoulot's championship numbers: One-Hand snatch: 197-1/2 pounds, One-Hand Clean and Jerk: 203-1/2 pounds, Two-Hands Military Press: 187 pounds, Two-Hands Snatch: 225-1/2 pounds, Two-Hands Clean and Jerk: 297 pounds.

As you can see, Rigoulot was a little low in the press at this time but more than made up for it with his snatching ability. Rigoulot's total of 1103-1/2 pounds was the third highest of the entire competition... and, interestingly enough he also used shot-loaded globes instead of normal plate-loaded equipment like his competitors.

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Doug Hepburn - 1953 Heavyweight World Champion

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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Dick Bachtell - Weightlifting Champion

Dick Bachtell - Weightlifting Champion
The great weightlifting Champion Dick Bachtell as he appeared on the cover of the January, 1936 issue of Strength and Health Magazine.

Dick Bachtell was a seven-time National Champion (1929-1931, 1934-1935, 1937, and 1943) and competed in the 1932 Olympic games in Los Angeles, Claifornia.

For his last National Title, he totaled 630 pounds in the 60-Kg class.

In addition to his Olympic Weightlifting exploits, Dick Bachtell could also one-arm snatch 154 pounds, squat 350-pounds, deadlift 425-pounds, one-arm press 92-pounds, pullover 100-pounds, swing 137-pounds and bent-press 180-pounds.

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Ike Berger

Isaac "Ike" Berger
Ike Berger is one of America's most successful Olympic Weightlifters -- he was the first featherweight in history to lift more than 800 pounds and the first to press double body weight.

Over his career he was the owner of 23 world weightlifting records, a 12-time United States national titleholder, 2-time World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist at the 1956 Games in Melbourne Australia (along with two more Silver medals at the next two Olympic Games.)

At the 1964 Olympic games, he estabilished a record of 152.5 kg (336 lb) in the jerk, at a bodyweight of only 130 pounds (59 kg). This lift made him pound-for-pound the strongest man in the world, a record that stood for nine years.

Ike Berger was elected to the United States Weightlifter's Hall of Fame in 1965.

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The Dumbbell Side Press

The "side press" is a looser version of the dumbbell press - contrast the picture on the right with the one here. Because it's a bit of an "anyhow" lift, much more weight can be used than a strict dumbbell press. You should be able to press well over a hundred pounds in this manner. Paul Anderson could side press over 300 pounds with ridiculous ease.

The Dumbbell Side Press

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Barrel Lifting

Barrel Lifting

Lifting Barrels and Kegs has long been a Oldtime strongman Tradition since it builds a unique kind of strength -- especially is the barrel is only partially filled... If water (or beer) is sloshing around inside the barrel, it becomes a "live" weight, and a tremendous test of strength -- and it takes a lot less weight than you think. A partially-filled barrel weighing as little as fifty pounds can give you a tremendous workout. Suggested barrel lifting exercises include: Curls Overhead Pressing (shown) Shouldering Bear Hugs Carrying Throwing (steel keg only!)

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Handbalancing With Doug Hepburn

Doug Hepburn

It was once thought that strength training would makes athletes stiff and "muscle bound." -- That line of thinking couldn't be further from the truth and here's a good example: In addition to his tremendous lifting feats, Doug Hepburn was also a great hand balancer He believed handbalancing also contributed to his pressing ability. Doug pressed 440 pounds off a rack so I think there's a pretty strong case for that. This picture was taken at Ed Yarick's Gym in Oakland, California in the early 1950's.

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Osmo Kiiha

In addition to publishing "THE IRON MASTER" John "Osmo" Kiiha is a former World-Class Olympic Lifter who competed in the 1968 Senior Nationals in the 198 pound class. His bests lifts were: Total: 985, Press: 333, Clean & Jerk: 418, Snatch: 286. Here he is getting ready to incline press a pair of 150 pound dumbbells.

Osmo Kiiha

Also, check out Osmo's IRON MASTER dumbbells here.

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John Grimek: Military Press

When you see that the many of the strongest men who ever lived all trained with the same exercise, you ought to start paying attention. This picture was taken at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on December 22nd, 1941. Grimek and the York Gang toured the country promoting weightlifting. At these exhibitions, Grimek performed military presses with 290 pounds.

John Grimek: Military Press

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Anton Matysek Lifting a Classic Kettlebell

You have to admit, classic globe kettlebells like this one make great pictures. Here's famous strongman Anton Matysek lifting a rather large Milo Kettlebell. Interestingly enough, the "traditional" kettlebell exercises such as snatches and clean & Jerks, are often nowhere to be found in most oldtime strongman training literature.

Anton Matysek Lifting a Classic Kettlebell

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John Terpak - Eleven Time Senior National Weightlifting Champion

John Terpak - Eleven Time Senior National Weightlifting Champion
John Terpak was a member of the "York Gang" and one of America's best Olympic-style weightlifters, winning eleven Senior National Weightlifting Titles (1936-1945 & 1947).

Over his career he lifted in three different weight classes (148, 165 and 181.) His best performance occurred winning the 1947 Worlds as a light-heavyweight:

Press - 253-1/2 pounds
Snatch - 264-1/2 pounds
Clean & Jerk - 336-1/4 pounds
Total = 854-1/2 pounds

He also one-hand snatched 154 pounds and one-hand jerked 170-1/2 pounds in some early weightlifting contests when those lifts were still contested.

Terpak was a three-time Olympic Team Member (1936, 1940, & 1948) and a part of nine total Olympic teams and sixty consecutive National Championships as a lifter, judge or coach. He eventually served as an executive for the York Barbell Company.

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Kettlebell Lifting With Arthur Saxon

Like many of the turn-of-the-century strongmen, Arthur Saxon trained with kettlebells and they are featured very prominantly in some of the books he has written. Here's a few of the kettlebell exercises he recommends: One-Arm Press Hold Out or Muscle Out French Press "Thumb" Press

Kettlebell Lifting With Arthur Saxon

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Doug Hepburn Dumbbell Press

It should be no coincindence why the dumbbell overhead press have been featured on this blog several times -- it is truly one of the very best upper-body strength builders you'll ever find. Here's a look at the great Doug Hepburn as he presses a pair of 160 pound dumbbells -- now THAT is strong! At Ed Yarick's Gym in Oakland, California, Doug pressed a pair of 142 pound dumbbells for four repetitions.

Doug Hepburn Dumbbell Press

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Tromp Van Diggelen - The South African Hercules

Tromp Van Diggelen - The South African Hercules
Tromp Van Diggelen survived a sickly childhood to become a traveling performing strongman and one of the true unsung heroes of strength history.

His performing feats were certainly impressive (such as the 210 pound "barrel lift" barbell press above) but it was his work behind the scenes which he should be remembered best.

It was Tromp Van Diggelen who discovered "Max Sick" and had him change his name to Maxick.

Van Digglen also managed Joseph Steinbach and Hermann Goerner and also founded The British Amateur Weightlifting Association (BAWLA).

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Oldtime Log Bar

Oldtime Log Bar
This unusual piece of equipment, a precursor to Dr. Ken's Log Bar, was fashioned by a Connecticut gym owner in the 1930's.

Just as today, it was made specifically for pressing and tricep work. Many people find that the parallel handles are much more comfortable than a straight barbell for these movements -- I agree.

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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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Dumbbell Training

Presses and Curls... Shrugs and Deadlifts... Rows and Bench Presses... everyone loves training with dumbbells. In fact, dumbbell training has actually changed very little since the days of the ancient Greeks. I'm sure this old pair of York Globe 100's has seen many good workouts...

Dumbbell Training

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Sig Klein Dumbbell Clean and Press

Sig Klein Dumbbell Clean and Press
Sig 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.

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Abbye "Pudgy" Stockton

Pudgy Stockton

If there ever were a "bar belle" it was Abbye "Pudgy" Stockton. (She aquired the nickname "Pudgy" as a child and it stuck.) "Pudgy" weighed 115 pounds at a height of 5'2" and, as you can see, was quite the physical specimen -- especially impressive at a time when weightlifting for either gender was frowned upon. She and husband Les Stockton were well known at the first "Muscle Beach" at Santa Monica, California where they primarily worked on acrobatics and gymnastic feats for the crowds.

Aside from being a frequent contributor to Strength and Health Magazine, Pudgy also helped organize the very first weight lifting contect for women through the AAU. In that contest, Stockton pressed 100 pounds, snatched 105 pounds, and clean and jerked 135 pounds.

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Schemansky Stalks the Bar...

Norb Schemansky
From the late 1940s to mid-1960s, Norb Schemansky was America's most successful Olympic Weightlifter and the first weightlifter to medal in four Olympic Games, (despite missing the 1956 games.)

Do you think he means business in the shot above?

Here's a look at Norb Schemansky's achievements over the course of his career:

Olympic Champion - 1952 Olympic Games, Helsinki

Silver Medal - 1948 Olympic Games, London

Bronze Medal - 1960, Rome, 1964, Tokyo

World Champion (1951, 1953, and 1954)

1955 Pan American Games Heavyweight Champion

Silver Medal - Senior World Championships (1947, 1962, 1963)

Bronze Medal - Senior World Championships (1964)

And best career marks:

Press - 415 lbs.
Snatch - 363 3/4 lbs.
Clean and Jerk - 445 lbs.
Total - 1200 lbs. (400-335-445)

In addition to his weightlifting exploits, he also famously cleaned, then thrice jerked the Apollon Wheels.

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