Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Another look at a very rare picture of John Lemm, who was also known at "The Swiss Hercules". It's not hard to see why he was one of the first men in history to squat with 500 pounds.
Labels: John Lemm, Squat, Strongman, Swiss Hercules, Wrestler
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Jim Haislop, the popular bodybuilder from Tampa, Florida, shows the foundation of his development: squats. Haislop had quite a career, winning Mr. Florida in 1965, Mr. North America in 1966, Mr. Northern States and Mr. USA in 1967, Mr. America and Junior Mr. America in 1968 and took first in his class at the 1969 NABBA Mr. Universe.
Labels: 1940 Mr. America Contest, 1968 Mr. America, AAU, Bodybuilding, Jim Haislop, Mr. America, Mr. Florida, Mr. North America, Mr. Northern States, Mr. Universe, Mr. USA, NABBA, Squat
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Kimon Voyages on the cover if the June, 1945 issue of Strength and Health Magazine. Kimon once squatted 200 pounds for 100 reps straight - and it certainly shows here. He had won the Jr. Mr. America title just a few years before, in 1942.
Labels: Bodybuilding, Cover, Kimon Voyages, Squat, Strength and Health Magazine
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Monday, August 31, 2009
"A man is as good as his legs" ... so began one of the all-time classic training booklets: "The York Leg Developing Course" written by Bob Hoffman. Originally written back in 1943, the training information is just as pertinent -- and effective -- these days. As you might guess, squats were prominently featured.
Labels: Bob Hoffman, John Grimek, Leg Development, Leg Work, Leg Workout, Squat, Training Course, York Barbell Company, York Leg Course, York Leg Developing Course
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Friday, August 28, 2009
If you want to know why some strength athletes are in a class by themselves, just look at how their train their legs. Case in point: here's a typical squat workout for Doug Hepburn: a warm up with 435 for 8 reps then 5 sets of 3 reps with over 700 pounds. This particular workout took place at Yarick's Gym.
Labels: Doug Hepburn, Ed Yarick's Gym, Leg Work, Squat, Squat Workout, York Deep Dish 45 Pound Plate
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Monday, August 10, 2009
The great lifter Dave Ashman gets in a few squats with 565 lbs. at a training session at Muscle Beach. Like many successful lifters, Ashman ascribed much of his full body power to focusing on the squat. - When you can squat 500+ in sunglasses no less, you know you're really doing something.
Labels: Dave Ashman, Muscle Beach, olympic weightlifter, Squat
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Thursday, August 06, 2009
Henry "Milo" Steinborn was one of the first, and perhaps the first man to squat with 500 lbs. He was also able to one-hand snatch 220 lbs., one-hand clean & jerk 265 lbs., snatch 265 lbs. and perform a one-leg squat with a 192 lb. barbell held at his chest - all amazing numbers, even today.
Labels: German Strongman, Henry Milo Steinborn, One Arm Clean and Jerk, one arm snatch, One Leg Squat, Snatch, Squat
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Thursday, July 09, 2009
Bodybuilder Leroy Saba on the cover of the May, 1963 issue of Strength and Health Magazine. He won his class in the AAU Mr. California contest that year. A few years before, Saba finished second to Red Lerille at the 1960 AAU Mr. America Contest (He was also runner up for the 'Most Muscular' sub-division as well).
Saba was uncharacteristically strong for a bodybuilder, with a a 500 lb. squat, 325 lb. bench press, 455 lb. deadlift and 240 lb. press to his credit (at a bodyweight of only 165 lbs.)
Labels: 1960 Mr. America Contest, AAU, Bench Press, Bodybuilder, Bodybuilding Magazine, Cover, Deadlift, Leroy Saba, Mr. California, Press, Red Lerille, Squat, Strength and Health Magazine
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Monday, June 22, 2009
Many people have ascribed John Grimek's well-rounded physique to the fact that he was very well-rounded in his training. He pressed, he squatted, he trained his grip, he used the wrist roller, he even trained upside-down. Here's Grimek performing a one-arm barbell snatch with 145 pounds - a feat that you will rarely see these days.
Labels: Barbell, Grip Training, John Grimek, one arm snatch, Press, Squat, Wrist Roller Training, York Deep Dish 45 Pound Plate
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Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Arthur Snell, The Northwest Hercules, does one-finger clean and press with an 85-pound dumbbell. You will have to try this lift to fully appreciate it.
In 1948 Snell opened the very first weightlifting gym in his home town of Tacoma Washington: The Cascade Health Studio. He could also squat 300 pounds for 50 reps, an impressive feat in any decade.
Labels: Arnold Snell, Cascade Health Studio, Dumbbell Lift, One Finger Lift, Squat, Squatting Feat, Tacoma, The Northwest Hercules
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009
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.
Labels: John Davis, Leg Strength, Louis Abele, olympic weightlifter, Press, Squat, Squatting, Steve Stanko
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Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Strength author John McCallum is shown here following some of his own advice: Press - Pull - Squat. If you focused on only those three exercises you'll end up pretty damn strong.
Labels: Bent Over Rowing, John McCallum, Press, Squat
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Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sure, plenty of people have come along who have squatted more than Paul Anderson but no one has made it look as easy. Here 'Big Paul' squats 800+ pounds in nothing but a singlet without even breaking a sweat.
Labels: 800 Pound Squat, Leg Strength, Paul Anderson, Squat
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Sunday, April 05, 2009
On October 19th, 1921, at Hermann's Gym in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Alan Calvert, George Zottman and others witnessed Henry "Milo" Steinborn perform the following lifts:
He concluded these lifts with six full squats with 402 pounds... even more impressive from the standpoint that he loaded and unloaded the barbell onto his shoulders unassisted!
Labels: Alan Calvert, Clean and Jerk, George Zottman, Henry Milo Steinborn, Hermann's Gym, One hand Snatch, Snatch, Squat
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Monday, March 23, 2009
If you want to build strong legs, you need to build a strong back. Paul Anderson knew this, and it was a big reason he was squatting with 1200+ pounds back in the 1950's. A plain Olympic set will work for most people, of course, when you move the kind of weight that Paul Anderson could, you may need something a little more heavy duty.
Labels: Back Strength, Good Morning, Leg Strength, Paul Anderson, Squat
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Friday, February 20, 2009
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.
Labels: Barbell, John Davis, Leg Development, Leg Exercise, Squat, Squatting Feat, Strength and Power
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Monday, January 26, 2009
Here's a strength feat you probably didn't know about: Alyce Yarick, wife of Ed Yarick (of Yarick's Gym fame) once performed 105 consecutive squats with 115 pounds. This feat occured at one of her husband's variety shows.
Labels: Alyce Yarick, Ed Yarick, Ed Yarick's Gym, Killer Legs, Squat, Squat Workout, Squatting Feat
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Sunday, January 11, 2009
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Friday, December 05, 2008
If there is a "secret" to super strength it's hard, intense leg work. Here's 1971 Mr. America Casey Viator getting in a quick squat workout at the infamous quonset hut, Deland Florida, circa 1971 or so. I count well over 500 pounds on the bar -- not bad for a "training weight."
Labels: 1971 Mr. America, Barbell, Casey Viator, Leg Development, Squat, Squat Workout
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Thursday, December 04, 2008
"The Swiss Hercules" John Lemm, a champion wrestler, was one of the first men to squat with over 500 pounds. Judging by this picture it is not hard to see why as his thick bone structure and naturally rugged musculature is evident.
Lemm won a famous 1908 wrestling tournament in London billed as "The Battle of Giants" where he defeated (among others) then-title holder Russian Ivan Poddubny and the great French wrestler/strongman Apollon.
Labels: Apollon, Ivan Poddubny, John Lemm, Squat, Swiss Hercules, Swiss Strongman, Wrestler
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Sunday, October 05, 2008
Bruno SammartinoWhether "The People's Champion" or "The Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino is one impressive dude. There has probably never been someone more "built for strength" as evident by his thick bone structure. Here Bruno squats 405 about as "raw" as you can get. Some of his best lifts were 565-pound bench press, 715-pound squat and a 690-pound deadlift - no "gear" of course.
Labels: Bruno Sammartino, Living Legend, Peoples Champion, Pro Wrestler, Squat, Wrestler
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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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Thursday, September 04, 2008
Here's something you don't see every day ~ a REAL squat! "Tiny" Walsh goes all the way to the floor and back with 550 pounds wearing a "super suit" consisting of a t-shirt, shorts and penny loafers. It was reported that Tiny also made 600 pounds in this style.
Labels: Deep Squat, Leg Exercise, Squat, Tiny Walsh
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Milo SteinbornDuring the first World War, Milo Steinborn was captured and held in a British Prisoner of War camp in Australia. It was there where he began his intense focus on strength training.
Milo and the men of the prison camp rigged up a set of weights using cement blocks and a type of very hard wood.
Two and a half inch water pipes were used for bars and collars were made by inserting set screws into sections of larger pipes. Milo trained with that set for over two years and, worked up to nearly 500 pounds in the squat.
Labels: Barbell Plates, Barbells, Collars, Henry Milo Steinborn, Milo Steinborn, Squat
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Benoit CoteBenoit Cote the great Canadian strongman and the man who beat Doug Hepburn in a head-to-head contest shows what a real squat looks like.
Labels: Benoit Cote, Canadian Strongman, Doug Hepburn, Quebec Strongman, Squat
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Saturday, June 14, 2008
One of Paul Paul Anderson's greatest feats was squatting with over 1200 pounds -- but it wasn't with a traditional barbell, it was with $25,000 worth of silver dollars at his strength show in Las Vegas. There was a standing challenge that anyone who could duplicate the feat could keep the money -- needless to say the money was safe.
Labels: Challenge Weight, Paul Anderson, Silver Dollar Squat, Squat
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Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Paul Anderson SquatsA young Paul Anderson squats with 660 pounds in an exhibition at the 1952 Mr. World bodybuilding contest (Won by Jim Park)
Doug Hepburn bested it shortly afterwards with 665 pounds but Paul Anderson followed that up with a squat of 714-1/2 pounds and from there it was off to the races.
Eventually Paul Anderson squatted with 1200 pounds, a feat that has yet to be broken in the manner which it was originally performed.
Labels: Doug Hepburn, Jim Park, Mr. World, Paul Anderson, Squat
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Thursday, January 31, 2008
Benoit CoteBenoit Cote was another great Canadian strongman from Quebec and the rival of fellow countryman Doug Hepburn.
The two met head to head at a four-lift (Press, Bench Press, Squat, Deadlift) contest in 1961. While Hepburn bested Cote in the bench press and overhead press, Cote beat Hepburn in the squat and deadlifted 752-1/2 pounds (shown above) to win.
Labels: Bench Press, Benoit Cote, Canadian Strongman, Deadlift, Doug Hepburn, Quebec Strongman, Squat
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Kevin TolbertKevin Tolbert is Dr. Ken Leistner's adopted son - and easily one of the strongest men who ever lived. If you've read any of Dr. Ken's writings, especially The Steel Tip Newsletter, you know Kevin's name pretty well.
Kevin went on to play running back at the U.S. Naval Academy. At 5'9" and 220 pounds, Kevin could run a legit 4.5 forty yard dash. As for his marks in the weightroom, here's a few:
Those aren't misprints...
Here's Kevin doing a couple anvil curls while finishing up a workout in Dr. Ken's basement in the mid-1980's. I was fortunate to have Kevin as a strength coach at the University of Michigan for a few years.
Labels: Anvil, Anvil Curls, Anvil Lifting, Bench Press, Dr. Ken Leistner, Kevin Tolbert, Odd Object Lifting, Squat, Steel Tip Newsletter
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Saturday, January 05, 2008
Anvil Lifting - Roy Hilligenn 1951 Mr. AmericaHow's this for odd object lifting? 1951 Mr. America Roy Hilligenn does some squats with a pretty big anvil on his back.
Roy Hilligenn weighed around 175 pounds and I bet that anvil isn't too far off...
Labels: Anvil, Anvil Lifting, Mr. America, Odd Object Lifting, Roy Hilligenn, Squat
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Saturday, December 15, 2007
Squatting With Paul AndersonIf there ever were a man who was born to squat, it was Paul Anderson.
"Big Paul" often had a hard time finding bars which could hold enough weight so he had to improvise. He built this "barrel barbell" from a design pioneered by his friend Bob Peoples.
Paul would also train the squat in an unusual way:
He would dig a pit in the back yard and load up the bar to for over his normal full-squat max, then he would do partial movements, filling in the hole with dirt an inch at a time for each successive workout until he was working with a full movement.
Labels: Bob Peoples, Heavy Partial Movements, Paul Anderson, Squat, Strongman Equipment, Unusual Training Equipment
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Monday, December 10, 2007
| John Grimek was impressive from all angles and excelled at a number of different strength feats -- but don't forget that the foundation of his strength and power was intense squatting and other forms of heavy leg work. Grimek was able to squat 400 pounds for reps well into his 60s. | John Grimek Squatting |
Labels: Bodybuilding, Foundation of Strength, John Grimek, Leg Work, Power, Squat, Strength
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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Squattin' With Milo SteinbornPictured is Henry "Milo" Steinborn squatting to win the German National Heavyweight Lifting Championships circa 1920's.
Things were a little different back then: no super suits, wraps, straps or even squat racks -- and I'd say Milo has enough depth on that one.
It's hard to say if this is one of Milo's famous "unassisted" squats but I would not be surprised.
Labels: Heavyweight Lifting Championships, Henry Milo Steinborn, Squat
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Sunday, November 18, 2007
Squatting With Doug HepburnLike many of the greatest strength athletes of the last hundred years, Doug Hepburn credits heavy squatting as the foundation of his great strength.
That's twelve 45-pound plates on the bar and Doug makes it look easy.
Labels: Barbell, Doug Hepburn, Squat, Squat Workout
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Saturday, November 17, 2007
Milo Steinborn's Orange Avenue GymHenry "Milo" Steinborn was a 5'8" 205 lb German wrestler and strongman who became the first man to ever squat 500 lbs. In fact, his world record squat of 553 lbs. (set during the 1920's) would not be officially bested until the early 1950's by Doug Hepburn.
It was Milo who popularized the heavy deep knee bend as one of the most productive training lifts for anyone interested in building real strength.
In 1952, Milo opened the Orange Avenue Gym down in Orlando, Florida, which makes it the oldest weightlifting gym in America. Along with plenty of weights and barbells, Milo's Gym had a wrestling ring and other physical training equipment.
It was here that Milo taught a young Jim Flanagan how to get strong.
I was fortunate enough to visit the Orange Avenue Gym on a trip back in 2003 -- it still had some of Milo's original training equipment.
Labels: Barbell, Classic Strongman Gyms, Globe Barbell, Henry Milo Steinborn, Orange Avenue Gym, Squat
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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Sig Klein Demonstrates The 1-Leg Squat | The 1-leg squat has long been a popular exercise with the old-time physical culturists -- Sig Klein recommended it as one of the top leg developing exercises. Here's a look at Sig Klein demonstrating the 1-leg squat while holidng a classic globe barbell. |
Labels: 1 Leg Squat, Globe Barbell, Leg Development, Sig Klein, Squat, Strongman Feat
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Friday, November 09, 2007
Weightlifting ChampionJohn 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: |
Labels: Apollon's Wheels, Clean and Jerk, Curl, Deadlift, Gold Medal, John Davis, Olympic Weightlifting, Olympics, Press, Snatch, Squat, Weaver Stick
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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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Thursday, November 08, 2007
Pat Casey Incline Press With 210 Pound Dumbbells On March 25th, 1967 Pat Casey became the first man to break the 600 pound barrier in the bench press with a lift of 615 --- and that's without a bench shirt, elbow wraps or other nonsense.
Of course, he was no one-lift specialist as he was also the first man to squat over 800 pounds and total over 2000 pounds in an official contest.
For his workouts, he used to grab a pair of 210 pound dumbbells, haul them over to the incline bench, get the dumbbells into position, perform his reps, then return the dumbbells to the rack -- all unassisted -- quite a feat of strength in its own right.
Labels: Bench Press, Dumbbells, Incline Press, Pat Casey, Powerlifting, Squat, Total
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Reg Park | When you get as strong as Reg Park, you too will be able to lift cars. Here's Reg lifting the front end of a London taxi cab just for kicks. Reg always trained with basic exercises; barbell squats and the behind the neck press were two of his favorite movements. |
Labels: Reg Park, Squat, Strongman Feat
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Friday, November 02, 2007
Malcolm "Mac" Richards"Mac" Richards started powerlifting when he was 57 years old and within a year set new Masters World Records in each of the three lifts: squatting 425 pounds, benching 308 pounds, deadlifting 479 pounds and totaling 1212 pounds.
In the years that followed, he won 18 National titles and four World Powerlifting Championships.
Here were his marks at the age of 75 years and 198 lbs, (Still Masters records for the International Powerlifting Association, by the way.)
Squat: 440 pounds
Bench: 330 pounds
Deadlift: 470 pounds
Total: 1240 pounds
Mac was inducted into the York Barbell Powerlifting Hall of Fame in 2000. He was also a good friend who will be missed.
Labels: Bench Press, Deadlift, Mac Richards, Powerlifting, Squat
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Thursday, November 01, 2007
Bill Pettis: 23-1/4 Inch ArmsThere were a lot of big guys during the 1970's West Coast Bodybuilding Scene -- but none bigger than Bill Pettis.
He's not a name you see mentioned much because he had no interest in competing - just building the biggest and strongest arms he possibly could.
Looks like he succeeded.
As reported by Iron Man Magazine in 1975, his workouts were legendary -- 100 sets of arm work, standing triceps curls with 315 pounds on the bar, 180 pound curls and endless sets of pushups to "flush gallons of blood through the great muscle mass and get an extreme pump."
On several occasions his entire workout consisted of 3000 or more pushups (which took him five hours!)
Among his other lifts you can also add a 475 bench press and a squat with 620 pounds.
Labels: Bench Press, Bill Pettis, Bodybuilding, Curl, Feat, Pushups, Squat, Tricep Curls
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Paul AndersonPaul Anderson began as a skinny teenager with a pair of dumbbells and a stack of Strength and Health Magazines.
Soon, he was scouting out junkyards for heavier weights to lift and by the time he went to college, his lifts were near the American Records. But it wasn't until Bob Peoples taught young Paul Anderson the value of the Squat and deadlift that his strength really took off.
Paul Anderson eventually squatted 1206 pounds, benchpressed 627 pounds, one-arm pressed 380 pounds, and push-pressed an incredible 600 pounds. His Guinness Book of World Records back lift of 6,270 pounds still stands.
He also won the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and in all, broke 18 American records, 8 world records, and retired unbeaten and unchallenged.
Labels: Backlift, Barbell, Bob Peoples, Dumbbells, Gold Medal, Paul Anderson, Squat, Strength and Health
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Friday, October 26, 2007
Henry "Milo" Steinborn | Henry "Milo" Steinborn was a German strongman and wrestler who came the the U.S. in 1921 and immediately caused a big splash in the world of physical training. At a bodyweight of 210 pounds, he could snatch 220 pounds with one hand, military press 265 pounds and clean and jerk 347-1/2. He was most well-known for introducing hard and heavy squatting to this side of the world. |
Labels: Clean and Jerk, Globe Barbell, Henry Milo Steinborn, Military Press, Milo Barbell Company, Oldtime Strongman, one arm snatch, Squat
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Olympic 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).
Labels: Ed Yarick's Gym, Gold Medal, John Davis, Leg Development, Olympics, Squat
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Thursday, October 11, 2007
And, interestingly enough, Viator did not spend hours in the gym like many other bodybuilders of the time. Instead, as trained by Athur Jones, Casey's workout took very little time and was performed only three times per week.
Here's a look at his exact workout:
Casey Viator's Mr. America Workout | 1. Leg Press 2. Leg Extension 3. Squat 4. Leg Curl 5. Dumbbell One Leg Calf Raise 6. Nautilus Pullover 7. Nautilus Behind Neck Press 8. Nautilus Rowing Machine 9. Nautilus Behind Neck Pulldown 10. Dumbbell Lateral Raise 11. Barbell Behind Neck Press 12. Nautilus Curl Machine 13. Chinup w/Bodyweight 14. Nautilus Tricep Extension 15. Parallel Dip w/Bodyweight |
Labels: Arthur Jones, Bent Press, Bodybuilding, Casey Viator, Curl, Leg Curl, Leg Extension, Mr.America Contest, Nautilus, Squat, Workout
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Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Whereas Steve Reeves was known for his classic symmetry, Reg Park was the example of strength, size and power. Reg Appeared on more magazine covers than any bodybuilder in history.
| Over the course of his career he won the following titles: | Reg Park |
Reg Park was as strong as he looked, here's his best lifts (all performed in the 1950's):
- Behind the Neck Press - 300 Lbs. For one rep.Reg also played Hercules in several movies and once owned the Thomas Inch Dumbbell.
- Behind the Neck Press - 260 Lbs. For four reps.
- Behind the Neck Press - 240 Lbs. For eight reps.
- One Arm Dumbbell Press - 165 Lbs. For two reps.
- Front Squat - 405 for a single.
- Lying Triceps Extension - 300 Lbs. For three reps. This was done at Muscle Beach in 1957.
- Standing Dumbbell Press - Two 120 Lb. Dumbbells for five reps.
- Standing Dumbbell Press - Two 140 Lb. Dumbbells for one rep.
- Dumbbell Bench Press - Two 185 Lb. Dumbbells for five reps.
- Squat - 605 for two reps at Buster McShane and Ivan Dunbar's Gym in Belfast.
- Strict Barbell Curl - 200 Lbs. For one rep.
- Incline Dumbbell Press - Two 185 Lb. Dumbbells for five reps.
Labels: Behind The Neck Press, Bodybuilding, British Champion, Buster McShane, Curl, Dumbbell Press, Hercules, Mr. Britain, Mr. Europe, Mr. Universe, Reg Park, Reg Park Workout, Squat
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The Many Strength Feats of Paul AndersonBack in the mid-1940's, Paul Anderson started lifting weights to get bigger for football and just kept growing. He eventually became one of the strongest men of all time while establishing many strength records and winning the Gold Medal at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.
Paul Anderson was also a Senior World Champion and a 2-time Senior National Champion in Weightlifting. He set nine World Records and Eighteen American records during his career and retired undefeated.
He was also incredibly strong in what would eventually become the three Power Lifts: the squat, bench press and deadlift.
Here's a look at some of Paul Anderson's record lifts:
| | Paul Anderson Deadlifting |
Labels: Backlift, Deadlift, Feat, Paul Anderson, Paul Anderson Deadlift Record, Squat, Strongman, weightlifting
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
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.

John Lemm
Mr. America '68, Jim Haislop
Kimon Voyages: Strength and Health Magazine June, 1945
The York Leg Developing Course
Doug Hepburn's Squat Workout
Dave Ashman
Henry "Milo" Steinborn
Leroy Saba
John Grimek: One-Arm Barbell Snatch
Arthur Snell - The Northwest Hercules
Louis Abele
John McCallum: Press - Pull - Squat
Paul Anderson
Milo Steinborn
The Good Morning
One Secret of Strength and Power
Alyce Yarick's Squatting Feat
Killer Legs
Squatting with Casey
John Lemm
Bert Assirati
"Tiny" Walsh - 550 Pound Squat
Paul Anderson's Silver Dollar Squat
John Grimek Squatting
Sig Klein Demonstrates
Weightlifting Champion
Doug Hepburn
Reg Park
Henry "Milo" Steinborn
Casey Viator's Mr. America Workout
Reg Park
Reg Park
Paul Anderson Deadlifting