Tuesday, November 24, 2009
George Lurich: Overhead SupportGeorge Lurich was as good of a strongman as he was a wrestler... and he was a terrific wrestler. He had many incredible feats to his credit but this was perhaps his greatest: a one-arm overhead support of over 700 pounds!
Labels: Estonian Strongman, George Lurich, One Arm Lift, Overhead Support, Strongman Feat, Wrestler
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Thursday, May 14, 2009
Card Ripping in Oven MittsIf you can rip a deck of cards you're pretty strong, but can you rip a deck of cards while wearing oven mitts? Not only can Dennis Rogers do this, he makes it look easy. See it for yourself in 336 Pounds of Fury.
Labels: Card Ripping, Card Tearing, Dennis Rogers, Grip Feat, Hand Strength, Strongman Feat
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Monday, February 16, 2009
| You've probably never heard of Arthur Santell -- in fact likely nobody has, he was just a kid from Los Angeles with an interest in physical training who was featured in an old newspaper clipping. What we do know of Arthur Santell is that he could drive a 20 penny nail through two 1-inch boards with his fist and scroll a 1-1/2" x 1/4" steel band around his arm. This picture was taken on May 6th, 1930. Santell was 18 at the time. |  Arthur Santell |
Labels: Arthur Santell, Nail Driving, Steel Bending, Steel Scrolling, Strongman Feat
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Monday, January 26, 2009
Carl BuschCarl Busch was a great strongman and wrestler who was active in the early 20th century. After winning the 1901 German national title, he toured europe performing feats of strength and wrestling all comers. He even wrestled the great Frank Gotch to a draw under Greco-Roman rules. Busch also wrestled the likes of George Hackenschmidt, Professor Roller, and even Farmer Burns.
As far as feats of strength, Busch could bent press 250 pounds at a bodyweight of 175. Here he does a Crucifix with a pair of German Kettlebells.
Labels: Bent Press, Carl Busch, Crucifix, Farmer Burns, Frank Gotch, George Hackenschmidt, German Strongman, Greco-Roman Wrestling, Kettlebell, Strongman Feat, Wrestler
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Thursday, December 25, 2008
Cannonball Richards Takes on Nine MenTalk about "core strength! Frank "Cannonball" Richards pictured just a moment before impact.
Labels: Abdominal Strength, Cannon Ball Richards, Strongman Feat
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Monday, October 20, 2008
Louis Cyr"May 27th, 1865 - Boston, Massachusetts - Previously, the great Cyr had made the statement that on this night he was going to outlift any back-lift record he had made and that weight would not be under four thousand pounds...
The hour arrived and the indomitable Cyr ascended the stairs leading to the exhibition platform with a firm step, his heart light, and his general demeanor that of a man imbued with the idea that he was about to perform the most remarkable feat of his life. He paused as the cheering ceased and cast a cursory glance over the audience.
Would he succeed?
Anxious inquiry was depicted upon many faces. The platform creaked like a rusty hinge... It began to move... Up it was going sure enough. A mighty shout tore from the throats of every watcher as they saw the terrific load of three thousand four hundred pounds suspended in mid-air, supported on the back of the invincible Cyr."
Labels: Back Lift, Canadian Strongman, Louis Cyr, Strongman Feat
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Wednesday, January 09, 2008
The One Arm Chin-UpIt is estimated that not more than one person in a hundred thousand can perform a chin-up with one hand. Here Paul Holloway, one of the lesser-known members of the York Weightlifting team, shows the three stages of the feat.
Notice he is chinning himself with only two fingers -- he was actually able to chin himself using only one finger with ease, but had to use two for this series in order to hold himself still long enough to obtain the pictures.
In the October, 1937 Issue of Strength and Health Magazine Holloway outlines his exact training in detail: a series of progressive chin-up exercises until he was able to reach his goal. This training approach should really come as no surprise...
Labels: Back Exercise, Bodyweight Feat, Bodyweight Training, Exercise, Finger Strength, Grip Exercise, One Arm Chin up, Paul Holloway, Strength and Health, Strongman Feat
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Friday, January 04, 2008
Milo and The BullMilo of Crotona was one of the greatest athletes of antiquity, winning the wrestling title in the ancient Greek Olympiad six times.
It was said that he built his great strength by carrying a newborn calf on his back each day. As the calf grew larger, so did Milo's Strength. After many days of this, Milo was able to carry a full grown bull on his shoulders -- and thus progressive resistance exercise was born.
Labels: Ancient Greece, Feat, Milo of Crotona, Olympics, Progressive Resistance Exercise, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Thursday, December 20, 2007
 The Inver Stone | Scotland is famous for it's Clach Cuid Fir or manhood stones... In Crathie, Aberdeenshire, in the shadow of the Inver Hotel, you'll find one of the most famous manhood stones of them all: The Inver Stone. This famous stone has challenged men for centuries. It is smooth, round, and unusually small for its 265 pounds. Lift it to your chest, and you'll entitle yourself to a free pint at the Inver Pub and a place in the record books. |
Labels: Clach Cuid Fir, Famous Stones, Inver Stone, Lifting Stones, Manhood Stones, Scotland, Strongman Feat
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Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Steve JustaSteve Justa has some pretty unique ideas about training... Lifting,Barrels, sandbags, rocks, chunks of concrete... all in a day's work for Steve Justa.
One of his theories is that walking with heavy weights will build incredible ligament strength, especially in the ankles.
Walking with a heavy barbell on the shoulders is cumbersome, not to mention dangerous should it fall. Instead, Steve built this piece of equipment which allows him to load up as heavy as needed and be in perfect position to walk every time.
He worked up to walking with well over a ton on his back.
Labels: Ligament Strength, Steve Justa, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat, Weighted Walk
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Sunday, December 16, 2007
The "Quad" Phonebook Tear by Pat PovilaitisIt's hard enough to tear a phonbook once, but check out what Pat Povilaitis can do -- the first (and to my knowledge only) phonebook "Quad" tear.
That's right, Pat tore the same phonebook into five strips -- and this feat can only happen when you can legitimately tear a phonebook.
Labels: Grip Feat, Pat Povilaitis, Phonebook Tearing, Strongman Feat
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
 Fred Rollon | Fred Rollon was a strand pulling Champion but he excelled in a number of other traditional strongman feats. Fred Rollon is shown here in the act of tearing a deck of cards in half. |
Labels: Card Tearing, Fred Rollon, Grip Feat, Strand Pulling, Strongman Feat
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Monday, December 10, 2007
Franz Bienkowski - "Cyclops" - The Coin Breaker Franz Bienkowski was a Polish wrestler and strongman who performed in the late 1800's. It was reported that his grip and finger strength was so powerful that he could bend and break coins.
Labels: Circus Strongman, Coin Bending, Cyclops, Franz Bienkowski, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Oldtime Strongman, Polish Strongman, Strongman Feat
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 Bill Pearl | Bill Pearl is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, having won many different bodybuilding titles over his colorful career. Something you may not realize though is that Bill also began performing traditional feats of strength such as license plate ripping (pictured), chain breaking, spike bending, card tearing and even Nail Driving because he "felt that he should BE as strong as he looked." |
Labels: Bill Pearl, Bodybuilding, Golden Age Bodybuilder, Strongman Feat
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Sunday, December 09, 2007
Paul Anderson BackliftPaul Anderson's 6270 pound record backlift stands alone as the heaviest weight ever lifted by a human being and certainly one of the greatest strength feats of all time. This is not a picture of Anderson's record lift but one of many backlifts he performed in front of crowds as he traveled the country giving speeches. Including the human weight and weight of the platform, this is probably close to a ton and "Big Paul" makes it look easy.
Labels: Backlift, Feat, Human Weight, Paul Anderson, Platform, Strongman Feat
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Bruce White - Rafter Pinch Grip Chin UpsAnother Pinch Grip Feat - It's hard enough to just hold your bodyweight off the ground by pinch gripping rafters. Far beyond that is doing a rafter pullup... and even farther beyond that is this feat:
Here Australian Grip Master Bruce White chins himself on rafters with 70 extra pounds tied to his waist. -- an unbelievable feat of grip strength
Now THAT is Strong!
Labels: Australian Grip Master, Bruce White, Chinup, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, Pinch Grip, Pinch Grip Chinup, Rafter Chinup, Strongman Feat
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| John Davis had a mighty grip to go along with his incredible strength. -- He would need a pretty terrific grip to lift the Apollon wheels. Davis could also perform three one-arm chinups with either hand. Pictured here is Two-time Olympic Gold Medal Winning Weightlifter John Davis performing a unique grip feat: pinching a pair of York "Deep Dish" 35-pound barbell plates. Not many people practice pinch gripping, or gripping a smooth surface with the fingers extended. Pinch gripping modern barbell plates is hard enough, what Davis is doing here is very impressive considering those particular plates are twice as wide as any barbell plates you'll find these days. |  - John Davis - Pinch Grip Feat |
Labels: Barbell Plates, Grip Feat, Grip Strength, John Davis, Pinch Grip, Strongman Feat
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Friday, December 07, 2007
| The undisputed King of the "2 Hands Anyhow" Lift was Arthur Saxon. First he bent-pressed a 336 pound barbell with his right arm, then he reached down and lifted a 112 pound Kettlebell in the other. The total poundage was 448 pounds lifted overhead - a feat that will never be broken in this style. |  Arthur Saxon's 2-HandsAnyhow Lift |
Labels: Arthur Saxon, Barbell, Bent Press, Kettlebell, Strongman Feat
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Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Steel Bending With The Young Mighty ApollonYou just can't be a strongman without a strong grip. J.C. Tolson, who took his stage name from his favorite strongman Apollon, had some of the strongest hands of all time and was a very talented steel bender. He bent this bolt (pictured actual size) to win a bet in the 1920's.
Labels: Bending Feat, Bolt Bending, Grip Strength, J.C. Tolson, Steel Bending, Strongman Feat, Young Apollon
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Tuesday, December 04, 2007
The Double Bent WrenchIt's hard enough to bend a wrench one time but Dennis Rogers can bend one twice... It's a very tough feat that takes incredible grip strength to accomplish.
Labels: Bending, Bending Feat, Bent Wrenches, Dennis Rogers, Double Bent Wrench, Feat, Strongman Feat, Wrench Bending
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Apollon Thick Bar Strength FeatThe great Oldtime Strongman Apollon used to perform a number of unusual strength feats in his act -- many of them involved thick-handled equipment to take advantage of his incredible grip and forearm strength.
One of his signature feats involved a a unique 4-globed barbell with a 2-1/2 inch diameter handle. The two inner globes were solid while the outer globes were hollow which allowed the weight to be adjusted by filling them with sand or shot.
When full, the whole affair weighed 314 pounds. Apollon would "clean" the weight to his chest then press it with two hands...
While the barbell was overhead, he would balance it on one hand, lift his leg out in front of him, then allowed the bell to drop and caught it in the crook of his elbows.
Labels: Apollon, Grip Strength, Oldtime Strongman, Strongman Feat, Thick Bar, Thick Bar Lifting
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Sunday, December 02, 2007
 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 hand balancing 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. |
Labels: Doug Hepburn, Ed Yarick's Gym, hand balancer, Hand Balancing, Press, Strongman Feat
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Saturday, December 01, 2007
Wilbur Miller: Leg PressWilbur Miller was a very strong lifter in the 1960's who probably didn't get as much recognition as he deserved.
Here's an impressive feat: This picture was taken on one of the lifting platforms in the Ridge Avenue York Gym. A group of lifters placed this 500 pound barbell onto Wilbur Miller's feet and he commenced to "leg press" it. Yikes!
Labels: Barbell, Leg Press, Strongman Feat, Wilbur Miller, York Gym
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| L.A. Chappell deadlifts 448-1/2 pounds with one arm in the 1920's. He would go on to lift over 500 pounds in the same manner. The one-arm deadlift is a fantastic grip developer and a worthy addition to your training program. Note: the cambered bar. |  The One-Arm Deadlift |
Labels: Barbell, Cambered Bar, Deadlift, Grip Strength, L.A. Chappell, One Arm Deadlift, Strongman Feat
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The Mighty Atom: Nail DrivingLike many of the Oldtime Strongmen, Joseph Greenstein aka The Mighty Atom was very adept at the nail driving feat... And like many Oldtime Strongman feats, this one must be accomplished in your mind before it can be accomplished in real life.
Here's the Atom driving a nail through several pieces of sheet metal and a thick wooden board.
Labels: Joseph Greenstein, Nail Driving, Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom
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 An "Ice Cold" Strength Feat | Joe Mongelli, a former pupil of Sig Klein, was an iceman by trade. He could carry a 325 pound block of ice on his back, then, using ice tongs, could pick up a 120 pound block of ice with his right hand and a 60 pound block with his left. Joe could walk the length of a city block carrying the entire 505 pound load! |
Labels: Joe Mongelli, Odd Object Lifting, Sig Klein, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Friday, November 30, 2007
| John Grunn Marx, known as "The Luxembourg Hercules," broke three horseshoes in the short span of 2 minutes and 15 seconds at an exhibition in Paris around 1905. He was also very proficient at lifting thick-handled equipment and was said to be able to bend coins. |  John Grunn Marx: Horseshoe Breaker |
Labels: Bent Horseshoes, Broken Horseshoes, Coin Bending, Grip Strength, John Grunn Marx, Steel Bending, Strongman Feat, The Luxembourg Hercules, Thick Bar Lifting
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Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Apollon: King of StrengthLouis Uni, the French Strongman known professionally as "Apollon," was certainly one of the greatest, if not the greatest strongman who even lived.
It was Apollon, along with Louis Cyr who were dubbed "Les Rois de la Force" (Kings of Strength) by Professor Desbonnet because their strength was so far above and beyond the ordinary.
Apollon, who was at his peak during the 1890s, stood 6"2' and in solid muscular condition, around 260 pounds.
While he was certainly thickly-muscled and strong all over, he excelled in grip an forearm feats, especially lifting thick handled weights, such as the Challenge Weight that bears his name.
Labels: Apollon, Apollon's Wheels, Forearm Strength, Grip Strength, Les Rois de la Force, Louis Uni, Oldtime Strongman, Professor Desbonnet, Strongman Feat
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Saturday, November 17, 2007
| Paul Von Boeckman was famous for his course on breathing exercises and chest expansion methods but his grip strength prowess was equally impressive. He could one-arm chin himself three times with the middle finger of his right hand and also had an 80-pound indian club that few strongmen were able to even budge. |  An Impressive Card Ripping Feat |
Labels: Breathing Exercises, Card Ripping, Card Tearing, Chest Expansion, Indian Clubs, Paul Von Boeckmann, Playing Cards, Strongman Feat
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| I've mentioned before that there is evidence that stone lifting has been a part of nearly every ancient culture around the world. Here's a look at a piece of pottery from ancient Greece, circa 500 BC, showing a young man lifting a large stone to build his strength. |  Stonelifting in Ancient Greece |
Labels: Ancient Greece, Stone Lifting, Strongman Feat, Testing Stone
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Friday, November 16, 2007
| On April 18th, 1913, Tom Burrows, an Australian All-Around Athlete, swung a pair of 3-pound, 6-ounce indian clubs for 100 consecutive hours without stopping. At the 100 hour mark, he then proceeded to grab a pair of heavy clubs, weighing 31 pounds 6 ounces each, and kept them going at a minimum rate of 80 revolutions per minute for another seven hours. Some oldtime strongmen were just in a class by themselves... |  Tom Burrows |
Labels: Heavy Clubs, Indian Club Swinging, Indian Clubs, Light Clubs, Strongman Feat, Tom Burrows
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| 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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The Mighty Atom - Steel ScrollingThough he was only 5'4" and barely 150 pounds, Joseph "The Mighty Atom" Greenstein one of the greatest steel scrolling strongmen whoever lived.
More than anyone, "The Mighty Atom" understood that you must first bend the steel with your mind before you can bend it with your hands...
Go here to find out more about other great steel benders and scrollers.
Labels: Joseph Greenstein, Mind Strength, Steel Bending, Steel Scrolling, Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
| 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 |
Labels: Doug Hepburn, Dumbbell Press, Dumbbells, Ed Yarick's Gym, Press, Strongman Feat
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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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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Dinnie StonesDonald Dinnie was one of the greatest all-around athletes who ever lived. I will go into some of his feats of strength and Scottish Highland Games prowess in another post -- this entry is devoted to one feat in particular...
Outside the hotel in Potarch, Scotland are two boulders with heavy iron rings embedded in them. These boulders were used for tethering horses in olden days.
The smaller boulder weighs 340 pounds while the larger boulder weighs 445. In the 1860's, Donald Dinnie was able to lift and carry both of these stones at once for a distance of 15 feet -- which is why they now bear his name.
Athletes have come from far and wide to attempt to lift the stones and duplicate Donald Dinnie's amazing feat -- most can't even lift the smaller of the two off the ground with one hand!
Labels: Challenge Weight, Dinnie Stones, Donald Dinnie, Highland Games, Stone Lifting, Strongman Feat, Testing Stone
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Monday, November 12, 2007
 Anton Matysek | Anton Matysek is well-known for his Muscle Control skills but he was no slouch when it came to lifting heavy barbells and other weights. He won the "America's Strongest Man" contest put on in 1922 by Bernarr MacFadden. And here's a good reason why: This classic Milo Globe "Show" barbell that Matysek is holding is 7-1/2 feet long with 16 inch diameter globes, a 3 inch thick handle, and the entire affair weighs in at 231 pounds. |
Several of the athletes who witnessed this feat could not even lift this barbell off the ground.
Labels: Anton Matysek, Forearm Strength, Globe Barbell, Grip Strength, Jerk, Muscle Control, Strongman Feat, Thick Bar
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Saturday, November 10, 2007
A Classic Oldtime Strength Feat: Steel ScrollingSteel Scrolling, also called "coiling," is a classic Oldtime Stength Feat that involves bending long steel bars by hand into artistic shapes.
The list of great oldtime steel scrollers is actually quite extensive: Siegmund "Iron King" Breitbart, Alexander "The Amazing Samson" Zass, Indian Strongman Monotosh Roy, and, of course, Joe "The Mighty Atom" Greenstein.
This lost art is still kept alive by several modern strongmen such as Slim The Hammerman, Dennis Rogers and Erik Vining.
Labels: Alexander Zass, Dennis Rogers, Erik Vining, Monotosh Roy, Siegmund Breitbart, Slim The Hammerman, Steel Bending, Steel Coiling, Steel Scrolling, Strongman Feat, The MIghty Atom
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Doug Hepburn Strength FeatIf you've read Doug Hepburn's strength resume, you know he's pretty darn strong. Here's an impromptu feat that is pretty impressive on several levels -- a pinky holdout of a 45 pound barbell plate.
Labels: Barbell Plate, Doug Hepburn, Holdout, Strongman Feat
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Tearing a Deck of Playing CardsTearing a deck of playing cards is a classic Oldtime Strongman feat which requires a great deal of fingertip and grip strength. Once you can do it though, you'll be able to instantly impress anyone you meet. This deck of cards was torn by Aaron McKenzie of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Labels: Card Tearing, Fingertip Strength, Grip Strength, Playing Cards, Strongman Feat
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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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 George Zottman | "The very best forearm exercise is the one invented by George Zottman. He used to do it with a pair of 50-lb. Dumbbells, and you can start it with a pair of 20-pounders. Stand erect, with the arms hanging at the sides. Then bend your right arm and bring the bell up in front of your chest, with the palm of the hand up and the wrist bent strongly inward. |
The right hand describes a complete circle.
When your right hand is in front of your shoulder, start your left hand coming up. Both hands work at the same time, but as the right hand is coming down the left hand is coming up, and vice versa.
The elbows should be kept close to the sides throughout the whole exercise."
- From Super Strength by Alan Calvert (1924)
Labels: Alan Calvert, Dumbbells, Exercise, Forearm Strength, George Zottman, Grip Strength, Strongman Feat, Super Strength, Zottman Curl
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| The York Barbell Company sold more iron than anyone, so why is John Grimek pictured here throwing a canvas sandbag around? A couple of reasons: |  Sandbag Training With The York Gang |
Secondly, Grimek loved all different kinds of training and a sandbag offered a new challenge, something altogether different than regular barbells and dumbbells would provide. Not to mention that the sandbag provides more of a grip challenge than a barbell ever could.
Front Raises, overhead Press, Row, Deadlifts and Curls -- A pretty nifty program for full-body strength.
Labels: John Grimek, Sandbag Curl, Sandbag Deadlift, Sandbag Front Raise, Sandbag Overhead Press, Sandbag Row, Sandbag Training, Strongman Equipment, Strongman Feat, York Barbell Company
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Thursday, November 08, 2007
Nail Driving With Paul AndersonPaul Anderson accomplished many things in his life including an Olympic Gold Medal and World Records in just about every lift he tried but I bet you didn't know he was also an expert nail driver too...
When he traveled around for speaking engagements the quickest way to get an audience's attention was to perform an unusual feat of strength -- and a man driving a nail through a wooden board with his bare hand sure fits the bill!
There have been many excellent nail drivers throughout strongman history but I will cover them at another time.
Labels: Nail Driving, Paul Anderson, Strongman Feat
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Teeth LiftingHere a turn of the century strongman tows a car with his teeth. -- Of all the Strength Feats I have talked about so far I definitely do not recommend trying this type of lifting at home.
Labels: Car Pulling, Feats of Strength, Jaw Strength, Strongman Feat, Teeth Lifting
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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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Wednesday, November 07, 2007
| Among posing, and several other amazing feats of strength, Eugen Sandow used to finish his act by carrying a horse from one end of the stage to the other. I'm sure that one brought the house down and must have been quite a sight to see. You may not have a horse around to lift but heavy overhead supports are still a great way to build upper-body strength and power. I read that John Grimek worked up to being able to support over 1000 pounds overhead with the use of a power rack. |  Sandow Lifts a Horse |
Labels: Eugen Sandow, John Grimek, Odd Object Lifting, Overhead Support, Power Rack, Strongman Feat, Supporting Feat
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Monday, November 05, 2007
Steve Justa: The High Plains Heavy Metal MasterOut in the Nebraska cornfields you'll find a man who lifts anything he can get his hands on -- barrels,rocks, scrap iron, even trucks. He will push, pull, carry and drag the heaviest weights he can, and regularly moves half a ton, if only a few inches, its still impressive.
Steve Justa is his name and his training philosophy is anything but conventional...
"Don't Have a Weight Set? - Get a Tractor!"
Labels: Barrel Lifting, Odd Object Lifting, Rock Lifting, Steve Justa, Strongman Feat
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Sunday, November 04, 2007
Master Hand Balancer Professor PaulinettiHandbalancing goes back a long way although the man that took it to a whole new level was Professor Paulinetti. He perfected many of the most difficult hand balancing feats -- and was the first man to accomplish the incredibly difficult one-arm planche.
Professor Paulinetti was also the mentor to famed hand balancer Bob Jones. In fact, the image above once belonged to the personal collection of Bob Jones. On the back it is written that this photograph was taken in Italy around the year 1900.
Labels: Bob Jones, Hand Balancing, Planche, Professor Paulinetti, Strongman Feat
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| It was on this date in 1932 in Leipzig, Germany that Hermann Goerner performed a tremendous feat of curling strength. With the barbell in the "hang clean" position, Goerner curled 242-1/2 pounds (110 Kilos)using sheer arm power and without any body swing. |  Hermann Goerner |
Labels: Arm Development, Bicep Strength, Curl, Hermann Goerner, Strongman Feat
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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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