Wednesday, February 03, 2010

  • The Mighty Atom: The Human Bridge


  • Yes, that's "The Mighty Atom supporting that bridge on his chest (while lying on a bed of nails). I think Slim the Hammer Man has The Atom's bed of nails in his Dungeon Gym.

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    Wednesday, February 03, 2010

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    Tuesday, January 12, 2010

  • The Great Belzoni


  • There has certainly never been a strongman like Giovanni Battista Belzoni. In the early 1800's, he traveled throughout Europe as the "keystone" man in a human pyramid, supporting and carrying 11-12 men on his back across a stage, a weight of close to a ton.

    But things get even more interesting after his strongman exploits... Belzoni went on to become a famous explorer and Egyptologist, concentrating his efforts on the Valley of Kings. Some of his finds are still on display at the British Museum.

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    Tuesday, January 12, 2010

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    Thursday, December 31, 2009

  • George Lurich - Human Link!


  • Of the thousands of posts that I have put up on this site, I have to say that this one is one of my absolute favorites: a rare picture of the Estonian strongman George Lurich performing the Human Link with a pair of camels!

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    Thursday, December 31, 2009

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    Thursday, December 24, 2009

  • Don Athaldo


  • Supporting feats were quite popular with many of the oldtime strongmen since some truly impressive weights could be lifted. Here's the Australian strongman Don Athaldo supporting a three-quarter ton car on his legs sometime in 1930.

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    Thursday, December 24, 2009

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    Saturday, December 12, 2009

  • Oscar Marineau


  • Oscar Marineau, the great Canadian Strongman is shown here with a unique exhibition feat: that's 850 pounds supported on his back which he took out for a stroll. The two engines weighed 346 pounds each and his son weighed over 150 pounds. In order to get the weights in position in the first place, Marineau had to perform a partial squat. Marineau weighed only 142 pounds himself.

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    Saturday, December 12, 2009

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    Tuesday, November 10, 2009

  • Cannon Lifting


  • If it wasn't nailed down, you can bet that many of the Oldtime Strongmen tried to lift it - and succeeded more often than not. Here George 'Rasso' Stanglemeier lifts a cannon and two more fellows along for the ride. Stanglemeier was particularly adept at heavy supporting feats and I bet this one went over very well during his performances.

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    Tuesday, November 10, 2009

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    Wednesday, October 28, 2009

  • Karl Moerke


  • Here's a unique feat of strength which was often performed by the German strongman Karl Moerke in his shows. Try to hold an empty Olympic straight out overhead while laying on your back and you can appreciate just how impressive a feat this is when Moerke does it with a heavy weight.

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    Wednesday, October 28, 2009

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    Thursday, August 13, 2009

  • Anton Riha


  • Back in 1890, Anton Riha, of Bohemia, set an unusual record for weight supporting. Using a specially designed harness rig, he was able to support and/or hang 1400 lbs. of miscellaneous weights on his body in a standing position. This record was broken shortly afterwards though by a strongman from Vienna who upped the ante to over 2000 lbs.

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    Thursday, August 13, 2009

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    Wednesday, August 05, 2009

  • W.A. Pullum's Plank Supporting Feat


  • Another popular Oldtime Strongman feat was to support a heavy weight with a "leg press" of a wooden plank and a lockout with a barbell with the upper body.

    The great strongman W.A. Pullum was exceptional at this feat and often used it in his performances. Pullum weighed only 120 lbs. yet was able to work up to eventually supporting nine men on the plank and three more on the barbell - a weight of over 2000 lbs.

    You can also see this feat performed by Kurt Saxon, Arthur Saxon and Hermann Goerner.

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    Wednesday, August 05, 2009

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    Monday, July 06, 2009

  • Warren Lincoln Travis


  • Pictures of Warren Lincoln Travis in action are extremely rare, but this just happens to be one (and you saw it here first). Here, Travis supports close to a ton of human weight on his shoulders.

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    Monday, July 06, 2009

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    Thursday, June 18, 2009

  • Karl Moerke


  • The famous German strongman Karl Moerke was a man of many unusual talents. Among them, this unusual and quite impressive "leg press" support of the front end of a fire truck. The weight was said to top 4000 pounds.

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    Thursday, June 18, 2009

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    Saturday, May 30, 2009

  • Paul Trappen


  • The German strongman and weightlifter Paul Trappen's name isn't mentioned very often but it certainly should be. At the 1913 German weightlifting Championships Trappen defeated both Karl Moerke and Hermann Goerner to win the heavyweight title. Some of his best lifts were a 320 pound Clean and Jerk, 215 pounds in the one hand clean and jerk and 183 pounds in the one arm press.

    All impressive marks but the lift which he should be remembered best for is his harness lift of a pair of oxen totaling 5225 pounds - that would make his performance the greatest ever recorded in that particular lift.

    Trappen also performed for the Barnum and Bailey Circus as did some wrestling as well in addition to feats of strength.

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    Saturday, May 30, 2009

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    Tuesday, May 19, 2009

  • The Tomb of Hercules


  • Pakistani strongman Professor A. N. Shaikh shows how it's done in the Tomb of Hercules feat. The combined weight of this motorcycle and two men were estimated to weight around 700 pounds or more. This feat is a lot more difficult than you might think.

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    Tuesday, May 19, 2009

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    Tuesday, May 12, 2009

  • Siegmund Breitbart


  • Siegmund Breitbart was a master of many traditional strongman feats (horseshoe bending, Nail driving, steel scrolling etc) but he also came up with a number of his own unique feats. Here's a shot of Breitbart supporting a full-blown motorcycle race on his chest!

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    Tuesday, May 12, 2009

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    Wednesday, April 15, 2009

  • Training The Backlift with Mac Batchelor


  • If you want to train The Backlift, you'll need a special setup and plenty of weight. Here's how Mac Batchelor used to do it. Mac preferred to train the backlift for high reps, on the order of 30-40 reps, usually with a ton or so.

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    Wednesday, April 15, 2009

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  • Blame it on Muscle Beach


  • You never knew what might happen at Muscle Beach with so many crazy strong folks around. Here's a bit of horse play with Ike Berger on the bottom and record-setting shot putter Parry O'Brien up top. O'Brien grew up in Santa Monica and no doubt his exposure to weightlifting and physical culture with the Muscle beach gang contributed to his success.

    O'Brien was the first man to put the shot over 60 feet and won more than 116 consecutive competitions. He competed in four consecutive Olympic games, winning the Gold in 1952 Helsinki Games and the 1956 games in Melbourne, Australia.

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    Wednesday, April 15, 2009

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    Monday, April 13, 2009

  • Do NOT Try This One At Home


  • Do NOT Try This One At Home - Bob Trombley, a former Mr. Michigan supports over 500 combined pounds on his feat and at arms length while his friend Bob Herzog jumps over him, the barbells and a few sharpened spearheads just to keep things interesting. The slightest miscue could have meant serious injury for both of them.

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    Monday, April 13, 2009

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    Thursday, April 02, 2009

  • Claude "Samson" Champagne


  • Another Samson (There are many 'Samsons' in this game) This time Claude "Samson" Champagne of Quebec certainly earned his nickname with superhuman feats like this one: letting a five ton truck run over his chest.

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    Thursday, April 02, 2009

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    Wednesday, April 01, 2009

  • Paul Kronus


  • As a young man, Paul Kronus of Germany was inspired to become a strongman after watching a performance by Karl Abs. During the 1920's Kronus traveled throughout Europe and the U.S. performing feats of strength, among them this harness lift of a car said to weigh 3600 pounds.

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    Wednesday, April 01, 2009

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  • Goerner The Mighty


  • One of Hermann Goerner's favorite feats was a "leg press" support of a group of folks seated on a wooden plank. His best performance of this feat was twenty four men totaling over 4100 pounds.

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    Wednesday, April 01, 2009

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    Wednesday, February 04, 2009

  • Hans Kavan: The German Hercules


  • Hans Kavan was a little-known strongman from the 1920's who was known as 'The German Hercules.' Here's his signature feat: The Human Link feat performed with two horses on each arm, pulling in opposite directions and threatening to tear him limb from limb.

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    Wednesday, February 04, 2009

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    Tuesday, January 13, 2009

  • Sandow's Harness Lifting


  • One of Sandow's favorite leg exercises was harness lifting a heavy weight. He would adjust the length of the chain to different lengths in order to train different leg muscles. Not only was this a very productive movement in itself, it also allowed him to become accustomed to heavy weights and practice some of the feats for his strength performances.

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    Tuesday, January 13, 2009

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    Wednesday, December 31, 2008

  • Siegmund Breitbart: Chain Biter



  • Siegmund Breitbart was a strongman of many unusual talents...

    Like many of the oldtime strongmen, he performed feats such as bending steel bars,
    nail driving
    , supporting feats etc etc but one type of strength that he was simply in a class by himself was the strength of his jaw.

    He could pull cars or wagons with his teeth but even more amazing was that he could bite clean through steel chain links.

    Yes, real steel, real chains, one of which is pictured on the right. This feat is almost to incredible to be true. Amazingly enough, the Mighty Atom was able to accomplish this feat as well.



    ChainThe Actual Chain that Breitbart bit through

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    Wednesday, December 31, 2008

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    Tuesday, November 18, 2008

  • Tendon and Ligament Training: Chuck Vinci


  • A "secret weapon" of many strength athletes is specific training for tendons and ligaments using very heavy supports. Here Olympic Champion weight lifter Chuck Vinci does heavy supports in the rack position with 500 pounds. Chuck Vinci set twelve world records in his career so he knew a thing or two about getting strong.

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    Tuesday, November 18, 2008

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    Monday, November 03, 2008

  • Kettlebell Crucifix Lift


  • Walter Donald demonstrates the Crucifix with a pair of great MILO Kettlebells.

    "... what the English lifters call "the crucifix lift," and which the European lifters call "holding in the balance." One of the most popular of all strength tests is to hold a weight straight out from the shoulder in one hand; and it is a common thing to see a group of workmen or athletes in an impromptu competition with the object of seeing which one of them can "muscle-out" the heaviest weight. In some parts of the country they allude to this stunt as "off-arming." No matter what you call it, it is a fine test of strength, because anyone can do it without practice, there being little skill required." - Chapter 10, Super Strength by Alan Calvert

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    Monday, November 03, 2008

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    Wednesday, October 29, 2008

  • Elephant Lifting


  • Strongman Joe Ragusa shows one way to lift an elephant: via back lift. Ragusa regularly performed this feat in nightclubs and television shows.

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    Wednesday, October 29, 2008

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    Friday, September 05, 2008

  • The Hand and Thigh Lift


  • Walter Donald demonstrates the Hand and Thigh Lift from Alan Calvert's Super Strength.

    The Hand and Thigh Lift is a short-range deadlift which allows for very heavy weights to be lifted. Calvert highly recommended this exercise for leg development.

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    Friday, September 05, 2008

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    Tuesday, July 08, 2008

  • Chuck Sipes Lifting His Truck


  • Chuck Sipes was one of the strongest bodybuilders of all time. Chuck, who won the 1959 IFBB Mr. America, 1960 IFBB Mr. Universe and 1968 Mr. World Bodybuilding titles, could also could perform several incredible feats of strength.

    As he was training to accomplish a 600 pound(!) bench press, Chuck used to train using a variety of techniques involving heavy supports and negatives -- he even had a special handle welded to the underside of his pickup truck which he used to lift and support the whole affair.

    Sipes would first lift the pickup truck as high as he could with his arms then wedge his legs underneath. In the top position, he estimated that he was supporting 1600 pounds.

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    Tuesday, July 08, 2008

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    Monday, June 23, 2008

  • Kurt Saxon

  • of the Saxon trio, it was often Arthur who got most of the spotlight, but the other brothers were also quite strong. Here's a shot of Kurt Saxon, at 50 years old, supporting nearly half a ton of classic barbells and other weights.

    The largest Barbell weighs 330 pounds and the kettlebells on his feet weight 88 pounds apeice, the barbell on his abdomen weighs 200 pounds, the barbell he is holding weighs 100 pounds and another 88-pound kettlebell on each hand.

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    Monday, June 23, 2008

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    Friday, May 09, 2008

  • Louis Cyr's Backlift

  • Louis Cyr's Backlift

    A rare woodcut of the great Louis Cyr's famous backlift. Cyr astonished the world with a lift of 4337 pounds!

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    Friday, May 09, 2008

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    Wednesday, May 07, 2008

  • Orville Stamm - The Boy Hercules

  • Orville Stamm - Boy HerculesOrville Stamm - The Boy Hercules

    A top vaudeville attraction for several decades, Orville Stamm, who performed as "The Boy Hercules" possessed many talents. He would often sing a song to the accompanyment of a piano which he happened to be supporting in the "Tomb Of Hercules".

    He could also tear cards, played the violin with a 66-pound bulldog tied to the bow, lifted a horse with one hand and performed acrobatic feats.

    Sounds like quite a show!

    During World War I, Orville Stamm also served as physical instructor to the Navy and one of his students was president-to-be Franklin D. Roosevelt. After FDR was elected, Orville and his wife were often guests at the Whitehouse.

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    Wednesday, May 07, 2008

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    Friday, April 25, 2008

  • George Jowett And The Bent Press

  • George Jowett And The Bent PressGeorge Jowett And The Bent PressThe great oldtime strongman and strength author George Jowett as he prepares to bent press a heavy globe barbell.
    Jowett was a master of many different strength feats, most notably, lifting a 168-pound anvil by the horn and other feats of grip strength

    Jowett's best bent press performance was 304-1/2 pounds.

    Note the great Milo Kettlebells in the background.

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    Friday, April 25, 2008

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    Friday, April 18, 2008

  • Cyclops and Sampson

  • Cyclops and SampsonCyclops and Sampson

    A rare poster advertising the strongman duo of Franz "Cyclops" Bienkowski and Charles A. Sampson. Sampson's Harness Lift is highlighted.

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    Friday, April 18, 2008

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    Thursday, April 10, 2008

  • Sig Klein's Neck Bridge Feat

  • The era of Strongmanism, several generations ago, used to feature many strongman stunts that baffled and amazed the public.

    Here's a rare shot of one of the feats performed by Sig Klein and his stage partner Jack Bier.

    Here Sig holds a Neck Bridge while holding a globe barbell at arm's length as his partner stands on his chest. -- that's several hundred exta pounds supported by Sig Klein's neck alone.

    Having accomplished a similar feat, I can say this is NOT easy!
    Sig Kleins Neck Bridge FeatSig Klein's Neck Bridge Feat

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    Thursday, April 10, 2008

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    Wednesday, April 09, 2008

  • Milo Steinborn vs. The Motor Car

  • Milo Steinborn vs. The Motor CarMilo Steinborn vs. The Motor Car

    An unusual feat of strength(?)by Henry "Milo" Steinborn. Milo used to lie down and let a motor car drive over his chest. Impressive -- but it came with a price -- Milo was seriously injured while performing this feat although fortunately he did make a recovery and was eventually able to wrestle again.

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    Wednesday, April 09, 2008

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    Monday, April 07, 2008

  • Cannon Lifting with Warren Lincoln Travis

  • Warren Lincoln Travis Cannon LiftWarren Lincoln TravisYou aren't a real Oldtime Strongman until you lift a Cannon...

    The great Warren Lincoln Travis shows he's still got it as an old man, Harness Lifting a Cannon and a Globe Barbell - combined weight: over 1500 pounds.

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    Monday, April 07, 2008

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    Monday, February 18, 2008

  • How did the oldtimers train with Kettlebells?

  • How did the oldtimers train with Kettlebells?

    The answer might surprise you.

    In his book The Textbook of Weightlifting, Arthur Saxon lists a few of the different exercises he used: the crucifix, one arm press, and several grip and forearm exercises.

    Of course, kettlebells also worked pretty well for Combination feats just like this one. (I think that's Kurt Saxon being pressed overhead.)
    Arthur SaxonArthur Saxon

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    Monday, February 18, 2008

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    Saturday, February 16, 2008

  • Backlifting with Mac Batchelor

  • Mac Batchelor was most well-known for his feats of grip strength but he was no one-trick pony -- Mac trained many different lifts and was exceptional in all of them.

    In this classic shot, "Big Mac" warms up with 30 or 40 reps in the Backlift with half a ton.
    Mac Batchelor BackliftMac Batchelor

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    Saturday, February 16, 2008

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    Thursday, February 14, 2008

  • Hermann Goerner's Human Bridge Feat

  • Hermann Goerner's Human Bridge FeatHermann Goerner's Human Bridge Feat

    A look at Hermann Goerner's incredible "Human Bridge" stunt where he supports a platform on his shoulders while an automobile loaded with passengers drives over it.

    It was said that at the heaviest point in this feat, Goerner supported over 3000 pounds on his shoulders.

    This may not be quite as heavy or as dangerous as Lionel Strongfort's Human Bridge Feat but it's still very impressive.

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    Thursday, February 14, 2008

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    Friday, February 01, 2008

  • The Tomb of Hercules Feat

  • Tomb of HerculesThe Tomb of Hercules Feat

    "A feat of supporting strength that is commonly performed is the one known as "The Tomb of Hercules."

    The athlete takes up his position with the hands and feet only upon the floor, and the face looking upwards. The hands are turned back along a line parallel with the body which gives a better arm lock in the elbows.

    The body is held up fairly well, but not so high as to have the body level with the line of the knees and the shoulders.

    The arms and legs from the foot to the knee must be perpendicular so that no lateral pressure is suggested. Then a platform is placed on the body so that it has four points of rest, both knees and the shoulders.

    A number of men are then seated upon the board, which is supported by the athlete for a few seconds. Some athletes make this stunt more spectacular by supporting a whole orchestra while it plays, and others allow an automobile to run over a trestle supported in this manner.

    In this latter feat, the machine is only supported a bare fraction of a second, and the fact that the machine is moving across distributes the weight so that actually the entire weight of the machine is not supported all at one time by the body.

    But enough weight is supported to make the act very dangerous.

    If I remember rightly, Monte Saldo, an English athlete was one of the first to introduce this stunt."
    - George Jowett in The Key to Might and Muscle, Chapter 6

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    Friday, February 01, 2008

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  • Arthur Saxon's Leg Press Support Feat

  • Arthur Saxon Leg PressArthur Saxon's Leg Press Support Feat

    Heavy supporting feats were very popular with the oldtime strongmen. They could often support incredibly heavy weighst which always impressed the audience.

    Here's Arthur Saxon supporting nine men on his feet, and two more (the other members of the Saxon Trio, Kurt and Herman) on a globe barbell held at arms's length.

    It's been said that a feat such as this where Arthur Saxon held several thousand pounds was his greates strength feat, even topping his 448-Pound Two-Hands-Anyhow record.

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    Friday, February 01, 2008

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  • Archie Vanderpool

  • Archie VanderpoolArchie Vanderpool

    The Mysterious Mr. Vanderpool performs a pretty unusual feat of supporting strength... With his back against a stone wall, Archie braced his legs against a car driven at full throttle for 52 seconds. -- The tires were worn to ribbons!

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    Friday, February 01, 2008

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    Tuesday, January 29, 2008

  • Lionel Strongfort

  • Lionel StrongfortLionel StrongfortLionel Strongfort, (Real name Max Unger) began his strongman career as a pupil of Professor Attila

    Strongfort went on to thrill audiences all over the world with his incredible and very dangerous Human Bridge feat where he supported over 7,000 pounds in the Tomb of Hercules position.

    Strongfort was also one of the most successful Mail Order Muscle Barons and his training courses on "Strongfortism," which only required bodyweight and some light dumbbells, were incredibly popular in the early 20th century.

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    Tuesday, January 29, 2008

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  • Monte Saldo

  • Monte Saldo Monte Saldo

    As a young man, Monte Saldo apprenticed at one of Eugen Sandow's Gymnasiums and eventually became a performing strongman himself.

    Saldo's incredible motor car support feat (which put him in considerable danger if something were to ever get out of hand) made him one of the top earning strongmen of the day.

    As you can see, he was pretty rugged.

    Saldo went on to become of the great masters of Muscle Control and teamed up with his friend Maxick to establish the Maxalding system.

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    Tuesday, January 29, 2008

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    Thursday, January 17, 2008

  • The Brothers Marx - Performing Strongmen

  • The Brothers MarxThe Brothers Marx

    John Grunn Marx and his brother Aloysius used to perform together as "The Brothers Marx" - American Gladiators, The Strongest Men Living.

    (It was actually brother Al who taught John Grunn the strongman trade.)

    As this oldtime strongman poster indicates, their act consisted of the lifting of large globe dumbbells, kettlebells and various supporting feats... And as also indicated on the poster, their apparati was available for inspection.

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    Thursday, January 17, 2008

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    Monday, January 07, 2008

  • Heavy One-Arm Overhead Supports

  • Heavy one-arm overhead supports were very popular with oldtime strongmen since they could work up to some truly impressive weights which always wowed their audiences.

    Sandow was able to lift a horse in this manner.

    Here Anton Matysek supports well over a quarter ton overhead.
    Anton Matysek - Heavy One-Arm SupportsHeavy One-Arm Overhead Supports

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    Monday, January 07, 2008

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    Friday, January 04, 2008

  • Milo and The Bull

  • Milo and The BullMilo and The Bull

    Milo 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.

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    Friday, January 04, 2008

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    Tuesday, December 18, 2007

  • Go For A Walk With Steve Justa

  • Go For A Walk With Steve JustaSteve Justa

    Steve 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.

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    Tuesday, December 18, 2007

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    Thursday, December 13, 2007

  • G.W. Rolandow

  • G.W. Rolandow was a Swiss Strongman who publically challenged Sandow to a contest on several occasions only to have Sandow turn him down each time.

    Rolandow accomplished the following lifts:

  • One Arm Snatch - (Right Arm) 180 pounds
  • Bent Press - 298 Pounds
  • Partial Deadlift 1650 Pounds
  • Tomb of Hercules Support - 3500 Pounds
  • Card Tearing - three card decks at once

  • G.W. RolandowG.W. Rolandow
    Rolandow could also jump over a table, 36 inches high and 25 inches wide while holding a 75 pound dumbbell in each hand.

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    Thursday, December 13, 2007

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    Saturday, December 01, 2007

  • An "Ice Cold" Strength Feat

  • An Ice Cold Strength FeatAn "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!

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    Saturday, December 01, 2007

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