Thursday, September 17, 2009
Anton Matysek
Anton Matysek preparing to "rock to the shoulder an enormous barbell with 16-in spheres, which weighs 231 pounds empty, and is 7-1/2 feet long over all. After this picture was taken, Matysek placed this bell on the floor, raised it to the shoulder with two hands, jerked it until it rested across his shoulders behind his neck, jerked it aloft again and replaced it on the floor.
The handle-bar is nearly 3-inches thick: it takes a tremendous grip to use a thick handle-bar like this. Some of the athletes who witnesses this feat of Matysek's were unable to lift the bell from the floor.
After performing the above feat, Matysek stood the bell on end, as shown in this picture, rocked it to his shoulder and then pressed it to arm's length with one hand.
Labels: Anton Matysek, Bent Press, Bent Press Feat, Grip Strength, Thick Bar, Thick Bar Lifting, Thick Handle
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Monday, March 23, 2009
Marijan MatijevicMarijan Matijevic was a great Croatian strongman who was popular during the turn of the century. He won his first medals for strength feats and wrestling when he was 21years old and collected more as the years passed. He had a standing offer that anyone who could defeat him in feats of strength could have his entire collection of medals. He was adept at bending steel, barrel lifting, stone breaking and lifting thick-handled globe barbells.
Labels: Barrel Lifting, Croatian Strongman, Feats of Strength, Marijan Matijevic, Steel Bending, Stone Breaking, Thick Bar Lifting, Wrestler
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Legendary Iron: Warren Lincoln Travis' Globe BarbellSpeaking of challenge weights, here's one you don't see every day. This globe barbell once belonged to the great strongman Warren Lincoln Travis. The botton inset is the man himself lifting this very barbell from some old newsreel footage. Notice the star collars and canister around the handle is now missing -- probably sold off for scrap years ago.
I got to lift that barbell at Slim the Hammer Man's place last summer. There were plenty of strong guys there although I was the only one who managed to lift it with one hand. The thick handle makes for quite a challenge.
Labels: Globe Barbell, Thick Bar, Thick Bar Lifting, Warren Lincoln Travis
www.oldtimestrongman.com
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, May 07, 2008
| What do you get if you are the first and only man to lift the "unliftable" Thomas Inch Challenge Dumbbell" since Thomas Inch himself? You get this award -- the award given to Mr. John Gallacher when he did just that at the 1957 NABBA Mr. America contest. Mr. John Gallacher fully deadlifted the Inch Dumbbell three times that night -- the only man to do so (besides Thomas Inch) in almost six decades! (A Big Thank you to John Gallacher for sending in the picture and filling us in on that fateful day.) |  "Winner - Inch Dumbbell ContestNABBA Mr. Universe Contest 1957" |
Labels: Grip Feat, Inch Dumbbell, Inch Dumbbell Challenge, John Gallacher, NABBA, Thick Bar Lifting, Thomas Inch
www.oldtimestrongman.com
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, January 30, 2008
John Davis Lifting The Apollon WheelsI've covered John Davis lifting the famous Apollon Wheels before, but you've probably never seen it from this angle before. This shot is from a French Newspaper and probably hasn't seen the light of day for over five decades.
You saw it here first...
Labels: Apollon's Wheels, Challenge Weight, John Davis, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Thick Bar Lifting
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Thick Bar TrainingAn impromptu shot from a training session last summer. Should there be any question why so many of the oldtime strongmen lifted with Thick Bars?
This thick-handled globe "dumbbell" once belonged to the French Strongman Apollon.
Labels: Apollon, Forearm Strength, Globe Dumbbell, Grip Strength, John Wood, Thick Bar, Thick Bar Lifting, Thick Bar Training
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Sunday, December 16, 2007
 Apollon | The great French Strongman Apollon was well known for his grip feats. With reported 19-inch Forearms and 9-inch long hands, it's not hard to see why. This allowed him to toy with thick-handled weights that few other strongmen could even budge off the ground. |
Labels: Apollon, Forearm Strength, French Strongman, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Thick Bar Lifting
www.oldtimestrongman.com
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, December 12, 2007
The Thomas Inch Dumbbell ReplicaIn the late 90s, the Staver Foundry of Minnesota produced replicas of the famous Thomas Inch challenge dumbbell. These solid globe dumbbells weighed 172 pounds but the handle is slightly thicker (2.47" vs. 2-3/8" on the original.)
172 Pounds may not seem like much of a challenge to lift but the thick handle makes it nearly impossible. Thousands of athletes have tried to lift the Inch Dumbbell but only a few have succeeded. You'll need a very strong grip if you want to add your name to the list.
Labels: Challenge Weight, Famous Dumbbell, Globe Dumbbell, Grip Strength, Inch Dumbbell, Strongman Equipment, Thick Bar Lifting, Thick Handle, Thomas Inch
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
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
www.oldtimestrongman.com
All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2010 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved
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
www.oldtimestrongman.com
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.
Previous Posts
Featured Products
Monthly Archives
Not yet a member? Subscribe now to receive daily doses of Strongman history, training tips, and site updates!
Copyright © 2010 Thunderdome Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved