Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Humberto SelvettiThe great Olympic Weightlifter Humberto Selvetti shows his stuff in his home land of Argentina. It was Selvetti who Paul Anderson defeated to win the Gold Medal at the 1956 Olympic Games. Selvetti and Anderson both totaled 500 kg but Anderson beat him on lighter bodyweight) Selvetti also won a Bronze medal at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki where he totaled 432.5 kg. (I find the barbell set in this picture especially interesting as I have never seen anything like it before or since.)
Labels: 1952 Olympics, 1956 Olympics, Argentinian Weightlifter, Barbell, Barbell Set, Humberto Selvetti, Olympic Lifting, Paul Anderson, Total
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Friday, August 01, 2008
Charles RigoulotIn July of 1924, Charles Rigoulot was crowned the light-heavyweight Champion at the Olympic Games held in Paris, France. Today there are only two Olympic lifts, but things were a little different back then when a variety of lifts were contested.
Here's a look at Rigoulot's championship numbers: One-Hand snatch: 197-1/2 pounds, One-Hand Clean and Jerk: 203-1/2 pounds, Two-Hands Military Press: 187 pounds, Two-Hands Snatch: 225-1/2 pounds, Two-Hands Clean and Jerk: 297 pounds.
As you can see, Rigoulot was a little low in the press at this time but more than made up for it with his snatching ability. Rigoulot's total of 1103-1/2 pounds was the third highest of the entire competition... and, interestingly enough he also used shot-loaded globes instead of normal plate-loaded equipment like his competitors.
Labels: 1924 Olympics, Charles Rigoulot, Clean and Jerk, French Strongman, French Weightlifter, Gold Medal, Olympic Games, one arm snatch, Paris France, Press, Total
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Doug Hepburn - 1953 Heavyweight World ChampionDoug Hepburn's final lift to win the 1953 Heavyweight World Weightlifting Championship held in Stockholm, Sweden. (defeating John Davis) The lift pictured here was a 363-pound clean and jerk -- the highest of the contest. Doug's other lifts of the day were a 371-pound press and a 297-pound snatch for a total of 1031 pounds.
Labels: 1953 World Championships, Barbell, Canadian Strongman, Clean and Jerk, Doug Hepburn, John Davis, Olympic Lifting, Olympic Weightlifing Exercise, Olympic Weightlifting, Press, Snatch, Sweden, Total
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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
Friday, May 02, 2008
Elwood Holbrook - Master of the Bent PressElwood Holbrook took 4th at the 1941 AAU Mr. America Contest AND took home the "Best Arms" award (He had also competed in the afternoon's weightlifting contest where he finished 6th with a 715-pound total in the 165-pound class.)
While Holbrook was a very talented strength athlete and equally good at bodybuilding as well as weightlifting, his real gift was the bent press -- he won the national Bent-Press Championship in a contest held by Sig Klein.
Holbrook was also one of the few men to bent press the famous Rolandow Dumbbell - a feat which he did on his first try and without a warmup.
Here's a shot of a 48-year old Elwood Holbrook bent-pressing 240 pounds -- 75 pounds above his bodyweight. That unique dumbbell belonged to Paul Anderson.
Labels: 1941 Mr. America Contest, AAU, Bent Press Arthur Saxon, Best Arms, Bodybuilding, Elwood Holbrook, Olympic Weightlifting, Paul Anderson, Rolandow Dumbbell, Sig Kleins Gym, Total
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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
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Paul Anderson Winning the 1956 Melbourne OlympicsWith this lift, Paul Anderson won the Gold Medal in the heavyweight class at the 1956Olympic Games held in Melbourne, Australia.
It sure didn't come easy...
Big Paul was suffering from an ear infection at the time which caused him to lose his balance and stagger once he had the weight overhead, thus missing several lifts he would normally make with ease.
Here's how he ended the day:
Though he totaled, 1101 pounds, it was far from his best. Still, it was a gold medal winning performance, and one that cemented his name in the history books.
Labels: Bench Press, Clean and Jerk, Gold Medal, Oldtime Strongman Feat, Olympics, Paul Anderson, Snatch, Total, weightlifting
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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
Sunday, December 02, 2007
| In addition to publishing "THE IRON MASTER" John "Osmo" Kiiha is a former World-Class Olympic Lifter who competed in the 1968 Senior Nationals in the 198 pound class. His bests lifts were: Total: 985, Press: 333, Clean & Jerk: 418, Snatch: 286. Here he is getting ready to incline press a pair of 150 pound dumbbells. |  Osmo Kiiha |
Labels: Clean and Jerk, Dumbbell Benchpress, Iron Master Magazine, Olympic Weightlifting, Osmo Kiiha, Press, Senior Nationals, Snatch, Strength Author, Total
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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
Monday, November 19, 2007
John Terpak - Eleven Time Senior National Weightlifting ChampionJohn Terpak was a member of the "York Gang" and one of America's best Olympic-style weightlifters, winning eleven Senior National Weightlifting Titles (1936-1945 & 1947).
Over his career he lifted in three different weight classes (148, 165 and 181.) His best performance occurred winning the 1947 Worlds as a light-heavyweight:
Press - 253-1/2 pounds
Snatch - 264-1/2 pounds
Clean & Jerk - 336-1/4 pounds
Total = 854-1/2 pounds
He also one-hand snatched 154 pounds and one-hand jerked 170-1/2 pounds in some early weightlifting contests when those lifts were still contested.
Terpak was a three-time Olympic Team Member (1936, 1940, & 1948) and a part of nine total Olympic teams and sixty consecutive National Championships as a lifter, judge or coach. He eventually served as an executive for the York Barbell Company.
Labels: Clean and Jerk, John Terpak, Olympic Weightlifting, one arm snatch, Press, Total, weightlifter, weightlifting, York Barbell Company
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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
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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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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