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Friday, August 01, 2008

  • Charles Rigoulot

  • In 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.

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  • Doug Hepburn - 1953 Heavyweight World Champion

  • Doug 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.

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    Friday, May 02, 2008

  • Elwood Holbrook - Master of the Bent Press
  • Elwood Holbrook - Master of the Bent PressElwood Holbrook - Master of the Bent Press

    Elwood 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.

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    Thursday, January 24, 2008

  • Paul Anderson Winning the 1956 Melbourne Olympics
  • Paul Anderson Winning the 1956 Melbourne OlympicsPaul Anderson Winning the 1956 Melbourne Olympics

    With 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:

  • Press - 369 pounds
  • Snatch - 319 pounds
  • Clean and Jerk - 413 pounds


  • 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.

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    Sunday, December 02, 2007

  • Osmo Kiiha
  • 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 KiihaOsmo Kiiha
    Also, check out Osmo's IRON MASTER dumbbells here.

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    Monday, November 19, 2007

  • John Terpak - Eleven Time Senior National Weightlifting Champion
  • John TerpakJohn Terpak - Eleven Time Senior National Weightlifting Champion

    John 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.

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    Thursday, November 08, 2007

  • Pat Casey 210 Pound Dumbbell Incline Press
  • Pat Casey Incline Press With 210 Pound DumbbellsPat 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.

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