Oldtime Strength Blog - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Claude “Samson” Champagne

Posted on Tuesday, December 11th, 2018 by John Wood

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. Wow!

Billy Cannon

Posted on Tuesday, December 11th, 2018 by John Wood

Billy Cannon

For a number of years strength training was frowned upon with in athletics. Lifting weights was thought to make athletes slower and musclebound… One of the key figures in changing this attitude was Billy Cannon. He was one of the first high profile athletes who regularly lifted weights. Here he is featured on the cover of November, 1959 issue of Strength and Health magazine. A month later he was awarded the Heisman Trophy as the best player in College football which sealed the deal.

“The Tipton Slasher” Benny Yanger

Posted on Thursday, December 6th, 2018 by John Wood

Benny Yanger

“The Tipton Slasher” Benny Yanger gets in a workout with the wall pulley at an oldtime Chicago gym circa 1906. Note the small dumbbell which has been added to the weight stack. Like most boxers of that era, Benny was also fond of throwing the medicine ball around to build upper body strength and stamina. Over his career, the New York lightweight was 51-9.

The Edward Aston Physical Culture Medal

Posted on Thursday, December 6th, 2018 by John Wood

The Edward Aston Physical Culture Medal

Many mail order Strongmen had their own medal or prize for students who finished the course. Here’s a look at an incredibly rare one: The Edward Aston Physical Culture Medal. Even most people who have “been around” strength training for a long time will not have ever even seen it. The medal is shown here about twice actual size.

Armand Tanny

Posted on Thursday, December 6th, 2018 by John Wood

The great bodybuilder Armand Tanny as he looked when in top form. Like many strength athletes of the time, he got his start in Olympic lifting and fared pretty well before making the switch to bodybuilding. One of his favorite lifts was the one arm clean, which he could perform with over 300 pounds — an impressive feat. The Rochester, New York native won the Pro-Mr. America bodybuilding title in 1950 and the Mr. USA title in 1950. His brother was the Vic Tanny of Vic Tanny’s Gym fame.

Irvin ‘Zabo’ Koszewski

Posted on Wednesday, December 5th, 2018 by John Wood

After winning the “Mr. New Jersey” contest in 1948, “Mr. Middle Atlantic” in 1950 and placing high in a few other regional bodybuilding shows, Irvin ‘Zabo’ Koszewski relocated to California and stepped into history. Like every great bodybuilder on the west coast, he started training at Vic Tanny’s Gym and spent most of his days on the sands of Muscle Beach. He took up right where he left off in the contest department, winning the Mr. Pacific Coast and Mr. Los Angeles contests in 1953 and added the Mr. California title in 1954.

Zabo also did very well in the AAU Mr. America contests placing thirteenth in 1950, fourth in 1952, third in 1953 and third again in 1954. He also competed in the Junior Mr. America contest in 1951, 1952 and 1954, placing fourth, third and second, respectively. It’s not hard to see why Zabo won “Best Abs” in nearly every contest he entered.

Rigoulot’s Custom Globe Barbell

Posted on Wednesday, December 5th, 2018 by John Wood

A look at Charles Rigoulot’s custom barbell and the modern reproduction made by Andy Jackson. In over six decades, I do not believe that either of these pictures have ever been compared side-by-side, except in this post. I wonder if we will ever see a barbell of this type ever again?

Charles Phelan and His GIANT Kettlebell

Posted on Wednesday, December 5th, 2018 by John Wood

How about that kettlebell? Charles Phelan billed himself not as the World’s strongest man but the World’s most entertaining strongman as he told jokes between his strength feats while he performed at Coney Island. He weighed only 140 pounds but held five world records: a one-finger lift of 506 pounds, 700 pounds with two fingers, a hand and thigh lift of 1125 pounds, a hip lift of 1600 pounds and a backlift of 2500 pounds. Phelan was taught how to be a strongman by Warren Lincoln Travis and was a good friend of Vic Boff.

Reg Park as Hercules

Posted on Wednesday, December 5th, 2018 by John Wood

Reg Park achieved a great deal of stardom by playing the role of Hercules (or a similar heroic character) in a series of Italian movies. Quite frankly, I couldn’t think of anyone better suited for the part (except maybe Steve Reeves.) Anyhow, here is a look at Reg’s movies:

* Hercules and the Captive Women (1961)
* Hercules in the Center of the Earth (1961)
* Maciste in King Solomon’s Mines (1964)
* Hercules, Prisoner of Evil (1964)
* Hercules the Avenger (1965)

Not cinematic masterpieces by any means, but fun none-the-less … and Reg certainly looked the part!

Charles A. Sampson at Prince Albert Hall

Posted on Wednesday, December 5th, 2018 by John Wood

Step right up… a rare show poster from Charles A. Sampson’s performance at Royal Albert Hall, London England, on November 22nd and 23rd, 1899. If you had been in attendance, you would have seen Sampson perform his signature feats: harness lifting, coin bending, lifting heavy thick-handled globe barbells, and breaking chains wrapped around his bicep.