1903 Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Sandow’s Magazine

Posted on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2019 by John Wood

Among the number of Sandow’s many “firsts” include the publication of the first publication devoted to strength training. Initially published from 1898 to 1899 titled “Physical Culture,” it eventually changed its name — appropriately enough — to “Sandow’s Magazine of Physical Culture and British Sport and ran until 1907. A variety of topics were covered but Sandow’s advice, articles on his own training, and various feats of strength were the highlight of each issue. Here’s a look at the cover of the April, 1903 edition.

Gasnier Visits Harvard

Posted on Sunday, October 18th, 2015 by John Wood

A Surprise to Harvard

Last Tuesday afternoon, a number of Harvard students were given a great surprise by a sturdy little French athlete Pierre Gasnier, whose exhibitions of strength have been one of the features of the great Barnum & Bailey shows for the past six years. Gasnier was introduced to Professor Sargent. After Professor Sargent had made a thorough examination and taken the different measurements of the tremendous athlete. Gasnier, in the presence of over 150 of Harvard’s best athletes performed feats of strength which called forth unstinted applause from the students and caused Professor Sargent to step forward, shake the hand of Gasnier and exclaim “Gasnier, you are a physical marvel!”

Among the more difficult feats accomplished by the sturdy Frenchman were the breaking of a piece of chain which had been tested to sustain a weight of 750 pounds by expanding the chest… breaking a similar piece of chain with his biceps… stretching three strands of rubber out to arm’s length while the combined strengths of five students could only stretch then four inches… lifting and placing at arm’s length above the head, with one hand, a dumb-bell, the largest and heaviest in the gymnasium, weighing over 200 pounds… and many more feats of strength just as extraordinary. Considering the size and weight of the man, Professor Sargent says “all of his feats of strength are marvelous,”

Pierre Gasnier stands a little under 5 feet 3 inches in height and weighs 137 pounds yet his chest measurement is 47 inches.

– The Boston Post, Nov. 17, 1903.

Attila: The World’s Greatest Physical Culture and Athletic Instructor

Posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015 by John Wood

Here’s a rare and pretty nifty advertisement for Professor Attila’s Studio of Physical Culture from 1903. Not many people have seen this one.

Francois Lancoud

Posted on Wednesday, November 26th, 2014 by John Wood

The Swiss Weightlifter and Strongman Francois Lancoud became the second World Weightlifting Champion on October 5th, 1903, at an event held at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France. Among his winning lifts were a snatch of 231-1/2 lbs. and a clean & jerk of 292 lbs. The German strongman Heinrich Schneidereit finished second and the Belgian lifter Gustave Empain finishing third.

Magnus Bech-Olsen

Posted on Saturday, May 4th, 2013 by John Wood

Magnus Bech-Olsen

Denmark-born Magnus Bech-Olsen won the wrestling world championship in 1892 and held the title until 1903. During his competitive years, Bech-Olsen had many memorable battles with the likes of Karl Abs, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Alex Aberg, Antonie Pierri,Paul Pons, “Ursus” Jankowski, Paul Belling, Ernst Roeber, Constant Le Marin and even Frank Gotch. A few years after retiring from wrestling, Bech Olsen established his own traveling circus.

1903 German Sport Club

Posted on Saturday, March 23rd, 2013 by John Wood

A look at a German Sport club, circa 1903. As for their equipment, as was the custom with German-style kettlebells, the handles were large and open to enable juggling… the barbells also appear to have thick handles, which encourage grip and forearm development.