1939 Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Simon Hertzberg

Posted on Sunday, May 1st, 2022 by John Wood

Here’s a strongman you’ve never heard of: Simon Hertzberg was a carpenter from Denmark who also happened to practice feats of strength in his spare time. Cutting, sawing, and joining wood in his “day job” gave Hertzberg and excellent base of strength, especially in the all-important grip and forearm areas. Here’s Hertzberg bending a 3/4-inch thick iron bar in his mouth!

Bob Hoffman’s Bent Press

Posted on Wednesday, August 29th, 2018 by John Wood

Bob Hoffman’s favorite lift was the bent press. Here’s Bob pressing about 240 pounds .This lift took place during a visit to Cuba in early 1939. Note the sweat-shirt, this helped create more friction for the upper body and prevent slippage during the lift — a tactic used by many bent-pressers.

The Mighty Atom Escapes!

Posted on Sunday, March 2nd, 2014 by John Wood

Back in the Summer of 1939, “The Mighty Atom” Joseph Greenstein attempted an amazing (and quite dangerous) feat. He would be chained to a chair with a car traveling at 40 miles per hour spaced out far enough to give him two minutes of lead time. If the Atom couldn’t break free of the chains in time the speeding automobile would run right over him! A news magazine was on hand with a photo crew to document the action, and, as you can see, the Atom made it …barely.