Bill Good Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Bill Good’s Squatting at 72

Posted on Wednesday, February 10th, 2021 by John Wood

A look at Bill Good, of Reamstown, PA, performing quarter-squats at age 72 in 1982. Bill liked to celebrate certain milestone dates, like his birthday with feats of strength. This particular occasion was the 50th anniversary of the 1932 Olympic Games where he placed fourth. Having 650 pounds on your back at 72 (even if just a quarter-squat) is mind boggling. Bill Good was one of those lifters who never stopped training — be like Bill Good.

Health & Physique

Posted on Monday, July 29th, 2019 by John Wood

In order to promote the GOOD Barbell company, Harry Good made a smart move in the late 1930’s and started publishing his own magazine. The cover of Issue 1, No. 1 of “Health & Physique, which came out in July of 1938, is shown above featuring Harry and his two famous brothers Walter and Bill. Health & Physique ran only for 10 issues (no doubt because trying to produce a publication on top of running a barbell company is a Herculean task). High resolution scans of this issue and several more are posted in The Iron League.

Never Miss a Workout!

Posted on Monday, August 13th, 2018 by John Wood

Never Miss a Workout! – The Olympic weightlifting team continued to train even while sailing aboard the SS Manhattan traveling to Berlin for the 1936 Olympic Games. Bill Good is shown practicing his jerks while the other members wait their turn. You want core strength? Try holding a heavy weight overhead while on a ship.

The Good Brothers

Posted on Friday, November 10th, 2017 by John Wood

The Good Brothers, Harry, Walter and Bill, were a trio of weightlifters and Strongmen from Eastern Pennsylvania. Bill was the strongest of the three, winning seven Senior National Weightlifting Titles (1930-1937) and competing in two Olympic Games (1932 Los Angeles, 1936 Berlin). Bill Good was the first American to Clean & Jerk 350 Pounds. Walter Good competed in the 1936 Olympics as well. Harry was the U.S. Professional Champion in 1933 in addition to writing training articles for a number of different strength publications and training courses. Harry Good went on to establish the “Good Barbell Company” in the late 1930’s. Mark Berry also used the Good Brothers to demonstrate several of the exercises in his book Physical Training Simplified (1930).

The 1936 U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team

Posted on Thursday, May 8th, 2014 by John Wood

The 1936 US Olympic Weightlifting Team

A look at the U.S. weightlifting team, taken in the Olympic village in Berlin, Germany during the 1936 Olympics. From left to right: Mark Berry, Dave Mayor, Bill Good, John Grimek, Stan Kratkowski, Joe Miller, John Terpak, Walter Good, Bob Mitchell, Tony Terlazzo, John Terry and Dietrich Wortmann. Terlazzo won the Featherweight class with a 312.5 kg total to become America’s first ever weightlifting gold medal winner.

Young Bill Good and The Good Dumbbell

Posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2014 by John Wood

A look at the great American weightlifter Bill Good in the midst of harness lifting the equally famous Good Dumbbell. circa 1934. Good, a Reamstown, Pennsylvania, native was a seven-time National weightlifting Champion (1930-1935, 1937) and competed in the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games. Good liked to celebrate his birthday each year by harness lifting the 2150 lb. Good Dumbbell for as many repetitions as the number of years of his age, a feat he kept up until he was 90.

1938 Senior Nationals Program

Posted on Tuesday, February 26th, 2013 by John Wood

1938 Sr. Nationals Weightlifting Program

A look at an extremely rare program from the 1938 Senior National Weightlifting contest. If you had been in attendance, you would have seen quite a show: Firpo Lemma, out of the Bates Barbell Club of Patterson, New Jersey set two records in the 112 lb. class: a press of 205 lb. (which was a World record) and a Clean and jerk of 210 lbs. (An American record).

Anthony Terlazzo set a World record in the 148 lb. class with a Clean and Jerk of 320 lb., John Terpak set an American record in the snatch with a lift of 250 lb. In the 181 lb. class, Stanley Kratkowski set an American record in the Clean and Jerk with 330 and John Grimek set an American record in the press with 250 lb.

In the heavyweights, Bill Good set an American record in the Clean and Jerk with a lift of 340 lb. but Steve Stanko came along and broke it a few minutes later with a lift of 345 lb. It should also be noted that Weldon Bullock, then only 17 years old, shook up the weightlifting world with a Clean and Jerk of 330 lb.