One-Arm Clean and Jerk Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Al Tauscher

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

Here we have Al Tauscher, the Oregon Strongman, getting in a quick kettlebell workout back around 1916. Though he only weighed 162 pounds, Tauscher was incredibly strong. In this classic shot he presses a 105 lb. kettlebell with the left hand while simultaneously curling a 75 lb. ‘bell in the right… This feat was said to be ridiculously easy for Tauscher by those who witnessed it. He could also one-arm snatch 157 pounds and one-arm clean and jerk 210 pounds, both of which were American Amateur records at the time.

Eugene Caouette

Posted on Friday, April 20th, 2018 by John Wood

Eugene Caouette is another name in the great Quebec Strongman Tradition. The giant French Canadian stood well over six feet and tipped the scales at 460 pounds! His best lifts were a Crucifix with a pair of 76-pound dumbbells, a Kennedy Lift with 1354 pounds, one-arm snatch 173-3/4 pounds (with either hand) and a one-arm clean and jerk of 213 pounds.

Maurice Deriaz

Posted on Thursday, September 27th, 2012 by John Wood

Marice Deriaz, Globe Barbell Lift

Maurice Deriaz, the great Swiss strongman, is shown here setting a record in the one arm clean and jerk with a lift of 211 French Livres (about 228 pounds.) Maurice was one of several brothers who were all celebrated strength athletes (the others being Emile, Adrian, and Ulysses.) Maurice was also a good wrestler, once beating forty-four opponents in a row to win a Greco-Roman tournament.

Georg Lurich

Posted on Sunday, March 18th, 2012 by John Wood

George Lurich

Estonian born Georg Lurich was a great wrestler and strongman during the early 1900’s. He was was a great friend and training partner to George Hackenschmidt (It was actually Lurich who introduced Hackenschmidt to weightlifting.) Lurich’s brother-in-law was Alex Aberg, another champion wrestler of the time period.

Lurich won the World Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship in 1912 and was the last man to face Frank Gotch before Gotch retired in 1913. As far as strength feats, among others, Lurich is credited with a one-arm jerk of 267 lbs., and a two-arm clean & jerk of 344 lbs — both of which would still be impressive today.

Ernest Cadine

Posted on Thursday, January 19th, 2012 by John Wood

The French weightlifter Ernest Cadine with a classic globe barbell

Ernest Cadine was a French Weightlifter who won the Light-Heavyweight Gold medal at the 1920 Olympic Games held in Antwerp, Belgium. His winning total was 295 kg (649 lbs.) though the contested events were very different then: the one-arm snatch, the one-arm clean and jerk and the two arm clean and jerk. His performance in these lifts was 70 kg, 90 kg and 135 kg respectively. He also set six World Records over his competitive career.

In 1925, Cadine performed a one-arm swing with 90 kilos which was actually greater than his own bodyweight. Cadine could also right hand snatch 211 pounds and one-hand deadlifted the famous Apollon Wheels.

Also of note is the sand-pit floor — you’ll see this feature a lot in old school physical culture gyms as it made it so globe barbells and dumbbells were not damaged if they were ever dropped.