Pudgy Stockton Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Pudgy Stockton’s Handstand

Posted on Friday, September 26th, 2014 by John Wood

You can count Pudgy Stockton among the many strength stars who were also excellent handbalancers. Holding a handstand is a more impressive feat than you may realize at first glance, since the sand does not allow the fingers the same stability as a solid surface would. If you’d like to get started in handbalancing, we recommend checking out THIS and THIS.

Strength and Health Magazine, March 1948: Abbye Stockton Cover

Posted on Monday, May 12th, 2014 by John Wood

Abbys Pudgy Stockton

A look at the cover of the March, 1948 issue of Strength and Health magazine featuring the lovely Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton lifting an awesome old Milo dumbbell overhead. This photo was provided to Strength and Health magazine by our good friend Alton Eliason. “Pudgy” was anything but, and serves as an fantastic example of what regular physical training can do for women.

Strength and Health, July 1947: Clancy Ross Cover

Posted on Monday, February 10th, 2014 by John Wood

The great Clancy Ross graces the cover of the July, 1947 issue of Strength and Health (Ross was the S&H photo contest winner that month). A short time later, Ross would go on to beat Steve Reeves in the 1948 Mr. USA contest.

Also found in this issue: “Secrets of Strength (part III) by Bob Hoffman, “The Super-Duper Body Building Program by Gord Venables, “Barbelles” by Pudgy Stockton, “If you Want Big Muscles and Greater Strength,” also by Hoffman, and a feature on the Screwball Gym, by Harv Easton.

“Pudgy” Stockton

Posted on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013 by John Wood

If there ever were a “bar belle” it was Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton. (She acquired the nickname “Pudgy” as a child and it stuck.)”Pudgy” was anything but, she weighed 115 pounds at a height of 5’2″ and, as you can see, was quite the physical specimen — especially impressive at a time when weightlifting for either gender was frowned upon.

She and husband Les Stockton were well-known at the first “Muscle Beach” at Santa Monica, California where they primarily worked on acrobatics and gymnastic feats for the crowds. Aside from being a frequent contributor to Strength and Health Magazine, Pudgy also helped organize the very first weight lifting contest for women through the AAU. In that contest, Stockton pressed 100 pounds, snatched 105 pounds, and clean and jerked 135 pounds.