Sledge Hammer Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Dennis Rogers’ “Hammer” Curl

Posted on Wednesday, May 11th, 2022 by John Wood

Typically you can train with sledge hammers in two ways: levering, or using them to smash a truck tire, but here’s an innovative feat done by Dennis Rogers, the Grandmaster Strongman. Here Dennis Preacher Curls two loaded-up sledge hammers with a total weight of 82 pounds. 82 pounds doesn’t sound like a lot of weight — and it certainly isn’t for Dennis — but the fact that you have to maintain the crushing strength to keep the hammers in one place while you curl them makes this feat quite impressive.

Slim’s New Hammer

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

Several years ago, I found a huge old hammer. It needed a little work but overall was in decent shape. I had plans to refurbish it but never got around to it and since it was just gathering dust at my place, I decided to send it to someone who I knew would appreciate it: Slim The Hammer Man. I didn’t tell the old boy that it was coming either so getting a giant circus hammer in the mail made Slim’s day. Slim set to work, polishing it up and making it “show ready.” As you can see, he dug it — and I am honored that something of mine is worthy enough for a place in Slim’s training area.

The 25 Pound Sledge Hammer

Posted on Friday, March 25th, 2016 by John Wood

Ever seen a 25 pound sledge hammer? Now you can say ‘yes’ if someone else asks you that question. Note the thicker reinforced handle on this beast — needless to say, you can get a lot of force behind it. This hammer is used for levering and not for clobberin’ stuff — and it’s a good one. This hammer had to actually be imported from a foreign country. You won’t find one of these at a local hardware store, this hammer is not exactly “street legal.”

The Hammer Man’s Hammers

Posted on Friday, November 21st, 2014 by John Wood

Took this shot a few years back at a special dinner honoring Slim the Hammer Man. That’s Slim’s Challenge Ax on the left followed by his two sledge hammers with their distinctive markings on the handles and chromed weights. They are sitting on Slim’s special oak carrying case. If those hammers could talk I bet they could tell some stories…

Arthur Lancaster: The Man With The Grip of Iron

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

Arthur Lancaster, of Brixton, England, desired to do something that had never been accomplished before, and on July, 4th, 1908, he accomplished his goal. It was on that date, at the Crystal Palace (London), that he swung an eight pound blacksmith’s hammer for twelve straight hours. It was supposed to be a contest of endurance against a Frenchman, but the latter did not keep his engagement, so the Englishman began his task alone (albeit, still in front of two judges.)

Lancaster swung the hammer with one hand during meal breaks and resumed two-handed swinging once finished. It was estimated that Lancaster “lifted” over 350 tons over the course of his hammer-swinging session. Unsurprisingly, Lancaster reported that his performance was as much a triumph mentally as physically. Thereafter, he was known as: “The Man With The Grip of Iron.”

Slim The Hammer Man

Posted on Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 by John Wood

Slim The Hammer Man

A rare shot of Slim The Hammer Man doing his thing on the streets of New York, circa the early 1970’s. During a visit to Slim’s place I had a chance to try these very same hammers without any added weight and couldn’t budge them an inch – Slim was (and is) the real deal. There’s more to “Strength” than just sets and reps. As a protege of The Mighty Atom Slim learned how to channel his mental energy into physical strength~ a pretty unique skill to have. No one else has even come close to The Hammer Man’s records so it’s safe to say this is a skill that few people are in possession of…

The Mighty Atlas

Posted on Wednesday, August 8th, 2012 by John Wood

You’ve probably seen the old feat of strength where a strongman puts an anvil or a large stone slab on his chest and lets someone hit it with a sledge hammer… but I guarantee you haven’t seen this feat before though, — “The Mighty Atlas,” Morris Shapiro, a professional wrestler from Brooklyn, New York, teeth-lifting an anvil while someone else whacks said anvil with a sledge hammer.

Now that’s impressive!

The Mighty Atlas often demonstrated feats of strength before his matches, bending iron bars, snapping chains, ripping phone books etc. He learned the secrets of strength from his father who was a strongman in the Russian Circus in Minsk.

Tags: Anvil, Bar Bending, Brooklyn New York, Circus Strongman, Morris Shapiro, Neck Strength, Professional Wrestler, Sledge Hammer, Steel Bending, Teeth Strength, The Mighty Atlas

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Author: John Wood. All contents, including images and text, copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc. Not to be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved. We will most likely grant permission but please contact us if you would like to repost. IMPORTANT: Equipment and books, courses etc. pictured in blog posts are generally not available for sale unless specifically noted.

Joe Price

Posted on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 by John Wood

Joe Price, of Gloucester, England, is one example of many blacksmiths who were also strongmen. Needless to say — and very obvious in the photo above — the vigorous muscular development due to smithing came in very handy while performing feats of strength. Price was trained by W.A. Pullum and went on to win the British Heavyweight Lifting Championship in 1922 and 1923. In addition to his lifting exploits, Price was also British Champion Farrier in 1928. Price even wrote an excellent “Vulcan” training course on using a sledge hammer to build strength (a copy of which we have been lucky enough to recently come across.) Here, Price nails in a notice with a hammer weighing in at half a hundredweight – not bad!

Tags: Blacksmith, British Strongman, Forearm Development, Grip Strength, Hammer Training, Joe Price, Sledge Hammer, Vulcan Sledge Hammer Course, W.A. Pullum, Wrist Strength

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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

Author: John Wood. All contents, including images and text, copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc. Not to be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved. We will most likely grant permission but please contact us if you would like to repost. IMPORTANT: Equipment and books, courses etc. pictured in blog posts are generally not available for sale unless specifically noted.

Frank “Cannonball” Richards

Posted on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 by John Wood

Frank “Cannonball” Richards isn’t a household name but I’m sure you have definitely seen him before… he got his name by having a 104 pound cannonball fired into his gut on a regular basis (we’ll cover that in another post.)

You may have seen “Cannonball” Richards’ picture on the cover of the Van Halen “III” CD, or you may have caught him spoofed in an episode of The Simpsons, or maybe you have even seen the famous footage as it has been used in several commercials over the years, either way “Cannonball” Richards will go down in history as the man with the world’s hardest stomach.

Here he takes a sledge hammer blow to the midsection without so much as a wince.

Tags: Cannon, Frank 'Cannonball' Richards, Gut Strength, Sledge Hammer, Strongman Feat

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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

Author: John Wood. All contents, including images and text, copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc. Not to be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved. We will most likely grant permission but please contact us if you would like to repost. IMPORTANT: Equipment and books, courses etc. pictured in blog posts are generally not available for sale unless specifically noted.

Gust Lessis: A Smashing Feat

Posted on Saturday, August 20th, 2011 by John Wood

Around 1925 or so, the Greek Strongman and wrestler Gust Lessis, wanted a shot at the lightweight boxing crown (which was held by Paul “The Astoria Assassin” Berlenbach at the time.)

In order to show that he was worthy of such an opportunity he gave a demonstration of strength before his grappling matches: while supporting an 500-pound slab of concrete on his chest his manager smashed it to bits with a sledge hammer. Say what you will about supporting feats, but this one is still no walk in the park!

Tags: 1925, Greek Strongman, Gust Lessis, Human Anvil, Paul Berlenbach, Sledge Hammer, Strength Feat, Supporting Feat, Wrestler

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All Contents, Including Images and Text, Copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc., Not to be reproduced without permission, All Rights Reserved

Author: John Wood. All contents, including images and text, copyright © 2005-2021 by John Wood and Thunderdome Media Inc. Not to be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved. We will most likely grant permission but please contact us if you would like to repost. IMPORTANT: Equipment and books, courses etc. pictured in blog posts are generally not available for sale unless specifically noted.