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The Complete Keys to Progress by John McCallum

Posted on Tuesday, November 29th, 2016 by John Wood

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Mac Batchelor

Posted on Wednesday, August 20th, 2014 by John Wood

“I was in L.A. about ten years ago. I went into one of the gyms and asked about a man named Mac Batchelor. They told me how to find the tavern where he worked and that night I drove over to see him.

The tavern was full of thirsty customers, but there was no doubt who was Batchelor. He weighed about 330 and most of it was muscle. I climbed up on a bar stool and introduced myself.

“Tell me Mac, “I said, “You still the world’s best arm wrestler?”

He laughed. “I think so.” He propped an arm like an elephant’s leg up on the bar.

“Wanta try?”

I looked at the arm. “No Thanks.”

He looked surprised. “No? How come?”

Mac, I’ll tell ya, I said. “You might break my arm and I don’t think my insurance would cover it.”

He smiled broadly. “You know,” he said, “you’re one of the very few people who ever walked in here and didn’t think they could beat me.

“Good grief,” I said,” I ain’t too bright, but I’m not crazy. I tell you what I would like, though. I’d like to see some of those strength feats of yours I’ve heard about.”

“Sure,” he said. “Here.” He reached under the bar and brought out four bottle caps. He jammed one between each finger on his right hand and held his hand out. “Watch.” He squeezed lightly and the four caps crumpled like Kleenex…”

– from “Grip and Forearm Development” in The Complete Keys to Progress by John McCallum

Maurice Jones

Posted on Friday, April 19th, 2013 by John Wood

“… If you’re really lucky you might see, jogging along the 11 mile path that circles the park, a broad and bulky gentleman who is perhaps the best built, probably the best conditioned and certainly the most modest man of all time. His name is Maurice Jones. He stands about 5’8”, varies his weight at will between 205 and 235, and packs more pure muscle than any six people you’ll ever meet.

Maury, as he’s called, is a truly modest man. Getting his shirt off is like pulling teeth. Getting him in front of a camera is tougher than getting your old lady in front of a firing squad.

Maury is the finished product of sensible weight training. He’s a trained athlete in every sense of the term. His muscles are enormous, yet he carries himself with the grace and agility of a cat. He’s an all-around strongman, not a one lift specialist. He performs as well on a reverse curl as he does on a squat or a deadlift. He has superb health and unbelievable endurance. Someone once said that Maury can lift anything not nailed down. They should have added that he can also run up the side of a mountain with it…”

– from “Running” in The Keys to Progress by John McCallum