Three Great Champions

Posted on Monday, October 29th, 2018 by John Wood
Three great weightlifting champions: Norb Schemansky, John Davis, and Tommy Kono. This shot was most likely taken at or around the 1952 Helsinki Olympic games where all three of them took the gold medal in their respective weight classes. Between these men, you are looking at 36 medals in international competition and 50 World’s records.
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.

Tommy Kono ~ 350 lb. Press

Posted on Friday, August 17th, 2018 by John Wood
A look at the great Tommy Kono pressing 350 lbs. on May 26, 1961 – a World record. Tommy’s bodyweight was only 183 lbs. at the time but lifted in the 198 lb. class. When they weighed everything afterwards, they found the loaded bar actually weighed out at 350-1/2 lbs. This amazing lift took place at the Hawaiian State weightlifting championships and the Mr. and Miss Hawaiian Islands contest held at the Nuuanu YMCA Auditorium. The same day he snatched 290 lbs. and clean and jerked 350 for a 1000-1/2 lb. total.
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.

1957 Middleweight World Weightlifting Champions

Posted on Thursday, November 2nd, 2017 by John Wood
A rare shot at the winner’s stand of the Middleweight class (75kg) at the 1957 World Weightlifting Championships (held in Tehran, Iran from November 8 to November 12, 1957.) Tommy Kono and Soviet lifter Fyodor Bogdanovsky both had an identical 420 kg. total but Kono took the Gold on lighter bodyweight. It must have stung too, it was the only Silver medal for the the Soviet team, they took the Gold in every other weight class. Polish lifter Jan Bochenek got the Bronze with a 395 kg total.

Gray Hair and Black Iron by Brooks Kubik

Posted on Saturday, September 23rd, 2017 by John Wood
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If I Had My Way by Tommy Kono

Posted on Thursday, September 29th, 2016 by John Wood
IF I HAD MY WAY
by Tommy Kono

If I had my way, the weightlifting area would be treated like a “dojo” as the martial arts students would use their area and equipment for training.

The entire area would be treated with respect from the bar to the barbell plates, from the chalk box to the platform. The barbell bars would never have the soles of a lifter’s shoe get on it to move or spin it, no more than you would place your shoes on the table top. The bumper plates would never be tossed or stepped on.

The barbell will always be loaded with double bumper plates on each side whenever possible to preserve the bar and the platform. The purpose is to distribute the load over two bumper plates instead of one with an assortment of small iron plates.

The barbell lifted would never be “thrown” down or dropped from overhead except for safety reasons. The hands will guide the bar down in a controlled manner as it is in a contest.

Anger from a failed lift will be controlled so no four-lettered words would be used. Instead the energy for the anger will be directed for a positive result.

A good Olympic bar will never be used on a squat rack for squatting purpose. There is no need to use the good bar on the squat rack where it could ruin the knurling or cause the bar to be under undue stress, damaging the integrity of the quality of the bar that makes it straight and springy.

When a lifter finishes using the area for training, it would be left neat and clean with the barbell bars and plates properly stored.

Imagine how it would be if you did not have the gym to work out in and had to go to one of the spas, health clubs or fitness gym to practice Olympic lifting.

Imagine if you did not have a “good” Olympic bar and bumper plates for training.

Imagine if all the equipment was your very own and you had to replace it if you or someone damaged it by abuse – the money coming out of your own pocket.

Treat the Olympic barbell bars, bumper plates, platforms and any items used for training or competition with respect. Development of a strong character begins with
respect even for innate objects.

Character Building begins with Respect and Responsibility.

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.

Ed Yarick

Posted on Monday, April 18th, 2016 by John Wood

In addition to running one of the most popular gyms in the land, the 6’4″ Yarick won the tall class in the “Mr. Pacific Coast” bodybuilding contest and was also the coach of the 1952 National Jr. Weightlifting Team.

Yarick’s Gym was located at 3355 Foothill Blvd. in Oakland, California and was one of the centers of the strength world on the West coast. It was also where Steve reeves got his start and the training headquarters at various times of Roy Hilligenn, John Davis, Clancy Ross, Jack Delinger, Tommy Kono and Doug Hepburn (among others).

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.

Iron Man Lifting News – Vol.4, No. 4 – December, 1959

Posted on Sunday, January 31st, 2016 by John Wood
Iron Man Magazine was mostly oriented towards bodybuilding so Peary Rader started up another side-publication oriented towards heavy weight lifting and what would eventually become Powerlifting. “Iron Man Lifting News” started out in 1954 at brochure size and eventually grew to a full fledged magazine. Issues are pretty rare as they were only available by subscription and never appeared on the newsstand. As a result, a number of incredible training articles flew under the radar. To give you a great example, this issue — Vol. 4, No 4. from December, 1959 — was devoted specifically to how to clean and jerk maximum poundages. As you can see, the techniques of several great champions, Schemansky, Kono, Louis Martin, and others were analyzed in great detail.

Copies are extremely hard to come by but in case you are interested, this issue of Lifting News is posted in its entirety in THE IRON LEAGUE.

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.

1959 Senior National Weightlifting Championships Program

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

A look at the program/ score card for the 1959 US. Senior National Weightlifting Championships. Cover man Tommy Kono, unsurprisingly, won the 165-1/4 pound class with a 905 lb. total. Other winners included Chuck Vinci, Isaac Berger, Paul Goldberg, Jim George, Clyde Emrich and Dave Ashman.
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.

Tommy Kono ~ Strength and Health Magazine, August, 1955

Posted on Thursday, October 25th, 2012 by John Wood

Strength and Health Magazine, August, 1955 - Tommy Kono Cover

Tommy Kono graces the cover of the August, 1955 issue of Strength and Health magazine. Just a few months later, in October of 1955, Tommy would go on to take the Gold medal in the light-heavyweight (82.5 kg) class at the World Championships held in in Munich, West Germany. Kono’s winning total was 435 kg, and consisted of a 142.5 kg press, a 127.5 kg snatch and a 165 kg clean and jerk.

Gennady Ivanchenko

Posted on Saturday, August 20th, 2011 by John Wood
Gennady Ivanchenko, the great Russian weightlifter, was the first light-heavyweight lifter ever to surpass the 500 kg total. This famous shot, taken by Tommy Kono, shows Ivanchenko doing snatch pulls at a training session prior to the 1971 Sr. European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria (where Ivanchenko, unsurprisingly, took gold).  You can probably see why Ivanchenko’s nickname was “The Robot.”