Tag: Weightlifter

Chuck Vinci

Posted on Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019 by John Wood
Chuck Vinci
Chuck Vinci was another great olympic weightlifter from York, Pennsylvania. Though he stood only 4’11” and weighed 123 pounds, he could clean & jerk well over 300 pounds and snatch 220+. Vinci was a Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (1956 and 1960), Seven-time world Senior National Champion (1954-1956,1958-1961) and set Twelve World Records during his career.

Viggo Jensen

Posted on Thursday, November 30th, 2017 by John Wood
Viggo Jensen, the great Danish athlete, won the very first Gold medal ever awarded in the modern Olympics. At the 1896 games in Athens, Greece, Jensen, bested Launceston Elliott at the “Two-Hands” lifting event but injured his shoulder in doing so. This caused him to finish second to Elliott in the “One-Hand” event. At the same Olympics, Jensen competed in Rope Climbing, shot put, discus and two rifle events (taking Bronze in the free rifle.)

John Davis: Pinch Gripping

Posted on Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013 by John Wood

John Davis Pinch Grip

One of the classic tests of grip strength is to pinch two heavy weight plates together – something that legendary John Davis could do with ease with these York Deep-Dish 35-pound plates. Davis could perform three one-arm chins as well as lift the famed Apollon wheels which also had a very thick handle — needless to say, if you want to be a strongman, it pays to have strong hands…

Josef Steinbach

Posted on Wednesday, December 14th, 2011 by John Wood

Josef Steinbach

Josef Steinbach of Vienna, Austria, was one of the greatest weightlifters and strongmen of the early 20th century.  Some of his best marks include: a two-hand Continental and Jerk of 387 pounds, a two-hands Snatch of 264-3/4 pounds and a two-hand Continental and press of 335 pounds (besting Louis Cyr’s mark by 34 pounds.)
He won the world amateur weightlifting title from 1904 through 1906 and went on to win the Gold medal in the “One Arm” event and a Silver medal in the “Two Arm” event at the 1906 Olympics.

Strength and Health Magazine: September, 1944

Posted on Monday, July 18th, 2011 by John Wood
Shown here is the cover of the September, 1944 issue of Strength and Health Magazine, featuring Steve Stanko. He had won both the 1944 AAU Mr. America and Junior. Mr. America titles only a few months before. This was not the first time Stanko graced the cover of Strength and Health, nor was it the last.

Just a few years earlier, in 1941, Stanko became the first man to officially break the 1000-pound total in the three Olympic lifts (which, very surprisingly, did not even get him a cover shot or a mention) …and just a few years later, in 1947, Stanko would go on to become the very first Mr. Universe winner.

British Champion T.W. Clarke

Posted on Friday, December 3rd, 2010 by John Wood
T.W. Clarke, February, 1933 Strength and Health
The 11 stone British Amateur Weightlifting Champion of 1913, T.W. Clarke is shown here on the cover of the February, 1933 issue of Strength and Health Magazine (Making this is the third issue ever.) Clarke was famed for his arm development — 15-1/4 inches – which was quite impressive for a man of his size and weight class. Clarke trained at the Camberwell Weightlifting Club and was coached by “The Wizard of Weightlifting” W.A. Pullum.