The Brothers Schemansky

Posted on Monday, November 11th, 2019 by John Wood

Here’s an impromptu shot you probably haven’t seen before: the “human barbell” is 215 pound Jerome Schemansky and the lifter is “little brother” Norb who, at the time, tipped the scales at only 200 pounds. This shot was taken at Yacos Gym in Detroit, circa 1947.
Norb gets most of the ink — and rightfully so — with multiple world records and Olympic medals under his belt, but Jerome wasn’t too shabby either, winning the Mr. Michigan bodybuilding title in 1943 and the the North American light-heavyweight lifting title (198 lbs.) in 1944. There was also another Schemansky brother, Dennis, who placed third in the heavyweight class (behind Steve Stanko and Louis Abele) at the 1939 AAU Sr. Nationals with an 805 lb. total. It’s a safe bet that the Schemansky’s could lay claim to “Michigan’s strongest Family.”