Iron History

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10/30/2003 Entry: "October 31, 2003: Some reading references about Louis Cyr, compiled by Joe Roark:"

Oldtime strongman Louis Cyr (1863-1912) is generally thought to be ensconced among the elite echelon of extreme strength athletes from the golden age of strongmanism.

This week I present some reading references for collectors who may be seeking to gather magazines containing articles about Cyr. There are also some line notes about his most famous dumbell (202 lbs empty).

This list is by no means intended to be complete, but to be a starting point. There is much more in my files. A word of caution when reading anything written by Jowett and Venables when they focused on old time strongmen: If either of these men's texts vary from the texts of DPW (Willoughby) or Gaudreau, accepting the research of the latter two men is a safer choice- this has always been my conclusion. The 28" circumference attributed to Cyr's calf girth should be your first clue.

Strength and Health:
Jul 1935 p 68 The strongest man who ever lived- Collins
Aug 1935 p 68 The strongest man who ever lived- Collins
Sep 1935 p 68 The strongest man who ever lived- Collins
Oct 1935 p 14 The strongest man who ever lived- Collins
Oct 1943 p 17 Cyr, Milo Brinn from Klein's scrapbook
Nov 1943 p 17 Cyr- the strength Colossus- Klein via Pullum
Dec 1961 p 42 Cyr holding back two teams of horses- DPW
Apr 1975 p 22 Cyr- the boy- Venables

MuscleMag Annual May 1976 p 82 5 paragraphs about Cyr by Batchelor
MuscleMag Annual Dec 1976 p 103 3 paragraphs about Cyr by DPW

Muscular Development:
Dec 1969 p 6 5 paragraphs about the Cyr portrait
Jan 1971 p 50 photo of drawing of one finger lift of 535 lbs
Jan 1972 p 16 The colossus of power, LC- Bob Samson
Aug 1980 p 19 The defiant Cyr dumbell- Warren

VIM Mar 1941 p 11 Story comparing Cyr to Apollon- Gaudreau

Muscle Builder Mar 1971 p 29 Vintage power of LC- Ben Weider

Muscle & Fitness Feb 1988 p 106 LC- David Chapman

Superman Mar 1939 p ? LC, mightiest of all strongmen- DPW

Strength Jan 1927 p 39 Strongest man who ever lived- Jowett
Strength Mar 1927 p 36 Strongest man who ever lived- Jowett

Iron Game History:
Dec 1998 p 18 LC and Charles Sampson, archetypes of Vaudevillian strongmen- Buck
Apr 1990 p 4 The legend of LC- Norwood

Iron Master Apr 1988 p 24 LC- David Gentle

MILO:
Sep 1998 p 86 In search of Cyr- Murray
Dec 1998 p 82 Cyr, Travis, Prechtel- Gesbeck
Mar 1999 p 74 Strong links to LC- Murray

Ironman:
Mar 1957 p 26 When LC held back two horses- Bordeaux
Apr 1960 p 28 The 1891 match against Sebastian Miller
Dec 1960 p 24 LC- daddy of 'em all, part 1- DPW
Jan 1961 p 30 LC part 2- DPW

Your Physique:
Mar 1943 p 28 LC - the strongest man- Jowett
Feb 1944 p 25 Fairy tales about the giants- Weaver
Dec 1944 p 37 Measurements of LC- DPW (also Aug 1945 p 39, Oct 1945 p 41)
Aug 1947 p 26 Life of LC part 1- Gaudreau
Sep 1947 p 28 Story of LC part 2- Gaudreau
Oct 1947 p 24 Life of LC part 3- Gaudreau
Nov 1947 p 28 Life of LC part 4- Gaudreau
Jan 1948 p 30 Measurements and lifts of LC part 5- Gaudreau
May 1949 p 18 The era of LC- DPW

Muscle Power:
Sep 1947 p 14 Cyr as Inch knew him- Diamond
Jun 1949 p 21 Feats of strength- Jowett
May 1956 p 30 Story of LC- Batchelor

Health & Strength:
Nov 1901 p 233 paragraph and photo and list of 8 feats of strength.

Some notes on the Louis Cyr dumbell with a handle diameter of 1-5/8". The most frequent weight attributed to this bell when unfilled is 202 lbs. This is NOT the bell that Health and Strength wrote about in Dec 23, 1954 p 25 when mentioning that Hepburn one hand cleaned and pressed Cyr's famous dumbell. That bell weighed 167.5 pounds. Cyr lifted the bell we are discussing on Jan 18, 1892 putting it overhead with his right hand after a two hand cont. when the bell was loaded to 273.25 lbs. With his left hand on that same day he managed to overhead it loaded to 258 pounds following a two hand cont. [cont=continental, as opposed to aclean]

Four years later, May 7, 1896 he performed a right hand cont. with it loaded to 254 lbs and then put it overhead. These overheads were side presses or push jerks or whatever is necessary to describe his style, but they certainly were not military, strict, one arm presses. Cyr was not known for his bent press ability- his girth being a hindrance.

The following, without much comment from me, is what was reported in these various accounts.

Strength & Health:
Jan 1937 p 35 Cyr dumbell history- a plea for more information
Feb 1937 p 8 lifted by Klein and by Hoffman Dec 19, 1936 at the S&H picnic, also p 15 has a photo of them with the bell, and p 24 offers two photos of Joe Zimmerman teech lifting the bell.
Mar 1938 p 47 Zaguriski becomes first man since Cyr to press it two reps
Jun 1938 p 32 The Cyr dumbell- Zimmerman
Jul 1938 p 15 Klein's comments on Grimek bent pressing it
Sep 1940 p 29 With the bell loaded to 248.5 pounds, Grimek side bend presses it 10 reps
Nov 1940 p 10 Hoffman bent pressed it loaded to 231 lbs on Sep 22, 1940
Dec 1948 p 22 One of the Baillargeon brothers got it off the floor loaded to 230 lbs and at that same weight George Shandow presses it [side pressed].
Dec 1949 p 24 Jim Bradford one hand deadlifted it
Jan 1955 p 24 Leo Stern cleaned it with two hands
Jan 1956 p 60 It first weighed 201 lbs empty
Jul 1960 p 65 The bell now on display at Weightlifting Hall of Fame
Apr 1962 p 26 photo of Frank Mafield lifting it- this was the first time anyone had tried in several years.
Nov 1963 p 29 photos bent press by Bert Elliott, and by Al Beinert
Jan 1967 p 35 Story of Hoffman, Klein, and Harley lifting it- Klein
Feb/Mar 1977 p 62 paragraph mentions that Chuck Vinci used it loaded to 231 for sets of dips
Jul 1980 p 41 paragraph mentions Wilhelm cleaned it twice but couldn't overhead it

See you Nov 7th!