Iron History

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11/06/2003 Entry: "Mighty Men of Old: Ernest Cadine"

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Ernest Cadine: notes compiled by Joe Roark

Cadine was born in 1893 in St. Denis, France, and he died on May 23, 1978

Webster offers his height at 5'6" and his weight at 200 pounds- the same figures offered by Willoughby, who, in Your Physique Nov 1943 gives Cadine's 1917 measurements as: neck 17.7, arm 16.5, forearm 14.3, wrist 7.9, chest 46, waist 34.5, thigh 25.5, calf 16.5, all in inches.

At age 19 he competed in the Paris championships, managing a 141 lb right arm swing, and a two arms snatch of 187.25 lbs., in 1912. Then World War I distracted him because his trade as machinist was in demand, but by 1917 he was able to one arm swing 168 on an awkward dumbell.

In 1918 when bodyweight classes had not been established, and heavyweights had the (here comes the pun) upper hand, Cadine who was in effect a middleweight, performed a one arm swing with 176.25 lbs. The following year his two arms snatch with 239 lbs gained him some attention.

At the Championships of Paris in April 1920, Cadine managed a right arm jerk with 187.25 lbs, a two arm press with the same amount, a left arm snatch of 154.25, a two dumbbells jerk with 247, and a two arms jerk with 297.25 lbs., all at a bodyweight of 170 lbs.

Later that year at the French championships, Cadine matched his two arms jerk of 297.25 and did not push himself further because an opponent in the contest, Pierre Bugnand, who was capable of 308.5 lbs in that lift, injured himself and had to drop out.

Cadine became Olympics champion in Antwerp, Belgium in August 1920, where for the first time bodyweight classes were instituted. He was placed in the 165.34 lbs to 181.88 lbs class, where he managed: left arm snatch 154.25, right arm clean and jerk 198.25, two arms clean and jerk 297.5. This total exceeded by 66.25 lbs the total of the heavyweight class winner!

Nine months later, Cadine cleaned and jerked 319.5 lbs. He later, unofficially performed this lift with 330.5 lbs while weighing about 172 lbs. It was during this year, or soon after, that he became a professional strongman.

In 1924 Cadine crossed the Atlantic to face 250 pound Canadian heavyweight Arthur Giroux who was then beginning to blossom as a strongman. Later Giroux would be credited with two hands military press with barbell 231.5 lbs; two hands clean and jerk 327.5 lbs, two dumbbells clean and jerk 238 lbs, and a very disputed two hands deadlift which was probably under 600 lbs but declared by an announcer to be 650 lbs.

By at the time Cadine met Giroux in 1924, Arthur was not ready for Ernest, who proficiency on the fast lifts meant his success, though Giroux did out deadlift Cadine. From this match, Ernest adopted the title 'World's Strongest Man'.

It was to the following year, 1925, that a lift has been credited to Cadine, that frankly I doubt happened. Cadine supposedly performed a one hand deadlift using the Apollon railcar wheels- about 366 lbs with a non-revolving bar diameter of 1.93 inches. This feat was never ascribed to Apollon himself! Cadine did it right handed in Paris at age 33?

Also in 1925 on Oct 6 Cadine at 5'6", 200 pounds contested in a ten lift match against Charles Rigoulot 5'7.5" and 216 pounds at the Cirque de Paris. The ten lifts total favored Rigoulot by approximately 19 pounds: 2,388.75 lbs to Cadine's 2,370 lbs. according to Willoughby, and Gaudreau but 2,385.75 lbs to 2,365.5 lbs according to Webster who seems to have used rounded off poundages . The following chart comes from Gaudreau's master work 'Anvils, Horseshoes, and Cannons'.

LIFT: Rigoulot Cadine:
Right arm military press 110.25 99.25
Left arm military press 99.25 110.25
Two hands military press 208.25 201.75
Right hand swing 176.25 192.75
Right hand snatch 212.75 196.25
One hand clean & jerk 201.75 196.25
Two hands snatch 266.75 242.50
Two DB clean & jerk 229.25 253.50
Two hands clean and jerk 343.75 302

Two hands deadlift 540 575.50

Keep in mind Rigoulot was ten years younger than Cadine.

Strength & Health presented a photo of him in the Aug 1933 issue on page 9 showing him in street clothes and shows, outdoors, snatching a solid iron barbell of 180 lbs. Though the date of the lift is not offered, he appears to be past his youth.

Cadine was also known for his finger and hand strength, often grasping pool cues by the small ends and holding them parallel to the floor. I have seen 5, 6, and 12 such cues attributed to him.

See you Nov 14th!