Joe Roark's IronHistoryArchives.com
The HUGE library of Iron History compiled by Joe Roark.
Welcome to Iron History with Joe Roark!
Joe Roark has been studying the iron game since 1957, and by 1970 began a systematic gathering of information on index cards. By the time his first computer was acquired, there were several hundred thousand references to be typed into it.
For a few years he published his own newsletter called MuscleSearch: The Roark Report. By 1992 he was appointed as the IFBB Men's Bodybuilding Historian, and began writing about history for FLEX in his column Factoids. For ten years he contributed to Iron Game History from the U of Texas at Austin. Recently he also began writing All Our Yesterdays for FLEX.
His passion has always been the period between 1880 and 1920, with particular emphasis on the oldtime strongmen of that era. Joe will be offering bits of history for Cyberpump once per week, and the text will be relevant to the dates of the calendar for those events of yesteryear relevant to the coming week.
In this column, readers will also be able to ask Joe questions or comment on his posts. Note: The comments are solely for interaction between Joe and the readers only -- not reader to reader.
Feb 1-7, 2002
Wednesday, January 30, 2002
Feb 1, 1929
By the time Charles Rigoulot cleaned and jerked 402.25 lbs on this date, he had been a professional for about three and a half years. He apparently made the C&J on the eleventh attempt. Gord Venables, who in my opinion is one of the lesser reliable writers regarding matters of facts in lifting history asserted that the barbell was ten feet long! Robert Cayeau asserted that the barbell was not excessive in its length- so not 10'? So the barbell shown in Anvils, Horse- shoes, and Cannons in volume 1 p 92 must not be the barbell used by Rigoulot because it certainly has 'excessive length'.
Willoughby offers that Rigoulot in his overhead lifts: "...used, not a regulation plate-loading bell, but a specially-made, shot-loading, spehrical ended bell over 8 feet in length and in which the handle was exceedingly springy. Evidently only Rigoulot had mastered the technique needed in lifting on this bar to take advantage of its springiness, rather than be defeated by it." A photo of this special barbell appears on page 106 of Willoughby's book, THE SUPER ATHLETES. Rigoulot stood 5' 7.7" tall and you can estimate the bell's length by using that fact in compar- ison. This bell appears to be the same bell as shown in AHC p 92.
Feb 1, 1929
On the very day that Rigoulot was involved in his situation, Henry Lenz was born in San Antonio, Texas. Lenz would later become Mr. Muscle Beach on July 2, 1952.Feb 1, 1954
Bart Clifford Yarick was born. His mother was Alyce Yarick, who of course was married to Ed Yarick, the man who helped train Steve Reeves in the early years.Feb 1, 1964
Sharon Bruneau, female bodybuilder who has more the look of a fitness competitor, was born. One of her gimmicks at the Arnold Classic was to address the east half of the audience and ask, "Do you LIKE what you see?" The resounding 'YES!' from the male fans was shouted back to her. She would then turn to the west half of the audience and ask, "Do you WANT what you see?". My memory fails me here regarding the response...Feb 1, 1969
Charles Estes won Mr. DixieFeb 1, 1990
Lou Ferrigno's third child, Brent was born, weighing in at 9 lbs 2 ozs and was 21" long. Ferrigno's TV show The Incredible Hulk ran from March 10, 1978 to June 2, 1982, so he was starring in that show when his first child, Shanna Victoria was born on June 13, 1981. Ferrigno's hiatus from bodybuilding competition was from 1975 until 1992.Feb 2, 1906
Clarence Johnson born. (not the Claerence Johnson who wrote for Ironman in April 2000) but the man who was a force in weightlifting, and in AAU bodybuilding for many years. Died July 22, 1998Feb 2, 1919
Melvin Wells, one of the greatest, early, black bodybuilders was born on Feb 2, 1919, and would compete in the AAU Mr. America in 1949, taking second place, but winning best arms, and best back, and most muscular. The following year he again placed second, again winning best arms, and most muscular. He apparently competed in 1952 also though details are sketchy, and he was not listed in the top 29, and there were supposed to be 35 competitors.(Strength & Health does not include the 7 additional names than Ironman listed including Van Cirsky (who was really Vic Seipke, but I digress...)
Wells was known as the Buffalo Hercules (for his city of residence) and Charles A. Smith told me he thought Well's arms were superior to Grimek's. On November 6, 1948 at Bob Hoffman's 50th birthday show, Melvin curled 145 lbs for 12 reps!
Melvin was born in Sulligent, Alabama and about 1927 at the age of eight he began lifting rocks for exercise. He had two younger brothers. In 1942 he bought his first set of barbells and his friends began calling him 'Hercules'. He attended Hutchinson High School, and later in the Army Air Force he lifted car wheels.
Oddly, a Muscle Builder writer in 1958 in reply to a 'whatever happened to' question about Melvin, replied: "He worked in a motor factory, was forced to use dumbbells 'silently' in his upstairs flat and gradually lost interest." When I asked Melvin in 1993 if that statement was accurate he said no, that he had trained all his life, until very recently when his failing health prevented him from lifting. He also told me that he had stored many papers and photos in the basement under some water pipes...and when those pipes leaked, all that history was lost.
In Melvin's day there was little chance of a black man winning a major physique title. Current bodybuilding is different. Only black men have won the Ironman Pro Invitational, for example, a fact Melvin did not live to know.
Melvin died March 17, 1994 at age 75.
Feb 2,1964
Bill Seno won Mr. ChicagolandFeb 2, 1968
Arnold Schwarzenegger's nephew, Patrick, born.Feb 3, 1906
Glen Ellis, childhood friend of Joseph Curtis Hise, was born. I interviewed Mr. Ellis for my former newsletter MuscleSearch, and he had fun memories of seeing Curt (the name everybody called Joe Hise in his youth) working out, and Glen was present on the day when Curt's first set of weights arrived.Feb 3, 1936
Frances Hise (Joe's sister) and Ralph Gurnea married. I also interviewed Frances, a most sweet lady, who remembered Curt with love. She had some health problems late in life and told me that one night she awoke WITHOUT pain, and stayed awke to simply enjoy a few minutes without pain. She now rests a few feet from her brother in the Homer GAR Cemetery about 12 miles from where this is being written.Feb 3, 1941
From Feb 3 to March 1 in 1941 Jake Hitchens was at Macy's Department Store in NYC touting barbells and their benefits.Feb 3,1979
Repeating his victory at the inaugural IFBB Night of Champions the previous year, Robby Robinson again won the event. Wayne Demilia had staged the 1978 event with no plans for another edition, until someone called him and asked about tickets and details, so Wayne got in gear and staged the 1979 version, and with the exception of 1984 the NOC has been held each year, making it the second longest running IFBB pro show (after the Olympia which began in 1965).Feb 4, 1898
The British Amateur Weightlifter & Bodybuilder, May 1948: by W.J. Lowry reported: "The first serious effort to form an association of weight-lifters, for the benefit of weight- lifters, and to be governed by lifters, appears to have been undertaken on Friday, 4th February, 1898 at Professor Atkinson's Institute, Kinnerton Street, London, and this meeting was attended by a number of representatibe lifters. These included Pevier, Elliott (sic), the two Spencer Brothers, Sergt. Hawthorn, of Woolrich, Professor Szalay and a representative of Sandow's Schools of P.C. a Mr. W. Brooks."No Association was decided on but weight classes were: 10 stone and under, 12 stone, and over 12 stone. [a British stone equals 14 pounds]
(a personal note: would anyone having the all the 1947 and 1950 issues of the Brit Am Wl & BBer please leave a comment with your email address?)
Feb 4, 1904
Roland Morgan, better known to strength fans as Warren Lincoln Travis was not much of a lifter of barbells or dumbells but was more suited to backlifting and to harness lifting. The publication MIGHTY MEN of OLD asserts that Travis on Feb 4, 1904 backlifted about 4,000 pounds.Feb 4, 1937
Bill March's birthday. March was one of the few men to criss-cross lifter/bodybuilder lines. He won the FIHC Mr. Universe in 1965, the same year he won the 198 lb class at the Sr. Nats via 340 - 300 - 370 = 1010.At the 1969 Sr. Nats he pressed 390 lbs while weighing 224. Had his style in the press been used by other lifters- which is to say, a proper style- the press would still be part of olympic weightifting competition. In training he once pressed 410.
Feb 4, 1949
The seventh Mr. New York City contest drew 5 dozen competitors with Val Pasqua winning the overall of the four classes.Feb 4, 1954
In the February 4th issue of Health & Strength magazine in 1954, Thomas Inch suggested a 250 pound bodyweight limit as suitable for a superheavy-weight category.Feb 4, 1967
In Chicago the Mr. Midwest title was won by Bill SenoFeb 4, 1969
I knew Bob Holden briefly in the late 1960s while living in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He was in college and worked part time in a grocery store. When he worked the cash register, his huge upper arms strained against the cloth, and I can remember seeing one young lady's eyes bulge when she glanced up after placing her groceries on the counter!On Feb 4, 1969
Bob won the title Mr. Sunshine State, but was later defeated by a very thin, lean, older, bodybuilder in another contest, and Bob was so upset by this unfair judging that he told me he may well stop competing. But in fact, on June 14, 1970 Bob competed in the AAU Mr. America contest, placing 9th as Chris Dickerson became the first black man to win that title. Things had changed since the days of Melvin Wells.I moved to Illinois, and I think Bob went on to attend Georgetown University, though we lost contact. Does anyone know where Bob is these days? I would appreciate knowing.
Feb 5, 1878
William Pagel was born in Pomerania, North Prussia with the name [Frederich Wilhelm August Pagel]. This is the man who used to climb two parallel ladders (facing each other) while a 1,000 lb horse was suspended beneath him by means of a harness. Pagel would climb about 9' high on the ladders, whose rungs were 9 inches apart; then he descended until the horse was on the ground and could be unharnessed. Pagel's Circus was his [circus], and he performed as a strongman in Australia and in South Africa around 1900, and Pagel's Circus played in South Africa circa 1905. Pagel could also bent press 280 lbs at a bodyweight of 238. He died Oct 13, 1948. [a photo pf the horse feat appears in Ironman Feb 1963 p 27 and in Webster's SONS of SAMSON vol 1 on page 50]Feb 5, 1915
W.A. Pullum on this date in London performed a Two Hands Any How (THAH) with a total of 272 pounds while he weighed only 121 pounds! He jerked a barbell of 210 pounds from the shoulders using both hands, then transferred the bell to his right hand, to put it overhead, then reached down, grabbed a kettlebell of 62 pounds and put that overhead.A word about the THAH. The clean and jerk is a separate lift from the THAH, that's why they have different names. So the fact that the THAH record has been surpassed by the clean and jerk does not mean that you can say the THAH record now matches the clean and jerk record because two hands are used in the clean and jerk and certainly the method used in the clean and jerk falls under the description of 'anyhow'. Implied in the THAH are TWO implements, that is a separate implement for each hand, hardly the case in the standard clean and jerk. Even the two dumbells clean and jerk is a separate lift from the standard C&J.
Feb 5, 1927
Arthur Robin, who would win the NABBA Pro Universe on Oct 19, 1957, was born Feb 5, 1927, and so won the U at age 30. Health & Strength magazine ran a two part story on Robin in the Feb 13 and Feb 27th issues in 1958.Feb 5, 1982
Al Beckles won the Wolrd Pro Championships at a claimed age of 43. A couple of years after this, references to his age would jump by an additional eight years.Feb 6, 1932
The issue of Health & Strength of this date refers to 51 year-old Thomas Inch as 'the famous old-timer'. Inch later said that in 1931 he had brought his 172 pound Challenge dumbell out of retirement for a film to be made of him lifting it. He warned the camera man to be ready because he would probably be able to lift the bell only once. The camera man missed the take, and it took hours for Inch to gather the strength for a second, successful lift. Yet we have people who still believe Inch could lift that bell 18 years later! Keep in mind that Inch owned four IDENTICAL bells of 75, 140, 153, and 172 pounds, and that the 75 and 172 could be distinguished ONLY by himself and his inner circle.Side note: As this year unfolds and relevant dates regarding Inch and his bells are encountered, I will treat specifics about those dates and compare the varying accounts that have been offered thru the years, and share the conclusions I have drawn after several months of intense study regarding Inch. We will call this 'Inch 101' and by the end of the year enough evidence will have been presented for a fair conclusion to be drawn. The first installment begins next week.
Feb 6, 1937
Bob Harley bent pressed the 209 pound Rolandow dumbell. He weighed 175-180.
Feb 7, 1908 Buster Crabbe born. He was the M.C. at the IFBB Mr. Universe when Zane beat Schwarzenegger. One of Crabbe's questions to the bodybuilders was, "What would you do if you had a million dollars?". Buster died Apr 23, 1983Feb 7, 1964
Kathy Unger born. Posed for fashion shots in Female Bodybuilding magazine in December 1986 and October 1987 as her debut in the pages of bodybuilding magazines. Later competed and on November 5, 1994 won the WNBF Pro Natural World Championship.Feb 7, 1944
Dan Lurie's brother Morris was killed in WW II. Dan published Muscle Training Illustrated from November 1965 thru June 1993, with a full collection of MTI requiring 177 issues. He also published some special issues separate from his bi-monthly magazine.Feb 7, 1981
Chris Glass, in the early years of female bodybuilding won the Ms. Mission Vieho Muscle Classic.
Next week Inch 101 begins. If you know anyone who fancies that the Inch matter and his four bells are clearly understood, and that Inch ever really lifted the 172 one handed all the way, mention this series to that person. My conclusions will probably be different that what is commonly thought.Posted by TheEditor @ 05:02 PM CST
Iron History Jan 25-31, 2002
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Jan 25, 1890
James Walter Kennedy was born on December 12, 1860 and by the time a strength contest was organized on January 25 in 1890 by Richard K. Fox (founder of the publication THE POLICE GAZETTE") the 29 year-old Kennedy was living in Quincy, Illinois on the eastern banks of the Mississippi river.Fox had a block of iron cast to weigh about 1,000 pounds, with two handles on top of the block at a height of 24" from the ground. This weight was termed a 'dumbell' and in fact weighed 1,030 pounds.
Strongmen from the USA and Canada converged in New York City 112 years ago today to try to win the championship, jewel- studded belt being given to the winner.Kennedy lifted the weight by straddling it (hence the Kennedy lift) but Ajax, Duncan Ross, Charles Jefferson, and Sebastian Miller, the other competitors could not hoist it clear of the floor. Kennedy weighed 190 pounds, and stood 5'11" tall.
Jan 25, 1927
In September 1924, which was six months after Prof. Louis Attila had died, his daughter, Grace, was introduced to Sig Klein. On January 25, 1927 Sig & Grace were married in New York City. The following year their daughter Jeanne was born. Just as Attila was one of the final remaining links to the strongmen of the previous century (he taught Sandow the bent press), so Sig became that link into the later sections of the 20th century, before he passed away on May 24, 1987.Jan 25, 1959
If you were asked to name some bodybuilders from the 1950s and 1960s who, in addition to being well shaped, were also brutally strong, your list would have to include Chuck Sipes, who on January 25, 1959 won the IFBB Mr. America contest.Jan 25, 1959
Female bodybuilder Laura Creavalle born.Jan 26, 1894
Selig Whitman [stagename Ajax] on this date became a part of the 'strong arm of the law' by joining the New York City Police Dept. Before, he had toured with the famous boxer John L. Sullivan, and had wrestled and lifted as his part of the performance. Whitman came from Manchester, England, and became quite adept at pushing vehicles uphill as a demonstration of strength. Weighing only 162 pounds at 5'8.5" he once pushed a frieght car weighing 27,400 pounds up a slight grade.Jan 26, 1946
At Ocean Park Arena in Santa Monica, California, Vic Tanny presented a physical culture show. Offered as a door prize was a York olympic barbell set (that is an idea which deserves re-instatement). Bert Goodrich and George Redpath performed their handbalancing act, Tony Terlazzo weighing 148 got 5 reps in the press with 225. Bill Trumbo posed as did Art Bianco [Art White] and Gene Myers inside a specially built posing cabinet. (Years ago I spoke to Grena Trumbo, ex-wife of Bill, but she declined to allow an article to be written about her.)The highlight of the show was an appearance by John Grimek, who had planned his rountine for that cabinet, but an audience uproar of complaint caused it to be removed. Still, the 3,000 fans screamed approval of his posing and "John did his chest chain breaking with ease that pleased the crowd".
Jan 26, 1958
Fred Schutz won Mr. ChicagoJan 27, 1902
George Hackenschmidt performed a hack lift with 187.4 pounds. This was about a year and a half after Hack had turned pro, and, keep in mind, the Hack Lift or Hack Squat that he performed was nothing like you see today. His was a knee-bend on TOES, with hands TOUCHING behind the back, which, of course, prevents any forward leaning and turning the lift into some sort of bar behind legs deadlift. Hack on this occasion weighed 205 pounds, and Willoughby calculates this Hack Lift translates into a regular squat of about 500 pounds.Jan 27, 1908
Walter Good was born, and with his brothers Bill and Harry teamed to be known as The Good Brothers. Even at age 76 Walter could use a pair of 75 pound dumbells for shrugs. He had been in the employ of the York Barbell Company for a while. Walter died on July 10, 2001. Harry had passed away on July 22, 1998, so only Bill who will turn age 92 on May 14th, 2002 remains. He still works out! The famous bell that Bill Good hiplifted on each of his birthdays- doing one rep for each year of age- is now on display outside at a spring water company near Adamstown, PA.Jan 27, 1940
Physique contests hit regular stride in the very late 1930s, and 62 years ago today several dozen contestants vied for the title of Mr. New York City, with Lud Shusterish taking the title at the Brooklyn Central YMCA. My records show him to have been age 17. [Lud I understand passed away in 2001; can anyone provide a specific date?]Jan 28, 1891
On this date at the Royal Aquarium in London, Eugen Sandow presented a strength demonstration which included setting a personal best in the bent press of 273.25 lbs. Then he restrained two teams of horses trying to pull him in opposite directions, an impressive but non-measureable feat.Jan 28, 1969
Wilfred J. Diamond was born in Liverpool, England in 1883 on November 29. He died January 28, 1969 after a lifetime of service to lifting. In 1933 he was elected to the presidency of BAWLA [British Amateur Weight Lifters' Assoc] and that year began writing his memories for the American magazine Strength & Health. He also wrote on other subjects such as BLOOD, SWEAT, and JACK DEMPSEY; and on religion. By the time he moved to Florida in the mid 1960s he had published eight books.Around 1946 he switched from York to Weider for a few years, writing three part series on Thomas Inch and on Alexander Zass, and Jack Johnson. Ironman in March 1977 recounted the claim that Diamond had witnessed Sandow break a coin. If Diamond believed this, particularly Sandow having this ability, it lessens his reliability as an historian.
Jan 28, 1974
Joe Greenstein [The Mighty Atom] had married Rachael Leah Kaspersky in 1911. He was 18, she 16, and they enjoyed 63 years of marriage before Leah died on this date.Jan 28, 1991
Charles A. Smith, editor for Joe Weider from 1950 to 1957, and worked on several of Joe's magazines. Those were the days when Joe also was publishing non-bodybuilding mags: boxing, wrestling, some mild girlie type mags named JEM and MONSIEUR- I have a couple of these mags and by todays standards they are prudish. Betty Brosmer (Joe's future wife) posed in some of the issues, though never topless. There was one photo where Betty was presented as topless (in another publication), but the photographer later admitted he altered the photo by placing Betty's head atop some other lady's torso. Anyway Charles was food and beverage editor for these two mags. After Charles left Weider, he worked in law enforcement.I spent a week as Charles' houseguest in the 1980s. He was then connected to the Todd-McLean Collection at Austin, Texas as a research assistant, where he would instantly know which clippings belonged where. So we would go to the Collection each morning, he would file, and I would file separate materials, and several hours would pass in this manner, then we would have an evening meal and return to his house, where I would ask him dozens of questions and he would display remarkable, instant recall and answer in detail. After several pages of questions had been gone through this way, and I had nothing else prepared, he said, 'I thought you were going to ask me some questions!"
Smith in his day was a bull of a man, and even when I met him was thick armed and solid, and occasionally trained while sitting in his wheelchair, from which he would rise only to pivot into a vehicle or some other task.
Charles had, it seems, had regrets. He had left Weider and gone into law enforcement, and when bodybuilding became really popular and even hinted at becoming mainstream because of Arnold, Charles lamented, however quietly, that he was no longer in the hub, and missed the days of Weider. He felt left behind.
He had a collection of beer steins with depictions of weightlifters embossed on them. One had been a gift from Sig Klein, and Charles particularly treasured it because Sig seldom released one of his steins. After Charles passed, I lost track of his one daughter I knew (had never met the other daughter). Charles' wife had died many years before. So I have no notion of what happened to his books or his steins. Terry Todd, who of course, manages the Todd-McLean Collection with his wife Jan, does not know what became of Charles' items, either. I suspect Charles would not have liked how all this turned out. He wanted his place in the history of the sport. It was he who urged Weider to get into the supplement business. Wonder how that idea ever panned out? He also convinced Weider to begin covering olympic lifting at least on a small scale. Not a big deal? Try getting a weightlifting magazine to include bodybuilding.
Charles was British and was born on March 27, 1912. In my collection I have perhaps 300+ pages of correspondence from him, typed on his last-leg typewriter in a style that had to be interpreted as coming from a very skilled writer, which he most certainly was.
He was a fine man, albeit in some ways, an unhappy man, having lost his wife to cancer on Christmas day 1959, and, who, after a few days in the hospital, passed away Jan 28, 1991. But if you read Weider's magazines from the period when Charles was editor, you realize how skilled a man he was in the publishing business, and he delighted in Joe Weider acknowledging that by presenting Charles with the IFBB's Distinguished Service Award in 1989.
Jan 29, 1904
Joseph Curtis Hise, of Homer, Illinois became well known in lifting circles for popularizing high rep squatting for weight/muscle gains. His older brother William Frank Hise was born Jan 29, 1904 [Curt was born Aug 10, 1905]. William died April 25, 1985, and had stored the Jackson 1-A barbell set in his house for years after Joe died in 1972. I bought the set from William's widow, and later traded it for an Inch replica dumbell. Not a wise decision because I could at least lift part of the barbell set...The 1-A set was precision plates-on-bar, no sloppy holes; beautiful craftsmanship, and Andy Jackson told me that he remembered making that particular set for Joe Hise in the early 1950s.Jan 29, 1955
Jack King wins Mr. TidewaterJan 29, 1966
Boyer Coe wins Mr. SoonerJan 30, 1897
The St. Petersburg Athletic Assoc. was founded on this date in Russia by Count Ribeaupierre, and thus became that country's second such organization. The first, The St. Petersburg Amateur Weightlifting Club had been founded on Aug 10, 1885 by Dr. von Krajewski. Those who have David Webster's sterling book THE IRON GAME, please see pages 48-50 for many more details.Jan 30, 1938
LeRoy Saba born. [sometimes LeeRoy] While still a teenager he won Jr. Mr. Oakland and Sr. Mr. Olympics in 1955. Took the Mr. Iron Man in 1958. In 1960 he won Most Muscular at the Jr. Mr. America. The last articles I have on file for Saba are: Ironman Jan 1961 his fave routines- by Leo Stern S&H March 1961 he models for a workout. He made cover appearances on: Muscle Builder Feb 1960; S&H Nov 1960 & May 1963; Ironman May 1961; Health & Strength Dec 15, 1961 Anyone know what became of LeRoy?Jan 30, 1941
Joe Bednarski was born- no relation to Bob Bednarski. Joe became a pro wrestler.Jan 30, 1965
A name often seen in the old mags, Tuny Monday, won Mr. Central State, and on the same day Von LaMon was first in the Mr. Bay AreaJan 30, 1966
Sergio Oliva won Mr. Chicagoland on the same day that fitness model Amy Fadhli was born, and two more opposite body-types cannot be found!Jan 30, 1991
WBF [World Bodybuilding Federation] press conference at Plaza Hotel in NYC to announce the names of the 13 bodybuilders they had signed for their organization: Berry DeMey, Mike Christian, Gary Strydom, Mike Quinn, Jim Quinn, Troy Zuccolotto, Aaron Baker, Eddie Robinson, Danny Padilla, Tony Pearson, David Dearth, Vince Comerford, and Johnnie Morant. The WBF eventually held two contests, both won by Strydom, then faded away.Jan 31, 1948
Who is judging the judges? In San Francisco on Jan 31, 1948 at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, the Pro Mr. America contest was staged, and then judged, rejudged, and rejudged. The first results were:1. Norman Marks
2. Jimmy Payne
3.Floyd Pagefifteen minutes later, these results came forth:
1. Norman Marks
2. Floyd Page
3. Jimmy Paynethen after all but 17 spectators had left the auditorium:
1. Floyd Page
2. Norman Marks
3. Jimmy PayneThus Floyd Page was declared the Pro Mr. America winner.
Jan 31, 1955
Steve Reeves, Mr. America, Mr. Universe, and age 29, married actress Sandra Smith, 18, in Sherman Oaks, CA. After a year and a half the divorce happened on Sep 4, 1956.As promised from last week, here is the explanation for what is called a devisse: It is a stricter version of the bent press in which Batta managed 220.25 lbs, and Aston 209 lbs. The greater difficulty is to the manner in which the bell is brought to the shoulder.
The standard manners were: 1. Stand the bell on end, lean into the approximate center of the barbell grasping that center with one hand; the other hand may be used for the positioning, then cannot aid further, as the bell is sent overhead. 2. Clean, or Continental, the bell with two hands, but using only one hand for the overhead part of the lift. 3. The devisse required that the bell be brought clean (could not touch the body on its upward travel) by ONE HAND to the shoulder and, of course, only one hand overhead, so the devisse was a 'one hand all the way' bent press. Obviously, someone such as Arthur Saxon could almost double his lift using method 1 as opposed to the devisse.
An aside, to use the term 'a Continental clean' is to display ignorance, in the same way as using the phrase 'a clean Continental'. The clean did not allow for bar contact during the movement from floor to shoulder. The Continental did allow such contact, even so far as briefly 'resting' the bell on top of a large belt buckle, or on the upper thighs, or other body sections.
The terms are therefore mutually exclusive. Therefore, there can be no such lift as a Continental devisse.
An appeal: If you know where any of the former great lifters/ bodybuilders are, and are at liberty to share that info, I would be grateful to know it. Or if you know where any of the former greats are buried... I recently visited the gravesites of Grimek, Hoffman, and Terpak, and have been thinking it would interesting to present a listing for those who travel in a given area to be aware of where respects could be paid. Thank you.
Reminder: corrections are welcome. I had Teegarden born on Jan 13 and another source says Jan 31; for one oldtimer there have been three death dates spanning a two week period. Sometimes the inscription on a tombstone can solve the problem.
Posted by TheEditor @ 05:14 PM CST
Jan 18-24, 2002
Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Jan 18, 1892
On January 18 in 1892 Louis Cyr lifted his hallmark, famous dumbell loaded
to 273.25 pounds, in London, at the Cafe Monica in the International Hall,
he brought it to the shoulder with two hands and then using one hand pushed
it overhead. He also performed some other strength feats on that occasion
including a one finger lift of 535 pounds which was raised a few inches clear of the floor.That dumbell is now located in the York Barbell Hall of Fame display area in
York, PA, and is anchored to a shelf. It was generally said to weigh 202 pounds
when empty, though 209 pounds is sometimes mentioned. Anyway, along with
the Thomas Inch 172 pound dumbell and the Apollon railcar wheels, this dumbell
bids for a fair claim as one of the most famous objects in the sport. Cyr was
28 years old when he performed the above feats. [ some of the objects in the
York Hall of Fame are displayed with no designation as to how much the bell
weighs, which is, of course, the very first question that would come to the mind
of a lifter ]Jan 18, 1942
In Hastings, Nebraska on January 10, 1942 Gary Cleveland was born. By 1966
his total on the [then] three olympic lifts was 1,015 and rated him seventh in
the world in the 181 class! Earlier, Gary had won the Sr. Nats in 1964 and 1965.Currently Gary publishes his own newsletter called: The Avian Movement Advocate,
A publication of the Louis Cyr Institute of divine avian fluid movement. You'll keep
your grip nimble trying to pick out the serious thoughts from among the other
thoughts, but this is one fine, fun, well- written paper! With his two [imaginary?]
sidekicks Brenda and Prycer, the trio goes ambling along the trail to Daftville.
There is also some serious content- a recent issue had a wonderful piece on
Saxon. Write to 3200 64th Avenue North, Brooklyn Center, MN 55429-2237Jan 18, 1947
Long Beach, California hosted the Mr. California contest and some recognizable
names competed: Pepper Gomez, Bill Trumbo, Vic Nicoletti, and Charles Putnam.
Putnam won, using the alias he was famous for: Eric Pedersen. Eric would later
be tied on first ballot with Steve Reeves for the 1947 Mr. America title, with Reeves
winning out and Pedersen going into the wrestling world. Eric died in 1990 from
throat cancer.Jan 18, 1977
What Steve Reeves' Hercules movies were to motivating the previous generation
to train with weights, Pumping Iron was to its generation. Arnold Schwarzenegger
starred as the movie opened on this date in New York City at the Plaza Theater,
and the man who morphed muscle into mainstream meaning charmed his way into
America's heart via this film. The small waistline he displayed is not evident in
today's contest line-ups, nor is his charisma and impact.Jan 19, 1893
Exactly one year and one day after Louis Cyr performed his one finger lift
(see above), Michael Schart, a lifter from Munich, using only one middle finger,
raised 606.25 lbs.Jan 19, 1910
The improbable strongman marquee name of Max Sick was changed to simply
'Maxick'.Then in London on this date he exhibited some strength feats to
show his ability.He had challenged Thomas Inch to a contest in 1907 which brought no response
from Inch; then Maxick reached England in October 1909, and wanted to contest
against Inch for the middleweight title, but Inch whose weight had inched upward
used some delaying tactics, and when January 19th of 1910 arrived, Maxick
decided to publicize his strength.He: cleaned and pressed, with body erect and heels together, 222 lbs.
cleaned 240 lbs and then using the press style popular on the Continent,
put it overhead.cleaned 254 lbs and pressed it.
The latter two lifts would have qualified for world records had there been a
weightlifting association in place to certify them, but that organization was
not born until Jan 17, 1911. (BAWLA: The British Amateur Weight Lifters' Assoc.)He also got 302 lbs from floor to overhead, which was double his bodyweight.
Jan 20, 1900
David Webster shows the certificate given to Launceston Elliot for his lift on
this day: "Right Hand Alone, of a Bar-bell Weighing 216-3/4 lbs. From the Floor
to Arm's Stretch Above the Head at Sabinger's Riding School." see Dave's book
Iron Game, page 25. Launceston was born in India in 1874 and died in Australia
in 1930, where he is at rest in an unmarked grave.Jan 20 or 22, 1871
Paul von Boeckman, known for his stupendous hand strength was born.
One of Irondom's missing artifacts is his Indian club, said to weigh between
80 and 85 pounds; it stood about 20 inches high and Willoughby describes:
"Grasping this club at the small end with his hands close together (in baseball
bat style), von Boeckman could readily lever it up and over his shoulder."
Sandow failed completely, Charles Atlas managed to tilt it slightly, and only
Joe Nordquest was able to match von Boeckman and shoulder the club. Does
anyone know what happened to this piece of iron history, or shall it remain on
the list of missing marvels of strength lore?Boeckman also claimed to be able to chin himself for three reps using only
the middle finger of his right hand- a feat that David Webster, and perhaps
any thinking person, disputes. In a refreshing bit of honesty, he acknowledged
"...that he could not bend a coin with his fingers, and moreover doubted if
anyone else could really do so". Not too long ago on the Grip Board, a member
marked a quarter (American .25 cent piece) and handed it to a man who claimed
he could TEAR it in half. The coin handed back to the board member was NOT
the same coin. Literally, a two-bit trick. Von Boeckman died November 7, 1944
(the same day Ken Patera was born)Jan 21, 1862
For my money the strongest man, in terms of upper body strength, among
the oldtimers was Louis Uni, whose stage name was Apollon. His enormous
powers were geared so that even his casual attitude toward exerting them
were staggering. And only when goaded would he switch to a higher gear;
otherwise he would employ only enough threshold strength to win.Particularly frightening was his hand strength. John Grun Marx, said to Apollon
one day that only he (Marx) had been able to deadlift a specific bell off the
floor with one hand. The bell weighed 226 pounds and had a handle 2.36" in
diameter (the same diameter as Hermann Goerner's 330.60 pounds challenge barbell).Upon being challenged. Apollon grabbed the bell and thrust it up and over his
shoulder trying to snatch it, but lost his grip on the bell and it landed (not rolled)
several feat behind him!For those who believe that Apollon could not have lifted the Thomas Inch
172 dumbell, consider this: Apollon did the above on a bar of 2.36" diamter
weighing 226 lbs. The Inch bell weighs 54 lbs LESS and has a handle of 2.38".
Apollon would have toyed with the Inch bell. But Inch was VERY careful regarding
who he allowed among the super strong to try his challenge bell. But that's another
story.
Apollon died October 18, 1928.[ For those who may not have seen the notice: It is planned to have a
replica set of Apollon's railcar wheels in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday Feb 24, 2002
as part of the inaugural Strongman contest to be a part of the Arnold Classic.
The non-revolving wheels weighed 365 pounds and have a bar/axle that is 1.93"
in diameter. I have seen 1.87" as the diameter in an old reference, but 1.93 is
given more often. Only four men in history have put taken the original wheels
from the floor to overhead, but the original wheels have not been allowed to
be touched in years, so this replica set will do as a test for modern strongmen ]Jan 21, 1926
Steve Reeves born: Within and without the bodybuilding community of the
previous century NO ONE was more famous than Steve Reeves, who was born
January 21, 1926. Other bodybuilders may have had as much in-house impact,
but when non-muscle segments are polled, Reeves was the man. Women
swooned at the smile of his face, and men admired his form, muscular yet
not overly so as was then the standard. Pudgy Stockton tells me that she
and Steve used to walk along Muscle Beach and crowds would actually follow
them. Well, okay, that may not have had anything to do with Steve...since
Pudgy (not at all a descriptive nickname) was strutting along.Chris LeClaire, while researching his book on Reeves, stayed at the Reeves
ranch for a few weeks, and chatted with Steve many times. Even Steve
believed, as does his ongoing website SRIS, that Steve won the Mr. Western
America contest. He did not. This is one of those odd encounters of the
first-person kind, when checking with people who were there! They get it
wrong sometimes. Anyway, Steve won the Mr. Pacific Coast twice, as his
mentor Ed Yarick ably pointed out at the time, and only after Steve's memory
was refreshed with this fact did he acquiesce and Chris's book therefore
became one of the very few sources where Steve's contest history is
accurately listed. For the record here is Reeves complete contest summary:December 21, 1946 Mr. Pacific Coast, winner
May 24, 1947 Mr. Pacific Coast winner
June 29, 1947 Mr. America, winner
March 13, 1948 Mr. USA, 2nd place to Clancy Ross
Aug 16, 1948 Mr. World (aka Plus Bel Athlete du Monde), winner
March 26, 1949 Mr. USA 3rd place [1. John Grimek 2. Clancy Ross]
June 24, 1950 Mr. Universe, winner
[Joe M. points out the omission of Steve's Aug 13, 1948 second place
finish to John Grimek at the Health & Strength sponsored Mr. Universe.
That was on Friday the 13th, then on Monday the 16th of August,
Steve won the Mr. World. NABBA did not form until 1950, and Steve
did in fact win their inaugural amateur Mr. U; their pro division began
in 1952. I had all this in FLEX Feb 1999; perhaps I should refer to my
own notes..., but thanks, Joe!]
Reeves became a star in the movies, most notably for his Hercules portrayal
and he was similar to the Enengizer Bunny's impact on the sport of bodybuilding,
continuing with an occasional refresher mention in the bodybuilding magazines.On May 1, 2000, Steve passed away.
Jan 21, 1994
Ira Hurley, whom some of you may recall as an official in bodybuilding
circles in Illinois, died.Jan 22, 1913
Sam Loprinzi was born in Portland, Oregon. On June 2, 1946 he won the
Most Muscular award at the Mr. America. He ran a gym at 2414 SE 41st
Avenue in Portland, which is shown in Strength & Health Nov 1962 p 19.
He also ran a gym at 414 SE Grand Avenue.He married Helen Smith in 1945 (her first look at Sam was when he appeared
on the March 1945 cover of S&H)Sam won the 1948 Mr. Pacific Coast.
Ironman ran a story on Sam in Feb 1963 and heralded that he was as good
at 50 as he had been at age 25. By December 1979 he was wanting to retire
and did so in 1980. He and Helen then took long walks together, and used
swimming for exercise.Sam left us on October 12, 1996, dying at home. He is buried in
Williamette National Cemetery.Jan 22, 1894
The strongman Batta performed a devisse of 220.25 lbs. (This is a test
about a very rarely mentioned lift. I have seen it mentioned only twice.
In next week's column I will tell what it is, and will mention the names of
those who write in via the 'comment' box below with the correct answer.)Jan 23, 1949
In connection with a novice weightlifting meet in Chicago, Roy Hilligen(n)
guest posed as about a dozen young men posed for the title of Jr. Mr. Illinois.
Robbie Robinson (no not that one) finished out of the running, and the top
three were: 1. Jim Park 2. Ed Zon 3. Clarence CusterJan 24, 1885
Louis Vasseur was born in Roubaix, France, and his inaugural lifting
competion was for the amateur French champinships in 1907. Later at
a bodyweight of 205 he was able to perform a right hand snatch with
209.5 lbs. When he weighed 214 lbs he upped this to 220.5 lbs, a record
that would stand until Charles Rigoulot rolled onto the scene more than
a decade later. Even in 1925 at age 40 Louis could right hand snatch 213.
His wrists were thick: 8", and his forearm 14.2" at 220 lbs bodyweight
in 1913 in his prime as a professional.As an aside keep in mind that forearms in those days were measured
with the wrist straight in line with the forearm, no goosenecking of the wrist,
nor bending at the elbow. So when comparing measurements to the oldtimers
always use this method to be fair to them. A clenched (making a fist) hand
was permitted. And, anyone, even today, who has a forearm measuring
twice the wrist (measured this way) has a wonderful ratio.Posted by TheEditor @ 05:32 PM CST
Iron History January 11-17, 2002
Thursday, January 10, 2002
First, a note about these notes: If more than one date is offered
for a situation it is because I have found those dates over the
years and have not been able to ascertain which is correct. So,
hoping for feedback from readers who may have the answer, I
include what I have.Also, please be aware that if you want me to respond to your
comments, I need your email address. Thanks...Jan 11, 1884
Dietrich Wortmann was born in Leipzig, and would love the iron
all his life. In 1901, at age 17, he joined the Brooklyn Central Y,
but when officials there prohibited him from organizing some
weightlifting activities, he switched to the German-American
Athletic Club [GAAC] where Adolph Rhein was already in place
teaching lifting. At a bodyweight of 140 pounds, Dietrich could
press 150 for 5 reps.Later Wortmann became president of the GAAC, then national
chairman of the AAU Weightlifting Committee, and eventually
president of the International Federation of Weightlifting.
He died September 20 or 21, 1952, and was buried at the Little
Stone Chapel, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. The inaugural
Dietrich Wortmann Memorial Weightlifting contest was October
8, 1955 at the West Side Y in NYC.
Jan 11, 1893
Antone Matysek was born in Mistek, Moravia, Czech. In my
collection are two Matysek shot-loadable dumbells, each has a
hole in the handle so that they can be used as barbell plates by
inserting a bar, thus creating a barbell from a pair of dumbells.
Antone published his own training course, which later in 1966
his second son Daniel had reprinted. Matysek was one of the
masters of muscle control. Around 1951 he was running a gym
in Baltimore at 1017 N. Charles (or Charels) Street. [Anyone
know what is at that location these days?] In 1958 he stopped
by York to chat with the guys.He could reverse curl 88 pounds on a bar 3" in diameter.
Jan 11, 1961
Joe Price died, born either 1883/1884. As of 1938 the Health &
Strength Annual publication listed Price as the British amateur
lifting champion for 1922-1923. He stood 5'10" and weighed 15
stone (210 lbs). Could right hand deadlift 430 lbs and left hand
deadlift 409.75., both British records at the time.
Price published a course on hammer lifting, and at age 75 in 1957
was still working as a blacksmith.
Jan 12, 1921
John Davis was born in Smithtown, Long Island, NY. By 1939 at
age 18, John held all three American weightlifting records: press
267.5, snatch 267.5, and C&J 353. By the summer of 1944 he was
stationed in Hawaii serving in the military. In 1948 a John Davis
lifting club had been formed in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, which was about
the time that John erased Manger's eleven year-old 319 lb press
record by hoisting 321 at the Sr. Nationals.Davis C&J the Apollon railcar wheels which weighed about 365 lbs,
but dropped them on one attempt causing the bar to bend. Midway
thru the century on May 13, 1950, Davis received a trophy for being
'The Greatest Weightlifter of The Century'. In 1967 he was inducted
into the Helms Weightlifting Hall of Fame.Sadly, in 1975 his apartment was robbed and all his medals and
trophies stolen. John was seldom defeated in lifting from 1938 to 1953.
Was gold medal winner in the Olympics in 1948 and 1953; won the
World championships six times, the Sr. Nats 12 times, and placed
second in the Sr. Nats three other times!
He died July 13, 1984 and is buried in Santa Fe National Cemetery.
Jan 12, 1935
Sig Klein, weighing 152 pounds presses 229.5 lbs at age 32. Sig
was a consistent physical culturist who was among the final links
between old time strongmen and the modern era. By age 64 he had
maintained a bodyweight of 148 pounds for a decade. In 1968 he
was honored at a Dan Lurie Testimonial Dinner.
KLEIN'S BELL was published from June 1931 thru December 1932,
the same month Strength & Health began. KB requires 19 issues
for a full collection.
Jan 12, 1939
Bob Hoffman bent pressed the lighter of the two Rolandow dumbells,
the 209. The other weighed 235, 237, or 238 depending on the
source. Both bells have now disappeared, though the Rolandow
barbell rests in the York Barbell Hall of Fame in York, PA.
Jan 13, 1913
Chester Teegarden was born. Wrote for Ironman in the early years
and for Lifting News during its run, and published his own news-
letter for awhile. Started a lifting club at the U of Indiana at 111
N. Dunn Street in Bloomingdale (what's is there now?).
After Chester died on October 1, 1989, his friend Randy Strossen
came to Illinois and we drove to Indiana in search of Teegarden's
gravesite, but thru a monumental mix-up were unable to find it.
Where were our wives when we needed directions!
Jan 13, 1958
Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay were married. He had won
the NABBA Universe in 1955, and began selling photo sets of himself
later that year via P.O. Box 458, Indianapolis 6, Indiana. He returned
to competition in the NABBA Pro Universe in 1963 and placed 5th in
the tall class.Jayne in 1958 for Mr. America magazine wrote: "Why I Go For A
Well Built Man!"They divorced August 26,1964.
Jan 13, 1987
The Dean of American Posers, Tony Sansone, died. He was
born September 19, 1905 and ran a gym in NYC at 671 Third Ave and
was best known for his symmetrical physique and graceful lines.
Vic Boff referred to Tony as the uncrowned Mr. America (not to
be confused with TOM Sansone, who did in fact win the Mr. A).
By age 79 Tony was still jogging on Coney Island. Grimek considered
Tony a 'master of display'.Having cared for his ailing wife at home, when she passed, Tony
followed her two weeks later in early 1987.
Jan 14, 1959
John Brookfield, who simply must be on anyone's list of World's
Strongest Hands, was born. In April 1994 John sent me a package
of cold chisels he had bent and broken. These were 1/4" and 5/16"
cold chisels.His accompanying note read: "Here are three more chisels from
different companies. So much for the famous Stanley tools. As you
can see the chisel that broke did not bend even a fraction of an
inch before it broke. It took all that I could give to break it. It was
very tough." Convinced me.I asked John why he chose such short pieces of metal to bend, and
he said that if you choose something longer then some strong
football player may come up on stage and put a slight bend in the
piece by using his knee, and this places doubt in the mind of the
audience. Ever tried to bend a 1/4" cold chisel over your knee?
Jan 14, 1977
One of the contestants at the June 10, 1939 Pro-Am Mr. America
contest, Dave Asnis, died on January 14, 1977. He had placed
6th in the tall class in that contest, which class also contained
the eventual winner, Bert Goodrich, who beat short winner Elmer
Farnham and middle winner Carl Hempe (still living, I spoke with
him in 2001). Asnis did win best abs in the contest though.
Was S&H coverman August 1939, and Your Physique March 1941.
Died at age 64.
Jan 15, 1955
Mr. Los Angeles:
1. Jerry Ross
2. Ron Lacy
3. Joe Barrata
4. Harry Schwartz
5. Lyn Lyman
of these men only Lacy would go on to become Mr. A.
Jan 16, 1921
Leo Robert was born. He won the Your Physique magazine self-
improvement contest in April 1948, and continued to improve himself
to the point where he won the NABBA Pro Universe on June 11,
1955. Eleven years later his final guest posing stint was at the
IFBB Mr. Eastern America.Recently Leo began his own website.
Jan 16, 1993
Jon Pall Sigmarsson, world champion strongman in 1984,
1986, 1988, and 1990, and the man generally considered to be
Bill Kazmeier's nemesis in strength, died on this date. His son,
David, by now would be about age 17.
Jan 17, 1911
The BAWLA [British Amateur Weight Lifters' Assoc] came into
being. Previously, records for British lifting events were less than
organized.
Jan 17, 1930
No, no, no, the car is supposed to carry the person forward! But
on this date Arthur Dandurand shouldered a Ford engine said to weigh
either 406 or 455 lbs. In 1908 he moved a 4,300 pound wheelbarrow
28 yards. He was still wrestling at age 65 in 1943! He was also
credited with a one-arm deadlift of 552 pounds.
Jan 17, 1983.
This one is personal, because on this date the iron game's wonderful
historian, David P. Willoughby died. If his research and writings are
erased from our record, we would be without direction for many
facts and dates.Steve Wennerstrom, who is the IFBB's Historian for the female side
of the sport, and who, I don't think he would mind me saying, pro-
bably cares as little about the male side of the sport as anyone,
used to occasionally drive over to visit DPW in his garage, to chat.
Steve says those were wondrous visits- that David could instantly
find an article he had written years ago, and his reserve of knowledge
was fantastic.Ironman ran David's Kings of Strength series from May 1956 thru
June 1963. If you care about the history of strongmen, beg, borrow,
or steal these!DPW wrote for virtually EVERY major physique publication for
several decades, even Animal Life for Weider, because, of course,
David knew about the great apes and horses, and...If you have friends who have old magazines which contain his
articles, ask for photocopies, place them in a ring binder in order,
and you will have one of the greatest reference 'books' available!Note:
As this column evolves, please feel free to send me a comment
on the direction it should take. Would you rather have more
detailed articles and fewer 'blurbs'? We will consider your input.
If you want a response, please include your email. Thanks.
Posted by Roark @ 04:44 AM CST
Iron History
Thursday, January 3, 2002
In February 1946, Strength & Health magazine reported that Hermann Goerner, the famous German strongman, had died "two years ago". He in fact died eleven years later on June 29, 1956.
Currently Planet Muscle magazine reported that Karl Norberg died in 1976. He died in 1983.
If you check my column Factoids in Flex magazine over the past decade you will find some errors. We are human, mistakes will happen, but now through this column, hopefully with your feedback, we can work together and ascertain the facts at straight as possible. Some mistakes are slips of the fingers, typos. Some mistakes are slips of the writer's awareness, such as my mistake in referring to Paul Anderson's safe as being in Vidalia, Georgia, when in fact it sits in Toccoa. Having spent several years studying about this safe, this mistake still got by me, even though (trust me) I knew and know better.
Iron History will appear on Fridays, and will be concerned with the relevant days thru the next Thursday. I have included a fact for the first three days because we are starting at year's beginning.
Jan 1, 1892
Louis Cyr and his brother Pierre set sail for London.Jan 2, 1914
Bob Peoples' ( the great deadlifter ) future wife Juanita was born.Jan 3, 1918
Andy Jackson's future wife Elaine was born.
Jan 3, 1992
Derek, the son of Larry Scott, died.Jan 4, 1905
There was solid evidence to support the claim printed on the business card of Arthur Saxon: "The Strongest Man on Earth", especially regarding the bent press, which Arthur had begun learning at age 14 in 1892. Two years later an accident caused both his eyes to be blind, and sight returned later to only the left eye, making his heavy bent presses all the more remarkable because one of the tenets of a bent press is to keep your eye on the bell as you lean away from it. On Jan 4, 1905 Arthur bent pressed 336 pounds, and although he would later do more, and both he and his brothers could hold 424 pounds at straight arm in the lift, none of the trio could stand erect with that much. For a 26 year-old, 336 pounds will do nicely.Jan 4, 1951
Zabo Koszewski arrived at Muscle Beach and has basically stayed there. Also staying around is the belief that Zabo has never lost when competing for the best abs title. Not true. He lost to Wally Ferrell on September 8, 1950, though Zabo placed third for the main title while Wally did not place.Jan 5, 1892
Karl Norberg was born (some sources say 1893). His physique would have placed him dead last in any physique contest if he had entered any. A sculptor would require only a lump of clay and two minutes to be able to liken Karl's image. But, when upper body strength was in the mix, Karl was a work of art, and compensated well for his lack of lines. He celebrated an occasional birthday with bench press feats. He approached the 500 pound mark, nudging it with 480. On April 17, 1965, at the Mr. California contest he benched 430, and for his 80th birthday on January 5, 1972 he got three reps with 300. At 80! Karl died in Sweden in 1983.Jan 6, 1976
Stout Jackson died. Supposedly on March 19, 1924 Stout knelt under a platform upon which were stacked 12 bales of cotton, and he backlifted the whole affair said to total 6,472 pounds. This, of course, exceeds Paul Anderson's claimed backlift of 6,270 by 202 pounds. Anderson wrote to me that in fact his own backlift was a couple hundred pounds more than was ever reported, thus placing him on par with Jackson, but in fact, the safe used in Paul's backlift weighed not the 3,500 pounds stated but only 2,300 pounds, so his backlift must be thusly reduced. So far as I am aware Stout's backlift claim is the highest on record, but of course, the bales are long gone, and substantiating his outlandish claim almost impossible.Jan 7, 1920 or was it July 7, 1920 that Harold Sakata was born. He appeared in about 21 movies, but you know him best as Oddjob in Goldfinger. He wrestled under the name Tosh Togo, and for awhile had the nickname of Pancho. Was a silver medalist in weightlifting, and on March 18, 1949 he won Mr. Waikiki. He died July 29, 1982.
Jan 2, 1863
Minerva, a female strongwoman was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, and was later known as the Hoboken Hercules. Her story was covered in Iron Game History April 1990 and March 1991 to which the reader is referred for some of her strength claims. Died August 1, 1923.Jan 10, 1916
Allistair Murray was born; I do not know when he died. He ran his own School of Physical Education, and wrote considerably on the topic of weightlifting for both Health & Strengh magazine and for The British Amateur Weightlifter & Bodybuilder. On April 26, 1965 his new Spur Gym was due to open, but burned down that same day! Murray was Britain's first national weightlifting coach. He also helped Doug Hepburn with some training tips.
[I am informed Murray died September 27, 1998; thanks for the
feedback, John]Posted by Roark @ 01:05 PM CST
