Iron History with Joe Roark

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.

Iron History July 19-Aug 1, 2002
Tuesday, July 16, 2002
Status: One thing that has become obvious to me via emails, and the comment button here at Iron History, and phone calls, is that we have more folks keeping track of history, or at least some parts of it, than I had believed before beginning this column. This is wonderful!
We need a new batch of younger people to continue the works of David Webster, David Chapman, David Willoughby. Notice a trend of Davids here? Also Leo Gaudreau and some others. Webster and Chapman are still with us and going strong, but now is the time for trainees to join the effort because it takes years of reading, and more importantly comparing the various accounts of events, before one has an overall sense of 'what really happened'. It also takes years of collecting to gather the research materials, which, with the internet have become more expensive as greedy merchants boost prices to ignorant buyers. Some of these mag dealers care no more for the mags that pass through their hands than does a blackjack dealer spreading thousands of cards each day on the table care about those playing cards.
The internet (yes, the place you are reading this) is also offering versions of iron history that are, shall we say, less than bulls eye focused? So perhaps as new readers 'learn' from internet sources, we may have a problem Houston. Unlike many web sites, here at Iron History we offer a comment button- and I do not control what you write in response to my offerings- I simply, like you, can respond. Hopefully, in addition to pointing out my shortcomings, this situation also points to my strengths, if any. But no matter my or your strengths or weaknesses, we are after the truth.
So, join in, criticize, find fault, question what you read here. We have enough writers UNwilling to be challenged. This can be your forum. Also freely use the Q+A avenue at cyberpump.com if you wish to ask a question. I'll answer if I can, and will tell you if I cannot- and that's where all these people who are studying the various aspects of iron enter the fray- perhaps they can offer the answers that escape me.
CORRECTIONS: Tom Ryan pointed out some typos, which have now been healed; thanks!
CORRECTIONS: David Chapman sends the following corrections to Jul 21, 1987 and to Jul 25, 1925 which are inserted at those points; thanks, David!
George Jowett. A friend shared a letter from Leo H. Gaudreau to a Bob Hall; written Sep 5, 1984. Here is the second paragraph:
"I am sorry you were disillusioned about the writings of George F. Jowett. I knew him personally and met him on several occasions (sic)� he was an interesting and fascinating personality personally but, place him behind a typewriter and strong-man history was subjected to much falsehood. In spite of his falsehoods, I liked the man".
Leo Gaudreau, in my view, was on par with Willoughby when writing about the history of iron- actually better in one way than Willoughby because he did not extrapolate lifts, that is, this maximum lift equates to so many reps in that lift, or the reverse of that statement. I have yet to come across a quote from Willoughby regarding Jowett's writings, but I suspect that the fact that Jowett's lifting claims were never even mentioned (to my awareness) in Willoughby's writings communicates something in itself, since some of those claimed lifts required monumental strength to perform. If anyone reading this has such a statement from Willoughby, please share it.
Red Pencil Notes:
There is a web site, American Strength Legends, that offers a profile of Paul Anderson which indicates that the version presented is 'the only true' story of Paul on the internet. If that statement was true when written, it certainly no longer is. And if by 'true', accurate is meant, then some touch-up is needed. Bob Peoples is presented as Bob Peeples, and there are several other often repeated yet unsubstantiated poundages listed regarding Paul's lifts. Paul's height is given as 5'9" and Paul wrote to me that he had no idea how tall he was as an adult. (see Iron History Extra section for his letter to me reproduced in full)
Jul 19, 1954 Chuck Sipes' daughter Daphne born. After Chuck passed away I spoke to Daphne about her father, and what wonderful memories she had of him! She and her sisters once accidentally broke of some Chuck's bodybuilding trophies when he was at work, and they dreaded his homecoming that evening, but when they mustered the courage to confess, he took them in his arms and told them that the trophies could be repaired, and that they (his girls) were his true treasure. I've lost track of Daphne (so much of my time seems to be spent in immediate details about funerals etc) but while speaking to her uncle (Chuck's brother) the other day he said she is doing well, and is today celebrating her 48th birthday.
Jul 19, 1963 Marla Duncan born. Fitness and cover model Marla Duncan becomes 39 today. Last time I checked her website it was being renovated. MMI in May 1997 presented some photos from Marla's Playboy Hardbodies shoot �though the 'coverage' in MMI was less uncovered. She had begun writing a column for MMI in 1996 entitled Super Fitness.
Jul 19, 1966 Chris Lydon born; she was profiled in Muscular Development mag Jul 1995, and has written several articles for Powerlifting USA, and was in Playboy's Hardbodies.
Jul 19, 1975 Robby Robinson won the IFBB Mr. America in Los Angeles. Early mag appearances give his name as Robin Robinson and sometimes as Robert Robinson. He was born May 24, 1946 and in 1976 announced that he intended to become a better/greater bodybuilder than Sergio Oliva. By 1979 he had won the pro section of Best in the World, which followed his victories in the first and second editions of the IFBB Night of the Champions.
Jul 19, 1986 J. J. Marsh won NPC Men's USA Championships in Beaumont, Texas.
Jul 20 or 28, 1882 Karl Swoboda born; died Apr 19, 1933 . Gord Venables told the story of how Karl ate seven steaks at one sitting. A rare and well done feat! S&H in Feb 1940 presented the story of how Karl's image was featured on a postage stamp. He was a lifter credited with a two hands continental and jerk of 409.5 lbs on Nov 4, 1911.
Jul 20, 1912 The day W.A.Pullum was competing in the preliminaries of the British Amateur WL Championships (to be held one week later) his son W.S. Pullum was on Jul 20, 1912.
Jul 20, 1920 Hermann Goerner right hand deadlift 734.50 lbs. You will notice the absence of a photo of this lift.
I have never seen the 1927 movie short of Goerner, and am even unaware of what the film depicts, but I will hazard a guess that it does not reveal the deadlift just mentioned or even the 727.25 pound one hand deadlift, or the two handed version at 793.75 pounds which is claimed to have happened Oct 29, 1920 (Goerner then was age 29-1/2) W.A. Pullum, said that Paul Getty witnessed Goerner perform a right hand deadlift of 602.25 pounds; Willoughby supports the 727.25 pound claim and wrote in 1963: "Perhaps the most outstanding of all Goerner's feats of grip strength (as well as prodigious power of the back muscles) was his one-hand deadlift (using a thumb-lock, or hooked grip) of 727- 1/2 pounds. This lift was made on a standard Berg barbell, the largest plates being 17-3/4 inches in diameter and the bar 1-1/10 inches thick. The date of the lift was October 8, 1920, the place Leipzig, and Goerner weighed 220 pounds at a height of 6 feet � inch. He was then still an amateur, not turning professional until the following year (1921)."
There is confusion also about which grip he used on Mar 5, 1927 when he deadlifted 652.50 lbs 'full height' with a French grip according to Lowry, but The Strongman in Jan 1932 asserted that Goerner used the reverse grip. But The Strongman was in error about another of Hermann's deadlifts (apparently) so the story weaves itself into the further fabric of fact/fiction blend.
Kurt Saxon challenged Goerner to repeat some of his other lifts and Hermann could not repeat a single one, so Kurt concluded, "To my mind, comparing Goerner with my brother Arthur is sheer nonsense. Goerner would not have stood a chance. S&H Mar 1953. But in the Aug 1953 issue Van Diggelen replied to Kurt's assertions and offered counter claims. Help me now!
We will treat Goerner more fully at another time, but suffice it to say that some of his lifts cause question, for example: He had a bar of 2.75" diameter that weighed 330.75 lbs and he would hook-grip clean it "�then put it overhead like a feather". Then, and pay attention to detail here, please, because it is claimed that after the weight was overhead, "� he dropped it and caught it in the crook of his right arm as it fell, there to hold it perfectly level for a few seconds to show he had complete control of the weight." So about 331 lbs was allowed to free fall from extended overhead arms into the crook of ONE arm- a distance equal to the length of his arm overhead to, we must assume, his elbow at 'mid-curl' position- one would assume at least three feet. Try this with an empty Olympic bar.
There is some reference to Goerner using the French style of deadlifting (all knuckles facing front, no leg touch on the ascent). I am researching this but at this point my ignorance has not been erased. The English style of deadlifting, in contrast to the French style, allowed leg touch, a resting of the weight above the knees for repositioning, and then completing the lift, almost, if you will, a continental deadlift.
Further, there is reference to one of Goerner's other deadlifts that it was raised all the way- what does this mean- that some of his deadlifts just cleared the floor? I do not know yet, and mention it to invite your input. What I do know, is that sometimes followers of lifting accept claims without thinking deeply about what it is that is actually being claimed to have happened.
Leo Gaudreau, as I have offered before, summarized Goerner this way in Your Physique July 1950, this after Goerner had written to him about the deadlift claims, "Some terrific claims have been made for Goerner and without wishing to discredit such claims, their lack of authenticity does not merit inclusion herein." Gaudreau is someone who paid attention to claims.
Jul 20, 1936 Jack Kent bent pressed the Rolandow dumbell. Jack Kent, born 1912, and who died Jan 27, 1965 at 3:30 pm, placed an announcement in Ironman magazine in the Mar 1950 issue on page 42, wanting the distinction known that a certain Jack Abrams who was also using the name Jack Kent, was in fact, a different man:
JACK KENT, THE FAMOUS STRONG MAN ATHLETE AND BENT PRESSER has asked us to announce his address so that he will not be confused with a Jack Abrams who has assumed the name of Jack Kent with the result that they are often mistaken for each other. He wishes it known that there is no relationship or connection whatever. His address is 78 Washington Ave., Patchogue, N.Y." And we thought identity stealing was a modern idea!
Anyway, Kent once performed a wrestler's bridge with 300 pounds to earn a 10 lb Jackson Barbell plate.
Jul 20, 1959 Doug Hepburn pressed (did not clean) 440. According to his [former] website he was born in 1926- other sources indicate 1927. He died Nov 22, 2000, and his website has some glitches of fact in it. He refers to having first met Paul Anderson when Paul was preparing for the movie BLAZING SADDLES [1974], when surely, since Paul was not in that movie, he intended to write ONCE UPON A HORSE.[1958], which was reissued in 1963 as HOT HORSE.
Doug says that he and Paul had an impromptu lifting contest at Paul's manager's Los Angeles house- and that Paul was refreshed and Doug was travel-tired, having just returned from Hawaii/ Doug asserts that they both benched 500 lbs with a dead stop at the chest, but that Doug figures he won on bodyweight (268 to Paul's 300). Doug also told me that he thought his bench appeared 'easier' than Paul's.
Doug also avers that there was a thick-handled, 160 pound barbell which he strict curled, but when Paul attempted to duplicate the move, "He tried with everything he had, the bar didn't move." Doug continues: Paul also had 420 lbs on a pair of squat stands, and tried three times to press it and failed each time, so Doug challenged the Anderson's supporters to provide verification for his claim to be the strongest man in history.
There are also conflicting stories about whether or not Doug was invited and then uninvited to travel to Reno to attempt the Silver Dollar squat and win $15,000.
But on this date Doug pressed from stands 440 lbs.
Jul 20, 1973 Bruce Lee died; born Nov 27, 1940. John Little, former writer for Weider, has presented several books on Bruce Lee.
Jul 20, 1974 Dan Tobol won Teenage Mr. America
Jul 21, 1924 Dudley Allen Sargeant died; born Sep 28, 1849 He married Ella Frazier Ledyard on Apr 7, 1881.
Dudley made a pair of 20 pound Indian clubs when he was age 14. On Aug 3, 1864 he became a seaman aboard the Moses Eddy- that job ended shortly thereafter on Sep 18, 1864. By Feb 16, 1867 he was giving demonstrations on gymnastic in Bangor, Maine and five months later had joined a variety show in St. Albans, Vermont.
By 1880 at Harvard he was associated with the Hemmenway Gym, and there in some vault, dusty with unconcerned caretakers ignoring it, may repose the measurement records that Sargeant is now so famous for. He was the man who examined Sandow- see Terry Todd's article in S&H Jun 1965.
Jul 21, 1941 Chuck Fish born (or 1942?)
Jul 21, 1951 Diana Dennis born. She first saddled up on her ride toward bodybuilding competition at the in 1981, and then won the Saddleback Valley Muscle Classic the next year. She won the NPC Women's Nationals in 1985, and then about three months later made her Ms. Olympia debut, placing third. The following year on the Ides of March she won the Los Angeles Pro, and her final victory was the 1989 Women's World Pro. She retired following the Sep 9, 1994 Ms. Olympia where she placing tenth.
I have noted eleven cover appearances for her, including one cover, through no fault of hers, that is in my opinion the worst bodybuilding cover I have ever seen: Women's Physique World, Summer 1987. That's a fine magazine, and I respect the rough road tread by the men who brought it to its excellence, but that cover! Ugh!
Jul 21, 1965 Bill Pearl posed at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, at age 34. It would be wonderful to have a record of Bill's current arm size (he is now age 71, and will turn 72 on Oct 31 this year). It is so difficult to obtain measurements of current stars, and even more difficult to gather data on men who are post-competitive. I usually see Bill at the Arnold Classic, though I have missed him the past two years. Bill, if you are reading this, I suspect you may have the largest ever muscular arm on a man your age. Care to let me prove it next year at the Classic? That will give you about 7 months training time.
Roger LaPointe tells of the time Bill was at York Barbell to voice the narrative for a video of the Hall of Fame. Roger worked out with Bill, and as Bill was doing his first set Of lat pulldowns Roger thought to himself, "Hmm, maybe I can hang with him". Then Bill moved the pin father down the weight stack. He had just been warming up!
Jul 21, 1987 Joseph E. Levine died; born Sep 9, 1905. Levine was the man who featured Steve Reeves as Hercules.
[Correction sent in by David Chapman: "Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Levine was the man who promoted Reeves. He had nothing whatsoever to do with the production for the movie 'Hercules'. Levine's genius was in recognizing Reeves as a star and then advertising the film widely. You can get a full account of that brilliant marketing campaign in my upcoming book, "Retro Stud"".
"The person who deserves the real credit in 'featuring' SR is Italian director Pietro Francisi. There are lots of stories about how SR was chosen for the role, but the most accurate one is found in a recent book I found in Italy: Steve Reeves, IL Grande. The article is titled "Steve Reeves? I Remember Him Well" and in it Paolo Francisi, the late director's son says that his father first saw a picture of Reeves in a bodybuilding book by Italo-American bodybuilder John Vigna. This was almost certainly Tony Lanza's famous 1947 shot of SR on the shores of Lake Michigan"
Jul 22, 1856 William J. Hermann born; died Jul 26, 1949. Willoughby doubts the claim that in Hermann's Gym in Philadelphia in 1918, Lillian Leitzel, at 5'7" tall and weighing 95 pounds, managed do perform 27 repetitions in the right arm chin, and 17 in the left arm chin. Willoughby on pages 252 and 253 goes into detail analyzing why he doubts these claims, where he somehow extrapolates that her claim equated to performing 150 consecutive chins using both arms at once. He offers other comparisons as well, to which the reader is now sent for more details if further proof of doubt is needed.
Jul 22, 1968 Darrem Charles born Arouca, Trinidad
Jul 22, 1998 Clarence Johnson died; born Feb 6, 1906. Charles A, Smith wrote to me of a situation at one of the Mr. America contests wherein Johnson was a scorekeeper, I think. And of how the outcome of the contest depended on Smith insisting and insisting that the scores be checked. The contest result thereby changed. If I can find that letter I'll include some of its text in a future column. Indeed, I soon plan to include sections of his several hundred pages of letters to me as either a regular inclusion here, or as an Iron History Extra.
Jul 22, 1998 Harry L. Good died at age 95, so born in 1903?
Jul 22, 2000 Denny Gable died; Denny was a bodybuilder who often trained with Robby Robinson and with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Jul 23, 1877 Ricahrd Pennell one arm press 210. This must surely mean bent press because Pennell is mentioned in Ironman Mar 1955 for his 1874 bent press of 201.75 lbs thus becoming the first man to exceed 200 lbs in the bent press.
Further, S&H Aug 1941 p 7 offers: "On July 23rd, 1877, at the Metropolitan Police gymnasium in New York he pressed a dumbell weighing 210 pounds, at the same time holding a 56 pound weight in the other hand. This must have been how the lift 'two hands anyhow' originated". Klein reinforces this in the Nov 1942 issue of S&H p 7.
Pennell stood 5'9" and weighed about 190 lbs so a one hand military, or strict, press would have been impossible. DPW asserts 5'9.75" and says the lift was an 'unperfected' version of the bent press. See Your Physique Mar 1949 p 41 for three paragraphs.
Jul 23, 1906 Arthur Saxon bent press 386. Many people doubt this lift is authentic but they are not writing this column. I accept it. Arthur is one of two lifters that were able to perform the lifts they claimed (the other Apollon, of course).
Arthur was born on the 28th of April in 1878. The Saxon Trio began performing in 1897 at the Grand Theatre in Sheffield, England, which co-incidentally was the year that I believe the Inch 140 pound thick handled bell was cast.
Arthur managed the following bent presses:
Apr 08, 1903 bent pressed 314 lbs
In Oct 1904 Saxon visited Donald Dinnie who doubted Arthur's claims, but at a bodyweight of 191 Arthur bent pressed a tied-on total of weights of 340.5 lbs, thus making a believer of Dinnie. Other sources say 342 lbs.
Nov 24, 1904 bent pressed 331
Dec 12, 1905 bent pressed 370 lbs
Jul 23, 1906 bent pressed 386. Bill Klein was a witness. Earle Liederman would later assert that when Arthur bent pressed his two brothers in a 'basket-barbell' containing one of them at each end, Arthur was lifting 363 lbs- a figure upped to 370 lbs by Willoughby.
But Klein weighed the non-basket barbell in question at Apollo's School and found its weight to be 386 lbs, which, by the way was exactly a 100 pound increase from Arthur's ability in the lift in 1897 when he was age 19. Klein also witnessed the lift of 386, as did Apollo [William Bankier] and John Murray.
Apparently all three of the lifting Saxon brothers claimed to get 424 lbs to arm's length in the bent press, but could not rise with it. This was 38 lbs more than the 386, but would be much more of a difference than that for Kurt and Hermann, thus demonstrating the huge difference between getting a bell to straight arm in this lift as opposed to standing erect from that position.
There is also a reference that indicates Saxon bent pressed 389 and did stand erect with it- see Strength & Health Oct 1933 p 25. As you may know, S&H was not a publication available on the news-stand until the 17th issue which was the Apr 1934 issue, so Oct 1933 is a rare magazine, and assuming many of you will not have access to it, here is some text written by Frank Glasby about whose qualifications to write such a piece I am ignorant. This remains the ONLY article written by him that I have listed in my files which included tens of thousands of articles. Was this a pen name? Anyway, here is what he offered: [my comments in brackets]:
"In my mind there is nothing that stands out so great as the wonderful one arm press performed by Arthur Saxon many years ago in the cellar of Prof. Zazslay's barber shop in London."
[problems already: a knowledgeable writer would not refer to a bent press simply as a one arm press. And, the correct spelling is Szalay]
Without offering a date, Glasby continues: "On this particular occasion, Arthur and his brothers, and a bunch more, had gathered down in the old basement, now a thing of fine, happy memories. We [Glasby includes himself] had induced Arthur to try out on his press again" [bent press, please] "He made one or two initial attempts and then said to us, 'Tie on all those dumb-bells to the bar'. We did and the weight total was 409-3/4 lbs. Without any trouble at all he got the weight to the shoulder with both hands [no doubt stood the bell on end rather than clean it], balanced the terrific load on the hip [first indication he is discussing a bent press], and then slowly began to press. We stood by breathless with amazement as we saw the colossal poundage gradually ascend to arms (sic) length without a tremor. Finally, the arm was straight, and as he began to raise underneath the load some of the bells fell off and struck his body, BUT THE LOAD HAD BEEN RAISED."
"He rose beneath it and held the weight which we weighed later as being 389 lbs."
So about 20 lbs fell off. I accept the 386 as did Klein when he witnessed it and signed an affidavit to that effect.
Jul 23, 1910 The Junior Weightlifting Championships of Great Britain were staged with A. Thompson defeating J.W. Schofield by a total of 50.5 lbs spread out among five total lifts. Contest was at Inch's School of Physical Culture.
Jul 23, 1923 Bill Jones born. Was profiled in Strength & Health Jul 1947 p 12.
Jul 23, 1927 Klein featured for first time in Saturday Evening Post by Ripley
Jul 23, 1989 Aline Reeves suffered a stroke, died the next day, widowing Steve Reeves.
Jul 23, 1991 Christina Maria Aurelia Schwarzenegger born
Jul 24, 1951 Lynda Carter born. A few years ago she was MC for the fitness portion of the Arnold Classic, and held her own against Arnold who joked about what wonders Wonder Woman had resting beneath her blouse.
Jul 24, 1965 Bill Pearl posed in Capetown, South Africa
Jul 24, 1975 Torrie Wilson born; last I heard she was connected to the wrestling world. On Jun 13, 1998 she won a Galaxy competition.
Jul 24, 1979 Robby Robinson began his training camp. The publicity he had going as winner of the IFBB Pittsburgh Pro and the two time winner of the Night of Champions helped him to promote his camp. A month later he won the IFBB Best in the World.
Jul 24, 1989 Aline Reeves died; was buried Jul 26, 1989. Wife of Steve Reeves.
Jul 25, 1920 Hermann Goerner two hands anyhow 430 lbs [see Jul 23, 1877 above for how the two hands anyhow lift originated; this more than doubled it]
Jul 25, 1925 Flo Ziegfeld, with his wife and daughter, had begun a vacation. About a month later they visited Sandow at his cottage near London. Three months later Sandow died.
Correction sent in by David Chapman: The Ziegfeld's visited Sandow at his elegant home in Holland Park (then as now, a very posh London neighborhood). There was never any 'cottage' in some Sylvan glen. I've seen this account repeated before, but it's not accurate. Patricia Ziegfeld gives a thorough account of this visit in her autobiography."
"As you can tell, these are niggling little nitpicks, but I know how much you value absolute accuracy, so I know you will not take it the wrong way if I make these comments."
That's right, David, no offense, just gratitude that the readers of this effort include such researchers as you; thanks again.
Jul 25, 1946 date of photo showing Mae West feeling John Farbotnik's biceps
Jul 25, 1953 Paul Anderson squat 762.25 lbs. Absent from his knees was enough wrapping to have embalmed a tribe of Egyptians; absent from his butt was a squat suit that could have helped launch Apollo II. The good ole days when it was man against barbell, not man plus suit, plus wrapping, plus 'internal fortification' shall we say?
Jul 25, 1962 Skip LaCour born; one of the few modern bodybuilders to absolutely claim to be drug free- the other was/is Mike Ashley.
Jul 25, 1966 Raimonds Bergmanis born; strongman competitor who tied for 5th this year at the Arnold Classic Strongman competition.
Jul 25, 1993 Vern Weaver died; born 1937. On this day Vern took his own life. He was of course AAU Mr. America as of Jun 29, 1963, having begun his physique competitions six years before with the Dec 7, 1957 Mr. Berks County.
The newspaper obituary indicated he died in Pinchot Park at age 56. He had been working for Farrell's Nursey in Dover, PA. He left two daughters, three grandchildren, a sister and two brothers.
Vern was a reader of Scientific American magazine (and he understood it!)- a very bright man, who for whatever reasons, abandoned the struggle.
Jul 26, 1902 Jacques Roumageon- dynamometer 391 lbs
Jul 26, 1904 Emile Deriaz dynamometer 522 lbs
[ a plug for David Horne's IRON GRIP magazine, the current issue including a very solid article on the history of the dynamometer [Jul 2002] for info email David, whose research is refreshing, at irongrip@ntlworld.com ]
Jul 26, 1930 Robert 'Buster' McShane born; died Apr 23, 1973. Busting into muscle competition, he won Mr. Northern Ireland on Mar 3, 1955. In 1963 he was writing a column for the British magazine Health & Strength called 'American Newsletter'. Earlier in 1954 for the Reg Park Journal, he wrote 'News From Ireland'.
He died in a car crash in 1973, shortly before his 43rd birthday.
Jul 26, 1949 William J. Hermann died; born Jul 22, 1856
Jul 26, 1975 Floyd Odom wins Jr. Mr. USA. If anyone can put me in touch with Odom, please let me know.
Jul 26, 1980 Danny Berumen wins Teenage Mr. America
Jul 26, 1989 Aline Reeves was buried in El Camino Memorial Park Cemetery; died Jul 24, 1989. [When Steve Reeves died, he was cremated and his ashes were airborn in his Favorite mountain place]
Jul 27, 1913 Hermann Goerner continentaled but did not jerk 440.92 lbs. Compare this item to Jul 20, 1959, above, with Hepburn.
Jul 27, 1914 Tom Bruno born; died Apr 5, 1984. He co-wrote, with J.C. Hise, two articles on The Chest Shaping Squat in Ironman 7:1 and 7:2, and solo wrote a couple of Beginner's Troubles articles for that mag in Aug and in Nov 1948. There is a local attorney near where I live, so I called on the chance that there might be a connection. Nope.
Jul 27, 1969 Paul Levesque born [Hunter Hearst Helmsley]
Jul 27, 1974 Dave Johns won Jr. Mr. USA
Jul 28, 1893 James Walter Kennedy lifted 1205 lbs probably in the hand and thigh style according to Warren Lincoln Travis who received info from Charles Nostramm about this lift. It was not therefore done in the same Kennedy lift fashion (one leg fore and aft the weight) as was the 1,030 lb lift which used Richard K. Fox's 'dumbell'- which actually was "A huge block shaped weight was cast and two handle affixed to the top, the grips being about 24 inches from the ground". That last detail is significant because usually the height of a barbell for a competition lift is approx 9" off the floor, and of course, the less one has to bend down, the better the lifting leverage factor becomes.
Jul 28, 1911 Tony Terlazzo born; died Mar 26, 1966 at 9 am ( or born Aug 28?) My file on Tony is misplaced; sorry.
Jul 28, 1913 The 1913 World's Weightlifting Championships were staged in Breslau on this day (Monday) and the following day. The contest was described in detail in The British Amateur Weightlifter and Bodybuilders Dec 1950 p 24. Winner in the heavyweights was Josef Grafl with a four lift total of 975 pounds for the RH snatch with 176.25 lbs; LH snatch 165.25; Two Hands Press 281, and Two Hands Continental and Jerk with Barbell 352.5 lbs. Karl Swoboda, the previous year's champ in Berlin, failed to appear for reasons unknown to W.J. Lowry who wrote the report.
Jul 28, 1924 Gottfried Schodl born in Vienna
Jul 28, 1946 Everett Sinderoff won Mr. New England
Jul 28, 1961 Alexander Kurolich born.
Jul 29, 1896 Joseph Moquin born. S&H in the Jan 1937 issue tells the story of how he transferred the Cyr dumbell to Bob Hoffman. That bell now rests in the York Barbell Hall of Fame.
Jul 29, 1923 Charles Pendleton (aka Gordon Mitchell) born in Denver
Jul 29, 1959 Tara Dodane born; a friend of mine, Tony Hollingsworth, who is the son of my childhood, and continued friend, Dan Hollingsworth, tells me that Tara is a wonderful lady who was helpful to him when he competed in Florida.
Jul 29, 1966 Andrulla Blanchette born.
Jul 29, 1982 Harold Sakata died; born Jan 17, 1920
Jul 29, 1996 Orrin Heller died at age 82; born Nov 23, 1913. His obituary appears in Women's Physique World Nov 1996, which though, not bylined, I assume was written by Steve Wennerstrom. The following facts are gleaned from that piece:
Heller's work in collecting/taking photos of muscular women began in the 1940 when that subject matter was not popular or accepted.
"For those of us who came to know Orrin during the 70's and until his passing, his cheerful enthusiasm and willingness to share his experiences of the past will remain a permanent part of our collective memories. He was truly one-of-a-kind. An original."
He was survived by his wife Mary, and son Larry.
For those interested in the women's bodybuilding movement, WPW as it's called is about the most reliable mag you can get. For info write to WPW, Box 443, Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, 07423. or check their website. But be alerted- these are muscular women, not T&A models, though some fitness competitors are included. Of course, Steve Wennerstrom and John Nafpliotis, and Bill Jentz compose the main triology of knowledge of the women's bodybuilding world. In terms we understand they are the Willoughby, Webster, and Gaudreau of that sport.
Jul 30, 1947 at 4:10 am Arnold Schwarzenegger born in Thal, Austria. becomes 55 today.
Jul 30, 1959 Steve Holman born in McAllen, Texas. Is now Editor in Chief at Ironman
Jul 30, 1973 Ellington Darden began working for Nautilus
Jul 30, 1973 Chris Dickerson's father, Henry, died
Jul 31, 1925 Rudy Smith becomes 77 today! He invented the Smith machine. Rudy sent me a photo of himself with the original Smith machine- should be published in Flex magazine soon.
Jul 31, 1944 John Kemper born
Jul 31, 1951 until Mar 31, 1952 Mr. America Roland Essmaker worked at radio station KXOC in Chico, CA.
Aug 1, 1893 Sandow's first performance at the Trocadero Theater in Chicago
Aug 1, 1901 Trial date Sandow vs Saxon. Saxon lost eventually due to a judge ignorant of the rules of weightlifting. Anyone thinking Sandow was stronger than Saxon in ANY lift reveals tremendous ignorance.
Aug 1, 1907 Gustav (Gustave?)Schwarzenegger, Arnold's father, born; died Dec 11, 1972, nearly three months after Arnold won the Mr. Olympia on Sep 24th. Remember that in the movie Pumping Iron, the message is conveyed that Arnold's dad died before the Olympia but that Arnold could not attend the funeral due to training dedication to the upcoming Olympia.
Aug 1, 1923 Minerva died; born Jan 8, 1863
Aug 1, 1959 Harry Johnson won Mr. America in York, PA.
Aug 1, 1959 Mike Ashley born
Aug 1, 1966 Arnold Schwarzenegger began working at Putziger's Gym in Munich at 36 Schiller Strasse, and on this same day, Arnold's brother, Meinhard met Erika Knapp
Aug 1, 1970 Roy L. Smith died; born Apr 24, 1893
INCH 101: part 14
Backtracking to pick up July 6, 1956. In Health & Strength magazine of Aug 14, 1957 there appears a letter to the editor from Thomas Fenton owner of the Inch middleweight challenge dumbell (not the 172):
"Enclosed please find remittance to enroll my daughter in the Health and Strength League. Would you kindly enroll her from the 6th of July, as this date is her first birthday.
"I am sending you a photo of her with Mr. Thomas Inch's 'middleweight Challenge Dumbell, of which I am now the owner."
[some notes: the un-named daughter was born July 6, 1956; how long had Fenton owned the middleweight challenge bell, and what was its weight?]
"Whenever she goes into my room, she always makes straight for the bell, almost making me think she has designs on it. My wife and I are already keen Leagueres." Signed Thomas Fenton, Cathays, Cardiff"
[notes: the wife is also un-named, but in England there surely must exist her name and the daughter's name. David Horne, are you listening? Wouldn't you enjoy tracking down the middleweight bell? The daughter would currently have celebrated birthday # 42 on July 6, 2002, and she may well know where the bell reposes]
Now to Jul 10, 1952 where an article appeared in H&S that roused Tom Fenton's sense of accuracy which seems to appear in H&S Apr 23, 1959 on page 20 (7 years after?):
Fenton refers to the time Reg Park attempted to duplicate three of Inch's challenges when Fenton writes:
"He [Reg] certainly did not close the Inch grip and in view of the fact that Inch was contesting and record breaking at 68, I am sure you will wish to correct this error in fairness to an old favourite."
In the Sep 13, 1913 issue of H&S p 276 Inch writes to H&S to protest the implications housed in a letter written by Edward Aston:
"There is one statement in Aston's letter that I take keen exception to. It is the statement that 'persistent ill-health prevented me from doing better in the wager'". This is calculated to do me harm in my profession of health specialist, and I wish to point out as strongly as possible that there is nothing whatever in my letter which appeared in your issue of August 23rd to warrant the use of these words.
"The wager ran twelve months, and in a nutshell, my position was: For the first seven months it was impossible for me to attempt records on account of my injured knee (the result of an accident). In May I smashed my ankle, (another accident) which incapacitated me for a further two months. Just as I completed my training for my important attempts on July 25th I took a very severe chill, which led to pleurodynia, and which made it impossible for me to lift by August 20th. I would like to point out that the trained athlete is, like a racehorse, particularly susceptible to chills. There is nothing in the above to warrant any statement about 'persistent ill-health'.
Roark References #14
A listing of the gatherings of The Association of Oldtime Barbell and Strongmen, sometimes referred to as AOBS:
#1 1983 Lenny's Clam Bar & Restaurant in Queens, NY #2 1984 Wally & Joseph's Restaurant in NYC #3 Apr 27, 1985 Wally & Joseph's Restaurant
#4 May 10, 1986 Downtown Athletic Club: Inaugural Inductee: John Grimek
#5 May 23, 1987 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Bert Goodrich, Milo Steinborn, Johnny Mandel
#6 Oct 01, 1988 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Steve Reeves. Peary Rader, Mabel Rader
#7 Oct 07, 1989 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Peter George, Marvin Eder, Ed Jubinville, Jules Bacon
#8 Sep 22, 1990 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Tommy Kono, Reg Park, Frank Stanahan, Rudy Sablo
#9 Sep 28, 1991 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Gene Jantzen, Pudgy Stockton, George Eiferman
#10 Sep 26, 1992 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductee: Paul Anderson (was not present)
#11 Oct 23, 1993 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Terry Robinson, David Webster, Chuck Vinci
#12 Oct 08, 1994 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Bill Pearl, Dave Sheppard, Leo Stern
#13 Oct 07, 1995 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Joe Abbenda, Al Berger, Hy Schaffer
#14 Oct 05, 1996 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Norb Schemansky, George Paine, Malcolm Whyatt
#15 Sep 27, 1997 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Dave Mayor, Frank Spellman, Bill Clark
#16 Oct 27, 1998 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Ron Lacy, Joe Pitman, Slim Farman
#17 Oct 23, 1999 Downtown Athletic Club: Inductees: Harry Johnson, John Bradford
#18 Oct 14, 2000 Saddle Brook Marriot Hotel in Saddle Brook, NJ Inductees: Bruno Sammartino, Joe Dube
[#19 Oct 06, 2001 was cancelled due to the events of Sep 11, 2001 and was held instead on Jun 23, 2002 at the Saddle Brook: Inductees: Al Oerter, Joe Puleo, Kenny Hall]
#19 Jun 22, 2002 same inductees as for the cancelled #19. Mark Henry right hand cleaned and push pressed an Inch replica at 11:15 pm. Then picked up the bell with his left hand, took about six steps to a table and placed the bell upon it.

Posted by TheEditor @ 05:40 PM CST
Iron History Jul 5-18, 2002
Thursday, July 4, 2002
There was no column planned for this week because I had given everyone at the corporate offices of Iron History International a week off, but events have happened which demand mention, so we are offering an abbreviated column.
Red Pencil Notes: In MILO Jun 2002 p 91 there appears a typo crediting Inch with a one hand clean of 313 lbs 14 ounces. Should be 214 lbs 14 ounces.
This week we start with INCH 101: part 14, because of Mark Henry's successful one hand clean and push press with an Inch replica on Jun 22, 2002 in New Jersey.
Let's start with an explanation of how I date the events in Inch's life:
Inch was born Dec 27, 1881, but if no specific date is offered for an event in his life then his Dec 27th birth date is ignored and rolled over to Jan 1. In other words, if something happened to Inch when he was age one, then technically it could be said to have happened in 1882- but only four days of 1882. So when Inch says he acquired his first thick handled dumbell at age 15, that would be 1896, but unless he acquired the bell during the final four days of 1896, it is more communicative to say he acquired it in 1897, or at least during the first 360 plus days of 1897. Of course, if a specific date is offered then it is used in age calculations and references.
Chronology of some events regarding Thomas Inch. These are based on comparing many, sometimes conflicting texts, and trying to filter fact from fiction. Some of these are not definite, but are my best thoughts/guesses on the matters at my current knowledge. And, there are presented in chronological order:
It was announced at the Oldtimers' dinner when Henry made his lift that the 172 had been manufactured in 1898. A careful comparison of the various stories about the 172 reveals that not to be the case.
1881 Inch is born
1897 Inch acquires the 140 pound thick handled dumbell
1897 Saxon Trio performing at Grand Theatre in Sheffield
1899 late in this year the Saxon Trio toured South Africa and India
1901 Saxon Trio in Leipzig, Moscow, and England
1902 Arthur Saxon in Manchester, England
1903 Inch moves to London at age 21; meets Arthur Saxon
1903 Inch finally manages to lift the 140 off the floor
1904 Saxon visited every Sandow school in England
1904 Arthur Saxon bent presses 331 in Liverpool
1904 Inch acquires the 153 pound thick handled dumbell
1904 Inch acquires the 75 pound thick handled dumbell (for his left hand)
1905 Arthur Saxon bent presses 335.75 in London
1905 Inch becomes able to continental and jerk the 140
1905 Arthur Saxon bent presses 370 in Stuttgart, Germany
1906 Inch acquires the 172 pound Inch Challenge Dumbell
1907 Introduces the 172 to a London audience
1908 Apollon & Padoubny wrestle three times at Hengler's Circus, London; this, I
believe, I when Saxon and Inch took the 172 to Hengler's for Padoubny to try. Apollon,
over a disputed decision in wrestling had withdrawn from the tournament for a few days,
and it is my belief that Inch used this window of time to avoid Apollon having a try at the
172. Various reports have stated that Inch left the bell for one day or for two weeks. The
one day fits history better, because Apollon returned within one week, and had the bell
been there he would have played with it.
1908 Saxon's mishap in Brussels
1909 Saxon's first tour of America
1910 Saxon bent presses 300 at Attila's Gym in NYC
1911 Saxons performing in America
1911 Inch staying with the Saxons in England, training
1912 Saxon in Vienna
1913 Saxon home to England to see his wife
1913 The Inch 172 is now referred to as 'famous'
1913 Inch moved to Scarborough
1914 Saxon in Germany
1914 World War One begins
1914 Saxons perform in Leipzig, Geneva, and Berm
1920 Inch showed how the 172 'should be handled'
Aug 6, 1921 Arthur Saxon dies
Nov 26, 1921 Inch, for the first time, asserts that Saxon was not able to ever lift the 172
Circa 1929 Inch began competitions with, not the 172, but the 140 lb bell, which he
called his Competition bell. Two hands were allowed to the shoulder and then reps in the
one hand jerk from the shoulder determined the winners.
1931 The 172 is retired until World War Two.
By a careful study of that list, you can determine that Inch's claim that Arthur Saxon tried for '15 years' to master the 172 bell, cannot be accurate. If the bell was manufactured in 1906, and if Arthur did not return to England after 1914, then an eight year span is the most exposure that Arthur could have had to the 172- PLUS those eight years were hardly a period of uninterrupted concentrated training on the bell.
The Thomas Inch Challenge Dumbell at 172 pounds and 2.38" diameter handle, or the more recent replicas of the same with 2.47" diameter handle have become a topic of considerable discussion and debate in recent months. Quite frankly, until we began examining the history of what turned out to be four almost identical dumbbells with weights of 75, 140, 153, and 172 pounds, most sources of history claimed there were only three Inch bells.
Also, Inch claimed to have lifted the 172 bell overhead literally 'hundreds of times' in his lifetime, and at a bodyweight much, much lower than anyone currently seriously thinking of having a chance to clean and push-press, or clean and jerk the 172. In 1937 Inch made this 'hundreds of times' claim even though the bell had been retired for six years at that time, so if he acquired the bell in 1906 which is my opinion based on an incredible amount of study, and if he stopped trying to lift it in 1931, which he acknowledges, then those hundreds of times must have happened in the quarter century from 1906 to 1931. But we know there were periods in that span when he was unable to lift it; this knowledge comes by his own, perhaps inadvertent, admission.
So if Inch could one hand clean and jerk the 172 at will using his powers of concentration directed at the specifically involved muscles, and he began doing this nearly one hundred years ago before modern training methods, and enhanced nutrition, and drugs, why is it that we were awaiting SOMEONE of any size, who gained that size by any means, to step forward and not hundreds of times, but simply a single time, grab hold of the 172 and clean it one handed and thrust it overhead? Inch claimed that of all the contemporary strongmen who tried, not a one succeeded. Being careful to await Saxon's death, Inch then claimed that Arthur himself never mastered the bell even after years of trying, and of having his own replica manufactured, which he did conquer, but somehow the magical mystery tour of Inch's bell escaped the skilled hand of Saxon. Hogwash.
First, of course, Inch never lifted it in this manner hundreds of times, or dozens of times, indeed, he never cleaned and jerked it at all, but would instead substitute one of the lighter bells, according to Edward Aston, who was in Inch's employ for awhile. Indeed, the very reason that Inch refused to disclose the dimensions of the bell was that if he had so disclosed, then anyone with a scale and a tape measure might catch his slight of hand. He did claim to reveal the actual weight of the bell to Deriaz. Aston, finally tiring of being challenged by Inch to lift the 172, countered and told Inch to lift the bell one handed, put it down one handed, and LEAVE IT sitting on stage so that Aston could immediately try to lift it. Aston, in my opinion had seen Inch numerous times lift one of the lighter, identical bells, then carry it off stage and later that evening return with the 172 to offer his challenge. Aston therefore accepted Inch's challenge, but to my knowledge Inch never agreed to those terms. Why not? Hundreds of times but he did not want to lift it a single rep for Aston?
Inch also claimed a biceps of 19-7/8 at a bodyweight of under 200 pounds. This is remarkable considering that for a period of about five years as a youngster in training he did not increase his bodyweight at all, and claimed to have slender wrists, which to fit the limiting ratio of 3:1 wrist to upper arms could not have taped more than 6.6", but in no photos I have seen of him did his wrists appear so small, nor did his hands appear to David Webster to be unusually small, as Inch liked to assert. He also claimed 15" forearms (measured straight, not goose-necked) and this would have been a ratio of the impossible size of 2.3 to 1 for forearms. So, if you have 7" wrists, to match the ratio that Inch claimed, would require 16.1", and 7.5" wrists need 17.25", measured non-goose- necked.
Remember the number of photos taken during those 'hundreds of times' that Inch had the 172 overhead, or was in the process of one-hand cleaning it? That number is zero. Of the thousands of audience members who through the years must have witnessed some of these successes, no one has a photo to offer? Not even Inch offered any photos of himself lifting it. There is a photo so described in an old issue of Strength & Health, but that bell is clearly not the Inch 172, but a plate loaded bell. Inch was a masterful businessman who knew how to market himself, so why no photos of the 172 overhead in one of his hands?
Hopefully, in the past few installments of Inch 101, we have presented enough evidence to demonstrate that Inch never cleaned and put overhead, with one hand, the 172. Indeed, when a photo explaining his technique to shoulder the bell is offered, he is shown using two hands in a continental, not a clean, with the bell resting on his rearward leaning torso.
Indeed when men like Kaz and Phil Pfister need to continental the bell to the shoulder instead on cleaning it, one suspects that Inch may not have quite had the cleaning power of these two mastiffs. Phil indicated this week that he cannot yet one hand clean his replica, but he plans some surprises at the next Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, next year.
So, this year on Jun 22, Mark Henry was planning to try to clean and push-press, or clean and jerk, with one hand in either case, the 172, if his injured triceps would permit. I now present an email from Terry Todd of the U of Texas. I have added dates with brackets for clarity.
An email from Terry Todd dated Friday, June 21, 2002. This was the day before the Oldtimers dinner in Saddle Brook, New Jersey:
"Joe, "Just a note to let you know-because I think your work has earned you the right to be the first to know the complete details- that three weeks ago, [May 30] on Thursday at 4:50 PM, in the Varsity Weight Room at UT [University of Texas in Austin] , Mark Henry cleaned a replica of the Inch Dumbell with one hand. He didn't touch it with the other hand at any time during the lift and it was caught high on the shoulder.
"He had first tried to lift the Bell three weeks before [circa May 9?], after first cleaning a smaller bell I'd had made for him (made from two 8" long pieces of 6" bar stock joined by a 6" handle made from a piece of 2.5" bar stock) weighing 154 pounds. This was his first chance to lift the smaller bell, and it was still hot from having just been made at the machine shop. I didn't think he'd try the Inch that first day, but as he lifted the small one so easily I suggested that he make an attempt. So twice, he pulled it up, turned it over to his shoulder, but caught it so that it drifted away from his laterally. He was away for two weeks, [May 23?] then did the exact same thing again�warm up with regular dbs to 150, then lift the small one, then turn the big one over twice but fail to "fix" it. That day, however, I had Jan take a videotape so he could see what he was doing wrong,, which was to not step slightly forward with his right foot (he cleaned with his right hand) so as to get under the bell and "trap" it. When he saw the tapes I think he quickly understood what to do and a week later, [May 30] after another easy clean with the light bell he stepped forward and made the historic clean. Jan was in a meeting that day and so we have no photos or films, but we had two witnesses besides me. Mark was very happy. "He'd have been practicing much earlier, but about two weeks after the Arnold he partially tore the triceps on his right arm and so has been unable to do any sort of normal press or arm training. In fact, the doctors told him to lay off entirely for six weeks or so from all upper body training. But as he began to recover we learned that he could catch a light db in a clean without pain and so I suggested that he make an attempt to play catch- up and try to do what we'd been hoping to do�make an "official" attempt to clean an Inch replica at Vic's dinner. When Mark first hurt himself I was disappointed�both because he was hurt and because we'd spoken earlier about how he could practice with his Inch replica and maybe learn to clean it in time for Vic's gathering.
"Following his first clean, he was back two weeks or a bit less and made another attempt, but this time jammed his thumb with the small bell when it bounced back up and hit him as he dropped it to the platform after the clean. So we decided to get the bleeding stopped and wait for perhaps one more chance before the 22nd. [ June] That chance came this past Sunday,[June 16] when he made an easier clean with the Inch after his normal warm-up and a clean with the smaller bell. This time about ten people in the gym saw him, including Jan. So we have some confidence that he'll be able to make the clean in front of all the old heroes at the dinner. He weighed just a pound or two or three under 400 when he made these lifts, and he was 30 when he made the first and 31 when he made the second. So far I've kept the attempt more or less a secret, although I've had to tell a few people to get clearance to do the thing so it won't upset the program. So if you would don't alert the troops until it happens. I'll let you know how it goes. We're doing it this way in part as a way of thanking Vic for all his years of work.
"I wish Mark could have trained on the push press, but I've advised him not to put the bell overhead even if it feels light as it would be a shame and set him back in his training and ringwork if he re-injured the triceps. I told him that anyone who really knew lifting would know that the difficult thing about the Inch was that it would be very, very difficult (thought to be impossible by DPW) [David P. Willoughby] for anyone to clean with one hand but not all that hard to elevate overhead. I told him he'd have plenty of chances to put it up for reps down the line.
"I have to say it was a fine thing to see him clean it, especially the first time, and I wish you could have seen it, too. I might add that he says he can get a much better grip on the smaller bell because the handle is wide enough to allow him to get the whole hand down on the handle�something he can't do with the narrower Inch.
"T
"PS By the way, I really liked the photo you took of Mark lifting the Wheels�the one that ran with David's article about the Arnold. I'd very much like to have a copy, and I know Mark would, too."
Keep in mind when Thomas Inch claimed to be able to one hand clean and jerk the 172 pound challenge bell, his bodyweight was 210 pounds, so the bell was 82% of his bodyweight. I hasten to add that I do not believe Inch was ever able to perform this feat, but such was his claim, and further, that he was able to perform this feat, during his strength career, hundreds of times, while hundreds of other men who tried, all failed. [for Mark Henry, 82% of 400 pounds would be 328 pounds, or roughly the Inch replica plus that 154 pound warm-up bell combined!]
Inch weighed 210 circa 1909 when he was about 26 years old.
So in Saddle Brook, New Jersey on Saturday night June 23, 2002, with a camera crew from the World Wrestling Entertainment company (formerly WWF) standing by, and with about 250 people watching, Mark Henry came out, and with one hand, power cleaned (dipped very little) the Inch 172 replica and push-pressed it overhead. He did keep the bell overhead for a couple of seconds, though it did not appear to be stabilized and still, before he threw it down from his right hand. He also deadlifted the bell with his left hand and carried it a few feet to a table. In my opinion, this is the very first time that an Inch 172 has ever been one handed all the way by anyone. If Mark weighed about 400 pounds, then the bell represented 43% of his bodyweight (for comparison, a 200 pound man would need to succeed with an 86 lb replica, to have proportionate strength). And lest anyone pooh-pooh this comparison, keep in mind that weight classes have been a part of weightlifting for more than a century.
For the record, Mark's success came at 11:15 pm- thanks to 3Crusher of the grippage.com for the exact time.
Nonetheless, honor to Mark Henry for being the first man of any weight to conquer the Inch 172. Who will succeed next? Will a woman ever be able to join this group? Will anyone ever be able to clean and then jerk or push press a replica in each hand at the same time? Or to farmer's carry an Inch in each hand? John Wood has already grabbed a replica in each hand, off a table, pivoted, walked a few steps and held the bells for a total lapsed time of 45 seconds which his sister snapped some photos (see Iron History Gallery for two of those shots).
In May 1911, Inch's strength level had descended to a point where he could one hand clean, on a standard 1" bar, only 170 pounds; so logic demands that he could NOT have lifted 172 on a 2.38" bar! So somewhere between when he introduced the 172 in 1907, and four years later, whatever training regimen he was on was slowly zapping his reserve of power. His system was called Miniature Weightlifting. Perhaps Going Backwards in Progress would have been more apt. Of course, Inch was telling people that an 8 pound (yes, eight pound) dumbell was heavy enough for training.
If you have any questions regarding the above text, please use the comment button or contact me through the Iron History Q+A section mentioned in the intro page to this column. You may well have read articles which conflict with what I have presented; I suspect I have also read those same articles, and considering who wrote which articles, and who had gains to be made, and by comparing strength levels of various strongmen in other lifts, the above are my [temporary?] conclusions.
Now some brief notes:
Jul 5, 1862 Franz 'Cyclops'Bienkowski; died 1922. Eugen Sandow's career was was jumper-cabled after he defeated Cyclops on Oct 29 and four days later defeated Charles Sampson on Nov 2, 1889. Cyclops & Sampson at the time was performing in London at the Royal Aquarium, and were offering significant prized for anyone who could defeat them. Enter Sandow, exit Sandow with the awards.
Cyclops was nicknamed the coin breaker or the money broker because he was reputed to be able to break coins, and William A. Pullum wrote of this in H&S Sep 16, 1954.
Jul 5, 1912 John Terpak born; died Jun 1, 1993
Jul 5, 1955 Paul Anderson Day in Georgia as proclaimed by Governor Marvin Griffin IM 15:2 p 40
Jul 5, 1968 Michelle Andrea born
Jul 6, 1972 Lee Priest born
Jul 6, 1991 Bryan Frederick measured Lee Haney's unpumped upper arm flexed at 20.5" in Dixon, Illinois at 4:30pm. Haney weighed approx 260 and was ten weeks out from the Olympia.
Jul 7, 1950 Jack Walsh claimed backlift 4,235 lbs IM 10:4 p 19
Jul 8, 1837 Donald Dinnie born; died Apr 2, 1916
Jul 8, 1917 Jules Bacon born, so turns 85 today!
Jul 8, 2001 Walter Good died at age 93
Jul 9, 1910 Hermann Goerner lifted a 595.75 lb barrel and placed it on a table
Jul 9, 1915 Frances Hise (Joe's sister) born; died May 18, 1988
Jul 9, 1976 Amanda 'Mandy' Blank born
Jul 9, 1983 George Greenwood died; in H&S in Oct 1946 he debuted a series of articles titles 'Going All Out for Physical Excellence'. H&S at that time was a monthly magazine and his nine part series on bodybuilding continued into 1947 when H&S began being published more often.
His series "Bodybuilder's Forum' began on Jul 31, 1947 (two weeks after the other series ended) and Greenwood penned the column thru Feb 5, 1953, then two weeks later Oscar Heindenstam took it over.
In the early 1970s Greenwood co-wrote some editorials with Heidenstam, and in the late 1970s offered a couple of articles for Muscle Mag International's 'Annuals'-this is an idea, by the way, whose time has re-emerged, in my opinion. We need an 'annual' to recap the year's events. From Dec 1963 thru Mar 1968 George wrote some for Ironman, and from Jun 1967 thru Jan 1977 he contributed to Muscular Development. He also wrote in MTI from Nov 1975 thru Sep 1981.
Jul 11, 1969 George Jowett died; born Dec 23, 1891
Jul 12, 1941 Warren Lincoln Travis' final show at Coney Island; he suffered a heart attack in the early morning hours of Jul 13 and died at 12:30am on Jul 13. Born Feb 21, 1876
Jul 14, 1941 Pudgy Eville and Les Stockton wedding. They are still married. Think it will last? It has lasted today for 61 years!
Jul 16, 1946 Alan Stephen and Frank Kay appeared on the Bob Wright TV show called "Human Interest in the News" on WKBK, and this was the first instance in which posing and weightlifting were televised in America.
Jul 16, 1965 Bill Pearl posed in Durbin, South Africa
Jul 16, 1966 Kevin Levrone born in Baltimore
Jul 16, 1977 Dave Johns won Mr. America
Jul 16, 1999 Charles P. Roman died
Jul 17, 1946 Meinhard Schwarzenegger born; died May 20, 1971
Jul 18, 1941 George Redpath opened his gym on Manchester Ave in L.A.
Jul 18, 1953 Tommy Kono won Mr. Sacramento
Jul 18, 1985 Bob Hoffman died in York Hospital; born Nov 9, 1898. Bob was the moving force in American weightlifting basically his entire adult life. He wrote frequently for his two magazines, Strength and Health, and Muscular Development. Here are some of his pen names and a sample of where he used each:
D.A.Downing S&H Jan 1936, and Apr 1973 (yes). I understand there was an actual man with this name who gave Bob permission to write using the name.
Alan Carse S&G Apr 1935, Jan 1949*
Joe Mar S&G Jun 1935
T.O.Morrow S&H Jan 1935 p 13
*I asked Mike Dietz, an official at York Barbell, if Hoffman used the name Alan Carse
and Dietz said no, but I believe Hoffman did write under that name.
S&H began in Dec 1932, MD began Jan 1964.
Bob's column Your Training Problems' began in S&H Jan 1940 and ended in Sep 1948 by Bob but Grimek took it over in Oct 1948.
In MD Bob's column 'Interesting Facts About Nutrition' ran Apr 1965 to Sep/Oct 1975 and became 'True Facts About Nutrition with the Nov/Dec 1975 issue but was soon re- titled 'Facts About Nutrition' starting May/Jun 1976 which it remained thru Oct 1985.
In 1918 when Bob came out of the army he was 6'3" and weighed 170. He married Rosetta in the fall of 1926 in Wilkinsburg, a suburb of Pittsburgh at the Ross Avenue Methodist Church. I once called there and chatted with someone.
Of course, the Weider/Hoffman wars began when Joe's magazines started making an impact on Hoffman's income. Hoffman had long ignored bodybuilding, but 'owned' weightlifting, so Joe focused on bodybuilding. The rest, as they say, is histrionics!
The magazines printed obits about Bob when he died- except S&H which simply presented letters from readers. Here is a list of obits for your refs: MuscleMag Int Oct 1985; Ironman Nov 1985; Muscular Development Nov 1985; Muscle Training Illustrated Jan 1986, and Powerlifting USA Sep 1985
See you Jul 19th when we will be back with a full column.

Posted by TheEditor @ 01:56 PM CST