Louis Cyr: The Canadian Hercules

Louis Cyr: The Canadian Hercules

Louis Cyr won his first strongman contest at the age of seventeen by lifting a horse -- and went on to become one of the greatest strongmen who ever lived. His other impressive feats include backlifting over two tons, bent-pressing 273 pounds (beating Sandow's record and resisting the pull of four draught horses (two strapped to each arm) in the human chain feat.

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Barrel Lifting With Hermann Goerner

Barrel Lifting With Hermann Goerner
The great German Strongman Hermann Goerner regularly performed many unusual strength feats as he traveled the world with the circus.

Here's a feat you don't see every day, Goerner supports over a 1000 pounds on his back consisting of four gentlemen on a special bar made to hold a couple beer-filled barrels.

This particular feat was performed in South Africa as part of his act during his 1935 tour.

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George Jowett's Anvil

George Jowett's Anvil

"In the old days, anvils were made in various sizes, and in a smithy shop you could always find three or four of different weights. A light anvil would be about seventy-five or eighty pounds and used for straightening nails, or light riveting.

The others averaged around one hundred forty pounds to one hundred sixty-eight pounds.

Where heavy forging was done, anvils much heavier were used, but the last two named seemed to be the regular thing. If any new comer wanted to try his strength they would ask him if he could lift an anvil with one hand. This was done by standing the anvil on end with the horn pointing upwards. The horn is a very thick conical affair that runs abruptly to a point.

You were supposed to take hold of the horn with the hand and raise it off the floor.

I have seen several raise the seventy-five or eighty pound anvil high off the floor, but I only saw two ever lift the one hundred forty pounds anvil; while on three occasions I successfully raised the anvil of one hundred and sixty-eight pounds.

It is a very severe arm test, and if a man had the grip to raise any of these anvils in this manner, he always had the forearm to make it possible and the wrist to sustain both."

- From The Key to Might & Muscle - Chapter 8 - Thickening the Wrist by Strengthening the Grip By George F. Jowett

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Young Thomas Inch

The Great British Strongman Thomas Inch, as he looked when he won the title of "World's Junior Champion Weightlifter" circa 1901. Inch went on to become the World's Middleweight Champion as well as the first to hold the title of Britain's Strongest Man. Some of his best marks: Two Hands Anyhow: 356-1/2 Pounds Two-Dumbbell Jerk: 276 Pounds One-Arm Push: 201 Pounds Back Press with 30-Strand Chest Expander Thomas Inch was most well-known though for his famous Challenge Dumbbell and other feats of grip strength,(Which we will cover on another occasion.)

Young Thomas Inch

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John Grunn Marx: The Luxembourg Hercules

John Grunn Marx: The Luxembourg Hercules
At an exhbition in Paris in the year 1905, John Grunn Marx, (aka The Luxembourg Hercules) broke three horseshoes in a span of 2 minutes and 15 seconds, an unbelievable feat of grip and forearm strength.

Speaking of Grip Strength, note Marx's incredible forearm-tendon development which is evident in this picture.

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