This Man Wrestled an Elephant – Can You?

Goerner lived from 1881 to 1956 and performed with Pagel’s Circus in South Africa, where one of his stunts was to wrestle with an elephant. At the beginning of the tour the elephant weighed in at 700lbs. but by the end was over 1,500lbs. How’s that for progressive strength training? In fact, Goerner never said the weight of the elephant was a problem, but instead cited its rough hide, which would leave his skin raw.

Here’s some more of his strength feats. This is an excerpt from Goerner the Mighty by Edgar Mueller:

It should be stated that he was the only strength athlete in the world who, over a period of twenty years, could do at any time of the day or night, a Two Hands Clean and Jerk of 330 ¾ lb. on his Stage Barbell – without warming up! As has already been stated, this Barbell possessed a shaft of 2 ⅜ in. in diameter, a fact which made this feat even more meritorious.

Although phenomenal with the more normal lifts, Goerner was a circus performer and thus did things that are rarely seen now. One of his challenge feats was a stiff-arm, one-hand snatch of 169.75lbs. This is amazing enough and far beyond the abilities of most people, but it was made all the more incredible when you realize it was done on a barbell with a 2 ⅜ths-inch shaft!

Another of Goerner’s challenges involved snatching a barbell with the arms crossed. If you’ve never tried this just go ahead and do it with an empty barbell and you’ll see how awkward it is. He did this cross-arm snatch with 231.5lbs.

Goerner’s kettlebell juggling feats are the heaviest in recorded history. For example, he did a triple flip with a 50kg bell. (That’s his gym, full of kettlebells, pictured to the right.) He also deadlifted 793lbs. and this was back in 1920 before the deadlift was popular and it was a lift that Goerner rarely trained in the regular manner. What may be even more amazing is his right hand-only deadlift of 727lbs.

Now that you have an idea of how strong Hermann Goerner was, we can take a look at how he got that way.

Hermann Goerner’s Training Methods

As with any person there were some changes in Goerner’s training over time, but what will mostly be covered here are the principles and methods he followed for the largest part of his career.

On average he trained four or five days per week. And these weren’t quick sessions either. As Mueller wrote, “Each training session averaged two hours when performed in the Club, and when training in the open air it would vary between three and four hours – sometimes even longer.”

Of course, in training for these long periods of time you cannot burn yourself out. Mueller went on to explain:

In performing the greater majority of his many amazing feats, [Goerner] very rarely exerted himself to anywhere near the limits of his astounding power. In many cases, he could have exceeded the lift he made at the time of performance by a further attempt, but this he always refused to do…He trained always as the mood took him – varying his programme to suit his energy and condition of the moment and never did he force himself to perform any workout when not feeling just in the mood…He did not have or follow what might be really termed a “set” training programme…He did, of course, use a planned and progressive programme but he did not, as many do, map out a certain number of lifts with a certain poundage and then perform them a set number of times for a given period.

Goerner trained in what might be termed an intuitive manner. He always worked within his capabilities, within the parameters of what he could do. It’s amazing to think that in all of his many lifting feats, they were likely not true maxes for him. While some strongmen always tried their hardest, Goerner always kept it easy.

Now the question moves on to what exercises did he perform and with what kinds of weights and volume? Muller provides the answer:

His inventive mind was always scheming out new and different ways of lifting all kinds of weights – kettlebells, dumb-bells, barbells, block weights, barrels, loaded sacks, etc.…Hermann favoured low repetitions – usually 3 and very rarely 4 – with the weight being increased by 5 kilos (10 lb.) after each set.

With that, we may boil his training down to a few principles that anyone could put into practice:

• Train frequently
• Train by mood and feel
• Never, ever train to your limit
• Always be progressive
• Use plenty of variety
• Use low reps but do lots of exercises in a workout

To give you an example of how this is all put into practice here is how Hermann Goerner trained his deadlifting.

Goerner’s Deadlift Training

In working with the deadlift, Goerner would use many variations. As you’ll see, tons of attention was put in developing tremendous finger strength. With the following twelve styles he would typically use four of them in a given workout, rotating which ones he trained.

1. Index fingers only with two hands in overhead grip deadlift.
2. Index fingers only with two hands in a reverse grip deadlift.
3. Middle fingers only with two hands in overhead grip deadlift.
4. Middle fingers only with two hands in reverse grip deadlift.
5. Index and middle fingers only with two hands in overhand grip deadlift.
6. Index and middle fingers only with two hands in reverse grip deadlift.
7. Two hands deadlift with normal overhead grip.
8. Two hands stiff-leg deadlift with normal overhand grip.
9. Two hands rapid deadlift using overhand hook grip. In this he would heave up the barbell bending his arms at the top.
10. Two hands bent arm deadlift using overhead hook grip.
11. Two hands deadlift with reverse grip.
12. Two barbells deadlift suitcase style.

Along with this, Goerner would work various shrugging and good morning exercises to help support his deadlifting and pulling ability.

As you can see this is done far differently than pretty much anyone else alive today. The focus on strengthening the hands first and on lots of variety allows for more progress in ways beyond just maxing out in the deadlift.

References:

1. “Goerner the Mighty,” Edgar Mueller (Strongman Books, 2012, South Carolina) pg. 30, 36, 40, 69, 71, 72, 81-83

The post Strongman Profile: Hermann Goerner Teaches Us the Deadlift (and Elephant Wrestling) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The first article in this series is about Arthur Saxon, the Iron Master, who lived from 1878 to 1971. Here was a man who could lift 370lbs overhead with a single arm in the bent press. This is more weight than can be lifted off the ground with two hands by the majority of the population. This lift has never been matched by anyone in over a hundred years since it occurred. Some of Saxon’s other record lifts include a one hand snatch of 200lbs, a two-handed military press of 252lbs, a jerk from behind the neck of 311lbs, and much more.

Saxon traveled with a number of other performers including his brothers as the Saxon Trio, giving nightly performances demonstrating their strength. He was certainly a fan of heavy weight lifting. He said that when it came to training, the heavier the weights the better. But Saxon never thought that weights were the only way to go and his definition of strength included much more than being able to lift a heavy weight one time.

In his book The Development of Physical Power, Saxon stated:

It will be found correct in most instances to practice twice per week, and at such practices I advise that on each lift you commence with fairly light weights, and gradually increase the weight of same. Taking the double-handed lift, if your lift is about 200 pounds commence at 100 pounds, and with this light weight press overhead, then add 20 pounds and press again, and so on, until you are compelled to jerk the weight. Proceed until you reach your limit, then try another lift, say the snatch, commencing low and working up to your highest poundage.

As for what movements to work on, Saxon was a fan of doing all sorts of lifting:

Do not make the mistake of limiting your practices to any one set of lifts…Practice everything – single and double-handed press in dumb-bells and bar bells, single and double-handed lifts, all the way in dumb-bells and bar bells, snatching and swinging, jerking and pressing, lying down with weights, supporting weights, lifting weights while laid on the back, ring weights, human weights, and, if possible, double-handed lifts to the knee, and harness lifts, also holding the bell aloft and bringing a weight after with the disengaged hand, and raising bells aloft by what is known as the Continental style of lifting.

Notice Saxon’s continual use of the word practice. Arthur Saxon and his brothers often trained for several hours per day. If this is your approach, you can’t be burning yourself out and training to failure. Although training for long periods each day can’t be done by most people, as they’re not professional lifters, you can still approach your training with a similar mentality. In his Text Book of Weight Lifting, Saxon wrote, “If a man seriously proposes to go in for lifting heavy weights, he should make a point of practicing certain lifts every day. This daily practice is absolutely essential to the achievement of any real success.”

While training two to three times a week can work great for the average person to become more fit and strong, if you want to move beyond that you must change your approach, especially for the more technical lifts. Most of the lifts Saxon was a big fan of are no longer practiced and I think this is a mistake. Many of the lifts he practiced were with a single hand using a barbell or a dumbbell. Barbells are almost always lifted with two hands these days. But by lifting it with one, you increase the demands on the body. The barbell instantly becomes more of an odd object, rather than something balanced and easy to handle.

While the snatch and clean and jerk are still in use often today, the many related varieties are not. These same lifts can be done with a barbell in one hand or with one or two dumbbells. Each lift will be different and will provide for a well-rounded athlete. In fact, for the majority of athletes, doing unilateral training while using heavy weights in an explosive manner can be exactly what they need.

Not to mention going “outside-the-box” can be very fun to do. Take a lift that is rarely performed these days, like the bent press or a dumbbell swing, and practice it for four to six weeks to see what you can accomplish with it. And regarding the dumbbell swing, in the old-time lifting manner, it is quite different from the kettlebell swing commonly done today. It is like a snatch in that the dumbbell goes overhead, but the arm stays straight the entire time. Saxon explained:

The muscles called into play are practically the same here as in the one-handed snatch, but the bell must be placed on and between the feet as shown in illustration. Keep the head down, then, with a perfectly straight arm, pull up, using a combination of muscular efforts and concentration as described in the snatch lift. Lean back and watch the dumb-bell with your eyes, and when it is at a suitable height suddenly dip beneath same and twist your wrist violently, so that you may place a straight arm beneath the bell.

Also note the starting position of the dumbbell, which is useful in pulling off this move. Go ahead and try this lift the next time you exercise and see what you can do. And remember this isn’t some new fitness fad you’re experimenting with – you’re using the knowledge of the old-time Iron Master, Arthur Saxon.

References:

1. Arthur Saxon, The Development of Physical Power (South Carolina, Strongman Books, 2010), 21 & 39

2. Arthur Saxon, Text Book of Weight Lifting (South Carolina, Strongman Books, 2010), 44

The post Strongman Profile: Arthur Saxon Teaches Us the Dumbbell Swing appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In the beginning there was the age of the professional strongman, performing on the vaudeville and music hall stages of Europe and America in the late 1800s. Professional events were flamboyant displays of strength and purposely non-standardized. Every performer wanted to bill himself as “The Strongest Man in the World.” Since no one was interested in seeing the second strongest man in the world a few gambits had to be resorted to if everyone was to eat (and that was then, as now, a favorite activity of lifters). Some used trickery to get their edge. Hollow barbells with flowing mercury would beat many who tried to duplicate their master’s feat.

Others were more honest ones but also more imaginative. To ensure that all could establish some claim to the mythical title “World’s Strongest Man” they specialized. Each would take a certain pet lift and become very good at it. Out of professional courtesy and also to protect their own egos and reputations these lifts would be avoided by their competitors. Then they could all claim that they were at least the strongest man in the world at that particular lift. This situation prevailed up until the start of World War I.

At the same time as professional lifting was unknowingly on its last legs, amateur weightlifting was beginning to develop. Quite unlike the pros there was a need for standardization that would allow some comparison among the performers now taking up the activity. This standardization process was not smooth or straight forward. Each national culture specialized in its own verity of strength testing, many of which had been folk activities for a long time, perhaps centuries.

The Russians lifted kettlebell-type weights for repetitions. The Scottish liked to throw heavy implements. The Basques hefted their stones shoulder high. The Germans and Austrians used heavy globe barbells lifted overhead in awkward movements. The French preferred more aesthetic lifts that did not touch the body. Some liked single-lift tests of maximum strength, others multi-repetition endurance lifting, some others liked to include balance feats along with strength displays. Both one- and two-hand lifting saw popularity in different countries.

One contest in 1878 featured twenty lifts, including lifting with fingers, squats, one- and two-hand jerks, swings, presses, endurance presses, bench presses and lastly, press, snatch, and clean and jerk. Many devotees believed that a champion should be able to do everything. But such contests were unwieldy. Something had to be done, but each lift still had its proponents. It took a long time to decide just what performance principle would prevail.

Weightlifting in the inaugural 1896 Olympics in Athens featured two events, a one-handed lift and a two-handed lift. There were no bodyweight categories so size would be an asset under these conditions. This regime did not last. As world or European championships began to be organized by individual countries the lifts contested could change with the venue. The Germanic nations liked overhead lifts while Britain, France, America and Russia favored one-arm lifts requiring balance. In some competitions performances were not measured in pounds or kilos but were based on some point system. Technical errors would result in deducted points or weight if so measured. A major step forward was the introduction of bodyweight categories by the British, influenced by what was already done in boxing. The Germans had also proposed a set of three height classes but this did not take hold.

In 1901 Marquis Luigi Monticelli-Obizzi of Italy made a list of suggestions that would result in significant changes over the course of time, if not immediately. Among these was the elimination of exercises performed in only one country. International popularity would thus count for something. Lying exercises would be eliminated as well as this requiring side or forward raised arms. There would thus be fewer lifts and these would involve the large muscle groups, not specialized single joint movements. Duplication of exercises was also to be avoided. Therefore right and left one-arm versions of the two-handed lifts could be eliminated as well as those using two-hand lifts with separate weights in each hand. Twisting movements were also dropped since they were due more to flexibility than strength. Endurance lifting would also be dropped because it was not a good gauge of power and also harmful if done to extremes. This genre would go into hibernation for a century, awaiting the development of CrossFit.

What remained were mostly the three classic Olympic lifts. They did not become standard until the 1928 Olympics, although they were used with one-arm lifts in the earlier 1920s. This remained the competition set until 1972 when the press was dropped. The press started as a strict military press but developed over the years into a quick lift, all done very loosely. Here is a video of Doug Hepburn at the 1954 Commonwealth Games:

The French-inspired “clean” style of bringing the bar to the chest was finalized in the years after World War I. And that clean was a split version. Cleaning replaced the awkward “continental” style favored by the Germanic nations as that war’s winners could prevail in its aftermath. The Germans then developed the squat style as a replacement method of raising the bar. American coach Larry Barnholth greatly improved the squat style’s technique, which was later perfected and used almost exclusively by all lifters.

The power lifts were not competed on much until the 1950s, being referred to as “odd lifts” in those days. The deadlift was the oldest, having been a pet lift of professional Herman Goerner of South Africa in the 1920s. It was used as an assistance exercise in the intervening years before Bob Peeples of the United States matched Goerner’s level in the 1950s.

Squatting was first popularized by Italy’s Marquis Alfred Pallavicini and then more famously performed by pro strongman-wrestlers Milo Steinborn and Bert Assirati in the 1930s and 1940s. After Steinborn the weight world would have to wait for the arrival of Canada’s Doug Hepburn and the U.S.A’s Paul Anderson in the 1950s before 600 pound squats were again performed. Here Paul Anderson performs a 435 pound clean and press:

The bench press was a little known exercise until the late 1940s. It was probably helped a bit by its use in rehabbing soldiers injured in World War II. Again it took off in the 1950s with superb performances by Hepburn and Marvin Eder. In the 1960s powerlifting would emerge as a new sport and would then diverge from Olympic lifting and develop separately. Curls and upright rows had been contested in some early meets but these were dropped in the early 1960s.

It is important to know our iron sports history and how we have come to the exercises used in most gyms throughout the world. When we do it becomes apparent that the lifts we have now were not inevitable but were the result of consultation and compromise by the founders of our sports over a period of years. With different personalities and different history, who knows, we might all be doing totally different “standard” lifts today.

References:

With thanks to Gottfried Schödl’s The Lost Past, 1992, an IWF publication.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post The History of Weight Sports: How They Evolved Since 1900 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.