( the pic since has inspired me to bulk up!!). He just kept looking at me and the awkward hunk of iron mass that was defying him. In fact, an upcoming French movie is being made of his exploits. Cyr was very popular in Britain, being feted by celebrities and Royalty alike, including the then Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria. Cyr was also credited with side pressing 273.75lb/124kg with ONE ARM (the right) …a lift witnessed by Britain’s great champion Tom Pevier, who described it more like a ‘Jerk Press.’ The dumbbell, a huge thick handled one, was lifted to the shoulders with two hands, before the single handed overhead move. On May 8, 1896, at the Saint-Louis Hall , in Chicago, Illinois, Cyr performed a crucifix hold of ten seconds with a 97-1/4-pound dumbbell in the right hand and an 88-pound dumbbell in the left hand. He later defeated Canadian strongman David Michaud in one hand lifting and by lifting 2,371 pounds on his back. The years began to take their toll, and by 1904 Louis’ health began to fail, also helped by the excessive eating and inactivity…he then weighed in the region of 400 lbs., he slimmed as best he could for his last contest of strength with Hector De Carrie, with Louis retaining his title, retiring unvanquished. . This rare engraving is from a Quebec newspaper from the late 1800s. His weight at that time was 291 pounds. estimated. Louis Cyr, the Canadian Hercules, raises a 273-pound dumbbell above his head with one hand. With the interrogative “Louis,” she would announce her presence. Sullivan by the way was known as The Boston Strong Boy and was VERY powerful, but not in Cyr’s class) Cyr, happy in his own environment beat all comers when challenged to perform. I thought it would be neat to display this since the recent article appeared in a recent Daily News below. To search further, one has to look at contemporary journals such as “Police Gazette”, Health and “Strength” and later “Superman” and “Iron Man”, especially the works of W.J. In May, 1883, at age 19, Louis Cyr became the greatest stone lifter ever, hoisting from the ground to the shoulder a 517-pound boulder, in Lowell, Massachusetts. of meat at one meal…a genuine gourmand, increasing weight enormously in his later years. Coming from a robust French Canadian family, developing extraordinary strength, when even at a early age. Was this the neighborhood that Cyr himself once roamed? 4. 9.

Ben Weider who was privileged to family archives was even more generous giving arm size 24″/61cm, forearms 19″/48.2cm, and calves, the disputed 28″/71cm, following a similar line to Jowett. Promoted by Fox, Louis went on tour circa 1885 – 1891 beating amongst others Sebastian Miller, Bienkowski or Cyclops who could genuinely bend coins, August Johnson and Richard Pennell, plus continually challenging …. Prevent, eliminate or reduce tennis elbow and associated pains. According to “Strength and Health” magazine, Hoffman, after several attempts was able to bent press it, as did the much lighter 150 lb. Without thinking I picked it up off the floor and tossed it aside so it wouldn’t be in the way.

The same evening he became the first human to ever lift over 1,500 pounds to the knees (1,897 pounds) By age 17 he weighed 230 pounds, liked to play the violin, dance and work out with weights. On May 7th and 8th 1896, he performed a crucifix with 97.25lb/44kg in his right hand, and 88lb/40kg in his left.

In 1886 Cyr met and defeated Richard Pennell, then Pennell being 40, and Louis just 23. First-rate content MILO is the world’s leading publication for strength sports: Olympic-style weightlifting, strongman, Highland Games, throwing, grip and a lot more. In 1900 Cyr’s health started to fail.

!” We all eyeballed the massive, well weathered statue and couldn’t miss the inscription! Louis was a large child, weighing close to 18 pounds at birth and, from an early age, those around him were impressed with his natural strength. Unfortunately, I do not remember how much it was loaded to at the time. More power of the arm and shoulder was demonstrated by his stunt of stacking four fifty pound weights one on top of the other on his half flexed arm, balancing them whilst walking across the room. by John Grimek. A champion is one who is tops in HIS OR HER TIME ALONE! IronMind: Tools of the Trade for Serious Strength Athletes . "Here are the 10 greatest strongman feats performed by Louis Cyr," reported Ohl, who documented them. This awkward hunk of iron required lots of practice before one learned the little details needed to be successful at lifting it. If you're not using IronMind lifting straps, you're not lifting as much as you could be. in this manner. Rogue Fitness modelled the new Dumbbell on plans of the original that is currently held in the Stark Center. bench press, and almost regular heavy weights now squatting with near or over 1000 lbs. However Cyprien Noe inherited his exceptional physical power from his mother who stood 6′ 1″ tall and weighed 265 pounds, and could toss around 100 pound sacks with ease. Cyr’s wife, Melina, by contrast, never weighed more than 100 lbs. Sig Klein, John Grimek later also bent pressed it, for I believe half a dozen times or so one afternoon, when the weight was increased to 269.5 lbs., by adding, as it happened, the lead type from Mark Berrys’ classic tome Physical Training Simplified. – 131.25lb/59.5kg. Olympic-style weightlifting and weight training. However, I feel sure that with his banana-like fingers he could have done things with that Cyr dumbell that no one else could do. He died at his daughter’s home November 10, 1912 at the age of 49.

Most of Cyr’s lifts were inhibited due to being made WITHOUT COMPETITION, and on crude apparatus, in most, if not all cases by his sheer strength, certainly no technique, and limited motivation. Lowry O.B.E., Thomas Inch (in “Strong Man I Have Known”) and the painstaking analytical essays of the late David Willoughby.
His lightest bodyweight was when he competed against August Johnson, then just 270 lbs., although his normal contest condition was nearer 320 lbs. No one played around with this weight more than I did; and eventually I was the only one who lifted it off the floor to an overhead position using one and only when it weighed 254 pounds. Showmanship par-excellence was exhibited by both in this extraordinary feat, but can you imagine the amount of strength that was involved? With little reward at this early foray into professional weightlifting, Louis was forced to seek other employment, fate taking a hand in his decision when he apparently stepped into, and broke up, by sheer physical force, a dangerous knife fight. The title is not mine, it was first coined by pioneer George F. Jowett, famed trainer by mail, who wrote much on legends of strength, including a prized collectors item of the above title. A look at a young Louis Cyr taking a huge Globe Dumbbell for a ride. Captains of Crush GrippersWhat They Are and How to Close Them, SUPER SQUATSHow to Gain 30 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks, by Randall J. Strossen, IronMind Enterprises, Inc. © 2007, So, just how strong was the great Louis Cyr? The Cyr dumbell we had was always a bone of contention. I tried to explain that there was a slight technique to handle this weight. They soon organized “The Troupe Cyr” and performed through out the province with great success. Later we asked our Canadian hosts ( who did one heck of a job in hosting this big event) about the statue and they seemed completely mystified, not knowing of its existence. Whilst Louis’ father was of average proportions, his mother was almost Amazonian, recorded as weighing 265 lbs. As we got out of the cars some one pointed over and exclaimed “Look at that!! The weight of that dumbell was always being changed. Ohl is the Chairman of FORTISSIMUS 2008: The Louis Cyr World Strength Challenge, "to be presented near Quebec City on August 2 - 3, 2008."
So we pulled off beside a tiny park to check the map. Milo had Primo Carnera with him – truly an impressive individual.

Louis Cyr is not the only great man Quebec had, there are many others, but the great Louis was the greatest of them all. Placing a number of men upon a heavy platform resting across two trestles, Louis ducked beneath the platform, placed his back below the center, and raised both the contraption and the passengers clear off the trestles. W.J. Regrettably David Willoughby never lived to see some of today’s behemoths or powerlifters, far beyond any of Dave’s predictions or limits based on scientific calculations.

The young man defeated the reigning Canadian strongman by lifting a granite boulder weighing over 400 pounds.

Although she did not weigh much over a hundred pounds, yet it meant that he curled her weight on the flat of his hand, and passed her over the counter in the manner of a hold-out and with no visible effort.

Some of his bests lifts were: 500 pound one finger lift, back lift 4,337 pounds, bent press (more of a side press) 273 pounds, hand and thigh 1897 pounds, crucifix 94 pounds right , 88 pounds left, one hand dead lift with 1.5″ bar 525 pounds, and a “Platform” squat of 2,371 pounds. It was with this very dumbbell that Cyr set …