Artculos de Dezso Ban

Deadlift Secrets of the Champions - Donald Pfeiffer

(1983)
Of all weight training exercises, not just the three powerlifts, the deadlift is the
most basic. It is also, along with the squat, one of the two most effective
exercises for developing overall size and strength. Virtually every muscle in your
body is worked when you perform deadlifts. When done for high reps with a
moderate weight it becomes an excellent means of improving cardiovascular
fitness. Unfortunately, however, many people have an aversion to bending down
and pulling up and for that reason the deadlift has never been one of the more
popular lifts.
Despite its simplicity and lack of popularity, the deadlift has spawned many
creative and effective training techniques. In this article we will look at five great

deadlifters of yesteryear and the methods they used to become successful.

We begin with the legendary Bob Peoples.

Born and raised in the foothills of Tennessee, Bob was one of the most
intelligent and creative lifters of all time. Forced to withdraw from college after
one year because of the demands of farm work, Bob developed some quite
revolutionary methods for gaining deadlift strength.
Blessed with with a classic deadlifter's physique - exceptionally long arms and a
vice-like grip - Bob was the first amateur deadlifter to break the 700 pound
barrier. He eventually increased his record to 725.75, a record that stood for 25
years. Bob's record is even more amazing when you consider the conditions he
had to train under.
First of all, he always trained alone. He never had a partner to help and
encourage him during his workouts. Secondly, in his early thirties he had major
abdominal surgery that required an 18 inch incision and he was given a warning
by the performing surgeon never to lift weights again. Finally, being a farmer, the
demands of such a life never afforded Bob the chance to conserve his energy for
his workouts alone. It wasn't uncommon for him to train after spending the whole
day working in the fields. Let me remind you that back in Bob's day most of the

work was done by hand, not by machines as is often the case nowadays.
Because of the seasonal nature of farm-work he was often forced to take long
layoffs from training. Had he not been faced with these obstacles it might be a
safe bet to say that he would still hold the world's record in the deadlift for the
181-lb class.
Many people think that the lowering of heavy weights - or negative training as it is
now commonly called - is a recent discovery. Well, Bob used a form of eccentric
training over forty years ago (1940's), and while his apparatus was crude
compared to the machines now available it certainly produced results.
Using a Ford tractor that had a 'lift' he hooked up a long stick that enabled him to
operate the lift without leaving the rear end of the tractor. He would start with the
weight in the top position and try as hard as possible to delay the weight's
downward movement. When the weight reached the bottom he would attempt to
lift it but would usually need to activate the 'lift' in order to raise it. Eventually, he
became so strong using this method of negative resistance that he had to help
the tractor raise the weight in the finished position.
A common sight in power gyms today is the power rack. But one of the few, if
only places to find such a piece of equipment back then was in Bob's roughwalled gym, where he trained even through the winter. He found that he could
improve his deadlift by concentrating on three areas; just above, at the level of,
and below the knees. He found this to be an invaluable aid not only for improving
the deadlift, but also for any other of the 'power' lifts. He also felt that this rack
was a necessity for anyone who, as he did, training heavy and alone.
Among Bob's other training ideas are wrist straps and the round-back style of
deadlifting. He had many other ingenious training ideas but lack of space,
unfortunately, forces me to list all of them.
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2011/10/bob-peoples-pete-vuono.html
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2009/01/bob-peoples-i-knew-bob-hise-ii.html
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/04/systems-and-methods-i-have-used-bob.html
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/03/bob-peoples-terry-todd.html
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/02/bob-peoples-deadlifter.html
http://pressingtostrongman.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/bob-peoples-speaks/
Bob Peoples: Deadlift Champion, Strength Theorist, Civic Leader
by Al Thomas http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/IGH/IGH0204/IGH0204c.pdf

A training principle used by powerlifters and bodybuilders alike is specialization.

Powerlifters use this method to increase a lift that is lagging behind the other two,
while bodybuilders will specialize on a weak bodypart to bring it into accord with
the rest of their body.
One of the first men to really apply this principle was Harold Ansorge of Grand
Rapids, Michigan.

In Mr. Ansorge's case it was one of total specialization. For a time he performed
no exercise other than the deadlift. Here is his routine:
He would begin by performing 3 sets of 25 reps with a 25-minute rest between
sets.
Five days later he would do 12 sets of single reps with extremely heavy weights.
This workout would last roughly 4.5 hours. After warming up, one every 20
minutes or so.
Five days later he would do 20 sets of 5 reps with as much weight as possible,
this time taking only a 5-minute rest between sets.
He would repeat this cycle 6 times, which would take him about 3.5 months.

By using this method he was able to add 20 pounds of bodyweight and increase
his deadlift by 80 pounds. Eventually he was able to deadlift over 700 at a time
when few men could do over 600.
Ansorge is best known for his performance of Bent Press - which is not be be
confused with the side press (the latter requiring one leg to remain straight during
the bell's elevation). On October 21, 1941 Ansorge at a bodyweight of 220
pounds, managed 302.5 pounds in the bent press. In case you are not aware,
the bent press is a one arm lift, although it is allowed to shoulder the weight using
both hands.
After the bell is shouldered, it does not rise any farther. Instead the body is bent
away and down from the bar until the arm is straight. To be complete, the lift must
then return to a standing position.

http://superstrengthtraining.com/how-to-bent-press-correctly-harold-ansorge
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2012/04/bent-press-harold-ansorge.html
Another ingenious and innovative deadlifter was William Boone of Shreveport,
Louisiana.

Like Bob Peoples, Bill's program was hindered by the fact the he was engaged in
hard physical labor. In Bill's case, it was drilling water wells, a job that often
required that he work 10-12 hours a day, 6-7 days a week.
In 1947, Bill faced Bob Peoples in an historic deadlifting competition. Despite
having a weight advantage of almost 100 lbs he was still unable to beat Bob.
This does not mean that Bill was an inferior deadlifter; he merely lost to the
world's best amateur deadlifter. Eventually, Bill was able to exceed 700 lbs.
One of his favorite techniques was to dig a hole and place a barbell on the
outside while he would stand on the inside. Initially the hole was of such a depth
that a complete deadlift involved only an inch or two of movement. Every workout
he would add a couple of shovels of dirt. He would continue this until he was able
to perform a complete deadlift. The effectiveness of this method was due to the
fact that the increase in intensity (range of movement in this case) was so
minimal that his body experienced no difficulty in adapting to the new level of
stress.
Do you have trouble holding on to the bar when performing heavy deadlifts?
William Boone did, but unlike most powerlifters he did something about it. He
found that the best way to improve grip strength was to use bars with a larger
diameter. He eventually worked up to a 3-inch bar with which he could deadlift
525 lbs. Personally, I find that using thick handled bars is the best way to
improved your grip strength and it would behoove anyone interested in improving
their deadlift to use this technique.

Another favorite training technique of his was to perform his deadlifts while
standing on boxes. This extended deadlift enabled him to develop great starting
power in the deadlift.
Possibly the most innovative and imaginative powerlifter of all time is Paul
Anderson.

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2008/06/deadlift-training-paul-anderson.html
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/06/squat-training-paul-anderson.html
http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2008/06/bench-press-training-paul-anderson.html
http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2008/08/training-for-press-paul-anderson.html
Paul has probably developed more unique and productive assistance exercises
for the three powerlifts than anyone else. His two training books, Power by Paul
and Secrets of My Strength, are loaded with training advice and I highly
recommend both of them.

http://superstrengthtraining.com/power-by-paul-anderson
Although most famous for his prodigious squatting ability, Paul was certainly no
slouch as a deadlifter. In fact, he was one of the first men to deadlift over 800 lbs.
Had it not been for the fact that he had unusually small hands for a man his size
and that he had broken both wrists, it's quite possible that he would have been
the first to deadlift over 900 lbs.
Early in his lifting career, Paul discovered that his squat went up very rapidly,
while his upper body exercises did not respond as quickly. His reasoning for this
was that, due to gravity, the blood would drop to his legs when squatting and his
leg muscles would always have an adequate supply of blood for growth. In order
to increase his deadlift he believed that it would be necessary to find a way to
increase he blood flow to his back. Thus, the 'decline deadlift' was born.
Paul would perform this exercise by taking a slant board which would have a
pulley arrangement located at the top. From there a cable would pass over the
pulley and at one end of pulley would be the weights, while at the other end of
the pulley, located at the top of the board, would be a handle used to lift the
weights.

Lying supine on the board with his head at the bottom and his feet at the top, he
would then perform decline deadlifts at approximately a 45 degree angle. Paul
found this exercise to be most effective when he mixed it with his regular
deadlifts. If you're a bodybuilder you should enjoy this exercise because of the
extreme pump your lower back will experience.

Paul was also a firm believer in the overload principle. That is, he liked to perform
assistance exercises that enabled him to handle weight well in excess of what he
would use for the particular lift he was training on.

For the deadlift he developed a special belt made of heavy steel that had hooks
on it located in front of each thigh. He would then place very heavy weights onto
the belt from where he would then perform high pulls. He became so strong in
this movement that he could eventually handle over 1,000 lbs.
[He also used a pair of 'thigh belts' to allow himself to go very heavy with good
mornings "The first time I tried good mornings as a strengthening lift for my lower back, I
was very satisfied. I started out with a weight that I considered to be ridiculously
light, for I wanted to do some high repetitions and also knew that sometimes
discomfort resulted from a heavy bar resting in this position. I did this lift just as
strictly as I thought was possible for quite a while and certainly did receive great
results from it. The results I am speaking of came basically from my pulling
power in the regular deadlift and also the clean and snatch.
Overly delighted with this particular assistance exercise, I continued doing it and
even found I was getting much, much stronger in it, but then my progress in the
lifts that I was actually performing this assistance exercise in order to increase
stopped advancing. My first reaction was to consider what was wrong and give it
some serious thought. I was not going stale because I was getting stronger in the
good morning, so there must be something else wrong. On real close

examination, I found that even though I was continuing to perform the lift with stiff
knees, and bending the trunk of the body at least into a parallel position to the
floor before rising again, there was indeed something different. I had, without
knowing or planning it, learned to cheat on the movement. I was
counterbalancing the lift by extending my hips backward, which accounted for
lifting more weight with less of the desired results. Because of this experience, I
developed a good way to do the good morning exercise, producing tremendous
results.
Make a wide belt that can be pulled up just above the knee on each thigh.
This belt can be made of leather or some type of webbing, and should be about
five or six inches wide. On each belt there should be a ring sewn in, or attached
in some way just about midway of the width. By attaching a rope, chain, etc. to
each of the rings and joining it to a single rope about three feet from the rings,
you will have yourself an apparatus that will help you perform good mornings in a
strict manner. Attach a rope that the two original ropes or chains are fastened to
on to something stable that is just a little higher than the position that the belts
are in around the thighs. When taking the bar from the squat racks, have enough
length on the ropes so that you may step forward into your stance for the
movement and tighten the rope. (Photos figures 29 and 30) Lean forward, do
the exercise with tension being on the thigh belts. Keep a good footing so that
you will not be apt to swing onto the belts and that way fall forward. To better
explain, keep a great deal of weight on your feet and only use the belts as
stabilizers to lean against and not swing all your weight on. This can best be
done by using a very light weight for experimenting until you get it down pat.
There have been other such methods developed, such as leaning on a board
and different variations on such, but to me this is the best method I have used."]
A look at out final deadlifter takes us to the Rhineland. Leipzig to be precise. It
was here that the legendary Hermann Goerner, possibly the greatest deadlifter
of all time, was born.

http://ditillo2.blogspot.ca/2009/04/goerners-deadlift-variations-brooks.html

Considered by many to be the strongest man of his time (1920's and 30's), the
deadlift was clearly his outstanding lift. The best lift by this 6 foot 1/2 inch, 260 lb
strongman was an incredible 793.75 lbs, a record that stood for many years. It
should be noted that authorities did not consider Goerner's lifts the record
because he was not an amateur. His lift was usually referred to as the
professional world deadlift record.
A major reason for Goerner's outstanding deadlifting ability was his incredible
gripping power. At the age of 58 he registered 286 lbs on a Collins Hand
Dynamometer - the highest recording ever. Actually, his recording would have
been higher if he hadn't broken the machine - it only went up to 286 lbs. Strength
historian David Willoughby estimates that he could have done 315 lbs. To most of
you these figures are probably meainingless. In that case, let me give you a
means of comparison. Hopefully may of you remember Mac Batchelor, a famous
strongman of the 1940's and 50's who was also famous for his gripping feats and
forearm strength. In fact, he was never beaten at arm wrestling. Well, the best
that Mac could do on the Collins Hand Dynamometer was 220.5 lbs, 30% less
than what Goerner could do.

A favorite technique of Goerner was to practice his deadlifts while using only one,
two or three fingers of each hand. He would also lift heavy dumbbells in the same
fashion.
Probably the exercise most instrumental in developing his phenomenal gripping
strength was the one arm deadlift. Hermann would usually perform this exercise
one day a week, alternating arms with each set. His best one arm deadlift,
performed with the right hand, was an amazing 727. 5 lbs, a lift that the late
David Willoughby called the greatest feat performed by a modern strongman.
Here's an idea: combine Goerner's practice of performing one arm deadlifts with
Boone's use of thick sleeved barbells. One arm deadlifts with a 2.5 to 3 inch thick
barbell will develop a vice-like grip on anyone.
There you have it: five of the greatest deadlifters of all time and some of the
training techniques that they used to make them champions. I hope that you
enjoyed the capsule glimpses of each deadlifter and that some of you may want
to try some of these training techniques. If you do, I hope that they will prove
successful. Others, however, may find it impractical to incorporate these methods
into their training.
My main purpose in writing this article was to show that powerlifting is more than
just brute strength; it is also a cerebral sport. All of the champions that I listed had
a very intelligent approach towards training. They were constantly looking for
ways to improve their deadlift, and when they reached a sticking point they
immediately looked for ways to overcome it. Anyone who wants to reach his or
her potential in powerlifting must do the same. Training hard isn't enough, you
must also train intelligently. Thanks for reading and good luck in your training.

Grip Training - Harold Ansorge

Grip Training
by Harold Ansorge
Most body culture enthusiasts are desirous of developing a hand grip of which
they are proud: one that will make the other fellow sit up and take notice.
Among the exercises I have advocated are:
1.) One Hand Dead Lifting.
2.) Lifting Barbell Plates by the Edges.
3.) One Finger Lifting.
4.) Dipping on the Fingers and Thumb.
5.) Hanging from a Bar By One Hand.
6.) Tearing Large Catalogues.
7.) Card Tearing.
8.) Spike Bending.
All of these practices will give you a super-grip if practiced consistently along with
your regular workouts with barbells, dumbells, etc.
Within I will be including three very advanced feats of strength. You will have to
have an excellent grip to master them correctly. So, first I am going to outline for

you a program to give you that grip. Your program will include the following
exercises:
1.) One Hand Dead Lift heavy weight 2 sets of 12 counts.
2.) Flex Hands on Knees medium weight 3 sets of 15 counts.
3.) One Finger Lifting medium weight 1 set of 10 each finger.
In the above program, the One Hand Dead Lift is executed as follows: Straddle
the bar. Place the free hand on the corresponding knee. Lift the weight about a
foot from the floor, replace it and repeat. Use both hands and alternate.
For Exercise 2.): Sit in a chair. Place your forearms on your thighs but let your
hands extend over your knees, palms up. Flex hands to the fullest extent while
holding a barbell. When you extend your hand allow the barbell to roll away to
the end of your fingers. It is here that you will receive the main part of your
gripping exercise.
For One Finger Lifting: Secure a 1 inch diameter rope and attach it to both the
ends of your barbell. With a glove on your hands to protect your fingers, lift the
weight with one finger at a time. Go easily at first so as not to tear your tendons
or flesh.
Practice this program daily, once you have become used to it. When
commencing, twice per week will be sufficient as your wrists and hands will be
too stiff to exercise more often than this. Gradually increase the weights you are
using and exercise more days per week until you are resting only one day and
exercising six. Two months of this should see great progress in your gripping
powers.
Once you have your gripping powers developed, start to learn the feat pictured in
Photo Number One. Here I am pictured lifting two smooth plates by the gripping
powers alone. When commencing, this feat take a smooth 25 lb. plate and place
a short dumbell bar through it. Add small weights to the bar and collar them on. In
this way you can increase the poundage until you are able to lift smooth 50 lb.
plates. The do the same with them until you are able to master the smooth 75 lb.
plates. Do not practice more than three times per week at this feat or you will find
your powers growing weaker instead of stronger.
In Photo Number Two I am lifting two smooth plates with the thumb and index
fingers only. Commence this feat in the same way you did the aforementioned
feat, with a 25-lb. plate, or 15 lb. if your grip is not yet that strong. Be careful at
first not to overexert your strength and strain your index finger.
In Photo Number Three we have another great feat of finger and gripping power.

This is bending bottle caps with extended index finger and thumb. Many have
practiced this feat with the thumb and side of the forefinger. In this bending
progress you place the thumb on top of the bottle cap and the bottom of the cap
against the forefinger. This is much easier as the side of the forefinger affords a
much better base for the cap than does the extended forefinger. To learn this
feat, commence by holding the cap as follows: have the open part of the cap UP
as pictured. Place your thumb directly against the side of the cap and have it in
the middle of the end joint of the thumb. Place the other side of the cap in the
middle of the end joint of the forefinger. Now, press your thumb up and against
the cap, trying to roll it over as you press. At the same time exert force with the
forefinger against the cap from the other side. Press the fingers together slowly
and feel your strength and the direction it is taking or else you might flip the cap,
as it is trying to escape with the effort.
When starting to practice this feat, assist your hand with the free hand and pinch
the finger and thumb together. Gradually throw more and more strength onto the
hand doing the actual bending until you can do it without the aid of the other
hand.
A fine exercise to build the necessary strength for this feat is executing floor dips
on the forefingers and thumbs only. Practice this dipping but twice per week and
the actual bending 5 days a week for about 5 minutes. Do not tire the hands out
too greatly.

The Bent Press - Harold Ansorge

Improper Bent Pressing

1. The method of rocking shown in this photo is the style usually employed and is
not as satisfactory as the style employed in the following series of photos.
2. This position at the shoulder must be used if the style of rocking pictured is
employed. In rocking bars that have a one inch diameter, the hand will often slip
from the center: This will necessitate adjusting the center grip at the shoulder.
When using the other style of rocking, the non-pressing hand is used as a gauge
while rocking the bell to the shoulder.
3. This starting position is improper because the bar is not turned far enough
around before starting away from the shoulder. The bar should make another
quarter of a circle turn before starting.
4. The arm is too far back on the rib box and has slipped away from the solid
support it should have. Do not get the arm too far back.
5. Here the arm is being locked while the body is going into the squat. This is
faulty. The lifting leg is to be kept straight at the knee until the arm is locked.
6. This squat is incorrect because the shoulder is not between the knees before
assuming the squat position. The body cannot be lowered as far this way.
A bent press can be performed in this manner shown, but record weights will

never be elevated until the faults pictured here are corrected to the positions
shown following.

Proper Bent Pressing

1. This style of rocking is best for record attempts. The non-lifting hand is used as
a gauge to keep the center of the bar for the lifting hand. The non-lifting hand and
forearm are used as a fulcrum to rock the bar over.
2. A heavy weight can easily be supported at the shoulder in the manner shown.
As the bell reaches the shoulder, the lifting hand is placed in the center of the bar
at once, while the heft of the bell is supported upon the non-lifting arm, the elbow
of which is rested upon the corresponding hip bone.
2. Here, the bar is resting upon the shoulder and does not rob the arm of strength
until the pressing is to be started.
4. Here, the bar is in the proper position for starting a heavy press: It is running
parallel to the shoulders, and is turned as far as it will go throughout the course
of the entire press.
5. The arm is being locked while the leg on the lifting side is locked at the knee.
This insures complete support to the humerus bone throughout the entire
pressing movement. Never bend the leg on the lifting side while the arm is bent
to any degree.

6. Here the shoulder is properly between the knees, which is the only way the
body can dicker with a very heavy press. In real heavy weights the arm is not
strong enough to press the bell to straight arm without lowering the body under
the weight.
Performing the Bent Press Properly
by Harold Ansorge (1943)
Of all the lifts, the bent press is probably the most interesting: It is without doubt
the most intricate: Arthur Saxon, the "King of the Bent Press" claimed this lift to
be the best test of all around bodily power. If you really get into the heavy
weights, you will see the truth of this statement.
There is a right way and a wrong way to bent press. The more bent pressing I
see, the more I am convinced of this fact. There are two distinct styles of
pressing which I will describe later.
When I started bent pressing some years ago, I followed what I had read and
seen concerning the lift. Later, I discovered that most of this information was not
the "best way to bent press." All lifters must, of course, find their individual style:
However all humans have the same bones and muscles in the same relative
position and these must be used along the same general style if heavy weights
are to be handled.
The first thing to remember is that the bent press is a LIFT OF SUPPORTS and
not of momentum or speed! Lifts requiring speed and momentum, such as the
clean & jerk and snatch are dependent upon violent, spasmodic muscular
contraction. The weight is moved to a certain height and the body is moved to a
better position to accommodate the weight. In the bent press, the weight is lifted
from one support to the next and so on until the largest muscles of the body are
called upon to straighten the body out and raise the weight to the final position
above the head. Thus, the main thing for a bent presser to develop is "good
ligaments and tendons for supports." This explains why so many slim fellows who
seem to have very little muscle can elevate very heavy weights in the bent press.
They have good strong ligaments to hold their bones in place and are trained to
use their largest muscles of the hips and back to raise the weight, once the arm
is straight under it. If you are desirous of raising heavy weights in the bent press
you must first adopt a system of all around training.
All of the muscles of the body should be developed to some degree before any
bent pressing of a near record nature is attempted. If this precaution is not
followed, joints in the wrist, elbow, or shoulder are liable to be seriously disabled.

Thus, foundation work is necessary as in any other type of lifting.

Let us suppose that you are through this first stage of hardening the muscles and
would like to start upon the "King of Lifts". What should you do first? I would
advise you to sit down and study leverage and various positions employed in the
lift. When I first started this lift, I made the error of performing the lift "without
thinking," you might say. Most bent pressers I have known do bent press "without
thinking." There must be a reason and I believe it is this: The bent press lift is
very complicated and most lifters are not willing to spend the time and practice
necessary to master the fine points. Anything that you can do to perfection you
can do without the aid of conscious thought. Thus, you must be content to spend
hours in practice to master and train the body into the proper position as you
would in learning to type, play the piano or ice skate.
The principles of the lift are this, broadly speaking:
1.) getting the weight to the shoulder.
2.) starting it from the shoulder and,
3.) coming up from the squat position once the arm is straight under the weight.
These three points, on first thought, seem very simple and unnecessary to name:
But on second thought they are just the points that most lifters to perform
correctly. THESE ARE THE MAIN POSITIONS IN WHICH YOU MUST
DEVELOP SUPPORT.
Now, we will analyze the complete lift. In the lighter weights, you will be able to
clean the weight to the shoulder by grasping the bar in the middle and placing the
non-lifting hand over the lifting hand to assist in getting the weight to the
shoulder. The weight must be properly balanced. This is accomplished by
grasping the weight slightly one side or the other of the center of the bar. If the
bar is grasped with the hand directly in the center, the weight will be off center
when it reaches the shoulder for pressing. Most one hand lifters do not think of
this small point and so constantly PRESS WITH A BAD HANG ON THE BAR.
The reason for this is that WHEN THE BAR IS GRASPED ON THE FLOOR, THE
CENTER OF THE HAND IS OVER THE CENTER OF THE WRIST, BUT WHEN
THE WEIGHT IS BROUGHT TO THE SHOULDERS IT WILL BE FOUND
IMPOSSIBLE TO PRESS WITH THE CENTER OF THE HAND HELD DIRECTLY
OVER THE CENTER OF THE WRIST. Most bent pressers perform the lift with
the wrist extended, that is , bent way back. This is, of course, improper, as a
heavy press will so tax the forearm muscles that the press will be difficult to
balance when the weight is just about pressed to straight arm. In preparing for
the press, I GRASP THE BAR SO THAT THERE IS MORE WEIGHT ON THE
LITTLE FINGER END OF THE BAR. This makes the bar level when it is at the

shoulder. This little finger hang helps pull the wrist toward the flexed position as
the bar will then be directly over the wrist and properly balanced over the eight
bones of the wrist.
A large bar is better for balance at the shoulder to get started. But after the press
is started from the shoulder, a small bar goes equally as easy. The only reason a
large bar starts easier from the shoulder is that more surface is presented to the
hand and wrist, thus putting the pressure over a larger area. Just as a small
stream of water will cause more damage than a large stream of water, as far as
force is concerned, so will the smaller bar impose a greater strain upon the
smaller surface. Bob Hoffman and Bob Harley both prefer a large bar and most
of their best lifts were made on large handled bells. However, practice with
smaller handled weights will make them almost as comfortable to the grip. In
starting the bar from the hip, most bent pressers of my acquaintance let their
wrist bend back, as this will assist in getting the bar in motion. This is improper.
The forearm and wrist should be held perpendicular and the torso should do the
bending to get away from the weight.
I was in the habit of pressing by getting the weight onto the hip and, by bending
sideways and forward, would get down to the knee, where I found it difficult to
lock the shoulder. This is the way I had seen the lift performed and naturally this
is the way I began to perform it. This, I found, served me to a certain point and
then was not good for any heavier weights, as I could not support the weight into
the straight arm position by bending sideways at the start. I continued to analyze
the lift. Later, I reached the conclusion that there was no sense in bending
sideways at the start of the lift. I discovered that the only reason bent pressers
bent to the side was because they couldn't fall directly forward. This I know to be
true, as I couldn't fall forward myself without falling somewhat to the side at first. I
decided that if I couldn't perform this at first, it was the same as playing the piano:
"I couldn't play that instrument with the first lesson." Thus I started to "educate"
my muscles to the position I figured was the best. This was to be accomplished
by forcing my lifting hip way out and back by keeping the leg very rigidly
perpendicular to the floor. When I started the body press, I would bent press with
both arms. Later I discovered that this ws unsound reasoning (for record
purposes) as it is folly to attempt to keep both arms equal on a lift:
And, that most things we do with one arm that requires practice to learn we can
not equal with the other arm. Thus altering my routine, I practiced with ONE ARM
ONLY, which I WOULD RECOMMEND TO ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO
BREAK RECORDS IN THIS LIFT.
This is practical from the following standpoint: I believe that I am the first to point
out the contraction of the back that is necessary on the lifting side to properly
twist the body and torso to that side. This is accomplished only to the degree that

the non-lifting side is elongated or stretched to permit this lifting side to carry on
its increased contraction. To make this clearer: The side muscles, the external
obliques, and the muscles of the lower back, spinae erector, meet in back and
are the principle muscles that twist and turn the body to either side. By constant
practice of turning only to one side, the muscles of one side will be contracted to
the extent of having more contraction and those on the other side more
extension. After constant practice in trying to attain this position, the back and
side muscles referred to will form a very prominent ledge, and IT IS UPON THIS
LEDGE THAT I WOULD HAVE EVERY PRESSER SET HIS ELBOW AT THE
START OF THE PRESS.
LIGHT WEIGHTS CAN NOT BE PRESSED THE SAME WAY AS HEAVIER
WEIGHTS. It was some time before I realized this. When I grasped this truth, I
was was quite far ahead of my former ideas. When I learned this, I found that ON
A HEAVY WEIGHT I had to have the torso twisted around and the elbow quite far
back to support the weight. When THE WEIGHT WAS LIGHT, it wouldn't press
me into this twisted position as well. Thus, I discovered THAT LIGHT WEIGHTS
WERE DESTROYING MY BENT PRESS STYLE, SO, I started handling heavy
weights and practicing half as often, which was correct, and accounts for the
poundages I handle at present. HEAVY WEIGHTS CAN NOT BE LIFTED AS
RAPIDLY AS LIGHT WEIGHTS. Therefore on presses that are near your limit,
PRESS SLOWLY or you WILL DESTROY YOUR BALANCE! Many pressers err
in attempting to complete the press too rapidly. As you start from the hip, take
things very cautiously and dicker with the weight for balance. Mental confidence
is very essential at this point,as the weight often feels beyond the lifter's ability: If
you stick through this point, you will feel the weight is within your power, and you
will complete the lift.
As the bar is set upon the lifting shoulder and the body is twisted to start, we
have another vital point in the lift. When I first undertook bent pressing, I WOULD
HAVE THE BAR RUNNING PARALLEL WITH THE SHOULDER AND THE
BODY TURNED ABOUT ONE FOOT (THAT IS A ONE FOOT TWIST) TO THE
LIFTING SIDE. As I twisted to the side and forward, the bar would complete a
quarter circle turn before I had reached my knee. This I knew to be very faulty:
However, all bent pressers I witnessed performed in this manner. MOST OF THE
PRESENT DAY LIFTERS ON THE BODY PRESS ALSO PRACTICE THIS WAY.
This fault can be overcome with proper practice; as on a record weight, the
movement of the bar through the quarter circle turn will twist the arm at the
shoulder and destroy the balance just as the arm is being locked straight under
the weight. TO CORRECT THIS FAULTY SWING OF THE BAR, ONE MUST
DEVELOP THE CONTRACTION IN THE BACK AND SIDE MUSCLES THAT
WAS MENTIONED BEFORE IN THIS DESCRIPTION. The twist of the torso on
the hips will make it possible to look backwards while the feet are held locked at

the knee. Then you will be in a position with the bar running parallel with the
shoulders, but the shoulders and bar will be be in a line which is at right angles
with an imaginary line that could be drawn in front of each toe. This sounds
somewhat complicated, but a thorough reading to grasp the idea will make it very
readily understood.
TO GENERALLY EXPRESS THE IDEA OF PROPER BENT PRESSING, WE
MIGHT SAY THAT ONE SHOULD GET THE ARM WELL BACK ON THE RIB
BOX AND FALL FORWARD WITH THE TORSO.
THE NEXT POINTER TO REMEMBER IS TO LET THE ARM SET UPON THE
RIB BOX UNTIL THE ARM IS STRAIGHT. There are some bent pressers who, as
their torso bends forward, will keep pressing up against the weight as if they were
side pressing. This action will tend to throw the weight off balance, as the bell if it
be heavy will not be influenced favorably by this pushing and will move sideways.
The proper thing to do is to let the arm rest upon the side and concentrate your
arm strength at the elbow. Keep the weight in balance and let the bend of the
body, forward, straighten the arm out. The beginner tends to try to press the
weight out to straight arm at this point for one of two reasons: First, he is getting
tired at this point and wants to get the weight up more rapidly and, second, he
feels that if he bends lower without bending the leg on the lifting side he will be
rendered helpless in this position. Both of these positions are very faulty to the
completion of a very heavy press. The following instructions concerning this
section of the lift should be followed: Keep the leg on the lifting side straight until
the arm is locked or three or four inches from it. All during this time the torso is
being lowered to complete this straightening. Here again, the proper position is to
lower the shoulder, that is not doing the lifting, down inside the corresponding
knee. as the shoulder is lowered inside the knee, the non-lifting arm should be
placed upon the knee on the lifting side. This will concentrate all your strength on
locking the arm, lowering the hips, and also assist in coming erect, as we shall
see later. At this point of locking the arm the gaze should not be taken from the
weight for an instant.
The locking of the shoulder is the next vital point to be considered. If the proper
movement of the body has been maintained to this point the locking of the
shoulder as the is straightened will be quite easily accomplished. The pointers
that assist in locking the shoulder are these:
1.) No swinging of the bar during the progress of the press. A swinging bar will
twist the arm at the shoulder and, in addition to overcoming the weight, you will
be forced to overcome the twisting motion or lose the lift.
2.) Getting the arm back far on the rib box, so that there is no strain on the

deltoid or shoulder joint until the humerus bone is no longer resting upon the
back. If the arm is too far to the front or too far back the shoulder will be called
upon to support the weight too early in the lift, and this strain will destroy your
strength to hold the weight in the squat position or overhead.
3.) The wrist must be held straight, or the forearm strength will be waning; this
will unduly tax the shoulder joint as the balance will be much more difficult.
The shoulder joint is locked by tensing the deltoid and all surrounding muscles.
The latissimus dorsi, pectoral, serratus magnus, biceps, etc.; upon a record
weight all of these muscles are brought very strongly into play.
Another common fault is to lower the hips too soon. This comes from not
understanding the science of the lift or from not knowing WHY THE HIPS ARE
TO BE LOWERED. When we understand why the hips are lowered, we
understand when is the best time to lower them for our own particular style or
body build. In a light bent press, the legs do not necessarily have to be bent. THE
LEGS ARE BENT SO THAT THE WEIGHT WILL BE BROUGHT OVER THE
CENTER OF THE BODILY BALANCE. In this stage of a lighter press, the body
could be brought erect by the strength of the spinor erector and latissimus dorsi
muscles. However, when the weight becomes heavier these muscles would not
be sufficiently strong to bring the body erect without the aid of the half squat
position. Thus, when the arm has been straightened, the deltoid will be locked
very strenuously to balance the weight in this position. The latissimus and
serratus magnus are not yet brought into action vigorously. When the arm is
straight, lower the hips until the shoulder is locked at the shoulder joint and at the
shoulder blade. When the femur bones are parallel with the ground, your squat
will be at its highest efficiency.
As a rule you should squat no lower than you feel is necessary to properly lock
the shoulder. As a rule, this is where the legs have the most strength! That is,
when the thigh is parallel with the ground. While in this position your non-lifting
shoulder is resting upon the corresponding knee and an all bone support is
effected. HERE YOU CAN PAUSE A SECOND TO GET SET FOR THE EFFORT
OF COMING TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION. When you start up, be sure to have
the non-lifting hand on the knee on the lifting side. With this arm, press very
vigorously upon the knee, by exerting strength, not only in the triceps of the arm
but mainly in the latissimus muscle on that side. This muscle has the action of
pulling the arm back and inward, which action is just what is needed to press the
torso from the leg.
Maintain in the mind the idea of coming erect as rapidly as possible: This idea of
momentum in the mind will overcome any feeling that might be present of being

pinned to the leg. If, in this low position you feel that your back and side muscles
have relaxed, and your shoulder on the non-lifting side is resting heavily upon the
knee and thigh, you will find it very difficult to get started to come erect: So, do
not relax in this low position but maintain tension so that you will not be required
to overcome the extra inertia.
The coming erect will be completed by holding the weight overhead in full control
for the count of two. In holding the weight overhead, you will best accomplish this
by getting the weight back slightly, rather than forward as then the balance at the
shoulder will be maintained by the large muscles of the back and not those of the
shoulder alone.
There you have all the stages of the bent press analyzed.

How Much Can You Bent Press, Part One - Siegmund

Klein

Eugen Sandow, about to rock a heavy bell to the shoulder as a preliminary to

pressing it aloft in the Bent Press. The two hands to the shoulder style as shown
in Picture One below is the most common way used to get the bell to the hip.

Bob Hoffman, Photos One and Two.

Photos Three, Four and Five

How Much Can You Bent Press, Part One

by Siegmund Klein (1936)
I believe that the greatest mistake weight lifters have made is their ignoring of the
Bent Press. There is no lift that calls forth the admiration of athletes as does this
lift. It is more fascinating than any in the 40 odd lifts weight men have been
practicing for the past 50 years, yet it is seen so little today that unless something
is done to revive interest in the bent press it will soon be nothing but a faded
memory.
The history of the bent press really dates from the time Sandow made it popular
back in the late 1880's. He was taught this lift by Professor Attila. Others have
claimed credit for popularizing the Bent Press . . . Richard Pennel used it in this

country before Sandow, and the Brothers McCann used it also, but it was
Sandow who really made it famous among English speaking athletes. The Bent
Press was the rage of weight lifters from 1890 until about the time of the First
World War.
The Bent Press was never very popular with the continental lifters . . . most of
them were too bulky to perform it . . . they could not lean forward or sideways
enough to make a good lift in this style. Not that they didn't try . . . they all wanted
to make good in this lift since one can put up more weight with one hand this way
than it is possible with any other one-handed lift. There have been men who
could put up more weight with one hand in the Bent Press than they could with
two hands in any other style.
Continental lifters called the Bent Press "a trick" . . . said it was harmful . . . that it
was not a true lift, but a supporting feat. As a result of their wails the lift was
eventually barred from competition on the continent. What a mistake! How you
would enjoy seeing what some men could do in this lift had its popularity been
maintained.
I have always been an admirer of this lift. But like thousands of others I have
been reading for years about the harm that could come of doing the Bent
Press . . . and so I, who always craved to do a creditable performance in this lift,
finally abandoned it -- or rather I never attempted to do much with it. But I have
done enough with the Bent Press to know what marvelous body building
possibilities there are in this lift. It develops practically every muscle in the body,
requiring not only strength in the muscles that lift, but strength and suppleness in
nearly all other parts of the body to maintain balance.
Some authorities continue to warn lifters that the Bent Press will retard them from
making good on the quick lifts. But all you have to do is to refer to such sterling
examples of speed as Hackenschmidt, Saxon, Sandow and our own Rolandow.
Rolandow was about as fast a lifter as the world has ever produced, and he was
a wonder at the Bent Press and most enthusiastic about this lift. He has always
said, and still says, that a lift good enough for Sandow should certainly be good
enough for today's lifters.
In my opinion if an athlete cannot Bent Press at least his own weight he either
has not practiced the lift thoroughly or he is one of the few, very few indeed, who
never get the finer points of this lift. Professor Attila used to say that anyone who
will practice the lift will master it, but Alan Calvert told me he, Calvert, believed
that some men were not physically put together to succeed in this lift. Personally
I am a little inclined toward Calvert's view.

However, I have seen men that one would not expect to be good at the Bent
Press turn in a very creditable performance. It has always been the opinion of
many athletes that a man of stocky build, particularly in the waist region, is not
flexible enough to get the proper bends to perform this lift. If a slim build is
necessary then how can one account for the records of such champion bent
pressers as Saxon, Hackenschmidt, Neubauer, Wareing, Nordquest and other
stockily built men? I will admit that these men probably had a bit more of a job
getting started on this lift than men of the type of John Grimek, Matysek, Roy L.
Smith or Owen Carr for they, being more slender in the waist region, probably
found this lift easier to master right from the start. On the other hand it has been
my observation that while small-waisted athletes have little difficulty up to the
point where the arm is locked, they have a much harder time getting up with the
weight than do the heavier-built men.
The Bent Press is without a doubt the most difficult lift to learn and it takes a real
enthusiast to master it, which is, I am convinced, the chief reason why so many
present-day lifters do not use it. I am of the opinion that most lifters have at some
time in their careers tried this lift during their training and, finding they could not
manage a creditable poundage, fell into agreement with those who called it a
trick rather than a lift.
Let us say that you are a great lifter in the Olympic lifts . . . you are frequently
asked, "How much can you lift overhead with one hand?" Be careful how you
answer that! If your questioner has a barbell thicker than the regulation Olympictype bar I defy you to lift your usual poundage. But if you can do a Bent Press
then the unfamiliar thick grip of his barbell will give you no troubles at all.
I believe that most lifters who will give the lift a fair trial, and by that I mean train
for about six months paying particular attention to the preparatory exercises, will
succeed in doing a creditable Bent Press. The great tendency is to "rush" the lift .
. . to try for a record too soon. Naturally this discourages a man. Be patient . . . it
takes time to develop the suppleness and flexibility necessary to the proper
performance of the Bent Press. Start with a weight that you can put up more or
less easily. Concentrate on form, master the technique of the lift. Use a weight
that you never need to struggle with, for only in this way can you concentrate on
the proper form which is so essential to the ultimate attainment of success with
vast weight. Master form in practice and you will instinctively use the proper form
when you finally begin working with heavy poundage.
You must keep your wits about you at all times throughout the lift. You must
remember always to keep the forearm perpendicular to the floor, to force the hip
back, as soon as you commence to bend sideways and forward. You must
remember when to begin to bend the right leg, when to press with all your

strength against the weight, when to make the final squat, how long to stay under
the weight before coming up, and just how fast to come up. All these are very
important details to master and failure to master them will surely spell defeat.
Mastery of them will be easier with a comparatively light weight . . . let the heavy
weight stand in the corner until you do all these things without thinking about
them -- until you do them instinctively. '
Learning the intricate movements of the Bent Press is something like learning to
do a handstand. In balancing one must control balance by knowing how to place
the hands, how to kick or press to the upright position, when and how much to
arch the back, when to apply pressure with the fingers against the floor, how to
place the feet, when to raise the head and a host of other points. After a while all
of these things blend into an instinctive relationship so that the man does not
have to give them individual thought . . . he "just does it." There is no doubt that
some people have a better sense of balance than others, but practice will
overcome much of any natural lack of this sense. I have noticed that most good
bent pressers are good hand balancers . . . I think it is probably true that most
good hand balancers would be excellent at the Bent Press.
I have heard many lifters remark when viewing a photograph of an athlete in the
"down" position of the Bent Press that he has not completed the lift. Many lifters,
unfamiliar with the Bent Press, assume that the squat is the finish of the Bent
Press. Some writers have gone so far as to state that the "old timers" did not
consider this the finish of the lift. This is not true and never was. The reason that
one saw, years ago, so many photos of lifters in that position was to show their
particular form; furthermore, the "down" position, one must admit, makes an
interesting study. It conveys to the onlooker just how the athlete squats and how
his free hand is placed. It really makes an all-around interesting study, and I
would advise all would-be bent pressers to make a careful study of all positions
in the bent press pictures they can find. Each picture should teach the enthusiast
something, and, as I mentioned before , you will probably see each lifter has a
little different style in performing the lift, yet each one of the lifters may be an
expert in its execution. Each lifter has some particular method in bending that is
suited for his particular build, and I would advise the beginner to try a few of the
styles and then he will know just which is best suited to him. Some lifters keep
the toes of the right leg pointing straight in front, others will turn them out; some
will have their elbow of the lifting arm more forward towards the side than others
and some will carry the bar quite high up on the back while others will let it go as
low as comfort will permit. All these things should be tried and studied.
Once you succeed in bent pressing your own weight you can consider yourself
an accomplished lifter. How much farther you get will depend on what others of
your body weight do or have done in this lift. To press 25 pounds more than your

body weight is a good performance . . . 50 pounds is excellent . . . 75 pounds is

most exceptional.
A heavy man will probably Bent Press less weight in proportion to his body
weight than a lighter man. I know of men of about 135 pounds who bent pressed
236 pounds . . . a hundred pounds more than their own weight. Yet men like
Saxon, men weighing 200 pounds or more, bent pressed little more than a
hundred pounds over their body weight. (Saxon did 371 pounds while weighing
210.) All of these men moreover were outstanding athletes in this respect, so be
content if you manage to get above your own weight.
You will not need special weights for the Bent Press. Once you have acquired the
skill to do this lift you can do it with any style of weight, provided it does not
exceed the poundage you are accustomed to.
There are two fundamental exercises that one should do in learning the Bent
Press. First is the Side Press -- stiff-legged at the start, later bending the left leg
at the knee while pressing the weight with the right arm. This will give you the
foundation for the Bent Press. And it will accustom the muscles to lifting in that
position. This lift is very beneficial. In the straightened position, with the weight
held overhead, lean forward and sideways keeping the legs straight at the knees.
Another helpful exercise is, with the weight at arm's length overhead, squat and
rise. Lean a little forward and to the sides as you do this.
Practice these exercises without fail . . . they are the key to mastery of the Bent
Press, especially if you are a little stiff in the sides.
Again . . . don't be discouraged. Don't try this lift and finding that you cannot bend
sufficiently, try by brute force to put the weight up. I can assure you that if you will
be patient and exercise diligently you will, almost like magic, find yourself actually
bent pressing. It will be one of the greatest thrills of your lifting experience.
I strongly urge the beginner to practice with a dumbbell. The reason is obvious . .
. balance is easier. Bring the weight to the shoulder with two hands. The position
of the feet is very important at this point . . . it is something which depends largely
upon your height. The foot spread must therefore be left for the individual to
determine. In a right-handed press the right leg must be kept perpendicular, the
elbow brought back so that it is not actually resting on the hip but that the triceps
will just about rest on the upper back (or the latissimus dorsi) muscle. To properly
support the weight the hip will be thrust back and toward the side. The left leg is
somewhat forward with the toes pointing in the direction the body will be moving
-- in other words at an angle about 45 degrees from the axis of the shoulders.

Now the feet are in position, the right leg straight, the left leg bent at the knee,
eyes on the handle of the weight, the forearm perpendicular, and you are ready
to go to work on the Bent Press.

How I Bent-Pressed 250 lbs. - Bob Hoffman

John Y. Smith, showing his perfect form in the bent press. He's one of the
greatest bent pressers of history. This picture was taken sometime between
1900-1901 and the dumbell weighs 185 pounds. Smith could clean and bent
press this weight three repetitions. Notice how the right half of the latissimus
dorsi muscle and the right half of the trapezius muscle are flexed into a compact
mass and that the right arm is resting on that mass.

How I Bent-Pressed 250 lbs.

by Bob Hoffman (1938)
Realizing a lifetime ambition:
lifting one-eighth ton overhead with one hand . . .
It is not my intention in this article to tell exactly how to perform the popular lift

known as the Bent Press. There have been many articles and several books
describing exactly how the lift should be performed. There is considerable in Sig
Kleins writing about it and if one desires more information about the rudiments of
this lift, his book on bent pressing will be exactly what you need.
Its my intention rather to tell of several small training hints and several important
points which made it possible for me to greatly increase my bent press record.
From the very beginning the bent press appealed to me. Back in 1916, seven
years before I learned of weight lifting, I had managed to get a hundred pound
solid dumbell overhead in some style or other. Immediately after obtaining a bar
bell in 1923 I devoured all information I could obtain about bent pressing. Such a
lift was appealing. I had discovered almost immediately that for some reason I
was not a good two hand presser. I could not correctly press 80 pounds when I
started. So it was encouraging to reach 150 pounds in the bent press one year
later. At that time and for some years to come I could only press 135 in correct
military style with two hands so there was some compensation in being able to
press a fair poundage with one hand.
In the years that followed, my weight lifting training was irregular; I was interested
in many sports and games, and I had a business to take care of. A business
which required about fifty thousand miles of traveling each year. My training
sessions werent as frequent as I would have liked. But I had a standing offer
during those years to put up more with one hand than any of the other men in
the factory could with two. One day a husky young man who had never lifted
weights appeared on the scene. His name was Lou Schell. He lifted 170 pounds
on his first days training and I had to clean and bent press 175 to keep my part
of the bargain. Shortly after that the old York Oil Burner Athletic Club was coming
into prominence so it wasnt long before I couldnt put up with one hand what
others could with two. I gave up the battle with a clean and bent press of 185.
The next year I was involved in the auto accident that so nearly cost me my life.
My shoulder was nearly useless for bent pressing for quite a number of years. I
couldnt practice the lift, it hurt too much afterward, and one could not hope to lift
much without practice. But I did get to 200 pounds for the first time nearly four
years ago. As I look back on my bent pressing of those days it is evident that I
was not doing it just right as near right as I could from trying to follow what I
had read and what I had been told. But I was not using the best method as I
know it now.
My usual style was to turn around as far as I could, bring the weight around as
far as I could, and then lean, turning as I leaned away from the weight. The bar
would swing so fast that I could not stop it at times and only succeeded when I
was able to make a three quarter turn at the completion of the lift. I knew that

something was wrong, but it was difficult to find just what it was. My side on the
non-lifting side always hurt considerably too, which made me reluctant to practice
this lift except at long intervals.
And then we received the Cyr bell here in York a present that Chief Moquin, the
strong man of Quebec gave to me after his visit to our town and gymnasium two
years ago. It, any believe, is the worlds most famous piece of iron. Weighing
about 190 pounds empty, I pressed it officially in December 1936 weighing 202.
What an effort it was. So much effort that I did not even attempt it for fourteen
long months. Roger Eells visited us one day this Spring and I succeeded in
pressing the Cyr bell the first attempt perfectly and without great effort. Without
any subsequent soreness to my sides or shoulder.
For I had been learning things, simple things, but very important ones. It has
been said that the margin between splendid success and miserable failure is
often the difference that some very tiny and apparently unimportant things make.
I had retained my interest in the bent press and twenty consecutive weeks last
year I succeeded in pressing my big stage bell, usually weighing about 220
pounds. I say usually, because it can be loaded to almost any weight four
hundred pounds at least if there were someone who could lift it with that amount.
It is designed to be loaded with the standard York Olympic type weights.
I found that I could balance that big bell easier than any other weight. I have
failed with 15 or 200 with a regular bar and succeeded with the 220 pounder.
My bent press record went up after Roger Eells was here. Not that I learned
anything that day, but shortly before his visit I had inaugurated a slightly different
means of training for the bent press. One that did not hurt my shoulder or arm,
and one that not only made it possible for me to be in a position to bent press a
substantial weight, but to constantly improve. The day Rog was here the Cyr bell
weighed 211. I pressed that and the 220 pound stage bell on first attempts. The
next time I tried the Cyr bell it weighed 221 and I put that up on the first attempt.
Two weeks later it had been loaded to 231 and I succeeded with that weight. Just
before the national championships in May, Harry Paschall, creator of Bosco, and
one or the really great old timers who improves with the years, was here and I
was successful with 235 pounds, bent pressing with a revolving bar bell. The Cyr
bell had been loaded to 248 pounds, and I bent pressed that to straight arm but
did not get up with it. I found that I was not good for a heavy attempt without a
week or two intervening between attempts. I tried the 248 Cyr bell a number of
times but never stood up with it.
And then June 19th at the worlds weight lifting team championships at Baltimore,
I realized a cherished ambition in bent pressing my big stage bell a bell that

has been weighed so many times that we know its exact weight with any loading
when it was loaded to 250 pounds. This lifting was described last month.
I doubt if my strength had increased. I believe the improvement came about
through improved form and a better training method. I wanted so badly to press
250 pounds in my fortieth year one hundred pounds more than I succeeded
with fifteen years ago when I was twenty-five, that I put it up whether or not. After
two failures my knees were wobbly, but I had reasons that made me feel that I
must do it, and was successful.
What had I learned? During the years in every lengthy conversation about lifting
or strength feats I had asked a lot of questions. Especially when I had the
opportunity to talk to men like John Y. Smith or Oscar Mathes of Boston and
Lawrence, Mass. respectively. John Y. told me how he bent pressed, but I am
sorry to say that he did not tell me correctly. many men can perform a lift but
cant describe their style. I asked him to show me, and immediately he fell into
the correct style, the method I have seen pictured in the magazines in the old
days. At a bodyweight of 160 pounds John had often pressed more than a
hundred pounds over his bodyweight. I asked other old timers how Saxon did it.
Here are the two most important things I learned in these conversations and by
practice. Everyone said that the bar should be turned around as near parallel
with the shoulders as possible that isnt enough. It must be parallel to the
shoulders. That is of vital importance. I learned that from pressing the Cyr bell. I
found that I had to turn it, after I had bent away from it so that it hung toward my
right eye and was exactly parallel with my shoulder. I later found that it was much
easier to press a bell when I turned it a bit after bending away from it, exactly
parallel to my shoulders, and then did not permit it to turn another inch. With this
style the weight was supported on the side entirely on the broad and powerful
latissimus muscles. Prior to learning this apparently simple little detail I held the
weight far back on the side muscles, as I happen to be one of those individuals
who have a short upper arm and a comparatively long body. Thus I am not able
to place the elbow on the hip. Bent pressing became so much easier when the
bell was in the proper position.
I found that the reason for the sore side was the turning of the bar and the back
while the lift was in progress; a terrific strain was experienced on the under side
while the effort of pressing the bar as it turned took place. I learned to turn as far
as I could, as far as I needed to go to bent press, then go straight down to the
side and front. The bar doesnt turn an inch. Its so easy to come up with the
weight. Where I formerly practiced endless side exercises to strengthen my sides
and could not overcome this soreness. I dont fell it the slightest bit after heavy
bent pressing.

The weight should be pressed as fast as possible. The more skilled you become
the faster you ca press the weight. It has been said by many that the
incomparable Arthur Saxon, by far the worlds greatest bent presser, used this
fast method. Its the style to strive toward. I sometimes can complete a
moderately heavy bent press pretty rapidly. I admit that my 250 done at Baltimore
was not done rapidly. It was a terrific struggle; it hung in the air for what seemed
many minutes before it went up into a perfect press. But I am trying to bent press
fast and with the years I believe I will improve.
The placing of the feet was another phase of the bent press in which I was
wrong. So many men knew that Saxon stepped forward with the left foot, when
he bent pressed with the right arm. I tried this style for years and it threw me
badly off balance. Enough so that about four years ago when I first succeeded
with 200 I at times found it hard to start with 145; it held me off balance and I had
to start with a jerking motion. I then learned that Saxon may have stepped
forward, but when the bell was at his hip he turned on the balls of his feet so that
his feet were in a very comfortable position, about thirty inches apart with the
toes turned out slightly. This helped a lot.
And then the important part of training was repetition presses with a moderate
weight. In my case usually fifty or seventy-five pounds with a solid dumbell. I
would normally press in series of ten and might make as many as a hundred
presses. Thus my body learned the correct position, just as constant trying
teaches one to hand balance, ice skate, dive, or ride a bicycle. The muscles were
unconsciously improving their technique. When the weight seemed to go up itself
as it did some of the Saturdays during pressing competitions, I would follow with
repetitions with a moderate weight, and I made eighteen presses with a hundred
pounds.
In training I pressed in a variety of styles. The first of which would be with a fifty
pound dumbell, first holding the dumbell perpendicular to the body, pressing from
a very low position with the elbow approximately on the front of the hip. Ten
repetitions in this style. Then hold the bar back farther in the bent press position
and press it ten times from there without body movement. Then ten in the regular
side press position and then the 75 pound dumbell. The same three movements,
afterwards bent pressing the bell. Ten bent presses. After a time one would learn
to put the weight up so easily that there wasnt the slightest effort of pressing.
The bell held in the right place goes up without effort when the body is twisted far
to the right and one leans direct to the left which in the twisted position is also the
front.
I would make a few series of presses with a 100 pound dumbell successively.

And perhaps once a week a few presses with heavier weights. I pressed 145
twelve times on Saturday, then would make single attempts with 165, 185, and
205. At times I would lift the big bell.
I didnt like pressing the Cyr bell. It formerly was hard to balance, but this new
method of training with moderate dumbell pressing has made it easy for me to
balance it. The long bell is easier, for it works the same as the long balancing rod
frequently used by tightrope walkers.

Bent Press Thoughts

1.) The bent press is the making of a lifter. It promotes efficiency in all lifts, and its
practice will promote a great deal of strength and development.
2.) Dont push the bell immediately after it is brought to the shoulder. Lean as far
down as you can before you start to press.
3.) You will be more successful with a long thick handled bar. It gives you more to
push against, turns more slowly and assists in maintaining balance.
4.) Practice pulling in more weight to the hip than you can press; hold it there for
a few seconds. As your strength increases, your bent press will improve.
5.) Turn the bar until the sphere touches the head before starting to press. When
your head is lowered permit the bar to turn a bit more until it is exactly parallel
with the shoulders.
6.) Bend or twist around so far that you dont need to twist or screw around
farther when you press. In pressing while twisting three things must be done at
once. By bending straight down you save your side muscles, complete the lift
easier and quicker and should succeed with a greater lift. Turn the bar completely
and bend almost straight to the left.
7.) Practice of pressing in the supine position or the shoulder bridge will improve
your bent pressing.
8.) Every lifter who has been renowned for beauty of form and symmetry of
physique is also a star at the bent press.
9.) The bent press is the easiest of all ways to put a big weight aloft. It is
spectacular and is the best means of developing a reputation as a strong man.

10.) Your body will gain support by sliding the left arm down the left leg until the
arm pit touches the thigh. Some men reach over to touch the right leg with their
left hand. The arm should assist in regaining the erect position.
11.) Dont bend your right leg until absolutely necessary. Bend it only slightly until
the weight is nearly up, lock the arm and then lower the hips in preparation to
coming erect. There is so much that has been written about locking the arm as
the hips are lowered. I have found that locking the arm first is the only way, then
lower the hips and come erect.
12.) Always watch the bell. Dont take your eyes off it for a fraction of a second.
13.) The bent press is the most interesting and fascinating of all lifts.