THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICAL POWER - (Circa 1906) - Chapter 24 - My Measurements and Record Lifts - By Arthur Saxon

The measurements given below will no doubt be interesting on account of (1) the fact that I am recognised as the strongest man on earth, and (2) the fact that they are accurate measurements, whereas in most cases it is usual to add a few inches to each measurement, which is not only unscrupulous, but has a bad effect in discouraging physical culturists who give up their attempts to bring their physique up to a high standard, on account of the apparent impossibility of reaching the enormous measurements I refer to. My idea is to be absolutely truthful in all details, and avoid exaggeration in every way, as thus and thus only, may our athletic young men and the public generally gain a sound idea as to what has been and may be accomplished.

Measurements

Height - 5 ft. 10 ins. Weight (stripped) - 200 lbs. Chest (normal) - 46 1/2 ins. " ( expanded) - 49 ins. Biceps - 17 1/2 ins. Forearm - 14 3/4 ins. Thigh - 24 ins. Calf - 16 1/4 ins.

The above measurements prove one need not to be a perfect colossus to be able to perform startling feat, and further that the biggest man is not necessarily the strongest.

Record Lifts

Snatch - 195 lb. snatched from ground to out-stretched arm and above head with the right hand, on March 4th, 1905, at Professor Szalay's School of Physical Culture, Forest Gate, London. (I have snatched 200 lb. in private).

Double-Handed Press - 252 bar-bell pressed from the shoulder with both hand above head, legs straight, back straight, heels together, no jerk, bar-bell held at the chin for four seconds before commencing to press, at T. Inch's private rooms, Munster Park, S.W.

Slow Press, one hand - 370 lb. bar-bell pressed with one hand from the shoulder at Stuttgart, on December 12, 1905, bell weighed in the presence of numerous weight-lifters and the representative of the leading sporting paper, body brought erect, and weight held overhead with a straight arm for several seconds.

Double-Handed Lift - Weight or weights to be raised anyhow, provided body is erect and the arms straight at the end of the lift. At the Athletic Club, "Achilles," at Dresden, in Germany, I raised over-head bar-bell weighing 336 lb. with the right hand, and then stooped down and brought to the shoulder and so overhead, a ring weight weighing 112 lb. which makes a world's record of 448 lbs. double handed lift, weights to be got up anyhow.

General Records

At Professor Szalay's School, High Holborn, London, in the presence of Professor Szalay, T. Inch, Roland Spencer, Albert Atilla, J. Haslam, and numerous other pupils of Professor Szalay, I accomplished the following feat - 311 lb. bar-bell raised clean with two hands to the shoulder and jerked overhead, lowered to the shoulder at the back of the neck, and again jerked overhead.

I have also thrown from one hand to the other overhead a bar-bell weighing 315 lb. This must be a record, as no other man has yet raised 315 overhead with one hand, the first portion of this feat.

At Professor Szalay's School, Forest Gate, in front of himself and his pupils, and also one or two reporters, I laid on my back and brought over my forehead on to my chest an bar-bell weighing 386 lbs. with both hands. This I pressed to arms' length, and no one has yet attempted such a weight. Here is another world's record.

Iron Nation