Mark henry - new appreciation

[Bill Piche]

Mark may or may not being doing much grip work, but I have a new appreciation for his total power and HUGE grip strength.  I haven't moved my Inch (this inch is the same as what Henry cleaned, etc.) down my basement yet, but have painted it. And, it just moving it around for painting..the thing is a BEAST. The way Henry casually picked it up OFF hand is truly amazing.  Like a toy!

To be honest, he's da man right now when it comes to grip strength IMO. My guess would be some specialization on the grippers would have a #4 falling by the way side.  I think any grip feat he wants to set his sights on, is his for the taking. Probably easily.

[Tom of Iowa2]

I'll probably get some flack but Mark Henry has got to be considered one of the strongest men that ever lived...and this is a big IF but IF he wanted to....he could be thee strongest man ever.

His combined powerlifting combined with olympic lifts IS the heaviest ever recorded.

His EZ handling of the INCH has GOT to be considered(apparently he was recovering from a torn tricep at the time also?)

The Arnold Classic?well it does appear that it was set up for him to win with the coice of events.....But he cleaned the appollon axle.He didn't win the deadlift but did very exceptionally well.He didn't win the Farmers but to have walked with what 406 a side with very little training is amazing.The contest was perhaps skewed to favor mark but it wasn't fixed?(Phil and Svend-his closest competition- had just competed in Boston 6 days before hand too...they were trashed)

(i'd guess with training?Mark could walk with 500 a side?!)

I've watched other strongmen start out with 250lbs a side and a year and a half later are doing 350lbs a side..what would happen IF Mark tried or REALLY trained.

Like you said with specialization on GRIP (or Strongman) or if he came back to powerlifting and really focussed? he'd be hard to beat....probably a little too old to get back into O-Lifting(which he was only mediocre at anyway)but everything else...including duplicating some of the old timers stunts??

Boggles the mind...But with what appears to a less than HUGE desire -combined with a big WWE paycheck..we likely won't see much.

[Tom of Iowa2]

He has passed his share of drug tests too.He did his deadlift and squat-old school-with a wrestling singlet on.

Steroids did NOT create those wrists/knees/ankles/hands.His tendon size and connective are is 'off the sheet'.There is always a lot of speculation

but I think he belongs on any strongest man ever list.

His bone structure-including that huge melon(skull)is one of those things that 10,000 years from now as they are excavatingthe ruins of our civilization will cause more questions than answers :hehe

"what the he##???".......

[Nathan Say]

Yeah IF he decides to do some serious training... + Paul Anderson had a bigger olympic/powerlifting total if you count his official oly lifts + unofficial powerlifts. (yes I know about that site....) I think Antonio Krastev has a bigger total than Henry's also. It seems like Mark Henry is more into WWE & $$ than becoming the strongest guy ever, too bad. It doesn't matter who you are, you've got to lift like you're crazy to really make it. I say Garry Frank is stronger now than Mark Henry has ever been, I don't know anything about his grip but in everything else, he's got Henry beat.

[Bill Piche]

Yeah IF he decides to do some serious training... + Paul Anderson had a bigger olympic/powerlifting total if you count his official oly lifts + unofficial powerlifts. (yes I know about that site....) I think Antonio Krastev has a bigger total than Henry's also. It seems like Mark Henry is more into WWE & $$ than becoming the strongest guy ever, too bad. It doesn't matter who you are, you've got to lift like you're crazy to really make it. I say Garry Frank is stronger now than Mark Henry has ever been, I don't know anything about his grip but in everything else, he's got Henry beat.

Think so?  I don't know about that. Crappy judging (or should I say lax standards) and multiple ply shirts and suits are something to consider in that statement.

[terminator]

I agree with Wanna.  Do you for a single minute that any one of these guys (Garry Frank included) would turn down a multi-million dollar deal to wrestle?  No freakin way.  Any one of those guys would drop specific powerlifting training in a heartbeat.....assuming they had enough mobility or stamina to do what Mr Henry is capable of doing.

Nathan, you seem to have a problem with Mark Henry, going back to pre-AOBS.  Why must you always stretch to find someone who you think is stronger than him?  While he may or may not be the strongest ever, you gotta admit he's defininitely a candidate.

[The Mac]

Henry is probably my pick as the best of the current crop of candidates as the all-round strongest man, especially after his feats with the Inch. Not to say that Frank isn't incredibly strong either, but you have to go with your own opinions, don't you?

As for the WWE, he is making far more (I hope! ) than he ever could as a Strongman/athlete. Regardless of the "storylines" he is involved with, it is somewhat silly to expect him to break his neck training for Strongman/Powerlifting/Weightlifting for little monetary return rather than breaking his neck training for wrestling (and it is tough) for great reward. It is no suprise that he "seems" to more into the money - most people would be too. I certainly would! Much has been written in the past about sports like American Football taking most of the ptentially great US strength athletes - I believe you could say the same for wrestling.

[Nathan Say]

Why is it a stretch to say that Garry Frank is stronger than Mark Henry? Frank can take him in any lift now, I don't get it. How many of us would kill to have his genetics? Mark Henry os just a waste of potential. Someone else should have gotten his genes.

[The Mac]

Frank has totalled more in powerlifting, if you ignore the use of wraps and supersuits etc. I will not rehash the equipped vs non-eqipped debate, so when has Frank been a better Oly lifter than Henry? He may have the potential, but when has he done these lifts?

[Bill Piche]

Why is it a stretch to say that Garry Frank is stronger than Mark Henry? Frank can take him in any lift now, I don't get it. How many of us would kill to have his genetics? Mark Henry os just a waste of potential. Someone else should have gotten his genes.

Again, as terminator pointed out, you show your disdain for Henry in this post for some reason.  What's your beef with him anyway?

[Rick Walker]

About the multiple layer thing with Frank-I think he wears an Inzer Harcore squat suit to squat and pull, which is single-ply and legal in all feds-even the holy USAPL.  His lifts are deep-so put crappy judging aside.

As far as benching goes-he wears Inzer shirts-and I do believe they are poly and arent split-I could be wrong.

Frank and Henry are both feaks-

Rick Walker :hehe

[Nathan Say]

Everyone says that he could be one of the strongest people ever & he still does nothing with it. I've had classes with people who ace tests with (seemingly) no effort while I work my ass off & still don't do as well. & then they go & do something easy & lame like biology (yes that's their choice but they turn down a chance to maybe make a real difference in math). I wasn't made 6'6" so when I was rowing I had to train my ass off to make up for it. Basically Mark Henry is already what I (& many others) want to be someday (& probably won't) & he hasn't done hardly anything to get it. He's just letting his gift go to waste. Everyone says he'd break every record, but instead of doing it he complains about others doing drugs or whatever.

[Patrik_F]

Nobody is born with the genetics to Squat or Deadlift 900 lbs with no effort or "little" training. To even come close to that you have to train like an animal, no matter how your genes are. I think most of the so called "freaks of nature" are a bit hyped up and I think most of them train as hard or harder than the average even though they dont want to admitt it.

And I also think it is wrong to say that he is wasting his gift. You are not him and can not judge him or his decisions. He obviously doesnt want to break every record for whatever reason. Or maybe he just felt that he couldnt do it. What does it matter? He does what he wants and what he feels is right for him.

Everbody has different goals in life and it is pretty inmature to expect everbody to want to do the same things as you want.

[Tom of Iowa2]

First of all I am NOT a big fan of Mark Henry...In fact I too beleive he has-in one way- wasted a gift... BUT on the other hand he has parlayed that gift of size and strength into a fairly lucrative living which allows him a good life and to(perhaps)take good care of HIS family?

I'm sure many strength athletes-if given a chance to sign a BIG!! WWE contract would be waving us strength fans 'good by'as they looked back through the rear view mirror of their new Mercedes.

I brought up Henry because apparently we AREN'T bringing up many top strongmen(Magnus,Ahola,Kaz,Jon Pal,Wilhelm,etc.etc.)because there is a good chance that the"have a little help"?Henry is apparently drug free and also did his powerlifts(sans equipment..old school...in drug tested organizations)and also- because of his huge structure- and apparent athleticism and the fact that he has always been huge..-even as a teenager-..that he probably really IS drug free...Thus I feel he can be brought up in the same breath(or thread)as Saxon and Appollon ,etc.ALSO-At least to the best of my knowledge- Henry hasn't done any deceptive strength exhibitions with fake weights either......

He has 'manhandled'the INCH...he has done at least a few strongman events...(again that Arnold was perhaps? skewed to favor him i.e.2 of 4 events were static/stationary events...usually a PRO contest might have 2 or 3 static out of perhaps 7 or 8 events..or if there are stationary events they aren't so straight forwardly chosen to favor ONE athlete.Henry being an excellent powerlifter and an adequate O-lifter with huge hands?=DEADLIFT and APPOLLON's Axle at the Arnold)

So again I'm not a fan of the Man but his strength has been PROVEN in several activities and he does not wear 'equipment'and he HAS passed many tests and when he is competeing or lifting abjects there is at least an outward appearance of ease and casualness?

Perhaps behind closed doors he is training his ass off but I have heard and read that his training discipline is less than enthusiastic.

[Roark]

Not sure why Mark Henry has been singled/singleted out

because he seeks a good living. There are many strong men in the NFL who also bypass strongman/powerlifting competitions

to feed the family.

To do otherwise would display more ego than sense in my view.

Bottom line- it is his life.

[RSW]

& then they go & do something easy & lame like biology

      If Biology is much easier for you than Mathematics, perhaps you could make more of a difference as a biologist than a mathematician?  Maybe Mark Henry would impress you more if he took up long distance running.

RSW (BS and MS Biology, PhD, Biochemistry).

[Tom of Iowa2]

When considering the 'strongest ever' -and even with the exclusion of those 'with help'-(and besides just Mark Henry)-there are several pro strongmen that I truly believe are drug free(not most but I feel there are some).Maybe the guys I'm thinking of do NOT have Henry's brute strength but they are plenty strong,athletic and very grip oriented in their training!

I don't want to post names of those that are probably competeing 'clean'as that would cast a negative connotation on those that might NOT be clean.But these gentleman -with some specific training-could also pull off many of the lifts/stunts that the old timers did...IF they trained for those events specifically.Thus might?even be considered on the list of strongest ever?

Special training for the appollon axle,clean and push-press of the INCH and even Saxons walk with the 900#+or even 1000# plus steel 'rail' would likely be done by several drugfree strongmen of today IF they trained 'event'specific.

(i would guess all the old timers trained to do their lifts/stunts also?)

The weights of the implements and the stones and the tires have gone up considerably in JUST the past 5 years-because of practice and because there ARE more contests!The farmers Walk has been done with over 400 a side!a sprint is done with 315 a side!the tire flip has been done with 1150lb tire(pfister took a 1150# tire 65 ft.last year)the round,Atlas, stones are up to  420lbs in 3 or 4 contests!The 2 inch plus axle press for over 300# is regularly cleaned and then pushpressed for-at tiems by some-over 10 reps.

These modern drug free guys could do much of what old timers 'claimed' to do....whether THEY(old timers) actually did these lifts (or not) is for YOU to decide

[Tom of Iowa2]

Another thought:I'll try to be real vague about this and it is NOT an accusation-{ they aren't going to like this Mr. Spock- will the 'shields'hold ?""divert the warp engines to the shields scotty!"}   Who of us can GUARANTEE that anyone from the 30's or 40's or 50's or 60's and so on(vague enough?).."wasn't useing a little help"?

In an era when there was NOT drug testing!?- and Drugs were NOT considered illegal(as in federally controlled substances since 1991)!?-and the side effects were NOT widely known!?-and any doc could write you out a script for a chemical that 'will NOT enhance athletic performance'!?and when drugs were not neccesarily banned by national and international commitees!?...what was to GUARANTEE that ALL of these gentlemen were NOT useing some 'help'?

Just a thought.Sometimes our 'heroes'weren't as great as history portrays them.

[ChrisJames]

Tom,

Are you refering to the list that Old Guy put up for me ?

I can't see Louis Cyr popping out of the forests in Canada to go for a quick jab !

Or Apollon,Saxon and Goerner for that matter .I think it was hard enough to feed yourselves let alone buy drugs.

The only thing they did train on in those days was beer and plenty of it !!

Through out history you do come across exceptionally gifted people who's physical or mental capabilities far extend the norm.Leonardo Da Vinci ,Albert Einstein, Issac Newton, Jesse Owens and Joe Roark  :p  just to name a few.

I believe that the people i mentioned are like this and then enhanced their gifts with training.

Thomas Thopham was born in 1710 he surely could not of been seeking "help" from his friendly neighborhood pharmacist !!

[The Mac]

Beer - my favourite performance enhancer!!

Seriously though, I suppose you could say that Anderson, Hepburn and Eder may have been using performance enhancers that today are illegal. Don't know why that whould be held against them though  ???

[Roark]

Chris,

Are we having a little fun with old Joe, Chris?

Until recently I though an Ein Stein was something in

which beer was served.

In the old days, if anything, lifestyles may have been

counter-productive because of ignorance about proper

nutrition.

Terry Todd wrote an interesting piece: 'Steroids, An

Historical Perspective' in Iron Game History, Apr 1990,

which should be available on the web.

I remember someone attributing his awareness of steroids to

Steve Reeves! If true, perhaps they have been around longer

than is generally thought.

Steroids began being mentioned in print in our field in LIFTING

NEWS in Feb 1963, in S&H Aug 1966, and in H&S May 26, 1966- though I am missing some of the earlier issues. MD picked up on it in Sep 1968, but Ironman with 'Don't do it

fellows! A warning about tissue building drugs- by Rader

came in the Dec 1962 issue.

Muscle Builder reported than [editor] Jon Twichell was on steroids as an experiment. [ May 1963 issue ]

For the record, I once asked Paul Anderson during a phone

conversation if he had EVER used steroids, and he said no.

[The Mac]

From what I have read/heard, they had been available from at least mid - 50's, even if in a very primitive form. I have also read that one of the main reasons why the Soviet's entered the Oly lifting world in a big way (1953 or so, as I remember) was that they had come up with a workable system of administering these substances to their athletes on a wide-scale. I have always thought that Anderson (as part of the US lifting team at that time) may have had access to them. I have also read that they were around in Reeves time - but again, not quite as the substances we would recogmise today.

Just an opinion though - I have read other accounts that have put the dates back by a number of years.

[Roark]

Are there any pharmacists on the grip board? If so, help us

with the time line, please.

[Guest woody36]

http://www.naturalstrength.com/history/det...p?ArticleID=293

[BarBender]

I am not a pharmacist but I read that testosterone was isolated in 1937.