Pierre gasnier

[Roark]

On November 17, 1903, when the French strongman

Pierre Gasnier was age 35, Dr. Dudley Sargent took

his measurements:

At approx 5'3" in height, and weighing 143.5 lbs,

Gasnier's wrists averaged 6.8, and his forearms 12.2.

These from Anvils, Horsheshoes, and Cannons by

Gaudreau. Willoughby's figures differ in Ironman Feb

1960, but the point here is that Pierre owned that

special barbell which weighed 236 livres (260 lbs)

which he could bent press (almost double bodyweight).

The bell's bar at the center was 2" in diameter, though

it immediately swelled to perhaps 6" in diameter on each

side of center, and thus prevented anyone from testing its

weight with two hands.

While touring Munich with the circus in 1899, Pierre was

visited by some German strongmen who came to check

him out. After Pierre had put the 260 lb overhead,

"Sebastian Miller, one of the Munich strong-men (who

weighed about 280 pounds), was able to pick Gasnier's

bell (which had a handle 2 inches in diameter) up to

knee height with one hand, remarking as he did so, 'Yes,

this is heavy.' None of the other strong-men present was

able to duplicate this feat of grip strength, although the

group included such famous lifters as Hans Beck, and

the 'coin-breaker' Cyclops Bienkowski. Gasnier complimented

Miller, and all the German lifters went away with a decided

respect for the miniature but mighty French strong-man".

[ironman Feb 1960 p 53-Willoughby]

Could Miller have deadlifted the Inch 172, you think?

Obviously, Gasnier stood the bell on one end for the

beginning of the bent press, he did not clean it or

use the Continental.

This is the beautiful stage barbell that Gasnier is many

times seen photographed with; anyone know what

became of it?

Gasnier died in December 1923 and his obituary appeared

in the New York Tribune on the 29th.