Details on Apollon

[Roark]

Just a word of news: details about the strongman show

at the Arnold Classic are posted at Arnold's site (just

type in Arnold Classic and you'll get there). Mark Henry

and several other men including Brad Gillingham are

slated to competed- winner gets a HUMMER! Other men

Mark Phillips, Hugo Girard, Shane Hannon, Andy Bolton,

Jany Marchakav.

Of interest to us on the Grip Board would be the Apollon

Wheels replica, said to weigh 366 pounds. The main goal

seems to be a clean and jerk with the wheels, then

placing the wheels back down, and repeating a full clean

and jerk- though other options are explained.

Descriptions of the four aspects of the contest are explained

at Arnold's site. (including a farmer's walk, A Hummer lift,

and a Hummer push UPHILL)

Wonder who will do the most reps with the Wheels?

[Tou]

Looks like Hugo is going to get a new Hummer soon ! I'm cheering for my local guy. If anybody, these days can clean the wheels, it's Hugo. He has the strongest shoulders in the world. I've seen him pressing a 350 pounds log bar for reps (standing not seated). He is a monster of strength.

[Guest woody36]

Joe,

     Is the Apollon lift on a time limit basis,or just how

     many reps you can do period?

I wouldn't have thought it would be going beyond

 3-5 reps for the winner,if that! and my money's on "Henry"

[Roark]

Woody,

The text of the announcement is not signed but is written

(I assume) by Terry Todd, who says he spoke recently with Schemansky and hopes that Norb will agree to help judge the

Apollon lift!

A contestant is allowed to clean once and jerk several

times but that will not be rated as highly as making a

clean for each jerk because the obvious difficulty is cleaning the thick bar, non-revolving, handle.

There will also be a second set of wheels, it appears,

weighing 147.5 kilos, which will be available after the

heavier set is no longer contested.

Anyway, there are many details outlined at the Arnold

Classic site (I do not know how to post a URL or whatever

it's called; my computer skills match my ability to clean the

Apollon wheels).

it appears to me to be:

http://www.arnoldfitnessexpo.com/arnold_strongman_2002.asp

Woody, it works! I'm calling Bill Gates for a job right now!

[Guest Jeff Roark]

Joe,

As I recall it has been a feat to do the wheels one time little alone do it more than that. Has these guys trained on this lift specifically? Are they making predictions? Do you think using an Apollons Axle from Ironmind is the same as the real thing, weight being equal?

[Roark]

Jeff,

Richard Sorin posted the other day that recently Mark

Henry cleaned 360 lbs on a 2" non-revolving bar, and this

is no doubt part of his training for the Arnold. I would

assume the other competitors have been alerted to the

feats and can train for them.

The wheels are 26" in diameter and the bar nearly 2"

thick, so I would think that training on a non-revolving

bar with that diamter of plates would be adequate training.

I have never been around Apollon's Axle, but I assume

it revolves? A friend of mine, not used to lifting non

revolving barbells (solid, non-revolving dumbells are not

at all like this) nearly broke his wrist by not relaxing

his grip at the chest to allow the bar to 'revolve' inside his

loosen hand. He kept his grip tight and was fearful for a

moment that all was not well in mudville. But he was OK.

I suspect history will be made on Feb 24. Any predictions

on how will reps the winner will lift?

[Guest baldy]

Regarding the IM thick bar, it is 2" thick and non-revolving (in that it doesn't have bearings that allow the ends to turn). It weighs 33 lbs unloaded. One thing I like about mine is that the ends (where the plates go) are so textured it is almost threaded. Someone turned them down with a rough cut or something before shipping. This allows the collars to clamp on tighter. I have safely used mine for bent pressing (starting bar standing on end) as well as all other lifts.

However, the plates still turn when you rack a clean. You would about have to tack weld them to the bar to stop this rotation of the plates. I would think cleaning the axle would be nothing like the rotation of the real axle (a solid welded chunk) Joe explained. It is correct to call the bar non-revolving, but it is not like the real thing.

[Tou]

I predict Hugo can make 3-4 reps after the first clean and 2-3 reps on a second clean. I might be wrong ... he could do MORE. If he gets good at C&J, watch out. His deadlift is not so bad as he lifts over 800.

[Guest baldy]

Tou, Hugo is super strong but how is he at a clean? Log pressing allows for a continental, does this event or does it have to be taken to shoulders with a clean? Hugo is freaky strong in the shoulders (recent crucifix record, plus overhead log pressing you mentioned), and a heavy deadlift is great. Richard makes it sound like Mark Henry is going to be ready. He witnessed Mark training heavy cleans on a 2" bar recently.

And just like with the Inch replica, the clean is the dealbreaker. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[Roark]

Baldy,

ONLY a clean is allowed, no Continental for this contest.

Everyone, please read the rules for yourself rather than

take my interpretation of them. I posted a link above.

On re-reading the rules it seems to me that the number

of cleans is what matters, not the number of jerks.

So if you clean the wheels once and then jerk three reps

from the shoulder, then fail to clean the wheels a second

time, your points will be less than someone who cleans the

wheels and jerks one rep, and then cleans the wheels for a

second time, but fails to get another jerk. At least that's

how I read the rules, so it appears that a competitor had

best spend energy on a clean with a jerk, then another

clean with another jerk etc.

Do you agree that's the interpretation?

Hopefully some of the non-competitors will be allowed

to get a feel of the wheels.

Are any board members planning to attend?

[Guest Jeff Roark]

Joe,

Is it an actual replica or is it going to be an IM Apollons Axle? I think the IM bar would be easier due to the fact you will get a bit of rotation but not alot or enough to make a huge difference. I would guess that the strongest practiced O-lifter will win and I say that is Henry. As far as I have heard Henry has a good grip by his lifting of an Inch replica. I will say 3 cleans and 4 jerks. Boy I could be way off...

[Nathan Say]

It would be cool to see someone clean & PRESS the axle like Doug Hepburn would have if he'd had the chance, but nobody's going to lift it even once at that contest.

[Roark]

It will be a replica made from scratch- not Apollon's Axle.

I assume Ivanko Barbell (Tom Lincir) made two discs and

one bar then welded the bar to not revolve- but that's a

guess. Schemansky, I'm told, only half-jokingly suggested

that the bar be bent so that it would be as the original bar

was at the time he lifted it.

Nathan, you could be right about no one lifting it, but

it may be just the opposite- each competitor may lift it.

Each man is strong beyond the norm, so the overhead

part will not be the problem, and if they master the technique

on cleaning it, they have the strength. We'll see. After all,

for some of these men the lift is basically the same as

their bodyweight, so the thick bar will be the question as

you know.

I suspect you are right about Hepburn, and it may be

that none of these men at the Arnold can press the wheels,

and they probably will not waste energy trying to since

big cash and a vehicle are at stake for reps in the clean

and jerk.

Hopefully, later a video will be for sale of the strongman

show. I also wonder where the wheels will be stored?

[Guest Jeff Roark]

Joe,

Before you know it somebody will come out with an Apollons Axle replica like they did with the Inch DB. Joe if you are going why don't you take your Inch handle along with some plates and see what the guys can do.

[Nathan Say]

The guy who makes the best attempt will have it slip at about waist height. That's the official prediction.

[Roark]

Jeff,

Hopefully an Inch replica will be there, but it is not

practical to carry around my handle plus plates- the

place is huge. I doubt that we'll see Apollon wheels

replica on a mass scale- shipping 366 lbs plus crate

would break the bank for most. And then the cost of

wheel set! The 147.5 lios set may be more in line.

The second set of wheels that Apollon owned weighed

118 kilos (260 lbs) so one wonders why the second set

at the Arnold will be 147.5 kilos.

Nathan, your prediction is noted. You sure you're

sticking to that?

[AP]

my prediction,

henry and hugo will both clean it for at least three reps...

and at least one other will clean it at least once..

[Nathan Say]

Replica Inch dumbells have been out for a bunch of years & there's still only one guy who has lifted it overhead the way Inch said to (one hand clean & overhead). This will be the first time a real Apollon Axle has been attempted by anyone, so I don't think the competitiors will know what to expect, even if they have been training on IM's axle for a while. I'm sticking to my prediction If nobody lifts it overhead, I think everyone will have a newfound appreaciation for how strong the oldtimers were, & if everyone does, Shemansky can say that it took a 300lb goon to do the same thing he did at a way lighter bodyweight.

[Guest woody36]

I vote Henry going for most cleans,minimum of 3.

 Most of the pack i would imagine will clean it once and

 go for maximum jerks from the shoulder,if they can

 clean it in the first place.

Joe, any word from Bill Gates yet?

[Roark]

Okay, Woody, your prediction is noted.

The deal with Gates crashed.

[Tou]

Nathan, I think most of the guys will be able to clean the thing. I don't know who is Mark Philipps (isnt it Mark Philippi ?) but hey, you have the cream of the elite overthere. Brad Gillingham is the best powerlifter in the world, Mark Henry is a monster of strength, you have the weigthlifting champion and Hugo who is ranked in the top 5 WSM.

I have seen Hugo lift at Canada's strongest man the past 2 years and it is scary. He has tremendous brute strength and he's getting better all the time on the events. He cleaned a 350 log like if it was nothing then pressed it 3 times (not 3 jerks, 3 strict presses) with ease to entertain the crowd.

Henry and Hugo are easy favorites but I'm pretty sure that the olympic weightlifter will do pretty good.

[Nathan Say]

Those wheels are like 2 big flywheels. I don't see it happening.

[1stCoC]

Philippi also cleaned the 360 but with a squat type clean AND reversed grips. Henry is a BEAST and I have known and seen them all.For some reason I thought the Apollon axle was thinner than 2 inches...but if it is 2 inches it would be a real battle to clean for more than one rep.Hugo, Philippi,and Henry will do it but not for many in a correct style. Easy way to injure a wrist!My son Bert has some great video and photos of the guys lifting in our exhibit booth in Texas recently with the Ironmind style 2 inch bar.

[Roark]

The Apollon wheels bar is 1.93" (49mm).

I have met Mark Henry on two occasions, Richard, and

you are right, the man is huge.

The first time I met him was in Peoria, Illinois, and he

weighed close to 400 lbs as I recall. Last year at the

Arnold Classic his weight was down considerably (340?)

and he had been working on endurance to last longer

in his wrestling bouts.

He is a wonderfully good natured man and Terry Todd told me

that Mark can close the #3 with either hand in the regular and

inverted styles, and I know that Mark is not certified, but

there is no doubt in my mind he can close the #3 if Terry

witnessed it.

As I recall Mark has deadlifted over 900 lbs.

Anyway, I understand Nathan's position of disbelief about

anyone succeeding with the wheels, but if anyone can do

it, Mark can. We'll know soon.

Tou,

I suspect it is Mark Phillipi but the press release says Phillips.

[Guest woody36]

Joe,

Wasn't there a thread awhile ago that talked of Henry

Upright rowing an Inch replica?

 I can't remember if he'd done it,or was going to do it.

Can anyone remember?