Prone palm pinch

[Roark]

There are two versions of Apollon's lift, and by combining

information, this appears to be what happened.

Retiring strongman Briancon was giving his special barbell to

strongman Victorious. So, as the bell is being dismantled for shipping, Apollon walks into Professor Desbonnet's school in

the Faubourg Poissonniere. The bell weighed, in total, about

92 kgs, and was composed of a 10 kgs bar, and a disc on either end of 41 kgs. The discs were called Briancon's Pastilles

because they were shaped like a favorite sweet treat of his

time.

Apparently each disc was 3" wide at the edge, enlarging to

4.75" near the hole. The diameter is not given.

After Apollon watched a young man struggle to carry one of

the discs to the far end of the gym, he volunteered to carry

the other disc, and he used an overhand grip, so that the

disc was beneath his hand, and squeezed his four fingers

toward his palm, held it out with this pinch grip to extended

arm and walked the length of the room so holding it "with no

appreciable effort", and said to Prof. Desbonnet, who must

have been walking beside Apollon, 'Here, have a Pastille!'

Prof. Desbonnet, who had seen esentially ALL the current strongmen commented, thanks to David Chapman's translation,

"I would certainly never have believed it if I had not seen it

myself. But I did see it- with my own eyes- and it convinced

me one further time that Apollon's strength was indeed limitless."

Grip specialist Batta was unable to lift the disc even when so

pinch gripping it with two hands.

If you try this, use a plate that has no indented rim for your

fingers to tuck under, and begin the lift from off the floor.

No warmup, and no appreciable effort. Was this man ever

really tested, other than the jail bar bending incident?

[Nathan Say]

I thought that was done with 2 45s. I wonder how easily Apollon would have lifted a blob?

[paul valpreda]

Apollon was something else! I wish we had his strength feats on DVD to watch over and over again. He must have been just amazing. I can't even fathom some of his strength feats. I wonder what steroids were available then? I'm KIDDING!!!

[Roark]

Apollon was so far ahead of everyone else- and he

stayed just far enough ahead so that he did not

exert himself. Only when he switched into overdrive

did his real strength peek through-when others

baited him or tricked him or dared him.

Even those who were his professional peers

acknowledged he was able to toy with their best

weights.

Try the prone palm pinch with a 25 lb lipless plate.

[Guest]

"Believe it or not!"

Nick

[Roark]

What do you mean, Mac?

[Roark]

Sitting here sadly slumped sipping my morning coffee.

No one wants to challenge this lift by Apollon, which,

in my view, was the greatest pinch lift in strength history?

Ever! (consider the position of the hand)

The best retort is 'believe it or not'? Prof. Desbonnet witnessed

the lift and he wasn't some rookie ravingly rambling through

town.

Or does this lack of response mean that you also accept this

claim?

[the swiss]

"Grip specialist Batta was unable to lift the disc even when so

pinch gripping it with two hands"

wow what can we say?

surreal.

Apollon is definately my favourite old-timer.

I have been training on a similar lift recently and I lift approx 30-33 kg on my implement ( but with two hands! ).

if his disc felt similar, I feel like I'm physically challenged!

train hard

david

ps: very inspiring stories there Roark, please keep posting them!!

[Guest]

this appears to be what happened

This is hardly evidence to support this lift as is much of what was done way back then. Like with Goerner's lifts or Saxon's or whoever it is up to the individual to believe it or not.  

I have looked at the lift and don't believe that anyone today could do that with half the weight. When you add the comments made by Desbonnet "with no appreciable effort" it becomes even more unbelievable. Apollon, as I'm sure you know Joe, also used 'tricks' in his shows like changing the weight of his 'bell etc. And...there is also no doubt he was tremendously strong but some of the stories are, perhaps like other strongman stories, just stories!

Just quickly think about it, 41kg in a front raise and walked with on one hand!! Then add the overhand pinch!!!

NO WAY!

Nick

[Guest]

this appears to be what happened

This is hardly evidence to support this lift as is much of what was done way back then. Like with Goerner's lifts or Saxon's or whoever it is up to the individual to believe it or not.  

I have looked at the lift and don't believe that anyone today could do that with half the weight. When you add the comments made by Desbonnet "with no appreciable effort" it becomes even more unbelievable. Apollon, as I'm sure you know Joe, also used 'tricks' in his shows like changing the weight of his 'bell etc. And...there is also no doubt he was tremendously strong but some of the stories are, perhaps like other strongman stories, just stories!

Just quickly think about it, 41kg in a front raise and walked with on one hand!! Then add the overhand pinch!!!

NO WAY!

Nick

[the swiss]

a front raise?

did I miss something?

I thought he was just deadlifting it with arm extended?

Roark can you clarify this?

[Roark]

I have seen only two versions of this claim, so I cannot

clarify it with additional info. It does appear the claim was

basically a front lateral raise, then a walk, with a palm down

pinch grip. One wonders how 'extended' the arm, in fact,was.

Nick, 'with no appreciable effort' I agree, is hyperbole is this

case.

Perhaps Desbonnet was thwarting the trend in those days, which

among the French was to assume that foreign products were

superior to French products. Perhaps he touted fellow countryman Apollon unduly?

Frankly, I don't know, but I would not dismiss this lift offhand

because in many other lifts Apollon handily outlifted his

challengers while staying away from the borders of his own

strength. For example, with Desbonnet's 225 lb dumbell, which

two other grip men could only, with difficulty, deadlift, he ended up throwing overhead. Think about the difference in

strength levels involved in that situation. How much weight would each of us have to remove from our best one arm dumbell deadlift in order to throw that bell overhead?

I can think of no contest, or even any example, even from

Apollon's opponents, where it was claimed that he was 'almost

defeated' or that his opponent was 'nearly as strong' as he was. More than ANY other strongman Apollon won outright,

and even in those cases staying within his limits. One could

almost say, the opponent was lifting max, Apollon was

simply exercising. In this regard, on several occasions he went

through the motions of a lift while watching the person who had challenged him to do it to see if he was being tricked. In

other words, casual, offhanded strength without full concentration.

Regarding 'tricks' used by Apollon in his shows, the only example I am aware of was some hollowed out block weights,

but even then, when challenged he would produce heavier ones, and on the occasion when these hollowed ones were

filled with lead unbeknown to Apollon, he lifted them without

noticing the increased weight. So he used tricks in the sense

that he took it easy on himself sometimes, but was always at

the ready for a challenge, and his railcar wheels were lifted

at every performance and were not faked.

Anyway, if anyone comes up with more info, please share it,

because if this tale is true, it is indeed the greatest pinch

grip ever.

[Sybersnott]

Sorry Roark.... but there IS one better than that!!

Do you know what I'm referring to??  It's listed as the greatest grip feat of all-time.  

I'll give you a hint:  it's in Dale Harder's book, "Sports Comparisons:  You Can Compare Apples To Oranges"

[Nathan Say]

I wish Apollon competed against Louis Cyr. Tou said that Cyr never challenged anybody, people only challenged him so I'm guessing that he would have only done what it would have taken to win & not go all-out. Maybe he would have made Apollon cry uncle?

[Roark]

Apollon would sear Cyr, regardless of seers' sayings,

Nathan Say.