Roark Posted August 29, 2002 Share Posted August 29, 2002 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Say Posted August 29, 2002 Share Posted August 29, 2002 I thought that was done with 2 45s. I wonder how easily Apollon would have lifted a blob? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul valpreda Posted August 29, 2002 Share Posted August 29, 2002 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!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted August 29, 2002 Author Share Posted August 29, 2002 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 30, 2002 Share Posted August 30, 2002 "Believe it or not!" Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted August 30, 2002 Author Share Posted August 30, 2002 What do you mean, Mac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted September 4, 2002 Author Share Posted September 4, 2002 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the swiss Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 "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!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the swiss Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 a front raise? did I miss something? I thought he was just deadlifting it with arm extended? Roark can you clarify this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted September 4, 2002 Author Share Posted September 4, 2002 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybersnott Posted September 9, 2002 Share Posted September 9, 2002 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" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Say Posted September 9, 2002 Share Posted September 9, 2002 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted September 9, 2002 Author Share Posted September 9, 2002 Apollon would sear Cyr, regardless of seers' sayings, Nathan Say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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