OldGuy Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 Joe, do you know if this poster of Apollon is a drawing, a photo, or a drawing made from a photo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 It is not a photo of Apollon- the forearm extensors reveal that. Facial lines etc are not Apollon's real life likenesses. Whether he modeled for the image I do not know, or whether it was composed from a photo I do not know. Anyone who has actual photos of Apollon has something very rare- according to the collectors I asked asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 10, 2002 Author Share Posted October 10, 2002 The aafla.org site has a tremendous pic of Apollon, but it is in pdf format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roark Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 Yes, the Todds in Austin would likely have some of the better/rarer shots of Apollon. It was in Texas that I took the photo ofthat poster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 10, 2002 Author Share Posted October 10, 2002 There are pics of him at 16 and 17 and also pics of his phenomenal forearms. If he looked like that at 16, he was truly a one in many millions natural. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul valpreda Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 Apollon's forearms were incredible! It's also amazing to me how good his leg development was, because I don't think squats were practiced back then. OldGuy, do you happen to know what his forearm measurement was? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 10, 2002 Author Share Posted October 10, 2002 Paul I have read that it was anything from 16'' to as much as 19'' I do not know how it would have been measured. My guess is that 16 1/2'' arm straight would be a fair estimate. supposedly he had 20 '' calves and 30'' thighs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arne Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 The casts of Apollons arm, are they still existing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul valpreda Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 OldGuy, Those are incredible measurements for any time period. Did Uni have a childhood of manual labor? I wonder where his foundation of strength came from, or if it really was just natural? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 10, 2002 Author Share Posted October 10, 2002 Mostly natural I would say. He probably, as most did then, not have an easy childhood. He most likely had to do some hard work growing up whether he liked it or not. I would assume that he was well fed. Supposedly he was lazy as an adult and did not train much. Mostly his strongman act and wrestling kept him strong. He performed soley to make a living and feed himself. Rarely was he provoked into exceeding himself, just others. Size is not everything, and no doubt you could find people who are by nature his size, but do not even come close to matching his strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisJames Posted October 14, 2002 Share Posted October 14, 2002 There are rumours that Louis Uni worked carrying 250 lb bags of salt at the age of 14.Working with thick handle dumbbells at an early age (lazy or not) would definately be a major factor in developing his monstrous forearms. As for leg development , one of Apollon's acts was to do a one legged squat whilst pinch gripping 20 kg block in each hand,in a crucifix position.On the other out stretched leg there was a 50 kg weight positioned on the foot.I'd say the practice of this would build considerable thighs and calves. Apollon ( or any other great strongman) must have put years of effort and work into building his act , starting his apprenticeship at around the 15 years of age mark.Truly one of the hardest professions to be succesful at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGuy Posted October 14, 2002 Author Share Posted October 14, 2002 He still had great genetics. Without them a person could train his forearms hard for years starting at an early age, and still not have forearms like Louis Uni. I have met people with enormous forearms who have never trained. You can be born with size. Born with great strength, I am not sure about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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