Unliftable Cyr Bell?

[Roark]

Louis Cyr had several dumbells, but the one generally

referred to as 'The' Cyr dumbell, now reposes in the York

Barbell Hall of Fame. It has a handle diameter of only

1.51 inches, so could this have been the bell mentioned in

Your Physique magazine in October 1947, which was rolled out for various attempts?

"The Louis Cyr dumbell, weight 244-1/2 pounds empty was rolled out on to the stage and defied all attempts to lift it off the floor with one hand."

Two questions for budding students of iron history:

1. Can you tell from the text how much the bell weighed that night? Are you sure?

2. How do we know that this was NOT the bell sitting

now in the York Barbell Hall of Fame? (and it was not,

but the answer is not in the text)

This is not a fitness babe event, you it will not be

graded on a curve.

[supersqueeze]

1) It only tells us what it weighed empty. No mention as to whether or not the bell was empty, full, 1/2 full, etc.

2) The challenge bell weighed 220 empty and 270-something full (of what?).

Mike M.

[Rick Browne]

I am only taking a stab at this Joe, so don`t holler

at me to loud if I am out in leftfield

I have read sources that the DB Cyr lifted weighed 273.75lbs.

This was done with a jerk press. (as described).

Also that one of Cyr`s bell was traded by its owner,

Joeseph Moquin (this DB weighed 202lb empty) for a

set of York weights. Thus this bell came into possession

of Bob Hoffman.

Could this be the Bell at the York Barbell Hall of Fame?

Ok Did I flunk?

[Roark]

Mike,

On #1-excellent.

On #2; the empty weight is usually offered as 202- and

at one time the Cyr bell contained some of the linotype

pieces from Mark Berry's SIMPLIFIED BARBELL TRAINING.

The heaviest loaded figure I have seen for the Cyr bell

is 273.25 lbs.

[Tom of Iowa2]

Not part of the quiz but unliftable in what way?

Is there a photo of it somewhere on the internet?

I like that 1.51inch handle too

[Roark]

I mentioned unliftable because no one that night could

get it off the floor- which I cannot understand.

zcor- Yes, Moquin's bell was Cyr's 202 empty bell which

now rests at the HOF. There is a photo of it in the

ironhistory gallery.

I have not seen 273.75 but you may be right. I have

seen 273.24- go figure!

[Tom Black]

I don't think there is a picture of the Cyr bell at York in the Iron History gallery. There is a picture of the Schaffron bell, however. I have a good picture of Cyr's bell with my hand around the handle that I took a few years ago. If no other pictures on the net exist I can post it somewhere. The handle is not thick at all, I think many on this board could deadlift it no problem, even at the heavier weight. The phrase "lift it off the floor with one hand" implies only a deadlift, at best, too me.

[Roark]

Sorry- I thought we had posted a picture of the Cyr

bell- I have several I took but with the preventive

structures/cases surrounding the bell the photos aren't

the best uninterrupted views.

[Rick Browne]

I recall reading that the handle is 1.5 inches thick. Also that

John Grimek, while at York, did several bent presses with it

loaded to 269 lbs. ( just stating what I have read)

[Roark]

At that weight, Grimek was probably performing

the bent press- at which he had high skills.

[The Mac]

I have seen the ref for Grimek Bent Pressing the Cyr dumbell - it seems on that day he could actually be "bothered" to bent press correctly

[Tom Black]

I don't seem to have the picture on my laptop, I'll have to post it after my vacation. They must have changed the display, my picture doesn't have anything in the way of the dumbbell.

[ChrisJames]

I believe that Hepburn managed to deadlift it but could not clean it.

[Roark]

Yes, Chris, Hepburn on Jan 6, 1951 in York, PA., performed

a right hand deadlift with the Cyr bell loaded to 235 lbs.

That day he also cleaned and pressed a 90 lb

dumbell-using only the index finger of his right hand.

That is how the lift was stated, so I suppose the thumb

was not also involved? Ouch!