Between the 19th century and early 20th century, strongmen often displayed their incredible power as circus performers and entertainers rather than competing against one another as athletes.
Although initially starting in Europe, it spread to the United States. The athletes were physically strong men and women who challenged one another for high status and widespread fame.
Before now, these strongmen performed various shows of strength such as the bent press, steel bending, chain breaking, weight lighting etc. They required a great mass of power to pull through these feats.
Listed are some of the most famous strongmen who were outstanding in their shows of strength, achieving and setting records amongst each other that could only be broken by themselves.
He was also known as the French Hercules. He was born in 1862. Gasnier performed at the Barnum and Bailey circus, where he gained fame for breaking a chain over his chest. Gasnier was only 5’35’3ll and weighed 143.5 lbs but could lift a dumbbell weighing 260lbs. He died in 1923.
2. Thomas Inch
Born in 1881, Inch held both titles of BriBritain’srongest man and BriBritain’srongest youth. He’He’smous for creating his namesake dumbbell, ‘In’h Dumbbell’, which weighed 172lbs 9 ounces. Among the few who could lift the dumbbell, Inch would offer 200 British pounds to whoever could raise it.
3. Louis Cyr
Born in Quebec in 1863, Louis weighed about 18’18’pounds birth. At only 17, Louis stood five feet ten inches and weighed 230 pounds. He was famous for lifting a horse off the ground and also holding a platform with 18 men on his back. He became a police officer in Montreal and died in 1912.
4. John Holtum
Also known as the cannonball king, John was born in 1845 in Denmark. He was famous for perfecting the cannonball catch. Although he lost a few fingers during his first attempts, he perfected this feat. While Holtum stood on one end of the stage and a cannon on the other, an assistant would fire a 50-pound ball which Holtum caught with his gloved hands and chest. This requires swift reflexes, stamina and strength.
