Post by Tim Wescott on Apr 24, 2004 15:44:26 GMT -5
Karl Norberg, The World's Strongest Powerlifter:
by Jeff Everson
...The greatest of greats, John Grimek, once wrote, "Without a doubt the Swedish-born Karl Norberg was the most naturally strong and most powerfully built untrained man I ever met."
...Grimek loved to tell the story of a time in Dec. 1940 when he, with York Barbell, was traveling around the country giving weightlifting and posing exhibitions and ran into Karl in a crowd of lifting fans in a San Francisco exhibition.
...Several fans wanted Karl to go on stage and challenge Grimek. Grimek graciously and confidently accepted. Karl came on stage and asked for a 240-lb. loaded barbell. Without a warm up, he simply curled it to his shoulders and pressed it overhead with a reverse grip. Grimek already worried about what he had just seen, responded and made the lift in the same way. They then both did in succession, 250-lbs., 260-lbs. and 270-lbs. in the same curl and reverse grip press.
...Grimek noted that Carl was slowly curling and pressing and he, Grimek, was doing more of a fast reverse power clean to get the weight up. He also noted that Karl was one month shy of his 48th birthday and claimed he had only fooled a bit with weights and just lately had started to weight train seriously. Grimek was AAU Mr. America and was at his peak of athletic strength at 30.
...At any rate, Karl stopped after making 270-lbs., declining 280-lbs. after JCG, lifting smart, fast and with championship skill, made the 280-lbs. (Grimek at a later exhibition, made 305-lbs. in this curl and reverse grip press style.)
KARL'S EARLY HISTORY:
Born in 1893, died in 1976 at 83.
Karl came from a family of 13 other brothers and sisters (8 boys, 6 girls) — which suggests to me that his old man had a very healthy testosterone level, not to mention that his mom was pretty damn tough too.
Karl worked in a sawmill starting at age 12 and later as a logger, both jobs, six days a week from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
1927 moved to America, worked as a logger and on rail roads.
1934 became a longshoreman/stevedore in San Francisco in winter and fall and always shipped out for Alaska in the spring and summer as a fisherman.
Retired from work in1954.
BEST LIFTS ALL AFTER 65 (NON-STEROIDS):
Deadlift-600-lbs. the first and only time he tried the lift and after deadlifting it effortlessly, he proceeded to walk around the entire length of the gym with the loaded bar bell.
High seated front shoulder press: 325-lbs.
Crucifix and Holding-Out Lifts: Karl could hold out a pair of 80-lb. dumbbells at side arms length for 5-seconds, arms straight. He could muscle out and twirl a 45-lb. Olympic Bar. He could pick up an old thick York 45-lb. plate by the hub with pure finger and had strength and hold it at arms' length.
Barbell bench press: 460-500-lbs. He never actually maxed-out, but Karl made 460-lbs. at 73 and 340-lbs. easily at 82 although very ill then with prostate cancer and diabetes.
NORSEMAN WORKOUT AND NUTRITION:
...There were no PowerTec or Hammer machines, no MET-Rx APM 60 or Thermospeed drinks when Karl was lifting his biggest weights. Karl usually did this same workout or variations thereof, three times a week, alternating days. He did not work his legs much as he had severe osteo-arthritis in his hips and knees.
A) Benches: several sets of 6 reps, then some triples and a heavy single.
B) Press behind the head presses: several sets of 6 reps, triples, then a single.
C) Incline or front barbell presses: sets of 6, triples, then a single or two.
D) Dumbbell rows: Varying reps.
...For Breakfast: 3-5 eggs, grapefruit, several pieces of toast and coffee. For Lunch: several large cheese sandwiches. For Dinner: meat, salad and fruit. Supplement of choice: Hoffman's Energol.
...So much for more nonsense that one must eat six times a day for huge size and strength).
TALE OF THE TAPE!
...Karl never allowed anyone to take his measurements until he was 82. Then he was 5'10" and still had a 56" chest, 19" upper arm, 17" forearm, 9" wrist and bodyweight of 260-lbs. Absolutely amazing.
by Jeff Everson
...The greatest of greats, John Grimek, once wrote, "Without a doubt the Swedish-born Karl Norberg was the most naturally strong and most powerfully built untrained man I ever met."
...Grimek loved to tell the story of a time in Dec. 1940 when he, with York Barbell, was traveling around the country giving weightlifting and posing exhibitions and ran into Karl in a crowd of lifting fans in a San Francisco exhibition.
...Several fans wanted Karl to go on stage and challenge Grimek. Grimek graciously and confidently accepted. Karl came on stage and asked for a 240-lb. loaded barbell. Without a warm up, he simply curled it to his shoulders and pressed it overhead with a reverse grip. Grimek already worried about what he had just seen, responded and made the lift in the same way. They then both did in succession, 250-lbs., 260-lbs. and 270-lbs. in the same curl and reverse grip press.
...Grimek noted that Carl was slowly curling and pressing and he, Grimek, was doing more of a fast reverse power clean to get the weight up. He also noted that Karl was one month shy of his 48th birthday and claimed he had only fooled a bit with weights and just lately had started to weight train seriously. Grimek was AAU Mr. America and was at his peak of athletic strength at 30.
...At any rate, Karl stopped after making 270-lbs., declining 280-lbs. after JCG, lifting smart, fast and with championship skill, made the 280-lbs. (Grimek at a later exhibition, made 305-lbs. in this curl and reverse grip press style.)
KARL'S EARLY HISTORY:
Born in 1893, died in 1976 at 83.
Karl came from a family of 13 other brothers and sisters (8 boys, 6 girls) — which suggests to me that his old man had a very healthy testosterone level, not to mention that his mom was pretty damn tough too.
Karl worked in a sawmill starting at age 12 and later as a logger, both jobs, six days a week from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
1927 moved to America, worked as a logger and on rail roads.
1934 became a longshoreman/stevedore in San Francisco in winter and fall and always shipped out for Alaska in the spring and summer as a fisherman.
Retired from work in1954.
BEST LIFTS ALL AFTER 65 (NON-STEROIDS):
Deadlift-600-lbs. the first and only time he tried the lift and after deadlifting it effortlessly, he proceeded to walk around the entire length of the gym with the loaded bar bell.
High seated front shoulder press: 325-lbs.
Crucifix and Holding-Out Lifts: Karl could hold out a pair of 80-lb. dumbbells at side arms length for 5-seconds, arms straight. He could muscle out and twirl a 45-lb. Olympic Bar. He could pick up an old thick York 45-lb. plate by the hub with pure finger and had strength and hold it at arms' length.
Barbell bench press: 460-500-lbs. He never actually maxed-out, but Karl made 460-lbs. at 73 and 340-lbs. easily at 82 although very ill then with prostate cancer and diabetes.
NORSEMAN WORKOUT AND NUTRITION:
...There were no PowerTec or Hammer machines, no MET-Rx APM 60 or Thermospeed drinks when Karl was lifting his biggest weights. Karl usually did this same workout or variations thereof, three times a week, alternating days. He did not work his legs much as he had severe osteo-arthritis in his hips and knees.
A) Benches: several sets of 6 reps, then some triples and a heavy single.
B) Press behind the head presses: several sets of 6 reps, triples, then a single.
C) Incline or front barbell presses: sets of 6, triples, then a single or two.
D) Dumbbell rows: Varying reps.
...For Breakfast: 3-5 eggs, grapefruit, several pieces of toast and coffee. For Lunch: several large cheese sandwiches. For Dinner: meat, salad and fruit. Supplement of choice: Hoffman's Energol.
...So much for more nonsense that one must eat six times a day for huge size and strength).
TALE OF THE TAPE!
...Karl never allowed anyone to take his measurements until he was 82. Then he was 5'10" and still had a 56" chest, 19" upper arm, 17" forearm, 9" wrist and bodyweight of 260-lbs. Absolutely amazing.
