@gymman62 Paul Anderson was handily beaten by Doug Hepburn in competition the only time they met. When Paul Anderson claimed stronger lifts than Doug Hepburn was doing in the future. Doug offered to meet with him several times with direct strength challenges and Anderson always refused.
@noobhealz402 I agree. Those numbers don't look right. Paul Anderson's standing presses I have seen show a push press. Doug Hepburn's standing presses were strict without any leg drive. Although Anderson had claimed higher lifts, whenever Hepburn and Anderson met head to head, Hepburn beat him. Hepburn offered to meet Anderson many times afterwards and compete against him publicly in any lift and Anderson always refused. Doug was confident that he was stronger than his student, Paul Anderson.
@Soloflexforever As far as i know, both lifters were amazing and were the grandfathers of powerlifting... neither one was a push over, both set records and were known for their achievements... i was just saying that we don't know exactly who's stronger, because we don't have cited sources that show the exact maxes for each lifter.
@noobhealz402 They were both great men. I know for sure that Doug was a really good guy. I think that Paul Anderson pretty decent. Doug started life as a cripple, and devised his own training methods that brought him success. Paul had outstanding genetics on his side. too bad he had the disease that shortened his life. Too bad Paul refused to meet directly with Anderson one on one in the lift for lift direct challenge Doug offered.
@TVTruther you don't know that for sure beceause it was along time ago at the time and steroids was already in use especially in europe were alot theses contest were held. it' just your opion but Facts are either way we just don't know for sure.
WildFx your lying. Alexeev was the first man to clean and jerk what your claiming your dad did. As for deadlift wasn't possible to deadlift what your claiming until recently. Your story, and story it is, breaks down with your impossible claims.
@yeigh08 WildFX has no credibility. I have had correspondence with people that knew Hepburn and took some of the famous pictures of him from that time. The mystery man with the claimed big lifts never happened. Hepburn beat Paul Anderson, Once in Quebec he was beaten on a thick bar deadlift, Doug smoked them on every other lift. Only Benoit Cote beat Doug in competition. Doug congratulated him and wrote a glowing commentary, To claim Doug would have acted violently if out lifted is a lie.
@WiIdFx Doug hated violence, never picked fights, nor bullied anyone. Very much the peaceful pacifist. He did briefly go into pro wrestling for financial reasons, and he despised it.
@Soloflexforever Well there are many people that were there and I am sure all of them are not lying ? They said Doug was quite upset and was asking for my dad and pushed people out of the way trying to find him.I am sure that it was no big deal.They told my father that he lifted the weight wrong the first time .Clean and jerk not dead lift .there was not one word any place that said he had to do it perfect just out lift him.. So my dad did it again and they said it still wasnt good .
@WiIdFx Very interesting story. I do believe that this could have happened. Your dad obviously a very strong man. I do believe that Doug could have been upset and pushed people out of the way as you described here and demand a re-lift. Challenging anyone to fight to cause physical harm, no. I wan't there. If you care to share more of this or have any links that would be great. Marvin Edder gave Doug a real run for his money in comparative strength.
My father was coaxed by family and friends to do it .My father could clean and jerk 525pounds with out busting a nut as he would say .. ha.
And could dead lift 950lbs. He is 84 right now and his memorie of these events are not as clear as when he told me as a young kid .. My Mom told me of what went on as she was there with him . Also my father could roll and lift a few full 45gal drums of fule onto a flat bed and coworkers seen him do it . So the word was listen to Gordie!
@WiIdFx Pure, unadulterated bull shit..... both lifts. Nobody C & Js 525 with ease not even heavy weights. World record is about around 580 by Hossein Rezazadeh.
@WiIdFx In Eastern Canada some locals beat him on a thick bar deadlift. They presented this to Doug without him knowing beforehand. Doug did not prepare for this lift like the locals focused on for months. He also had small hands. They could not come close to matching him in pressing. They cheered only when they out lifted Doug, never cheered for him. Lousy sportsmanship. Doug used his brains to create the programs that transformed him from a cripple to incredible levels of strength.
To all you young guys out there who read the ludiscorus and insulting "body building" mags, there is NO alternative to perefct nutrition, lifting heavy and PROGRESSIVELY heavier weights, brifely and with good recovery. It is as simple as that. There would not be many athletes today, including World's Strongest Man competitors that to press 370lb so easily. BTW, there were NO drugs back then. They were introduced by that drug pusher Joe Weider in the mid to late 50's.
@Next50On Doug Hepburn did not apply perfect nutrition. He ate a lot of chocolate cake and things just for the calories and fun of it. He did not train briefly, nor did he ever teach others to train briefly. He took his time with generous breaks between lots of heavy low rep sets.
@Next50On Hate to break it to you, sport, but testosterone was synthesized in 1935 and human trials began in 1937. Eastern bloc countries were administering AAS to their Oly. lifters as eatly as the 1940's and they were used by U.S. lifters as early as the 1950's.
there is something in the canadian genetics, i don't know if it's the quality food or just a can do attitude, but canada's strongmen heritage is legendary. my favourite strongman is the epic louis cyr; an inspiring hero and gentleman !
he worked regular jobs, paid his own way, did'nt piss around with drugs like all the modern useless pussies do now a days. he was a REAL man. the so called sport of bodybuilding that was founded by REAL men who took pride in making things happen with work is almost forgotten in this shinny age with fitness clubs behaving like used car lots TAKE NOTE STEVE NASH. i remember being 18 years old and going to western gym on broadway. my happiest gym memories of all time!
Hepburn was a drug-free super-strong guy who worked hard to achieve all that he did. There was no bench shirts until Inzer put out the first one around 1985, and even that was really only a double-thickness tighter t-shirt you could put on yourself. Today's bench shirts are just retarded, takes 2 guys to put one on the lifter, might as well uses a forklift to lift the weight as Ted Arcidi once said.
Hepburn benched 580 lbs without drugs/gear. First man to bench 500 lbs. One of the best, EVER!
HOLY SHIT IMAGINE IF ONE DAY HE HAD DECIDED TO DIET DOWN, WHAT A MONTROUS DISPLAY OF MUSCLE AND DEFINATION WOULD COME OUT. HOLY SHIT, THE FINAL DRUG FREE TRUE STRENGTH MAN...RIP.....
@doubleg35 Doug was physically handicapped, one leg was I think 2 inches shorter and he had a club foot, resulting in a small right calf. He was born cross eyed. Doug realized he could not be a top man in a physique contest, so he went all out to develop his strength.
I knew Doug and I am absolutely certain that he NEVER took and steroids or sports performing drugs of any sort in his lifting career. For a period in his life afterwards, he did become an alcoholic, and he did take LSD. Get the book on his life story for further details.
@shuricrock Hepburn was performing his great lifts before steroids got to North-America (he was Canadian). Steroids were around in Europe at the time, true, but he lived to be 74 and I believe I recall hearing he was still capable of benching over 300 lbs til the time he died. If he had taken roids in his youth and stopped later on, he wouldn't have been able to bench over 300 lbs as an old man and if he had taken roids his whole life, he wouldn't have made it to age 74. (almost certainly)
Doug died from a perforated ulcer. He didn't have to die at 74, the doctors screwed up badly. I know people that saw him a couple of weeks before he passed away, and they said he was his energetic vibrant self, still lifting heavy. He was looking forward to and planning other projects. If they gave him proper treatment, he would still be with us today, no doubt he would be the strongest 85 year old man in the world.
@velocity253 I knew Doug, and I also remember his bench press technique. Today powerlifters place their feet under their ass and "scrunch" under the barbell to engage the lower pecs, with extra arch in their backs and a very short range of motion close to the top. Take away their steroids, compression suits, current bench pressing techniques, and get them to bench press the same way Doug did. Most of the 600 to 800 pound "official" benchers would probably only manage at best 300 to 400 pounds.
The bench shirt didn't come into play until the 70's. I've never taken steroids nor worn a bench shirt either. All they do is artificially inflate your strength numbers.
From what I saw on the powerlifting records Doug Hepburn dident bench press 500 LBS raw, but yes he is the first to bench press 500 LBS, with a bench press shirt, I think they had bench press shirts back in the 50's. I went to the powerlifting records website and it said that Pat Casey was the First man to bench press 500 pounds without a bench press shirt.
I knew Doug, and he NEVER wore a bench shirt, NEVER took steroids, and his best official press was 580 pounds. He did wear a weight belt on some lifts. On December 10, 1952 he did an official bench press with 502 pounds. He barely missed a 600 pound press attempt 4 years later. Doug was also the first man to officially bench press 400, and 450 pounds. So far as I know, Pat Casey reached a 500 pound press long after in the 60's.
Notice how Doug Hepburn cleaned the barbell at the 2:00 mark. That was not technique or power cleaning skill at all. just pure shoulder and arm strength! Amazing, one of the strongest men that ever lived!
Damn. It was too easy to be a limit lift. Maybe 20 pounds more on each side would still have gone up. He was a big bear of a man and with more "modern advantages" could have done much more on all his lifts. I held 365 across shoulders seated just to get some grins no way was it going to move, 142 pounds over my all time seated press.
His press i so amazing,the press is my favorite lift,i like Doug,Paul anderson and zydrunas,never get tired of watcing this guys
saxzw 1 month ago
he didnt even struggle for a 370 strict press
MrRonwhite 2 months ago
EVER HEAR OF PAUL ANDERSON!!
gymman62 5 months ago
@gymman62 Paul Anderson was handily beaten by Doug Hepburn in competition the only time they met. When Paul Anderson claimed stronger lifts than Doug Hepburn was doing in the future. Doug offered to meet with him several times with direct strength challenges and Anderson always refused.
Soloflexforever 5 months ago
@Soloflexforever clamied stronger lifts? Here is a comparison:
PA press = 407 DH = 381,
PA snatch 330 DH=300,
PA C&j 429 DH 383,
PA SQUAT 900-1000 deep DH 750,
PA press from rack 500 DH 445,
PA Push press 545 DH 445,
deadlifts were equal at 700.
TheMightykaz 5 months ago
@TheMightykaz Unless you can source those numbers, we will never know who was stronger.
noobhealz402 3 months ago
@noobhealz402 I agree. Those numbers don't look right. Paul Anderson's standing presses I have seen show a push press. Doug Hepburn's standing presses were strict without any leg drive. Although Anderson had claimed higher lifts, whenever Hepburn and Anderson met head to head, Hepburn beat him. Hepburn offered to meet Anderson many times afterwards and compete against him publicly in any lift and Anderson always refused. Doug was confident that he was stronger than his student, Paul Anderson.
Soloflexforever 3 months ago
@Soloflexforever As far as i know, both lifters were amazing and were the grandfathers of powerlifting... neither one was a push over, both set records and were known for their achievements... i was just saying that we don't know exactly who's stronger, because we don't have cited sources that show the exact maxes for each lifter.
noobhealz402 3 months ago
@noobhealz402 They were both great men. I know for sure that Doug was a really good guy. I think that Paul Anderson pretty decent. Doug started life as a cripple, and devised his own training methods that brought him success. Paul had outstanding genetics on his side. too bad he had the disease that shortened his life. Too bad Paul refused to meet directly with Anderson one on one in the lift for lift direct challenge Doug offered.
Soloflexforever 3 months ago
Strange on how Canadians (top 2) surpassed the whole field, was it due to the non-entry of Steroids at the time?
TVTruther 5 months ago
@TVTruther you don't know that for sure beceause it was along time ago at the time and steroids was already in use especially in europe were alot theses contest were held. it' just your opion but Facts are either way we just don't know for sure.
LVSWTZ 4 months ago
WildFx your lying. Alexeev was the first man to clean and jerk what your claiming your dad did. As for deadlift wasn't possible to deadlift what your claiming until recently. Your story, and story it is, breaks down with your impossible claims.
yeigh08 6 months ago
@yeigh08 WildFX has no credibility. I have had correspondence with people that knew Hepburn and took some of the famous pictures of him from that time. The mystery man with the claimed big lifts never happened. Hepburn beat Paul Anderson, Once in Quebec he was beaten on a thick bar deadlift, Doug smoked them on every other lift. Only Benoit Cote beat Doug in competition. Doug congratulated him and wrote a glowing commentary, To claim Doug would have acted violently if out lifted is a lie.
Soloflexforever 5 months ago
My Father out lifted him at memorial gardens during one of his road tours and Doug wanted to then fight my dad ..
They offerd a $1000 to any one who could lift the same or out lift him ..
I am not sure but I think they only gave my dad $200.
WiIdFx 7 months ago
@WiIdFx Doug hated violence, never picked fights, nor bullied anyone. Very much the peaceful pacifist. He did briefly go into pro wrestling for financial reasons, and he despised it.
Soloflexforever 7 months ago
@Soloflexforever Well there are many people that were there and I am sure all of them are not lying ? They said Doug was quite upset and was asking for my dad and pushed people out of the way trying to find him.I am sure that it was no big deal.They told my father that he lifted the weight wrong the first time .Clean and jerk not dead lift .there was not one word any place that said he had to do it perfect just out lift him.. So my dad did it again and they said it still wasnt good .
WiIdFx 7 months ago
@WiIdFx Very interesting story. I do believe that this could have happened. Your dad obviously a very strong man. I do believe that Doug could have been upset and pushed people out of the way as you described here and demand a re-lift. Challenging anyone to fight to cause physical harm, no. I wan't there. If you care to share more of this or have any links that would be great. Marvin Edder gave Doug a real run for his money in comparative strength.
Soloflexforever 7 months ago
@Soloflexforever
My father was coaxed by family and friends to do it .My father could clean and jerk 525pounds with out busting a nut as he would say .. ha.
And could dead lift 950lbs. He is 84 right now and his memorie of these events are not as clear as when he told me as a young kid .. My Mom told me of what went on as she was there with him . Also my father could roll and lift a few full 45gal drums of fule onto a flat bed and coworkers seen him do it . So the word was listen to Gordie!
WiIdFx 7 months ago
@WiIdFx Pure, unadulterated bull shit..... both lifts. Nobody C & Js 525 with ease not even heavy weights. World record is about around 580 by Hossein Rezazadeh.
daniel213141 2 months ago
@WiIdFx In Eastern Canada some locals beat him on a thick bar deadlift. They presented this to Doug without him knowing beforehand. Doug did not prepare for this lift like the locals focused on for months. He also had small hands. They could not come close to matching him in pressing. They cheered only when they out lifted Doug, never cheered for him. Lousy sportsmanship. Doug used his brains to create the programs that transformed him from a cripple to incredible levels of strength.
Soloflexforever 7 months ago
@WiIdFx uh huh, yeah sure...LOL
ah93704 6 months ago
@WiIdFx yep, and I beat up Mike Tyson..you're a douchebag
ah93704 6 months ago
To all you young guys out there who read the ludiscorus and insulting "body building" mags, there is NO alternative to perefct nutrition, lifting heavy and PROGRESSIVELY heavier weights, brifely and with good recovery. It is as simple as that. There would not be many athletes today, including World's Strongest Man competitors that to press 370lb so easily. BTW, there were NO drugs back then. They were introduced by that drug pusher Joe Weider in the mid to late 50's.
Next50On 8 months ago
@Next50On Doug Hepburn did not apply perfect nutrition. He ate a lot of chocolate cake and things just for the calories and fun of it. He did not train briefly, nor did he ever teach others to train briefly. He took his time with generous breaks between lots of heavy low rep sets.
Soloflexforever 8 months ago
@Next50On Hate to break it to you, sport, but testosterone was synthesized in 1935 and human trials began in 1937. Eastern bloc countries were administering AAS to their Oly. lifters as eatly as the 1940's and they were used by U.S. lifters as early as the 1950's.
goob1979 7 months ago
looked like he could have pressed a LOT more
jallison419 8 months ago
He presses the 370 lbs like it's 50 lbs. This guy was unreal!
nyerndc 10 months ago
there is something in the canadian genetics, i don't know if it's the quality food or just a can do attitude, but canada's strongmen heritage is legendary. my favourite strongman is the epic louis cyr; an inspiring hero and gentleman !
dietdictocrat 11 months ago
did anyone book that guy in the video doing handstand push ups like it was nothing
fatty1w1 11 months ago
awesome video !!!!!
wildmandazza 1 year ago
cool video! Thank you lay out
romazka 1 year ago
Just awesome. The press looked effortless.
TBW92 1 year ago
he worked regular jobs, paid his own way, did'nt piss around with drugs like all the modern useless pussies do now a days. he was a REAL man. the so called sport of bodybuilding that was founded by REAL men who took pride in making things happen with work is almost forgotten in this shinny age with fitness clubs behaving like used car lots TAKE NOTE STEVE NASH. i remember being 18 years old and going to western gym on broadway. my happiest gym memories of all time!
bigpapatube 1 year ago
HAHA, he can bench more than jay cutler can and he wasn't even on steroids. pretty sad.
coldfront999 1 year ago
love how he drops it and turns like.. pffft is that all
100percentgradeA 1 year ago
Doug's 370lb Press is Sick. He looks like he's not even trying hard!
Respect!
tygerskull 1 year ago
....he pressed it. i can hardly believe he pressed it. .....like a peanut.
sakelee 1 year ago
amazing footage of a galaxy far far away. thanks for posting up. inspiring to see some badass old school lifting.
quixotee 1 year ago
Hepburn was a drug-free super-strong guy who worked hard to achieve all that he did. There was no bench shirts until Inzer put out the first one around 1985, and even that was really only a double-thickness tighter t-shirt you could put on yourself. Today's bench shirts are just retarded, takes 2 guys to put one on the lifter, might as well uses a forklift to lift the weight as Ted Arcidi once said.
Hepburn benched 580 lbs without drugs/gear. First man to bench 500 lbs. One of the best, EVER!
nuclearsharkattack 1 year ago
HOLY SHIT IMAGINE IF ONE DAY HE HAD DECIDED TO DIET DOWN, WHAT A MONTROUS DISPLAY OF MUSCLE AND DEFINATION WOULD COME OUT. HOLY SHIT, THE FINAL DRUG FREE TRUE STRENGTH MAN...RIP.....
doubleg35 1 year ago
@doubleg35 Doug was physically handicapped, one leg was I think 2 inches shorter and he had a club foot, resulting in a small right calf. He was born cross eyed. Doug realized he could not be a top man in a physique contest, so he went all out to develop his strength.
Soloflexforever 1 year ago
@doubleg35 are you shure that he was drug free? testosteron was used since 1900
and many other steroids and stimulators
shuricrock 1 year ago
@shuricrock
I knew Doug and I am absolutely certain that he NEVER took and steroids or sports performing drugs of any sort in his lifting career. For a period in his life afterwards, he did become an alcoholic, and he did take LSD. Get the book on his life story for further details.
Soloflexforever 1 year ago
@shuricrock Hepburn was performing his great lifts before steroids got to North-America (he was Canadian). Steroids were around in Europe at the time, true, but he lived to be 74 and I believe I recall hearing he was still capable of benching over 300 lbs til the time he died. If he had taken roids in his youth and stopped later on, he wouldn't have been able to bench over 300 lbs as an old man and if he had taken roids his whole life, he wouldn't have made it to age 74. (almost certainly)
gymguy25 1 year ago
@gymguy25
Doug died from a perforated ulcer. He didn't have to die at 74, the doctors screwed up badly. I know people that saw him a couple of weeks before he passed away, and they said he was his energetic vibrant self, still lifting heavy. He was looking forward to and planning other projects. If they gave him proper treatment, he would still be with us today, no doubt he would be the strongest 85 year old man in the world.
A tragic loss for us all.
Soloflexforever 1 year ago
@velocity253 I knew Doug, and I also remember his bench press technique. Today powerlifters place their feet under their ass and "scrunch" under the barbell to engage the lower pecs, with extra arch in their backs and a very short range of motion close to the top. Take away their steroids, compression suits, current bench pressing techniques, and get them to bench press the same way Doug did. Most of the 600 to 800 pound "official" benchers would probably only manage at best 300 to 400 pounds.
Soloflexforever 1 year ago
The bench shirt didn't come into play until the 70's. I've never taken steroids nor worn a bench shirt either. All they do is artificially inflate your strength numbers.
Soloflexforever 1 year ago
From what I saw on the powerlifting records Doug Hepburn dident bench press 500 LBS raw, but yes he is the first to bench press 500 LBS, with a bench press shirt, I think they had bench press shirts back in the 50's. I went to the powerlifting records website and it said that Pat Casey was the First man to bench press 500 pounds without a bench press shirt.
Skyoneer2007 1 year ago
@Skyoneer2007
I knew Doug, and he NEVER wore a bench shirt, NEVER took steroids, and his best official press was 580 pounds. He did wear a weight belt on some lifts. On December 10, 1952 he did an official bench press with 502 pounds. He barely missed a 600 pound press attempt 4 years later. Doug was also the first man to officially bench press 400, and 450 pounds. So far as I know, Pat Casey reached a 500 pound press long after in the 60's.
Soloflexforever 1 year ago
@Soloflexforever well Why inset Doug on the powerlifting records
Skyoneer2007 1 year ago
awesome, check out that squat at 1:20, looks like he's using 405 lbs! Dayum!!
1mouseman 2 years ago
its very very rare to be able to bench press 500 naturally, like Doug Hepburn did. weather your big boned or not.
Skyoneer2007 2 years ago
Notice how Doug Hepburn cleaned the barbell at the 2:00 mark. That was not technique or power cleaning skill at all. just pure shoulder and arm strength! Amazing, one of the strongest men that ever lived!
jackieorocks 2 years ago
Damn. It was too easy to be a limit lift. Maybe 20 pounds more on each side would still have gone up. He was a big bear of a man and with more "modern advantages" could have done much more on all his lifts. I held 365 across shoulders seated just to get some grins no way was it going to move, 142 pounds over my all time seated press.
skirts365 2 years ago
No steroids back then (except maybe in the USSR).....just real men with determination.
mensacyclist 2 years ago