Tag Archives: Warren Lincoln Travis

WLT’s HUGE Dumbbell

by Al Myers

Al Myers beside the famous Warren Lincoln Travis Dumbbell.

One of the most impressive things I seen when I toured the York Barbell Hall of Fame and Museum was Warren Lincoln Travis’s Dumbbell.  I have seen many pictures of it before – but pictures don’t do it justice.  It is much bigger when seen in person!  This massive dumbbell was used by Travis for many of his record breaking performances in the hip and harness lifts.  He would use it in shows and performances – and the sheer size of this dumbbell would impress the audiences by itself.  It weighed 1650 pounds empty and 3750 pounds when fully loaded with sand.

Travis’s dumbbell has been in York Barbell’s  possession for quite some time.  For awhile, Bob Hoffman had it displayed in front of his house.  Thanks to York Barbell  this dumbbell can be readily seen by anyone now. If you ever get a chance to make it to York, Pennsylvania, be sure to include a stop at York Barbell.

The Theft of the Championship Belt

by George Jowett

The Championship Belt of Warren Lincoln Travis, which now resides at the York Barbell Museum.

Talking about getting sore, can you imagine the even-tempered Warren Lincoln Travis getting sore? He did once.  He was giving an exhibition down in New England, and at the entrance of the show he had his diamond belt and some other trophies on display.  He had hired a man to watch them but Warren forgot to hire somebody else to watch the watcher.  The result was, the caretaker of the trophies beat it with the whole outfit, which is worth a snug fortune.  Did Warren camp on that guy’s trail? OH! boy, he didn’t wait for a train. The spirit of Achilles was in his heels, and he was traveling faster than any train. But, the best Travis could do was to locate the pawn shop where the smart boy had hocked the goods.  Warren wept for joy when he grabbed his cherished possessions, but the thief got away.  Luckily for him, for if Travis had ever got his hands on him, it would have been the parting of the ways, as Warren would have distributed him to the four winds. However, Warren still remembers it and is willing to laugh with you over the escapade.

Credit:  The Key to Might and Muscle by George Jowett

The Foot Press

by Al Myers

Dave Glasgow lifting over 1000# in the Foot Press at the Dino Gym Challenge

Recently at the Dino Gym Challenge we performed an “exhibition lift” that was a very popular Old Time Strongman performance feat. I initially termed it the “Plank Support”, but the proper name for the lift we did in the meet should be the “Foot Press”. This lift has never been contested before (in modern times at least) so I had some uncertainty in how the event would go. The difference between a Plank Support and a Foot Press is this – in the Plank Support the legs are already locked as weight is added to the feet while with the Foot Press the weight is pushed up with the legs/hip to lockout. Both of these were favorites of Arthur Saxon, and it is reported that he did 3200# in both. Saxon would lay on his back while a heavy plank was placed on his feet in which weight (often in the form of people) was loaded onto the plank. He did “a little extra” with his act in that once the weight was loaded and supported he would slightly unlock his knees and then leg press it out again. So in a sense he was doing both a Plank Support and Foot Press at the same time! Other strongman didn’t unlock their legs when doing this stunt. He also didn’t use any hand supports, thus maintaining balance with his feet only! The rules for the Foot Press as was done at the Dino Gym Challenge is as follows:

Rules for Foot Press

An apparatus is used in which weight is loaded onto the feet only while the lifter is laying on his/her back on the floor/platform with the legs vertical and perpendicular to the floor. The apparatus used must allow the weight to rise without providing any leverage to the lift, but may be guided in a tract. It is also acceptable to use a plank resting on support platforms. The lift starts at the lifter’s discretion. Hands may be placed on the legs or any part of the apparatus, but must not be used to push directly against the weight being lifted. The weight lifted must clear the supports and be held motionless, at which time an official will give a command to end the lift.

The following is a story told and written by Sig Klein, “When Arthur Saxon came to this country to fill an engagement with the Ringling Brothers Circus, weightlifters in and around New York thought here was the athlete for Warren Lincoln Travis to meet in competition. For reasons never made clear to me, this match never materialized, although Travis trained for the match that was being talked about. He told me that he could never hope to equal Saxon in the Bent Press or on the Foot Press, but he trained on these lifts nonetheless. Travis spoke to Saxon about the Foot Press and I will tell you what transpired regarding this lift. Travis asked Saxon if a contest was to be arranged and the Foot Press was one of the tests, if he, Saxon, would agree to allow Travis to do his lift with the plank resting on two trestles and iron placed on the plank. Saxon, who had his two brothers trained and a group of men who were placed on this plank in perfect order by the brothers, agreed to allow Travis to do anything that he desired. Travis said that this was the way Saxon acted about most any lift. He was very fair and would agree to most any kind of arrangements for a contest as long as Saxon could get a contest. Travis had the greatest respect for Arthur Saxon and told me that in an overhead weightlifting contest Saxon could beat him but that Travis hoped to defeat Saxon on the Back and Harness and Finger Lifts.”

I was very impressed with this lift and everyone at the meet seemed to enjoy it. It is a lift that can be done in almost any gym. All it takes is a Vertical Leg Press Machine or a Power Rack in which a plank could be placed across the supports. The Foot Press is the Heavy Lift version of the Leg Press. There are a couple of Leg Press Lifts as official USAWA lifts, but they are full range of motion lifts and nothing like the Foot Press. I am going to present this lift to the USAWA Executive Board for new lift approval so hopefully, the next time the Foot Press is done it can be “official” and records can be set in it.

Warren Lincoln Travis and the Back Lift

by Al Myers

Warren Lincoln Travis Back Lifting. His best Back Lift was 4240 pounds.

Discussion this past week on the USAWA Discussion Forum involved discussing our favorite Old Time Strongmen. One who was brought up was Warren Lincoln Travis. I have always been a fan of Travis – he always did his own thing and didn’t follow the crowd of other strongmen. He obviously was most famous for his Hip Lifting, Harness Lifting, Back Lifting, and Finger Lifting. These lifts were not exactly the fortes of other strongmen. I would have to say that Warren Lincoln Travis is the reason that we do the Heavy Lifts in the USAWA today.

Travis would always challenge other lifters to contests involving Total Poundage. With his specialty on the Heavy Lifts and the large amount of weight that he could lift this way – he never found any takers!!

I recently found this video of Warren Lincoln Travis Back Lifting (Thanks to Abe Smith!!). On his platform, he used people as weight. Unbelievable!! Watch how he twists his body when he has his Back Lift locked out. This video can be viewed using Windows Media Player. Plus – watch how he likes to reward himself after a hard workout. This is classic!!!

Quiz of the Week – Who is this Strongman from the past?

by Al Myers

Congratulations to this weeks winner – Thom Van Vleck of Kirksville, Missouri.

Warren Lincoln Travis

He correctly identified this strongman from the early 1900’s as Warren Lincoln Travis. Travis was born in Brooklyn and turned professional at the age of 21. He was of modest size for a strongman of that era, weighing only around 200 pounds at his prime. In 1906, he was awarded the “World’s Greatest Weightlifter” by a popular strength publication at the time, and received a jewel-studded belt which he is wearing in this picture. Travis was also an all-round weightlifter and has had much influence on the lifts done today in the USAWA. He favorite lifts were the Heavy Lifts, such as the Harness Lift and the Back Lift, and the Finger Lifts. In front of witness’s, he has lifted 3985 pounds in the Harness Lift and 4140 pounds in the Back Lift. In 1907, he lifted with one finger 667 pounds!!!! Travis was a fantastic performer and would present himself as “The Strongest Man in the World” at his performances. Travis was very successful as a businessman, and as a result was very wealthy. When other strongmen would challenge him, he would often put up very large amounts of money as a side bet, which resulted in very few takers. Warren Lincoln Travis continued to lift heavy weights until his death. At the age of 65, Travis died during one of his performances of a heart attack at Luna Park on Coney Island. Several skeptics at the time blamed his death on his heavy lifting in his older age. I do not believe this, as I know several lifters today maintain great heath and continue to lift and compete past the age of 80!!! His lifetime of lifting and training probably added many years to his life. Warren Lincoln Travis left a Challenge to the World in his will, which was an open challenge to anyone who could duplicate or exceed his lifting accomplishments. The first person to do this would receive his prized jewel-studded belt!! Listed below is the challenge Travis claimed he could do.

Warren Lincoln Travis – Challenge to the World

1. Take a 100 pound barbell from the floor with both hands, and press it overhead 10 times while seated (must be done in 30 seconds)

2. Take a pair of 90 pound dumbbells from the side of the body to the shoulders, and press it to arms length overhead.

3. Teeth lift from the floor, hands behind neck, 350 pounds.

4. Finger Lift from the floor 350 pounds with one finger, eight times in five seconds.

5. Finger lift from the floor 560 pounds with one finger once.

6. Two hand grip lift, straddling the weight, 700 pounds twenty times in ten seconds.

7. Hand and Thigh Lift 1600 pounds once.

8. Back Lift 3660 pounds once.

9. Harness Lift 3580 pounds once.

10. Back Lift 2000 pounds, 250 times in seven minutes.

Also, his rules stated that these lifts must all be done in 30 MINUTES!! And must be done for TEN STRAIGHT YEARS!!!! Needless to say, his jewel-studded belt still resides in the York Barbell Hall of Fame.

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