Joseph L. Greenstein, aka The Mighty Atom

by Dennis Mitchell

This photo of Joseph Greenstein, aka The Mighty Atom, was prominently displayed on the stage at York Barbell during the York Barbell Hall of Fame induction of The Mighty Atom.

In 1893 in the village of Suvalk, Poland, Joseph Greenstein was born.  He was born prematurely and was not expected to live more than a few hours. Somehow he did survive, however,  his childhood was a battle of various illnesses.  At the age of fourteen he had tuberculosis, and his parents were told that he would not survive.  Once again he proved the doctors wrong.  His life changed when he was caught sneaking into a circus to see a strongman called “Champion Volanco”.  The stagehand who caught him was in the proses of beating him up when “Champion Volanco” came to his rescue.  Volanco took a liking to Joseph and over the next eighteen months the two of them traveled with the Issakev Brothers Circus where Joseph learned how to develop and strengthen his body.  He changed so much that when he returned home his family didn’t recognize him.

With in the next few years Joseph got married and started wrestling under the name of “kid Greenstein”.  With anti-semitism on the rise in Europe, Joseph and his wife, Leah, left for America. This was sometime in 1914.  They settled in Galveston, Texas where he worked on the docks.  Another life changing event occurred at this time when a man who was obsessed with Leah tried to kill Joseph by shooting him.  The bullet hit him in his forehead, but instead of killing him, flattened out and fell to the ground.  Somehow, according to Joseph, this awakened his mental powers, and by focusing his mind he was able to do amazing strength feats.  This started his career as a strong man.

He was billed as The Mighty Atom because of his small size.  At 5’5″ he weighed 140 pounds.  He could drive nails through a board with his bare hands. He would lie on a bed of nails while supporting as many as fourteen men.  He would bend iron bars with his hand or with his teeth.  He could bite through chains, nails and coins, and lift weights and pull cars with his hair.  Along with his strongman act,  The Mighty Atom would give lectures on exercise, clean living, and diet.  It was while performing in Gilbertsville, PA that he met Lawrence “Slim” Farman.  Shortly after this meeting, The Mighty Atom became Slims mentor.  Later Slim was known as Slim the Hammer Man.  However, this is a story for another article.  Along with performing and lecturing, Joseph wrote several books.  He was written about several times in Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and in 1976 was in the Guinness book of World Records.  Both he and Slim the Hammer Man were honored at York Barbell on May 21, 2011 by being inducted into the York Barbell Hall of Fame.

The Mighty Atom was still performing into his 80’s.  He passed away on October 8, 1977 in Brooklyn New York.

Andrew Durniat & the Inch Dumbbell

by Al Myers

Andrew Durniat lifts the Dino Gym's Inch Dumbbell Replica at the 2010 Dino Gym Grip Challenge.

USAWA member Andrew Durniat did something at the York Barbell Festival that not very many lifters have done – he walked with a pair of Inch Dumbbells!  I was busy with the USAWA Heavy Lift Nationals at the time he did it, and unfortunately missed this feat.  I really wish I could have seen it!  He walked at least 50 feet, and then after he dropped the dumbbells, he picked them up again and walked back to the starting line.   I am just glad Jedd Johnson, of Diesel Crew,  caught this unbelievable Inch DB walk  on video and uploaded it on YouTube (YouTube Video of Andrew’s Inch Dumbbell Walk).  Without this proof, I might even have a hard time believing it! 

I have an Inch Dumbbell Replica in the Dino Gym.  Most of the time it is nothing more than a heavy doorstop – as most of the gym members can’t even budge it an inch off the floor.  The interesting thing about it is that it LOOKS liftable, but only after repeated failures and shaking your head in defeat, do you realize what a grip challenge it really is.  The Dino Gym’s Inch Dumbbell Replica has only been lifted by FIVE people, all of which are great grip lifters.  Let me give you a list of these guys, because they deserve the recognition –  Matt Graham (the first one), John Conner, Dave Brown, Matt Vincent, and now Andrew Durniat.  Andrew lifted it with ease at my 2010 Dino Gym Grip Challenge which was promoted by Dino Gym member Ben Edwards.  It seemed like he could hold it forever when I took his picture of him doing it.  At the York Festival I compared my hand size with that of Andrews.  It was humbling to say the least.  His fingers are at least an inch longer than mine, which is a very important part of most gripping feats. In the future,  Andrew Durniat is a name you will be hearing alot of in the world of strength!

Judging at York

by Al Myers

Joe Garcia had the last lift of the meet at the Heavy Lift Nationals with his successful 1900# Hip Lift. By this time at meets, most officials are "nodding off", hoping to be finished with their obligation. But look at these guys, they are judging like it is the first lift of the day. (officials left to right): LaVerne Myers, Denny Habecker, and Thom Van Vleck

I know I have already mentioned this in a previous story, but I want to reiterate how pleased I was with the officiating at the Heavy Lift Nationals in York.  Thom wrote a story about professionalism amongst officials in a Daily News Story a while back, and how in the “old days” officials took their job as officials serious and looked the part of officials at meets by dressing up in suits and ties.  Thom had a picture of his Uncle Phil officiating a meet in his suit, of which he changed into after competing in his singlet.   You don’t see that at any meets anymore nowadays. In the business workforce, people used to dress up for work as businesses felt it set a positive image for the company.  Then along came casual Friday, followed by EVERYDAY becoming casual Friday and dress codes became relaxed or nonexistent.  This same thing has happened to the way officials dress at meets.  I have been at meets where the officials were dressed in shorts and a ratty t-shirt, which definitely doesn’t send a good message to those watching the meet.  

It was a great pleasure to be at a meet where the offiicals came to do their job because that is what they wanted to do, and not rely on the lifters judging themselves.  I never mind judging at meets I’m competing in as I know it is an important part of contributing to the days event. But it was nice FOR ONCE to have dedicated and committed officials who only job was to make sure that everyone was officiated justly and fairly.  We are a small organization and we all are know each other and are good friends, so it is hard not to have personal bias even when we try our best not to.  But I have always felt it was a conflict of interest when an lifter is judging another competitor.  Even when you make your best call, and in turn have to turn down a bad lift, it may appear that it was turned down for other reasons.   At the breakfast table the day of the meet, Thom remarked to my father in jest that it would be best  for them to sit at another table away from us lifters.  I found this pretty funny, because in the “old days” that is how it was.  The officials were “stand offish” to the lifters as not to have any personal relationships with them that might lead to future biased judging. (However, I tried to bribe Thom the night before with free scotch but I don’t think it worked!!). 

I hope with our new USAWA Officials Program that the pride of being an official will be restored like it used to be.  We have made great progress in our Officials Program and will continue to make improvements to it until it gets where it needs to be.  It is not there yet.  I hope to someday have ALL of our meets like this one – where the officials show up to just officiate because they WANT to, and in turn get the respect and recognition they deserve.

The Long Journey to York Barbell: Part II

by Thom Van Vleck

In part I of my story about my trip to York Barbell and I detailed my trip.  Now, I’m going to share my feelings about my trip.

The current York Gym

May 28th, 1064 was the date of the Missouri State Championships in Olympic lifting.  How do I know?  Because my Uncle Wayne won that year and he told me that when he got home with the rest of the JWC gang he said I upstaged him being born that day.  He said they all headed down to the hospital to see me.  It was literally a couple blocks away.  Later, he would give me that medal because of the significance of the date he won it.  Without Wayne, I’d never been a weight lifter and I would not be half of what I am today.  Without my Uncle Phil, you could halve that again and without my Grandfather Dalton, I’d be nothing today.  So me wearing that medal was like them being there at York with me.  That medal has been to every lifting meet, highland games, strongman contest, and USAWA event I’ve ever been to, including a couple trips to Scotland where I “dipped” it into Loch Ness.

So, you can see, lifting has been a big part of my family.  It’s not about winning, it was always about getting better.  Being stronger, healthier, and self improvement.  York Barbell was always a part of that.  I practically “teethed” on a 5lb plate.  I remember taking an interest in throwing the discus and not having one, so I took a 5lb York plate out and practiced with it!  In 1963, my Uncle Wayne ordered a Jackson International set and he told me that he sold it partly out of feeling disloyal to York….plus he said his York sets (and the JWC had several by then) were superior in his mind.

Thom Van Vleck checking out the Cyr Dumbbell. My grandfather told me a story about it when I was just a kid.

But the opportunity never came up to travel to York.  Phil told me they talked about it often.  They would lift and talk about meeting Tommy Kono, John Grimek, Steve Stanko, Bob Hoffman and the rest.  They would day dream of lifting in the York Gym  with the greats and seeing where all the weights were made.  But time and circumstance intervened and the dream faded away.  Until now.

So when I went out, I had a lot riding on this trip.  I needed to soak up every detail and take lots of pictures.  I even called both of them in the museum and gave each one a walk through.  They both asked me if I saw the Sandow Statue or the Grimek statue.  They knew a lot of the stuff that was in there!

Thom with the Grimek statue....I don't think he's impressed with me.

Overall, it was a great trip.  But later, I did get a little melancholy.  York is well past it’s pinnacle.  But then again, I  remember stopping at Peary Radar’s old Ironman Headquarters in Alliance, Nebraska a few years back.  It’s all long gone and not a thing remains as is the fate of a lot of the other American barbell makers.  At least York Barbell is still there and it seems the guys that work there appreciate the history.  Mike Locondro told me that the event we attended (Wounded Warrior Project Strength Fest) was all about getting York back to were it belongs….but more than that he told me that his Uncle was John Grimek’s brother in law and to him it was not just about “company policy” but it was personal.  That gave me hope and took a little of that melancholy away.  Maybe York isn’t what it was, but it seems to be rising up again!

On a side note, I traveled 15 miles to the west of York and went by the burial place of my Great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather (yes, that’s right….6 “greats”).  He was a Lutheran pastor that has been credited with starting over 50 churches.  His home still stands and members of my distant family still occupy it.   I hope to go back some day and see some more and meet some of my relatives…the dead one’s and live one’s!

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