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Getbig Bodybuilding Boards => History - Stories - and Memories => Topic started by: Robert Zuver on April 22, 2013, 04:01:11 PM
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Paul Anderson is a legend. Back when other strong men were doing there thing Paul was makeing a name for himself on TV, in newspapers, with personal appearances, any way he could tell the public about strength. He had many claims to fame. Some well documented some not so much. Most were written about over and over agin, each time told a little different. Some are believed some not. I doesn't matter he was and will always will be one of the greatest strongmen of all times. If you ask most people who Paul Anderson was they will most likley say he was the Worlds Strongest Man. Why? Because if you punch in Paul's name on Google it's going to say so. Legends are what makes America Great. I was fortunate enough to have spent a little time with this great man. Both when I was a young boy and when I was a young man over 21. Paul was always true to his beleaves. Loved his family and loved his work in the muscle world. He helped many young boys that otherwise might have ended up in prison or worst.
As a kid I got to play in Paul's home Gym. I got to touch some of his famous wheel weights. How cool is that?
Now when I see a picture of some of them on the internet I tell my kids, Hey I tried lifting that. My fingerprints are on there somewhere. It's memories ill have for the rest of my life. How many of you out there can say that they did that? Paul had a bench press with a starting weight of 500 plus pounds he used. My little brother (Rick The Rhino) and I posed on it for pictures. Here are a few.
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The first picture is of my brother Rick and I on Paul's back yard having a chat.
The second is Paul having his favorite drink. GOT MILK?
The third one of his famed lifts.
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Here are just a few of The lifts Paul liked doing. The one in color is one he did not for TV but for just some of our family and friends. Notice sitting on the table are Big Bob Zuver Sr., David Shaw, Hal Connolly, Tommy Kono, John Terpak, Bob Hise and Russ Knipp.
The rest were just shots of other times he did that lift for the public.
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The following pics are random shots of Big Paul.
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More random shots
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More random shots
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A few more.
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Yep more
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WELL HERE IS MY QUESTION TO ALL OF YOU.
DO ANY OF YOU GUYS READING THIS HAVE ANY HANDS ON STORY'S ABOUT PAUL ANDERSON.
Had you ever met him? Had you ever seen him in person? Had anyone you know ever talked to him? Has anyone ever lifted the same weights that he used? Than tell us GetBigers about it. Here is your chance to share. All comments are welcome.
RZ
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A TRUE LEGEND OF THE IRON GAME!!
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A TRUE LEGEND OF THE IRON GAME!!
Yes he was. His name will not be forgotten.
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just heard the stories and read about him in the magazines. saw a few things on tv including his stint as commisioner in the WSM.
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a few more pics.
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:P
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:P
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:P
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:P
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;D
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:)
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the dixie derrick.
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:P
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:P
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:P
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:P
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:P
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Yes he was. His name will not be forgotten.
:P
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:P
Wow
I haven't seen though's before.
Cool old ads.
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Big Paul
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The color pic is Paul, His Wife Glenda and His Daughter Paula.
This was a lunch break at the 77 WSM Show and they were spending it with the Zuver's. Glenda and Jean Zuver were shooting the breeze and Little Paula Was listening. Paul was just flowing with it.
RIP Paul
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:P
Paul was a lover not a fighter.
His wife was a very lovely lady.
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Here is a few new pics I just scanned.
Paul with John Terpak, and Paul shaking hands with Tommy Kono.
Anyone know who Paul is Talking too?
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Saw Paul's strength show 2-3 times in the 60's. He was truly a freak of nature, 360 lbs. at about five nine. He did the squats with about 8-10 people on the long table and a number of other feats. Then he did a surprising thing, stood flat footed and sprang upwards onto the top of the table. He also pulled out a jump-rope and used it at high speed like a boxer in training. I heard that he had been a running back in College and he was somewhat nimble for a massively built Man. The last mention of him was a picture of him sitting on the side of his hospital bed holding his I.V. just before he died of kidney failure.He was around 200 lbs. and I believe about 60 years old.
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Saw Paul's strength show 2-3 times in the 60's. He was truly a freak of nature, 360 lbs. at about five nine. He did the squats with about 8-10 people on the long table and a number of other feats. Then he did a surprising thing, stood flat footed and sprang upwards onto the top of the table. He also pulled out a jump-rope and used it at high speed like a boxer in training. I heard that he had been a running back in College and he was somewhat nimble for a massively built Man. The last mention of him was a picture of him sitting on the side of his hospital bed holding his I.V. just before he died of kidney failure.He was around 200 lbs. and I believe about 60 years old.
Nice story.
Paul did many amazing things in his life, never heard of the jumping on the table thing before.
Sad we can't live forever.
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Big Paul
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Big Paul
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Big Paul
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Big Paul Anderson
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This Belt Buckle was given to my dad by Big Paul Himself.
Pop cherished it as a piece of history and saved it for all these years.
I just got it after mom passed on last month.
It's now in my collection.
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a great man with a kind heart, and a true Christian soldier
God Bless him
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too bad gis big baclifts of 6200 pounds is so controversial . he was a squat freak
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too bad gis big baclifts of 6200 pounds is so controversial . he was a squat freak
It is sad.
There is no proof that he did or didn't do the lift. No eye witnesses no one left alive.
What's sad is putting all the great things a man did in his life down the shitter because someone can't find a picture of one single event. What ever happened in this great country to the fact, Innocent till Proven Guilty.
Why would a man of god lie about one such lift and not all the others? The Legend is Gone. RIP
Show me a liveing witness that was there or a good photo to disprove this claim. Till then stop putting down a True Legend.
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It is sad.
There is no proof that he did or didn't do the lift. No eye witnesses no one left alive.
What's sad is putting all the great things a man did in his life down the shitter because someone can't find a picture of one single event. What ever happened in this great country to the fact, Innocent till Proven Guilty.
Why would a man of god lie about one such lift and not all the others? The Legend is Gone. RIP
Show me a liveing witness that was there or a good photo to disprove this claim. Till then stop putting down a True Legend.
couldn't agree more. no one at the time ever squatted near what he could. he was ahead of his time.
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It is sad.
There is no proof that he did or didn't do the lift. No eye witnesses no one left alive.
What's sad is putting all the great things a man did in his life down the shitter because someone can't find a picture of one single event. What ever happened in this great country to the fact, Innocent till Proven Guilty.
Why would a man of god lie about one such lift and not all the others? The Legend is Gone. RIP
Show me a liveing witness that was there or a good photo to disprove this claim. Till then stop putting down a True Legend.
The vacuum formed by the lack of proof for Paul's backlift has to be filled by those who believe the lift took place and can prove it. The negative has no burden of proof. I was a believer in the lift until I studied it, and even what was offered AS proof turned out to be vapor. Witnesses who never wrote about it; a witness who turned out by his own admission to NOT have been there. The proven incorrect weight of the safe. On and on. Those who accept the backlift ignore the several inconsistencies involved.
Paul did many wonderful things in his life, but whether he was 'a man of God' or an atheist is not relevant to his lifting history- at least not outside his own head.
I am not sure if this post is aimed at me, but since my research brought doubts to the surface, I assume it must be at least partially so.
Why not ask for photos of the lift, not photos disproving it, whatever that means? And does it bother anyone else that there is literally no proof other than Paul's claim, that this lift happened? Amazing.
I put down anything I consider incorrect in ironhistory including my own mistakes. I never put down anything that has been proven. But it is folly to consider a lift to have happened just because the lifter claimed it did. What chaos would that bring!
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The vacuum formed by the lack of proof for Paul's backlift has to be filled by those who believe the lift took place and can prove it. The negative has no burden of proof. I was a believer in the lift until I studied it, and even what was offered AS proof turned out to be vapor. Witnesses who never wrote about it; a witness who turned out by his own admission to NOT have been there. The proven incorrect weight of the safe. On and on. Those who accept the backlift ignore the several inconsistencies involved.
Paul did many wonderful things in his life, but whether he was 'a man of God' or an atheist is not relevant to his lifting history- at least not outside his own head.
I am not sure if this post is aimed at me, but since my research brought doubts to the surface, I assume it must be at least partially so.
Why not ask for photos of the lift, not photos disproving it, whatever that means? And does it bother anyone else that there is literally no proof other than Paul's claim, that this lift happened? Amazing.
I put down anything I consider incorrect in ironhistory including my own mistakes. I never put down anything that has been proven. But it is folly to consider a lift to have happened just because the lifter claimed it did. What chaos would that bring!
Joe
This wasn't directed at you. But sense you insist on jumping on it with a vengeance against a true friend and legend here goes. This Is America and it does matter that a man is Innocent Till proven Guilty. It has always been that way in this country. As far as him being a man of god does make a difference to the millions of us Born Again Christian. You have shown Zero Proof that it didn't happen ZERO. All your facts are hear say. Not one shred of fact evidence have you shown. You talk about Proof of this or that well practice what you preach. Your one of the most respected men on iron history. People look to you for facts not hear say. Our court system doesn't convict people without Proof. Why should We. Your the only one that has ever put Paul Anderson down for anything. And you ask why anyone is starting to hate you. DUH. It's not you they hate you its your attitude. What did A Legend like Paul ever do to you that you hate him so much for? Why is it your the only one so obsessed. I'm sorry I can't answer the great Joe Roark question of his life. Most of Americas Strongest Men and Women don't beleave your story. its funny without proof how that works. I'm just the son of a small gym owner. A nobody in this world. I don't claim to be anything more. I don't need to be anything more. No one is perfect. Certainly not me.
This is My Opinion and I'm entitled to it whether you agree or not.
Your entitled to yours.
Here's the real Facts.
Now one knows for sure if he did or didn't accomplish that lift.
NOT ME.
NOT THE REST OF THE MUSCLE WORLD.
AND FOR SURE NOT YOU.
Hope there's no hard feelings big Joe. This isn't personal.
If you could ever truly prove it, ill be the first to say you were right Joe.
God Bless.
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Robert, no I do not take your statements personally, and mine in that post were not personal against Paul.
My comment about man of God or atheist was not disparaging Paul's or your religion or mine. I simply meant that a lift should be judged based on the lift, not on whether a person believes, doesn't believe, or is agnostic. I apologize if that was not clear.
Now, having said that. Let me, briefly, take this step by step.
I don't hate Paul. I found him to be a gentleman the one time I spoke with him, and have heard wonderful things about him (which can be proved), so this is not personal against Paul. Anything that can be proven about Paul I fully support just as I do with all lifters' histories.
But the backlift has not been proven, and there are substantial missing ingredients- even some of the factors purported to be proof have been shown not to be accurate. I will address only one here: The weight of the safe. It was not, as Paul said, 3,500 lbs. I did considerable research with safe manufacturers and with locksmiths and took measurements of the safe itself, and concluded that it was probably closer to 2,300 lbs. Paul's daughter had the safe weighed and proved this was about the weight. Now before you or anyone offers that 'well, other items were added to the safe to make it weigh 3,500 lbs', please remember that Paul himself said that the safe and its contents weighed 3,500 lbs. So, from the start the backlift total even if we ignore other problems, starts with a 1,200 lb overclaim.
The most misleading argument you make is that no one has proved it did not happen. Very, very difficult to prove a negative, and it is not required in debate. All we can do is examine the claims and address them one by one. Paul wrote in his book that when the weight on the platform reached exactly 6,270 lbs the backlift was attempted. But when he wrote to me he wrote that in fact it was about 200 lbs more so about 6,470 lbs?
You are entitled to your opinion but not to your own facts. And, my friend, you are wrong, I do know the backlift did not happen as claimed based on the incorrect weight of the safe. How those of you who believe can simply ignore the math baffles me.
You are also incorrect about me being the only one who doubts the lift. But whether I am alone or among the majority is not relevant because truth does not depend on a vote. It depends on evidence provided, and this lift, has none.
The hearsay in this situation is sourced mostly from 1. those trying to prove the lift using only opinion, 2. whether Paul was a good man, and 3. ignoring those items which cast doubt on the lift.
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Robert, no I do not take your statements personally, and mine in that post were not personal against Paul.
My comment about man of God or atheist was not disparaging Paul's or your religion or mine. I simply meant that a lift should be judged based on the lift, not on whether a person believes, doesn't believe, or is agnostic. I apologize if that was not clear.
Now, having said that. Let me, briefly, take this step by step.
I don't hate Paul. I found him to be a gentleman the one time I spoke with him, and have heard wonderful things about him (which can be proved), so this is not personal against Paul. Anything that can be proven about Paul I fully support just as I do with all lifters' histories.
But the backlift has not been proven, and there are substantial missing ingredients- even some of the factors purported to be proof have been shown not to be accurate. I will address only one here: The weight of the safe. It was not, as Paul said, 3,500 lbs. I did considerable research with safe manufacturers and with locksmiths and took measurements of the safe itself, and concluded that it was probably closer to 2,300 lbs. Paul's daughter had the safe weighed and proved this was about the weight. Now before you or anyone offers that 'well, other items were added to the safe to make it weigh 3,500 lbs', please remember that Paul himself said that the safe and its contents weighed 3,500 lbs. So, from the start the backlift total even if we ignore other problems, starts with a 1,200 lb overclaim.
The most misleading argument you make is that no one has proved it did not happen. Very, very difficult to prove a negative, and it is not required in debate. All we can do is examine the claims and address them one by one. Paul wrote in his book that when the weight on the platform reached exactly 6,270 lbs the backlift was attempted. But when he wrote to me he wrote that in fact it was about 200 lbs more so about 6,470 lbs?
You are entitled to your opinion but not to your own facts. And, my friend, you are wrong, I do know the backlift did not happen as claimed based on the incorrect weight of the safe. How those of you who believe can simply ignore the math baffles me.
You are also incorrect about me being the only one who doubts the lift. But whether I am alone or among the majority is not relevant because truth does not depend on a vote. It depends on evidence provided, and this lift, has none.
The hearsay in this situation is sourced mostly from 1. those trying to prove the lift using only opinion, 2. whether Paul was a good man, and 3. ignoring those items which cast doubt on the lift.
Good enough Joe
That's the good thing about this country. We're all entitled to are own views.
Good luck with yours.
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Good enough Joe
That's the good thing about this country. We're all entitled to are own views.
Good luck with yours.
Thank you, Robert. I wish you the best also.
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Don't know if true, but:
I read once that when Anderson went to Russia, for a Olympic meet, the Russian authority's wanted to fix Anderson up with a local women. Don't know if marriage was suggested, more like livestock breeding (probably more than one women...single breeding doesn't always give the results you want) I would guess. Superior genetics being the outcome. Sure the women were extremely hot...odds are not.
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accoprding to dave willoughby the backlift is over 80percent hips and thighs . if i remember . so it seems to me that paul anderson was built for big backlifts . . but ..
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if 6270 pounds isan overclaim how much could paul really backlift then . after him gerg ernst backlifted over 5000 pounds on an angled platform anybody else i dont know for sure .
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The heaviest weight for Paul in a backlift with photographic proof is a 200 lb table (a friend built two using Paul's specs, each weighed approx 200 lbs) with a few men seated on it. Perhaps 1,800 -2,000 lbs total depending on the body weights.
Could he have done more? I believe so, but what I believe without proof, is speculation.
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2000 pounds in not much for a world class strongman IMO . FAR CRY FROM GREG ERNST . PAUL had hip and thigh strentgh . . his squatting strentgh was really great .. not always smoke and mirrors ...
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Anderson's backlift ability while using his standard table for many, many personal appearances, was no doubt well below his limit. Strangely though he told the story of being unable to perform the demonstration backlift at one appearance because the specs to build his table had not been followed. He did not elaborate, but perhaps a 2 x 4 was used under the table for reinforcement and would have pressed directing on his spine? Or he literally could not fit under the table. or it was too high off the floor. Who Knows, But it was not for lack of strength.
Anyone with any construction knowledge would have to doubt his story of him backlifting his backporch. There is a photo of that backporch in The Mightiest Minister, and some careful thinking about how such porches were made, and its length, will probably cause doubt that if the center of that porch was raised, say three or four inches (which is extreme for a heavy backlift) then would the ends of the porch even leave the ground?