Thomas Inch a Pioneer in the Muscle Game! by David Gentle
Before you flick this page over, you may like to spare a thought, that if it were not for the subject of this article, you good readers and muscle fans may still have been lifting old-type globe barbells and dumbbells, i.e. the ones which had to be loaded with lead shot or pellets to increase the poundage.
THOMAS INCH is generally recognized, amongst his many other achievements in physical culture, as being the first man to popularize and supply PLATE and DISC loading adjustable weight training sets in BRITAIN. THOMAS INCH was born in SCARBOROUGH in 1881 and became interested in bodybuilding at the early age of ten. remaining continually active in weightlifting and bodybuilding during which time he contributed a great deal to physical culture up until his death in the eighties.
Inch held many titles ranging from World Junior Champion Weightlifter and World's Professional Middleweight Champion to Britain's Strongest Man. Some of his best lifts were lifting overhead a barbell and separate ring weight with a total of 356 1/2lbs/161.5kg, lifting overhead single handed in the style once known as the bent press or screw lift, so called because of the twisting move used, the weight of 304 1/2 lbs/138kg, and in another single handed move. i.e. the single arm side press, he shifted aloft, 201 1bs/91 kg, for a world's record. Tom who progressed through all the weight classes, was probably at his most powerful with the following measurement."height 5 foot 10 Inches, weight 210 lbs, chest 50 inches, biceps 19 inches, forearms, measured arm held out straight, not in the so called 'goose neck' position, were 15 inches, denoting great power.
Compare for example with Bill Pearl's forearm size of just under 16 Inches at a far heavier body weight of around 2201bs, and Inch's calves were 17 Inches with thighs of around 27 inches. Certainly comparable in size if not definition with todays champions. Tom Inspired by the many fine strongmen of that era recalls of watching the great SANDOW perform. Sandow on one occasion tore in half a pack of cards, tossing the halves into the audience. Tom caught the half torn pack. tore that In two and much to Sandow's annoyance, threw it back onto the stage. He also at the same time being aged about 16 found no difficulty In pulling one of Sandow's exhibition chest expanders.
Inch lived and breathed weight training throughout his long life. Commencing training early as I have said, he first claimed to be the World's Strongest Youth In 1902 when aged 19 years, a title which although widely ventilated through challenges in all the top muscle mags of the day, no one disputed. His feats at that time being, pressing two 561bs block weights overhead single handed, calling for strong gripping strength, pull over and press on back 2441bs which was then supported on his knees, another weight 761bs pulled over and pressed, the two men would sit on the bar making a total of over 7001bs being supported. He also tore packs of cards In half, lifted 2041bs overhead single handed In the 'bent press' and finally did a standing jump over an upright chair with 1201bs In his hands. Thomas Inch as was the custom in those days, of strong men and physical culture teachers, then took on the title of professor. He had by that time already began building a reputation as an expert trainer, becoming well known by extensive advertising of his courses and with the publication of his excellent book In 1905 called 'Scientific Weightlifting'.
Realizing the value and prestige of titles to his profession as a teacher of physical culture, Inch decided to become in fair and open competition the Worlds Middleweight Champion. To reach the widest field of potential contenders, he placed well in advance of the contest, challenges in Internationally read and respected magazines in December 1906, e.g. Sporting Life, Health and Strength and Appollo's Magazine. "I submit to the world an offer to meet any man for the middleweight (11 stone 7 pounds) weightlifting championship of the world. The lifts will be all-round lifts and not fewer than six different kinds, The stakes will be £100 a side (Authors note: an average weekly wage in those days were about £1.50 so one hundred pounds was a LOT of money) of which I have deposited £25 with the Editor of the Sporting Life. I shall take no notice of any reply unless it is accompanied by a deposit. The Sparting Life must be stake holder and will appoint the referee.........
After much correspondence and a sort out of 'would be' challengers, a genuine entrant emerged when W.P. Caswell, a former amateur champion decided to give Inch a go for his money. In March 1907, Caswell and Inch signed articles for the contest, and on Saturday 20th April 1907 the match took place. The venue was the German Gymnasium, St Pancaras Road, London, so named after its German founder in 1861, Roman Von Schweizer.
The occasion was to be the highlight of the Health and Strength Display, that magazine also being sponsors. Six lifts were agreed upon and the contestants allowed to use their own weights. The side stake of £100 was by that time doubled, certainly a great monetary incentive. Caswell was a fine weightlifter and demonstrated considerable powers of endurance with his feat of cycling from Westminster Abbey to Brighton and back again in just over 8 hours on an old fashioned solid tyred bicycle which itself weighed 581bs. The referee for the match was Mr R.P. Watson who was appointed by the Sporting Life and all poundages were strictly weighed and recorded by a Major Best.
The attendance to witness this match was variously estimated at between two and three thousand people. The match as historian W.J. Lowry records was won overwhelming by Inch, who had been training at Manchester with the famous Saxon Trio. Caswell unfortunately suffering from a leg injury had to admit defeat. Inch, then 24, lifted overhead single handed via the 'bent press' 235Ibs/l06.6kg. At the match Thomas Inch used his disc weights, Caswell still used the old type, the shot loaded variety. Winning the title considerably helped Tommie's PC career, his 'advanced system.' and 'quick route to strength' offered to those who enrolled for his weight training courses, 'a free set of weights'. Nowadays you pay for the weights and get the courses free!
Inch's sensible and scientific approach to training by 1908 was also being used in medically supervised experiments to consider the possible healing effect exercise has on certain heart ailments. In 1910, Inch was still gaining strength and an open competition was held again at the German Gym, London on the 11th June for the title of Britain's Strongest Man. The result was, Thomas Inch at the body weight of 184 lbs, beat five other contestants for the title, winning it fair and square. After the contest, Inch (wisely) devoted all his considerable energies to promoting and training many other notables in the strength world. He also trained top swimmers, cyclists, and champion boxers of his era, he himself, being no mean performer in the ring.
Other pursuits Inch excelled in were darts, billiards (he once gave an
exhibition of his billiard skill to the famous champ Joe Davis, who was that
excited at Inch's performance, that he fell asleep watching. Tom a great sport
could take a little Joke against himself, and often recounted this story) and
cycling. Having a great sense of humour, as just mentioned, he would on
occasions dress up in ludicrous clothes whilst on his bicycle to 'bait' real
cyclists to have a race. He says, "When training for the Heme Hill cycle ride, I
got a lot of fun out of going out on my bike dressed in anything but cyclist
style. I wore an overcoat and what is known as a Derby hat, otherwise the old
fashioned 'billycock' boots instead of shoes, and looked like a middle aged
gentleman out for a slow run, anything but a would be champion cyclist in strict
training. Meeting a group of 'real' cyclists on their lightweight road racers, I
would get alongside or in front of them and put on a speed. Of course, without
the least suspicion that their legs were being pulled, they accepted the
challenge meaning to show me very quickly what cycle pace really was, and I
could hear their shouts of laughter as I pedaled away. But strangely enough they
could not shorten the distance between us and if this challenge was accepted a
mile or two away from Putney Hill, down which I had to go to reach my residence
they hadn't the chance of a celluloid cat in Hades, as the saying goes, as
through my weight and good ankle action. 1 was really hot and uncatchable
downhill no matter what I might be like, uphill, quite a different matter...."
The 'War to end Wars' In 1914-1918 presented Tommy with an enormous challenge. His undoubted expertise and coaching abilities, were put to great use in rehabilitating the unfortunate victims of man's inhumanity to man. Tommy was attached to assist wounded soldiers at Fulham Military Hospital. Physical culture, often maligned, has In fact a coveted record of helping those most In need. Weight training Is not all self-idolatry. From Sandow, Inch, Monte Saldo, Bill Pullum, Oscar Helndenstam, Al Murray, to today's multi unknowns working In the hospitals retraining broken minds and bodies to recover, using weights for rehabilitation, P.C. has a proud history.
More wars and more casualties, Inch by now a superb lecturer continued with his mail order course which at its height of popularity employed over 70 staff, answering as many as 3,000 letters a day. He also found time to write books, train boxers and write for magazines, which he did for over fifty years, from early 'Health and Strength' magazines to 'Vigour' and 'Reg Park' magazines. Throughout all these years he continued to perform his own strongman act, which I will describe briefly later, and often acted as M.C. at shows. Here is Tom's own description of one such incident. It may stir someone's conscience .....
"I remember once receiving a wire and rushing off without my lunch on a very long journey by road to help out at the last moment with a rather big affair at the seaside. It took all afternoon to get there, no tea was provided. From 6.30pm to after 11.00pm I was present in the hall, acting as M.C. giving a long lecture, doing. feats of strength, running and judging competitions, not a cup of tea even ..... When I left (about 11.30pm) I said, I wonder where I shall be able to get some supper, I am worn out, have had nothing since breakfast. The 'promoter' who had done well out of the show said, "Oh, I'm afraid you are going to be unlucky Mr Inch, all restaurants and hotels were closed long ago ..... Ah well, I must be going, suppers waiting". He then left me to drive about 100 miles bock home thinking to myself, it was a good thing I was fit and able to stand up to this endurance test."
His usual strength act was as follows; Demonstration of posing using Roman costume and Roman gladiators as assistants. First feat cleaning two 561bs block weights whilst sat in a chair and them military pressing them overhead with the right hand, with a £25 offer to anyone who could duplicate this. Pulling a 40 strand chest expander after six men had tested it and at the same time holding on with the little fingers two 56lb ring weights. After pressing expander out, two 13 stone men swing from his extended arms there was £100 offered to anyone to copy. Next was raising two smartly attired girls. each one seated at the end of a long bar in swings, from shoulders by means of the 'bent press' a lift at which he did excel, with a record of 304 1/2 lbs, stooping down and bringing up a ring weight, total guaranteed over 3361bs/152kg at any time. Tom had done a total of 356 1/2 lbs/161.5kg in this style. Again there was a reward of £100 for anyone to try to beat this. Other stunts were gripping the world challenge grip tester. £50 to anyone who could beat him (no one ever did!). Pulling two men in the audience with one finger, and lifting overhead a lady assistant seated on a Roman broad sword. There is no record of anyone ever taking a penny off of Inch in any of these stunts, with the exception of Len Harvey the champion boxer who became the first man in 40 years to close the Inch challenge grip machine. Inch later introduced an even tougher machine to prevent that happening again.
One person who did 'better' Tom was a little lady going under the Music Hall name of Resista. She would place herself in various postures and defy anyone to lift her off the ground, preventing the challenger for example from lifting her by simply placing one finger under her chin. A short film was made of the affair called 'Inch and the lightweight lady'. Now to the famous Inch challenge dumbbell ..... Inch excelled at single arm overhead lifting as I have mentioned before. He could swing near to his own body weight overhead, doing 160lbs at one time when weighing only 161 1bs himself and later did for his best unofficial lift 182Ibs/82.5kg. The Inch challenge dumbbell would take an article by itself to relate. David Willoughby in Super Athletes and Leo Gaudreau in his beautifully bound books Anvils, Horseshoes and Cannons. Volume II, do indeed denote many pages to the dumbbell and both are worth obtaining if you study old-time strength lore. Bill Pullum relates that Inch first produced a challenge dumbbell on the 6th June 1908, at a major lifting contest offering Edward Aston £100 if he could lift it. Aston however failed. It is a fact as Ripley of 'Believe it or not' fame reports, "10,000 strong men failed to lift tills dumbbell, but Tom Inch has lifted it thousands of times ..... what is the secret?"
The biggest obstacle apparently in lifting the weight, apart from the actual poundage (see later) was the immense thickness of the handle, combined with a narrow gripping space in which to take hold. Old timers who failed of note were the pre-mentioned Ted Aston the holder of Britain's Strongest Man title, and Arthur Saxon famed for his bent pressing power. In the fifties many top bodybuilders including Reg Park and others of similar caliber, also had no success. There is no doubt that plenty of strong men tried, with the dumbbell easily accessible for trials. Inch for example used to leave the dumbbell in plain view for open challenge at Henglers Circus (now the Palladium) with a reward of £200 for anyone who could lift It. In current terms that figure is almost ten times that value.
At the end of the two weeks, Tom would reappear and as it was unmoved pick it up single handed and walk off with it. Tom mentions that his body weight at that particular time was just 1681bs. Realizing the publicity value of not giving the secret of the actual weight of his dumbbell, it remained unknown until the bell left Inch's possession. The Reg Park Barbell Company became its owner and the dumbbells measurements and its weight became known as follows; weight 1721bs/78kg, length 20 inches or 50.8 centimeters, diameter of the end bells was 8 1/2 inches, circumference of the handle was 7 3/4 inches, diameter of handles 2.47 inches or 21.5 centimeters, length of handle between end spheres only 4 inches or 10.2 centimeters. Later It was discovered that Inch had another lighter dumbbell (his practice one!!) hence his own reference to 'the one with the thick handle' (see later quotes).
David Webster informs me that after decades of failures of strongmen trying to lift the large Inch dumbbell, at the Aberdeen Sports Revenue in 1956, no less than THREE highland games athletes were successful in varying degrees in lifting the bell, namely John Gallagher, Douglas Cameron and Henry Gray. None however, lifted the dumbell overhead. I regret my information after those events with the dumbbell is incomplete. I believe Dave Prowse may have purchased the dumbbell and I am sure that some of our recent strongmen would make a good showing with the challenge bell, remembering of course its limiting factor of the very narrow hand grip, plus the thick handle, which would eliminate anyone with large hands or very short fingers (e.g. Paul Anderson, who weight wise could toy with it for hours).
Inch's strength was consistent all his life. In 1929 at a historical sporting event when he was then 48 years old, he lifted overhead 276lbs via without dumbbells in the 'anyhow' lift, beating Sandow's long standing record. The lift was performed at Surrey Masonic Hall, Camberwell and was the first lifting record to be covered by a radio broadcast. He also received a fine gold medal from his sponsors Bovril the occasion. Twenty years later, i.e. at 68 years old, Tom held the world grip record on his special gripping machine, which was open to all challengers, with a recorded poundage of 5601bs. At the same age Tom could still deadlift 5401bs. A year later when aged 69 he recalls in his memoirs in Reg Park's 'Muscleman Magazine', September 1953.
"Personally, I have never come across anyone like Reg Park and when I went to the Walthamstow weight lifting club at the age of 69 to issue my challenge of £100 of prizes if anyone could repeat three of my feats. I was rather taken aback when amongst others out came Reg Park to try his luck. The tests were a strong expander, a dumbbell swing and closing the Inch grip tester. Reggie made the crowd laugh when he started with the expander, he not only pulled it out, he completely wrecked it. I covered up and got a laugh by asking him to desist, saying that the cords were off the baby's pram, and It might be needed again. (As the audience knew my age was 69 and my wife's over 70 at the time, this got a good laugh). Fortunately, when we came to the dumbbell swings I had put in one of my thick handles. I don't know why as I have a small hand and wrist. I lift thick handles just the same as thin ones and always did, and although Reg went as near as dammit is to swearing, he just missed the feat. He also was a little behind on the gripper, although as I told the audience, he did better than anyone else had done, and many thousands tried. So after trying the Inch challenge dumbbell, he retired and I felt relieved as the large 'silver cup really belonged to a cricket club and not knowing such a giant as Reg would appear, I had given my word I wouldn't lose the cup!"
Tom finally passed away in Fulham a great loss to the world of weights ..... Being a fanatical collector of muscle memorabilia, I was greatly distressed to read David Webster's account of 'The Iron Game' of how all of Tommy Inch's past treasures and historical strength items were literally thrown away with the refuse after Inch's death! It is not easy to put a man's life into a few pages of a magazine, and I would like to take this opportunity of thanking you, the reading friends for looking at this article. Anyone who has respect for the past has a solid foundation for the future. Thomas Inch was a pioneer in the muscle game, truly a Great Briton and he deserves to be remembered.
Thomas Inch A Pioneer in the Muscle Game! © Copyright by David Gentle All Rights Reserved