The Evolution of Women Weight Trainers
by David Gentle
There have always been exceptional strong women throughout history ranging
from ancient female warriors to circus performers such as Katie Sandwina....In
earlier days for example the professional strong lady Josephene Blatt who's
stage name was Minerva was once rated as the WORLDS STRONGEST LADY (circa
1890's). Minerva claimed to be able to lift a platform with 23 men stood
upon it from over head with a harness affair, using strong chains. the
total weight lifted was reported as being 3,564 pounds or 1,616kgs.
Minerva was six foot tall and weighed 230 pounds.
Seen right: Katie Sandwina, Worlds Strongest Women. Photo from Jaretts, "Key to Mighty Muscle" 1926.
Katie Sandwina mentioned above, was even better known and recognized by most people as being (in her era) strongest woman in the world. Katie came from a very strong family (the Brumach's) being born in Vienna in 1884, living an active lifting life until her death in 1952. She was quite a large lady, being like Minerva, six foot tall and weighing 210 pounds or 95kgs. Katie toured for many years with Barnum and Bailey, and Ringland Brothers circus's, being credited with once "off loading" from a circus wagon a large cannon weighing 1,200 pounds or the amazing weight of 544 kgs.
Katie's long held record overlift of 286 pounds or 130kgs (circa 1911) has only just recently been beaten by a Wall Street financial analyst, Karyn Tarter who at five foot ten inches and a body weight of 210 pounds cleaned and jerked 288 pounds. Karyn later cleaned 302 pounds, but was unable to complete the lift but I have no doubts by the time this is published she'll have beaten the 300 pound barrier!
Aussi Bev Francis won the Worlds Strongest Woman title in 1980, lifting in the three events, squat, deadlift and bench press with an amazing aggregate total of more than six times her own bodyweight. Bev later went on to specialize more on bodybuilding, albeit with some critics remarking she was "too muscular". Judge for yourself in the video Pumping Iron II, The Women. Powerful she was without a doubt as her long time record bench press of 330 pounds will testify, beaten only just by Debra Poston with 332.5 pounds on 26th April 1985 while weighing 195 pounds.
Jan Todd must rate as one of the strongest females of all time, having
performed some great power lifts in the modern beginnings of womens
powerlifting. Jan now a reporter of such events, was coached and encouraged by
Dr Terry Todd, himself a man of power situated at the Texas University and
amongst other activities engaged in the task of recording all strength data for
the University archives and for future historians. Jan reports in Iron Man and
Mike Lamberts Powerlifting USA. Further data reported from the USA courtesy of
Chas. A. Smith says that Terry Byland Rohal a former shot putter from Ohio
squatted with 534 pounds, benched 270 pounds and dead lifted 551 pounds at the
lowly bodyweight of 165 pound.
Seen right: Miss Edna Tempest - famous women physical consultant (circa 1904) training with dumbbells!
Also another shot putter Leslie Denise at five foot five inches, bodyweight of 220 pounds benched with 375 pounds and rep squats with over 500 pounds, poundages I certainly can not confirm, nor in fact really imagine of such power. With top male bodybuilders using reps in squats with over 600 pounds, there is no telling the limits. Certainly women have made their mark upon the world of strength ..... Female physical training as we know it, for example, the aiming for muscular size and definition is however of comparative origin, and it is interesting to trace some of the first steps.
In 1880, William Blakie wrote a book called, How to be strong and how to stay so, in which several chapters were devoted to advocating physical exercise for young girls and women. Blakie recognizing the social problems of the day, for an example, poverty, ignorance and wide spread ill health, often through lack of diet and hygiene, rightly attempted to introduce his female readers to take up exercise for both its health and appearance benefits.
Female weight trainers and bodybuilders probably originated when the "tough guys" wife was left to clear up the scattered dumbbells, doing a few curls or presses for good measure. Many male trainers have sisters who also join in lifting sessions often with excellent results. Early training manuals give plenty of illustrations of women doing exercises with wooden Indian Clubs, light dumbbells being a natural progression. Without doubt, it was our oft mentioned pioneers of bodybuilding, Eugen Sandow and Bemarr McFadden who were responsible for convincing large numbers of females to attempt progressive resistance exercises. Others like J.P. Muller of My System for Ladies fame also had widespread influence upon physical training for women.
Professor Atilla who trained and managed the great Eugen Sandow encouraged women to train with weights in his gymnasium at the turn of the century, having many female pupils. Later the Wizard of Weightlifting namely Bill Pullum coached and trained women, for example, Ivy Russell the five foot five, nine stone lifter who did a clean and jerk of 193 pounds or 87.5kgs in 1930. Ivy also did a very creditable deadlift of 410 pounds or 186kgs.
As weight training and bodybuilding continued to gain popularity and success with men, magazines like Health and Strength, Superman, Vim and Vigour also encouraged the then named "weaker sex" to participate in bodybuilding and figure control. Most magazines ran competitions, both photographic and 'in the flesh' if you will excuse the term, to discover the finest female figures of the times. McFadden who offered comparatively huge sums of money for his era, also cut his losses, by in one case at least, marrying the winner of his Nationwide contest to find the best built woman.
For those of you really interested in the life of early female trainers, see the book Dumbbells and Carrot Strips by Mary McFadden. Mary explains in grim, but also hilarious detail, what life was really like being married to a 'health nut'. Throughout history, women's proportions have been mainly influenced by the dictates of fashion, ranging from, in early days quite plump and voluptous, to down right flat chested and skinny. The real sensible era, or more natural beauty, as we know it, started from about the late 1940's and early 1950's.
The evolution of more attractive gymnasiums and pleasurable equipment, further stimulated women to participate in weight training. Random names come to mind, of Virgina Fallon's contributions in Health and Strength and Vera Christensom in Strength and Health. Probably the most famous Barbelle of the earlier 1950's era was the American 'Pudgy' Stockton, a real trainer with weights, equally as popular as her contemporary male star John C. Grimek. Another lady I recall with fond adolescent memories is Val Nyord featured regularly in those halcyon days in Joe Weiders Your Physique and Muscle Power magazines. (Where is she now Joe?). Many women in the public eye took up physical training, with popular film and pop stars, such as our lovely Jill Day, demonstrating the benefits of weights for women. Regular entrants to the ladies competitions became figure stars in their own rights. For example, Silvia Hibbert who often featured in Health and Strength and Mans World and other magazines of the day, combining figure perfection with athletic ability. (Silvia is a great balancer!).
Both in America and the U.K. beauty contests were being organized both for health prestige, and more usually, monetary rewards. The real experts, like the physical training associations, were often overlooked by organizations who were in the 'beauty business' strictly for money, and the medial circuit. Previous bodybuilding titles were 'borrowed' with the competitions being judged by people who scarcely knew 'their ass from their elbows' in anatomy terms. As for the contestants, many soon became aware of the novelty value in saying after the more usual, "I wish to look after handicapped children and old ladies" ..... the horror of horrors!!! "I do weight training as a hobby."
Katie Sandwina - Worlds Strongest Woman with her Mother
My guess (and that's all it is) is that the real competitions for female muscularity 'per se' started around the early 1970's, originating from where else, but the land of the female mud wrestler, the good old U.S. of A. Spurred on by Olympic ambition, many American sportswomen copied the U.S.S.R.'s heavier training systems with the object of developing muscle ..... Coaches found that it was the strongest and most muscular females who won the top prizes. Further muscularity also proved beneficial for the gymnastic competitors in a rapidly growing sport.
In America, a womens Physical Championship was held in 1975 organized by Henry McGee with subsequent bigger and better contests being named American Championships and in 1979 there was the First National Championships these being won by a lady named Marybeth Pritt.
The competitors of these events, who frequently have had former dancing, ballet, and gymnastic training, certainly have developed a fine presentation, with routines incorporating artistic and acrobatic skills. One good example of these all round abilities is Lynn Conkwright former winner of the Womens World Championships.
A select band of woman bodybuilders found fame and fortune, With California stars like Lisa Lyon the World Womens Champion sponsored by Golds Gym working out daily, being capable of earning many thousands of dollars in competitions. Yet another innovation on the muscle scene was the introduction of the Couples Championships, with the accent on graceful posing, which when done in unison produces an attractive picture. The first World Championship contest in this category, organized in Atlantic City on the 24th April 1981, was won by Lynn Conkwright and former Universe champion Chris Dickerson.
During the last few years, physique contests for women have proliferated both in the USA and on the Continent, with continued controversy and opinions raging over whether they (the woman) should be 'muscular' or 'beauty' contests. Current winners appear to me to have the ideal balance of both. Carolyn Lewis (nee Cheshire) in the U.K. and Rachel McLish in the U.S.A. proved great ambassadors for the sport, and Miss Britain Carole Bennett or champion Mary Scott are two of the tops in the U.K., whilst in the beauty and and beef stakes, a survey of male bodybuilders chose Ms Gladys Portugese as highest in popularity. In the mixed pairs. Juliette Bergmann teamed with Tony Pearson winning the title in Toronto.
Most bodybuilders encourage 'muscular women' if the cheers are anything to go by, with most detractors jealous of the high degree of discipline and self direction required by bodybuilders either male or female. Where is it all going? Only forward I hope, certainly I shall watch with interest. Like AI Jolson could have said, "You ain't seen nothing yet!"
The Evolution of Women Weight Trainers © Copyright by David Gentle All Rights Reserved