Arvid Anderson

From the book entitled © Mighty Men of Old – Author Unknown

“STRONGEST OF THE SWEDES”. Such was the title imposed on mighty Arvid Anderson, born 1873 in Stockholm, Sweden. Arvid was 6 feet tall and weighed 250 pounds. His biceps were 18¼ inches and his chest measured 52 normal. Held the world’s amateur record in 1906 in the two hands clean and jerk with 329 pounds. He continentaled and jerked 377.

He was one of the first advocates, along with Vasseur and Bonnes, of the split style of snatching and cleaning. Anderson was the Swedish Greco-Roman wrestling champion and did not take up lifting until thirty years of age and in his first year of training continental and jerked 332 pounds.

Up to this time the professional records were always higher than the amateur, but between the years 1905 and 1910 the amateur far surpassed anything the professionals ever did. For instance, in 1906 the worlds record clean and jerk was 329. At the 1908 World’s Championships, Grafl of Austria clean and jerked 352.

To give you an idea of the calibre of lifting in 1908 here are the results of the championships. There were no weight classes then, only heavyweights lifted. Contest on right and left hand snatch, two hands press, snatch and jerk:

Rondi was expected to win but Grafl wiped out his lead with a fine press and Rondi retired after the snatch knowing he could not clean and jerk what Grafl could.”
© Mighty Men of Old