Bent Press

A hundred years ago there was a form of one-arm pressing that was the real measure of a strongman's status. A good Bent Presser could lift as much overhead with one arm as he could with two in a standing press or clean and jerk. It required a lot of practice and you had to have just the right body proportions. Not everyone could be a great bent presser. The weight, usually a barbell rather than a dumbbell, was first brought to the shoulder. That is as high as it went. From that point the lifter actually lowered himself under it. That was the hard part. After that he had to stand erect with the weight. The photo on the left is Al Beinert, bent pressing 345 pounds in 1965. On the right is Harold Ansorge. He has done 335. Notice he starts the demonstration using his right hand, then in the third photo, uses his left!