RE: Serge Reding

[Guest guest]

Hi Zohar & Mel!

Interesting post on the late, great Serge Reding. I overheard a

conversation at the 1970 world championships where Serge created quite

a stir with his physique and strength when he became the thrid man to

clean over 500 lb. During the conversation, which was aided by an

interpreter, it was disclosed that Serge had front squatted 320 kg.(705 lb)

and back squatted 350 kg (771 lb) for 1 rep. At this time his

bodyweight was below 300lb.

The following year he set a world record

in the press with a lift of 502 lb in which the clean was done as if

there were no weights on the bar. The lift was done at the world

championships in Lima, Peru and was broken within minutes by eyev

with a 507 lb effort. Unfortunately, Serge injured his wrist at the meet

and could not continue in the snatch. He subsequently got his

bodyweight up to around 145 kg. and became either the first or second

man (Rudi Mang may have been the first ) to snatch over 400 lb. He

died in Manila, ines, shortly after the 1974 worlds, which was

held in Manila. His death remains a mystery.

[Mel Siff: I believe that Serge was the first man to ever reach a 400lb snatch.

I met him when

he had bulked up to 145kg and was regularly using powerful electrostimulation

(ES) as

part of his training. When he stayed with our family he used one ES device for

stressing

the muscles as an adjunct to heavy training and another microcurrent device for

restoration,

applied across the skull and the spinal column. I still have one of the

Christamas cards that

he sent to our family not long before his death. I still remember with great

fondness this

gentle, cultured, humble gentleman who taught me so much about lifting - it was

so sad

that he did not even live beyond his 30s. Such a young, strong man to die so

young! ]

In 1974 the world record back squat in powerlifting was around 415

kg. It is incredible that even Serge could front squat that kind of

weight. For anyone who never saw Serge, he was around 5' 7 " tall with

enormous and shapely arms, chest, thighs and calves. He looked as if

he could lift anything and was unusually flexible to have so much

muscle bulk. I have never heard of any lifter front squatting much

more than 300 kg. and recently read where current Olympic supers champ

Rezazzadai backs squats 400 kg.

All time C & J record holder Leo Taranenko stated that his best back squat was

380 kg. although not a

max effort. I would have to put Reding's 400 kg. for 5 reps front

squat as the single greatest feat of strength of all time, surpassing

's three plus ton back lift and Goerners 330 kg. one hand

deadlift. These feats may never be duplicated. Simply amazing.

Dan Wathen,

Youngstown State Univ.

-----------------

Mel Siff wrote:

<Periodically I have discussed some of the training feats and

methods of the great Belgian superheavy Olympic weightlifter, Serge Reding. One

of his training feats that I mentioned was explosively squatting 400kg

(880lbs) for 5 reps without wraps or any assistive clothing. I think I may

have said that this was a back squat. However, I must correct that

observation if I did indeed misstate it, because he did that weight for FRONT

squats

when he visited South Africa and stayed with our family back in the early

1970s not too long before his untimely death.>

[Guest guest]

*** Dr Siff wrote:

I met him when he had bulked up to 145kg and was regularly using

powerful electrostimulation (ES) as part of his training. When he

stayed with our family he used one ES device for stressing the muscles

as an adjunct to heavy training and another microcurrent device for

restoration, applied across the skull and the spinal column.

****

Dr Siff, do you know how Reding would fit EMS in his training regimen?

Would he include a few purely EMS-based training sessions or would he

use EMS methods as part of a training complex in the same workout as

he would do weightlifting and weight lifting exercises?

[i provided many details on his and Kots' methods of using EMS when I addressed

a seminar at the Australian Inst of Sport in Canberra back in 1988. When we

used

EMS, we did it about 30-60 minutes after normal training and after he had

enjoyed

a good meal with our family. When I visited Dr Ratov in Moscow, he showed me

other

methods involving the concurrent use of EMS during various exercises. Charlie

Francis, up in your part of the world, can tell you all about how he used EMS

with

Ben - he even wrote a short article in S.P.O.R.T.S journal for the

Coaching

Association of Canada (CAC) describing its use in athletics. If you cannot find

it, then I will

look for a copy from the days when I was a member of the CAC. Mel Siff ]

Did Reding engage in any form of plyometric training? In any form of

jump training? Would he do sprints (Actually I think that the Reding

interview answered that question).

[The first person who told me about plyometrics (not using that word, which was

really

an American coach's misinterpretation of " pliometrics " , i.e. eccentrics) was

Serge, who

did a fair amount of jump training. He said to me that heavy plyometrics for a

man of his

huge bulk could be idiotic. He tended to prefer doing everything explosively

and really

enjoyed fast front squats and dynamic shrug pulls. Even without any significant

plyo

work, he was still very fast and could jump very high onto a gymnastic horse

placed at the

height of his armpits. He avoided any significant quantity of running or

walking because he felt that

this could weaken him. Mel Siff ]

Christian Thibaudeau

Quebec, Canada

[Guest guest]

Dan Wathen<icp328@...> wrote:

> For anyone who never saw Serge, he was around 5' 7 " tall with

> enormous and shapely arms, chest, thighs and calves. He looked as

> if he could lift anything and was unusually flexible to have so

> much muscle bulk.

I have trouble thinking of Serge Reding as " shapely " ...

For a photo:

<http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/7342/73wc3.jpg>

For a whole gallery:

<http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/7342/Rdg2.html>

He did look like he could lift anything though.

Matt Madsen

Irvine, CA

[Guest guest]

Incredible! The only lifter I can think of with a similar build is the great

Soviet SHW Sultan Rachmanov (Elvis with muscles).

[i met Sultan at the 1979 World Championships in Greece and yes, he is rather

reminiscent of like an hypertrophied Elvis - my " Supertraining " book has a photo

of the two of us together with Vardanian! He certainly was most impressive

looking,

but had a much smaller midsection than Reding and he was much taller. However,

his

massiveness was not as stupendously impressive as that of Serge, though in the

lifts

he outperformed Serge. Pisarenko, was over 6ft tall, extremely muscular and

looked

like a bodybuilding weightlifter and he outlifted both Reding and Rachmanov.

Unfortunately

his hobby of mixing with the Russian mafia did not set the greatest example for

us. Mel Siff]

Jan Baggerud Larsen

Oslo, Norway

-----Original Message-----

Dan Wathen<icp328@...> wrote:

> For anyone who never saw Serge, he was around 5' 7 " tall with

> enormous and shapely arms, chest, thighs and calves. He looked as

> if he could lift anything and was unusually flexible to have so

> much muscle bulk.

Matt Madsen:

I have trouble thinking of Serge Reding as " shapely " ...

For a photo:

<http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/7342/73wc3.jpg>

For a whole gallery:

<http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/7342/Rdg2.html>

He did look like he could lift anything though.

Matt Madsen

[Guest guest]

" Serge Reding looks like he got lost in a Gain Weight factory " . Hahaha! I

like that! I would love to see a video of Reding's lifting. Does anyone know

if there are any VHS videos available for purchase?

Dr Siff wrote:

[it is interesting to note that, only 9 years later, Vardanian was jerking

almost the same (222.5kg) as eyev, but in the 82.5kg division. Mel Siff]

*** It is also not so very interesting to note that, only 3 years after

Vardanian's 222.5 kg jerk, I jerked 40 kg in my first competition in the

48kg division, weighing in at a light 44 kg.

Jan Baggerud Larsen

Oslo, Norway

Serge Reding

As a college student at Kent State University in 1970 I had the good fortune

to travel to Columbus for the World Weightlifting Championships in September

of 1970. My friends and I saw the 242 and Superheavy Weight Devisions

compete. At the time I owned a Standard 8 Bell & Howell movie camera (I

still have it-it was a mechanical device without batteries that you had to

wind). Anyway, I still I took films of both weight classes. I had seen and

read of all the super's but had been impressed with tales of Redding

physique strength in " Strength & Health " and " Iron Man " (the Peary Rader

publication not the present one).

I distinctly remember (and then looked at again yesterday) eyev doing

his historic 227.5 (501.5 pound Clean & Jerk) then moments later Reding

cleaning 228 like nothing then missing the Jerk forward. Prior to that,

Reding had been unable to recover with a much lighter clean (215?). He was

amazing!! I still have most of those old magazines and pictures. I still

have a magazine with a picture of Reding in just shorts standing with Bob

Hoffman and the caption read words to the effect " Serge Reding looks like he

got lost in a Gain Weight factory " . (Gain Weight was the name of a Hoffman

product)

[it is interesting to note that, only 9 years later, Vardanian was jerking

almost the same (222.5kg) as eyev, but in the 82.5kg division. Mel Siff]

Buckley

Hingham Mass.

[Guest guest]

Serge Reding

> There is no question that Serge Reding was perhaps of the strongest

> men who ever lived. Furthermore, he also had one a very impressive

> physique.

>

> I've been reviewing some of the posts on Serge Reding posted. There

> seems to be some conflicting lifting numbers. In a couple of posts,

> it is stated that Serge Reding squats 5 reps of 400 kgs. Yet in an

> interview (Tommy Kono interviewing Andre DuPont, Serge's coach) which

> was also posted, the following were his best lifts:

What date was the interview? Maybe before he peaked as a lifter?

>

> His best Front Squat for a single is 617 lbs. and 573 lbs. for three

> repetitions. He`s done 705 for

> one repetition and 617 for triples in the regular squats. On a 45

> degree incline he has Pressed 396 lbs.

> for a single and for 3 reps, 363 lbs. Although he doesn't work on the

> Bench Press nor the Dead Lifts

> he has done 463 lbs. on the Bench and 771 lbs. on the Dead Lift.

Some of these numbers look pretty low for an official 500# clean. The 880x5

front squat seemed really unlikely, though. If you accept the premise that

he was one of the strongest men in history, 880x5 back squat seems possible.

>

> These are also very impressive. But still there's a huge disparity

> between 400 kgs. for 5 reps and those figures in the interview.

>

> Also, in another post, it was stated that Serge's calves measured 26

> inches -- equivalent to a woman's waist. Yet, in the same interview

> the following are Serge's measurements:

>

> AD--He stands 5'8 " and at the bodyweight of 303 lbs he has the

> following measurements:

> Chest, normal--56''

> Waist--47 "

> Hips--48 "

> Thighs--31 "

> Arms; straight 18 1/4 " , flexed-- 20 1/2 "

> Neck-20 "

> Calves-20 "

> measurement around his shoulders--65 "

> Hat size-- 7 1/2

> Shoe size--8 1/2 (European size 43).

These measurements are plausible for 300#s on a 5'8 " frame. 26 " calves seem

really unlikely.

>

> Again, there's a huge disparity between 26 inch calves and 20 inch

> calves.

>

> Could someone please explain the disparity? Which figures are the

> more accurate ones. Thanks.

>

> Jeff Santos

> Manila, Philippines

Kurland, Chicago

[Guest guest]

The date of the interview was 1972.

" The following is an interview with the Belgian national coach DuPont

about his lifter Serge Reding prior to the 1972 European

Championships. "

Serge Reding died early 1974. I think it was in January.

Jeff Santos

Manila, Philippines

>

> Serge Reding

>

>

> > There is no question that Serge Reding was perhaps of the

strongest

> > men who ever lived. Furthermore, he also had one a very

impressive

> > physique.

> >

> > I've been reviewing some of the posts on Serge Reding posted.

There

> > seems to be some conflicting lifting numbers. In a couple of

posts,

> > it is stated that Serge Reding squats 5 reps of 400 kgs. Yet in

an

> > interview (Tommy Kono interviewing Andre DuPont, Serge's coach)

which

> > was also posted, the following were his best lifts:

>

> What date was the interview? Maybe before he peaked as a lifter?

> >

> > His best Front Squat for a single is 617 lbs. and 573 lbs. for

three

> > repetitions. He`s done 705 for

> > one repetition and 617 for triples in the regular squats. On a 45

> > degree incline he has Pressed 396 lbs.

> > for a single and for 3 reps, 363 lbs. Although he doesn't work on

the

> > Bench Press nor the Dead Lifts

> > he has done 463 lbs. on the Bench and 771 lbs. on the Dead Lift.

>

> Some of these numbers look pretty low for an official 500# clean.

The 880x5

> front squat seemed really unlikely, though. If you accept the

premise that

> he was one of the strongest men in history, 880x5 back squat seems

possible.

> >

> > These are also very impressive. But still there's a huge

disparity

> > between 400 kgs. for 5 reps and those figures in the interview.

> >

> > Also, in another post, it was stated that Serge's calves measured

26

> > inches -- equivalent to a woman's waist. Yet, in the same

interview

> > the following are Serge's measurements:

> >

> > AD--He stands 5'8 " and at the bodyweight of 303 lbs he has the

> > following measurements:

> > Chest, normal--56''

> > Waist--47 "

> > Hips--48 "

> > Thighs--31 "

> > Arms; straight 18 1/4 " , flexed-- 20 1/2 "

> > Neck-20 "

> > Calves-20 "

> > measurement around his shoulders--65 "

> > Hat size-- 7 1/2

> > Shoe size--8 1/2 (European size 43).

>

> These measurements are plausible for 300#s on a 5'8 " frame. 26 "

calves seem

> really unlikely.

> >

> > Again, there's a huge disparity between 26 inch calves and 20 inch

> > calves.

> >

> > Could someone please explain the disparity? Which figures are the

> > more accurate ones. Thanks.

> >

> > Jeff Santos

> > Manila, Philippines

>

> Kurland, Chicago

[Guest guest]

In 1974 I saw the following from Serge Reding at a BW of 340lbs (this was

confirmed since I saw him on the scales)

Bench 465 X 5 reps. We handed the bar to him while he was lying on a flat

bench, narrow grip.

Squat (back) 770 X 3 sets x 10 reps done Olympic Style (most of the squats

which I saw him do were in sets of three reps.

High Pulls off of Milk crates - 300 kg to shoulder level. He did not drop

under the bar but pulled them to shoulder level to work on his

explosiveness, again for sets of three reps.

Hyperextensions with three 20 kg plates held on his shoulders.

Vertical Jump, around 1.5 meters (I know I have been told this was

impossible by the members on the list, but I saw him do it twice).

While these numbers may not seem impressive, if you could have seen the ease

which he handled the weights, it was tremendously easy.

Joe Littleton

Houston, TX

-----Original Message-----

From: niceguy691200@... [mailto:niceguy691200@...]

There is no question that Serge Reding was perhaps of the strongest

men who ever lived. Furthermore, he also had one a very impressive

physique.

I've been reviewing some of the posts on Serge Reding posted. There

seems to be some conflicting lifting numbers. In a couple of posts,

it is stated that Serge Reding squats 5 reps of 400 kgs. Yet in an

interview (Tommy Kono interviewing Andre DuPont, Serge's coach) which

was also posted, the following were his best lifts:

His best Front Squat for a single is 617 lbs. and 573 lbs. for three

repetitions. He`s done 705 for one repetition and 617 for triples in the regular

squats. On a 45

degree incline he has Pressed 396 lbs. for a single and for 3 reps, 363 lbs.

Although he doesn't work on the

Bench Press nor the Dead Lifts he has done 463 lbs. on the Bench and 771 lbs. on

the Dead Lift.

These are also very impressive. But still there's a huge disparity

between 400 kgs. for 5 reps and those figures in the interview.

Also, in another post, it was stated that Serge's calves measured 26

inches -- equivalent to a woman's waist. Yet, in the same interview

the following are Serge's measurements:

AD--He stands 5'8 " and at the bodyweight of 303 lbs he has the

following measurements:

Chest, normal--56''

Waist--47 "

Hips--48 "

Thighs--31 "

Arms; straight 18 1/4 " , flexed-- 20 1/2 "

Neck-20 "

Calves-20 "

measurement around his shoulders--65 "

Hat size-- 7 1/2

Shoe size--8 1/2 (European size 43).

Again, there's a huge disparity between 26 inch calves and 20 inch

calves.

Could someone please explain the disparity? Which figures are the

more accurate ones. Thanks.

Jeff Santos

Manila, Philippines

t to

[Guest guest]

:

This was done against a wall. Serge chalked his fingers and then reached as

far above his head as he could touch flat footed. He then " marked " the

wall. Serge then re-chalked his fingers and jumped touching as far above

his head as he could on the wall. The distance between the top of his

fingers at both his standing mark and the fingers on the mark where he

touched when he jumped was measured.

I know this is not very scientific, but it is the way they measured it in

1974. I saw him easily stand flat footed and jump up on a closed bleacher

that was the same level as his arm pits, which of course, was lower than the

top of his shoulders. I also saw him stand flatfooted and slam a basket

ball in a 10' goal. Now at 340 lbs that was more than a little impressive.

[One small comment - I am constantly having to correct the spelling of Serge's

last name in letters on this topic. His correct name was Serge Reding, not

Serge

Redding. OK? Mel Siff ]

Joe Littleton

Houston, TX

-----Original Message-----

From: Hobman [mailto:khobman@...]

Joe wrote,

>In 1974 I saw the following from Serge Reding at a BW of 340lbs (this was

>confirmed since I saw him on the scales)

>

>Bench 465 X 5 reps. We handed the bar to him while he was lying on a flat

>bench, narrow grip.

>

>Squat (back) 770 X 3 sets x 10 reps done Olympic Style (most of the squats

>which I saw him do were in sets of three reps.

>

>High Pulls off of Milk crates - 300 kg to shoulder level. He did not drop

>under the bar but pulled them to shoulder level to work on his

>explosiveness, again for sets of three reps.

>

>Hyperextensions with three 20 kg plates held on his shoulders.

>

>Vertical Jump, around 1.5 meters (I know I have been told this was

>impossible by the members on the list, but I saw him do it twice).

>

>While these numbers may not seem impressive, if you could have seen the

ease

>which he handled the weights, it was tremendously easy.

Joe - I was one who questioned the vertical. Not because I thought it was

impossible, but because I felt the measurement had to be taken from the top

of his head (his height) to what he could reach _over_ his actual height.

This is a more accurate measurement of vertical since it cannot be cheated

by 'shrugging down' the should and arm as is now taught by many people to

athletes testing for NFL combines.

So I didn't question the number, just the method of taking it.

However, since Serge was 1.75 m or so in height, if he actually vertical

jumped 1.5 meters it would mean he could jump up and fully extended (ie -

no bend at the knees) he would have his feet up to his standing shoulder

height.

So I question this. I believe he could get up on a table 1.5 metres high by

bending his knees at the apogee of his jump. But since the official world

record vertical is 49 " or 47 " or something like that I can't see him

exceeding it by a foot or more.

So, I ask again, how was the measurement derived?

Hobman

Saskatoon, Canada

'Grip it and rip it!'

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[Guest guest]

Joe wrote,

>

>This was done against a wall. Serge chalked his fingers and then reached as

>far above his head as he could touch flat footed. He then " marked " the

>wall. Serge then re-chalked his fingers and jumped touching as far above

>his head as he could on the wall. The distance between the top of his

>fingers at both his standing mark and the fingers on the mark where he

>touched when he jumped was measured.

>

>I know this is not very scientific, but it is the way they measured it in

>1974. I saw him easily stand flat footed and jump up on a closed bleacher

>that was the same level as his arm pits, which of course, was lower than the

>top of his shoulders. I also saw him stand flatfooted and slam a basket

>ball in a 10' goal. Now at 340 lbs that was more than a little impressive.

Umm...

Jeez. The guy was the 8th wonder of the world.

Flat out amazing.

Hobman

Canada

[Guest guest]

One of my powerlifting training partners measured his VJ at the

" toppidrettssenteret " (institute of high level sports) in Oslo. His VJ

measured 78 cm and this was actually one of the best results they had ever

measured there, including results by top Norwegian jumpers. Imaging their

reaction if Serge came in and *doubled* this result @340 lbs BW!

Jan Baggerud Larsen

Oslo, Norway

RE: Serge Reding

Joe wrote,

>

>This was done against a wall. Serge chalked his fingers and then reached

as

>far above his head as he could touch flat footed. He then " marked " the

>wall. Serge then re-chalked his fingers and jumped touching as far above

>his head as he could on the wall. The distance between the top of his

>fingers at both his standing mark and the fingers on the mark where he

>touched when he jumped was measured.

>

>I know this is not very scientific, but it is the way they measured it in

>1974. I saw him easily stand flat footed and jump up on a closed bleacher

>that was the same level as his arm pits, which of course, was lower than

the

>top of his shoulders. I also saw him stand flatfooted and slam a basket

>ball in a 10' goal. Now at 340 lbs that was more than a little impressive.

Umm...

Jeez. The guy was the 8th wonder of the world.

Flat out amazing.

Hobman

Canada