Jan 5 2024
Vasily Alekseyev (One of the Greatest Weightlifters of All-Time)
NO NONSENSE, OLD SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING HISTORY is presented by the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYIn 1975, the cover of Sports Illustrated identified Soviet weightlifter Vasily Alekseyev as “The World’s Strongest Man.” Few could contradict that claim. His achievements spoke for themselves. At the time, Alekseyev was preparing to win his sixth consecutive World Superheavyweight Championship.What made Alekseyev so powerful?When he was just 11 years old, Vasily was put to work in the forests to help his father and the other lumberjacks. It was his job to lift and move the heavy tree logs. He believed that is where he gained his great strength. His first weightlifting barbell was an axle from an old truck. He began competing in weightlifting at the age of 18, but he didn’t win his first world title until he was 28.In March of 1970, he became the first man to lift a total of 600 kilos in the three lifts combined, clean & press, snatch, and clean & jerk. Later that year, he became the first man to clean & jerk 500 lbs at the World Championships in Columbus, Ohio. ABC’s The Wide World of Sports televised the competition and, suddenly, Vasily Alekseyev became a very famous man...............You can read the full blog post here.SHOW BACKGROUNDMy name is Mark Morthier, and I host yesterday’s Sports on the Sports History Network. As many of you know from reading my articles and listening to my podcasts, I am not only an avid weightlifter but a fan of the sport as well. I’m excited to share my newest adventure, a show dedicated to promoting weightlifting, while also looking back at some weightlifting history. I’ll share some of my own stories and interview weightlifters from both past and present.I competed in Olympic Weightlifting from 1981 to 1989 and powerlifting from 2011 to 2019. Although I wasn’t what one might call “a naturally gifted lifter,” I managed to clean & jerk 140 kilos/308 lbs at 179 lbs body weight. In my later years, I achieved a 600-pound deadlift and a 431-pound front squat in my mid-fifties. Although I was more successful in powerlifting, setting New Jersey and New York State records in Masters Competitions, I’ll always consider myself an Olympic Weightlifter. I’ve also written a book on weight training titled No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training, which is available on Amazon.No Nonsense, Old School Weightlifting book (Amazon affiliate link)I hope that you will enjoy the show, and please leave a comment or offer a suggestion. And if you’re an Olympic lifter, past or present, let me know if you’d like to set up an interview, and I’ll do my best to have you on the show. Stay strong and God bless!CHECK OUT YESTERDAY'S SPORTS (MY ORIGINAL SHOW)Host Mark Morthier grew up in New Jersey just across the river from New York City during the 1970s, a great time for sports in the area. He relives great moments from this time and beyond, focusing on football, baseball, basketball, and boxing. You may even see a little Olympic Weightlifting in the mix, as Mark competed for eight years. See Mark's book below.No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training: A Guide For People With Limited Time
