Mac Batchelor, one of the strongest men in the world. He'll take you on at what you do best: lifting, wrist turning, drinking, or what have you. Although too modest in giving his measurements, only claiming a 52-inch chest and a 19-inch arm, author Vic Tanny assures us that his arm is more than 20, his chest certainly 54. Read his complete story . . .
While sitting in the "Nine Old Men Cafe," heatedly discussing lifts, exercises, and measurements, a group of the outstanding lifters and strength notables of the West looked around in amusement to hear a dignified looking gentleman ordering a bottle of lager and soberly inquiring, "Hmph, Nine Old Men, eh! Well where's the other four?"
This bit of subtly projected astonishment was aimed at the 280 pound, 6 foot 1 figure of "Mac" Batchelor ensconced behind the bar in a manner remindful of a pilot fitted in the cockpit of a Spitfire. The rejoinder prompt was, "They'll be coming, me fine lad, after a few more years of training."
Ian "Mighty Mac" Batchelor is a native son of California with a definite Scotch accent (during business hours) and descended from Scotch parentage. In prep school Mac auspiciously started his athletic career by running the 100 yard dash in 10 seconds, and the 440 in 50 at a bodyweight of 190 pounds.
He could chin himself with either hand and could do a two arm chin using a pinch grip on a 2x4 rafter.
Bruce White, 2" rafters, pinch grip chins for 16 reps.
https://ia803107.us.archive.org/34/items/HowToDevelopAPowerfulGrip/How%20to%20Develop%20a%20Powerful%20Grip.pdf by Edward Aston, 1946.
Now 10 volumes.
Anatomy of the Forearm, 36 pages.
Whew and oops, got just a little carried away. There's no shortage of literature and instructional videos on how to train your grip.
Mac's summers were spent largely at summer ocean resorts swimming and averaging many miles of rowing daily. In this latter sport Mac emulated Bob Hoffman's early career and was never beaten, winning many prizes in competition.
However, Mac decided to train on weights despite admonitions and found much to his happiness that weights develop pimples, of a giant nature, if one wishes to consider muscles as such.
Mac's measurements at the start of his training with weights were as follows: height 6 feet, weight 175 pounds (his weight was brought down from 190 and he boxed as a lightweight for the leading athletic club in San Francisco), neck 15.75, upper arm 15.5, chest 43 normal, waist 29, hips 37, calf 15.75, thigh 23, forearm 13,and wrist 7.5.
Compare these girths with the current ones at a bodyweight of 280 pounds: height 6 feet one inch, neck 20, upper arm 19, chest 52 normal, waist 42, hips 45, calf 19, thigh 31, forearm 14.75, and wrist 8.5.
Mac always seemed to prefer the key exercises such as the press, row, squat, prone press, dead lift, etc., but found that he had to use many complementary exercises to bring about a more rounded, shapely and muscular development.
He is famous on the West Coast for his biceps and calf size, especially when one can coax Mac to roll up his sleeves and there is a chorus of "Oh my gosh," or "What is it, an arm or a leg?"
The present measurements at 280 pounds were given to me by Mac and I must say that he has been, as usual, notoriously modest and I would wager that his arm is not less than 20" cold, and other measurements would be undoubtedly much greater such as chest, forearm, etc., since they have the appearance of being much larger than the measurements indicate. I have heard that Mac's arm during a workout while blown up measured a snug 21" but he steadfastly refuses to accept this and says that it was no doubt measured by a biased friend.
We might be able to account for Mac's great gain in weight by perusing through his workout schedule.
I will quote Mac:
"Three quarters of my training time is back and leg work.
"Some workouts I only do leg work of a very hard nature. For example, I squat with 350 pounds 10 x 10, 300 x 10 x 10, 250 x 10 x 10.
"I like a quart or two of orange or grapefruit juice which dilutes any impurities previously acquired.
"I follow the squats with leg presses in this manner:
300 x 10 x 10, 400 x 10 x 10
and if I still have enough energy to spare I do a few reps with 500 pounds.
"That is all for the morning workout, a good meal with a little (???) bottled beverage, some light reading material afterward for an hour or so and I am ready for another hour of cable, dumbbell and iron boot exercises, and then off the 12 hours of work back of the old mahogany dispensing that cheer that some strong men have a nip of to balance their sugar content and build their ego to heights yet unreached in fighting gravity with weights.
"I enjoy a good deal of pressing both in the military and reclining position and often take a workout of just military pressing. For example:
80 pound dumbbells 5 reps (heels together), Two arm barbell 220 x 2, 230 x 2, 240 x 2, 250 x 1, 260 x 1, then drop the weight to 240 for one, 230 2 x 2, 220 3 x 3, 200 5 x 5, 180 behind the neck, 80 pound dumbbells 5 reps.
"I often do some dumbbell curling in various positions following this and special triceps exercises.
"On other days I only do dead lifts and presses starting with 300 pounds 15 reps stiff legged, and finishing with 550 5 reps in the regular deadlift style. I use a 1.25" handle for this and find it taxes the grip unduly which will develop a forearm of rare strength.
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Fat bar from Sorinex, not pricey.
Fat Gripz, three pairs, three grip sizes, around a hundred bucks.
"I might mention here that the use of thick bars from 1.25 to 3" diameter will give you a grip to be proud of; however, you must realize you will be handicapped in the weight you can lift by the power of your hands. After a siege of deadlifting I am ready to lie down (more truth than poetry) and so start my prone pressing, starting at 275 pounds. I do several series of 5 reps, same at 300 and 2 x 2 with 350 ending up with 375 in a shoulder bridge position with the belly toss."
Mac does not go in for the three lifts particularly but does them as an exercise and means to an end.
Note: again, it's possible to use the quick lifts as a means to an end, depending on what you're after with them.
He is not sure exactly what he is capable of but it must be plenty.
Some of the stunts he has accomplished and witnessed by many are:
One arm curl with 80 pound dumbbell in strict military position from a dead hang.
Two arm strict curl of 180.
These lifts were made casually during training with his head, shoulders and buttocks touching the wall at all times with the elbows in a fixed position. Try curling in this position and you will appreciate the man's tremendous strength.
He can hold a 12 pound sledgehammer gripping the handle end at the tip and muscle it out with the iron head a full 30" from the hand.
Other stunts such as bending spikes as high as the 120 penny category and also decks of cards to 8ths, and bending of beer caps between the extended thumb and forefinger in a manner remindful of a young lady squeezing a bon bon to find out if it's her favorite flavor. This last stunt is really a kick to watch and brings forth much admiration from spectators. "He's running outta caps, drink faster!"
An incident remindful of Daniel walking into the lion's den [such a segue] was the time not so many weeks ago when a group of powerful young men from the Los Angeles Bulldog professional football team walked in to visit the master of "The Nine Old Men" and to see if his prowess was as great as reported. After a few rounds of vitamins they suggested an elimination bout or arm wrestling or wrist turning as it is commonly called. Mac was slated to take on the group and do the eliminating himself. The bout ended successfully for Mac and the boys were all convinced he was the greatest they'd seen at wrist wrestling and the meeting ended on a happy note with Mac still retaining the distinction of never having being beaten in an arm wrestle.
Finger.
"Mighty Mac," despite his enormous size is a handsome and clean-cut appearing person and is a throwback to the days of men like Swoboda, Apollon, Goerner and other behemoths of old. He wears a handlebar moustache, and is undoubtedly the most colorful strength figure in the West. He possesses a personality which befits his great size and strength and his place is a rendezvous for all the well-known strongmen in the West who like to meet and swap stories over a few.
At present we are trying to get Mac to attempt world's records in the dead lift and prone press and we are positive he could if he cared to set marks which would make him one of the immortals of strength.
Man, we're talkin' about the greatest bartender you could ever hope to find.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
The repeated references to the "prone press" in the Mac Batchelor article made me smile each time. A "prone press" would involve pressing while lying face down. That would be some trick.
ReplyDeleteHello Adam! Charles Smith did a bit in one article on that term, the "prone press". It's the powerlifting equivalent of a "behind the back clean" in Oly lifting. But the human body CAN clean with bar behind back, not very "cleanly" though. This prone press would be something for a circus contortionist to attempt alright, but then, to a complete outsider to lifting, perhaps ALL of what we do looks like rather mindless contortions!
DeleteHahaha! I found something in an article about the "prone floor press" and can't stop imagining some poor newb with a good handle on defining words trying to attempt one for weeks on end.
DeleteGreat article and I love all the resourceful links to the books and bars! I actually own Mike Brown's Iron Claws book. In fact, Mike mentions Bob Simpson briefly in his book which caused me to seek him out and in turn gave me all that information that we turned into an article.
ReplyDeleteThat book gave me more insight into partial reps training and then my correspondence with Bob took it to another level. I'd love to see an arm wrestling match between Mac and Goerner! As good as Mac is my money is on Goerner. I think the strongest grip of all time is tied with Goerner and Uni Apollon.
Although I currently do not train with a thick bar, I did for several years train one arm deadlifts on a 2.5 inch thick barbell. My best was 120 lbs. I also did farmers walks with fat grip adapters with 2.5 & 3 inch sleeves. I have found that my daily regimen of timed holds on a 3.75 inch pinch block has developed my grip considerably and now when I put my hand around the 2.5 inch fat bar it feels skinny to me.