If, and when, Johnny Davis decides to abdicate his National and Olympic title, our choice for the heir apparent to said throne is Washington, D.C.'s sensational young lifter, James Bradford, a 19 year old who has made sensational progress.
All great lifting champions have been great pressers and Jim's 292 lb. press at the final Olympic tryouts is, to say the least, very good, especially so in view of the fact that Jim is still young. Pressers, it has been contended, by better authorities than I, like good vintage wines, improve with age. And, if this is so, who is to say that Jim Bradford won't some day Olympic press the fabulous weight of 350 pounds. Especially so if Bob Hoffman can find his way clear to take a personal interest in Bradford and bring him under Bob's tutelage in York, Pa., the home of many of America's present day champs.
Jim was no 97 lb. weakling when he first learned of barbells via a newsstand copy of a weightlifting magazine, just four short years ago. But, sad to relate, the "Dynamic Tension" propaganda, so widely advertised and circulated at that time had its tentacles well twisted into Bradford's thoughts to the effect that he tossed this fine magazine in the corner in disgust, firmly believing the "Dynamic Tension" method propounding that the use of weights would soon result in a rupture. Fortunately, the lifting magazine did dent a small foothold into Jim's thoughts resulting in his re-reading the magazine, not once but again and again.
When informed of a small lifting class by his brother, they both joined to give the barbell an honest try. Jim's measurements at this time at the age of 15 were: Height 5'8" | Weight 228 lbs. | Chest 47" | Waist 47" (yes, 47 inches) | Arms 16"|
Jim says he was a bit on the plump side at this time and was affectionately known as Mr. 5x5 . . . hang on here a minute . . .
Both Serge Reding and James Bradford earned their living in librarianship. Bradford at the Library of Congress in Washington and Reding at the National Library in Brussels.
Here's Jimmy Rushing with Benny Goodman, performing
Mister Five by Five, live in Brussels . . .
Just one year later, that 47 inch waist was down to 36, thanks to rigorous barbell exercise. Jim continued his exercises another six months and it was as this time that he was introduced to heavy lifting. The strong man of the club at that time was clean & jerking 225 pounds. On first seeing this feat accomplished, Jim felt and rightly so, that there was no reason why he couldn't do likewise. With this thought foremost in his mind, he went after heavy lifting and soon surpassed the club strongman with a clean & jerk of 230 pounds.
This accomplishment, rather than achieving the plaudits and further encouragement of the club members, as was so richly deserved, resulted in just the opposite. Jim was now beset on all sides with the constant reminder that, were he to persist in lifting even heavier weights he would either rupture himself or receive physical injury, due to his youthful years.
Bradford, now, more than ever previously, was an exceptionally fine example of the proper usage of barbells, and no one knew better than Jim himself what wonders weights had wrought with his body and strength. So, not in the least dissuaded by his friend's well meaning discouragements he trained more vigorously than ever and soon had his clean & jerk up to 250 pounds and then to 280, just six months after accomplishing his first 230 pounds.
And, wonder of wonders, all these lifts were accomplished on a standard 6 foot exercise bar, using small plates.
As yet, at age 17 . . .
. . . Jim hadn't seen an Olympic revolving type set of weights, and having read in an old magazine of another 17 year old youth having clean & jerked 300 pounds it became Bradford's ambition to do likewise. Soon after becoming 17 in 1946, Jim's YMCA sent him to Akron, Ohio for the Jr. Nationals. Atho Jim only placed 6th in this meet in which he first became acquainted with an Olympic set, he became the eighth 17 year old to make a 300 clean & jerk. His other lifts at this meet were a press of 235 and a snatch of 240 to give him a total of 745. About a year later, in May of 1947 at a meet held in the Washington YMCA his total soared to a fine 825 pounds with a press of 250, snatch of 250 and clean & jerk of 325. On a fourth attempt he snatched 260 pounds.
Results of this contest served to further encourage Jim and set him afire with a desire to own his own Olympic set so he could really go after some high poundages in the three lifts.
With the purchase of such a set, he and a few friends organized their own club. After really getting acquainted with the Olympic set, with many heart-to-heart workouts on it, in December 1947 Jim pressed 290, snatched 265, and clean & jerked 345 pounds for a terrific total of 900 pounds. These were performed at a meet.
Altho his press was passed, Jim himself was not satisfied with the execution of same. This 900 total imbued Bradford with the determination to eventually total 1,000 pounds and from his past performances, there isn't the slightest doubt that he will make it. At the final Olympic tryouts Jim did 293 press in very good and powerful form. His press poundages will continually soar upward and by time for the Sr. Nats. of 1949 we should see him do at least 310. His only success in the snatch at the tryouts was with the first one of 275, missing 286 on his second and third attempts. So close were these misses and due to, Jim says, pulling the weight too high; he should soon be doing 290 and possibly succeed at the next Nats. with 300. At the tryouts, Bradford's first clean with 347 pounds resulted in injury to his collar bone which has since fully recovered and a full 370 lbs. clean & jerk may be expected of him at the Sr. Nats. next year.
At present Jim has run into the snag of locating new training quarters for himself and his club members and he hasn't been able to keep at his training.
Jim's schedule is an extremely rigorous one as he usually trains up to within 10-15 lbs. of his previous best at the Olympic three. A usual workout finds him doing his lifts in sets of 3 reps, ending the sets on reaching his limit for that day.
When one of his lifts needs attention he concentrates on this particular lift only, for a week or so, finishing off his workout with some squats and dead lifts.
In the squat he uses 400 and works up to 460 depending on how he feels.
In the dead lift he seldom goes over 600 and he feels the dead lift constitutes a light part of his training.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
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