Siegmund Klein’s „The One Best Exercise“ - and Challenge! [1939]

The Legendary Siegmund Klein’s Challenge: Perform a Clean & Press with two dumbbells for ten reps using a pair of 75-pound (34 kg) dumbbells.

Many Iron Game enthusiasts discuss this feat (with some claiming it’s twelve reps), but few train for it, and even fewer have accomplished it.

As part of our ongoing Hard Style dumbbell lifting project, we have finally located the original article. The “Two Dumbbells Clean & Press” program, called Dumbbell Double Impact, is a follow-up to the single dumbbell program from Enter the Dumbbell (to be released soon!).

Check out the original article below.

Are you ready to take on the challenge?

Dumbell lifting has in the past few years come again to the fore. I have been asked often about the methods of training our predecessors have used. This month I am giving you one of the exercises that has been practiced to a great extent by those champions. Although it may be as old as weightlifting itself it may be “new” to you if you have not practiced it or have never seen it before. It will, however, become a “pet” or favorite one as soon as you try it. To me, an exercise that looks good creates interest, and when you create interest in an exercise you give athletes a desire to practice it. I have tried it out here at my gymnasium and found it to be very popular indeed. It is as you will find, and as those before our time have found a “key” exercise of those great „pressers” years ago. I call it “THE ONE BEST EXERCISE“ because it is so general in its effects. I doubt if we have in this country at the time of this writing a dozen athletes who can do this exercise with a pair of 75 pound dumbells ten times! I know that this may sound like a pretty broad statement, but do not be too hasty in condemning this until you have seen some of our strongest weightlifters attempt it.

Now for the exercise: With the feet about eight inches apart, place the dumbells close to the feet, leaning forward and bending the legs, grasp the dumbells. Pull the weights up in one movement to the shoulders and carry the elbows well back as in illustration No. 1, pausing there before pressing, now slowly press the weights together overhead as in illustrations Nos. 2 and 3. Now lower the weights again to the shoulders, then from there to the outside of the thighs as in illustration No. 4. From that position lower them to the floor, bending the knees, but do not let go of the weights, and repeat.

A few suggestions regarding this exercise: Inhale as the weights are pulled to the shoulders, exhale while lowering. Watch the weights as they go past eye level. Be sure that you bend the legs at the knees each time that the weights touch the floor. When I instruct pupils on this exercise I coach them along this manner:

“Pull the weights from the floor to the shoulders;“ “From the shoulders press;“ “Return to the shoulders;” “To the thighs;“ “To the floor.“ „Now repeat!“ Do this ten times. In regard to the amount of weight you should use I would suggest about 20 pounds less than your two arm press exercise.

When Arthur Saxon came to this country with Ringling Brothers Circus he was surprised that he could not find one strong man here who could equal his cleaning” two 150 pound kettle bells to the shoulders, pressing one and then the other up over head.

Two hand dumbell pressing and also two hand kettle bell pressing were two of the favorite lifts of the „old timers.“

Following is a list of some of the records that have been made:

Joseph Steinbach, of Vienna, pressed two dumbells, 14 Ibs. left hand and 154 Ibs. right hand, simultaneously, in August 1906.

Wilhelm Turk, of Vienna, pressed two dumbells, 143 Ibs. left hand and 143 Ibs. right hand, simultaneously.

Horace Barre, of Montreal, Canada, pressed two dumbells, 140 lbs. left hand and 145 lbs. right hand, simultaneously.

Karl Witzelberger, of Vienna, pressed two dumbells, 137½ Ibs. left hand and 137½ Ibs. right hand, simultaneously, twice in succession.

William B. Curtis, of Chicago, Illinois, September 10th, 1859, holding two100 lb. dumbells at the thighs slowly CURLED together to the shoulders, then pressed overhead.

Johann Schneider, of Koln, Germany, in 1897, took two kettle bells of 110 Ibs. each,

cleaned to the shoulders and pressed them together 12 times in succession.

…

I have given you these records to show you what has been accomplished in the past. I can assure you that the exercise I have given you this month has played an important part of the exercise regime of the great past masters of pressing.