Howard Cohen Georgia Strength and Power HoF inductee 2021

By Strength and Power Hall of Fame

Personal history:
Born in 1932, Howard Cohen is almost 89 and small in stature, but in the weightlifting world, he (‘61) is a giant as well as a local legend. As owner of Howard's Gym for over half a century, Howard has shaped the lives of many - even when in the 1950's, weightlifting was considered bad for you. Cohen grew up in Savannah, was a boxer at Benedictine Military School and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. While stationed and training athletes at bases in California and the Azores, he noticed the growing popularity of weightlifting. “I put two and two together and decided to open a gym when I got out. Financially it was not a big success.” 
Now married and raising three children, Cohen went back to school — graduating from Armstrong Junior College and completing work for a bachelor’s in mathematics at Georgia Southern. In December, he and his wife, Carol, celebrated over 60 years of wedded bliss. 
To maintain a sustainable lifestyle while operating the gym, he taught math for 30 years in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System. 
Over the years, Cohen trained athletes from around the country including his own son, Michael, who was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic weightlifting team and coached at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. Cohen’s daughter was also a competitive weightlifter. “At first there were no women lifters and now there are almost as many women as men in our sport,” he notes.
To stay in top condition, he trains for at least an hour three times a week at the Anderson/Cohen Weightlifting Center in Savannah. It’s named after him and Paul Anderson, Georgia’s Olympic weightlifting champion. It’s also where he trains a grandson. At this point in his life Cohen has no intention of slowing down. The thrill of victory keeps him going. “I have no plans to give up competition, but if I see that I need to stop, I will. Weightlifting is a great sport and it is great exercise. Anything that makes you look better and feel better, has to be good.”

What lead you to your sport:
His lifelong enthusiasm with weights started when he was a 16-year-old boxer. He began lifting weights to grow stronger for other sports as well as bodybuilding and then decided to enter a weightlifting contest and won. 

Achievements in your sport:
32 National Masters Championships - 1988-1991, 1993-2009, 2011-2021
The most National Championships of any person in the USA.
Pan American Masters Championships - 2000-2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013-2016, 2019
World Masters Championships - 1993, 1999, 2002, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015
Mr. Georgia title (bodybuilding)
National Golden Gloves Boxing Champion

State, National and World records.
Howard still holds several National Master records in weightlifting and has broken many state, National and International records throughout his career.

Other accomplishments.
Howard was a teacher for 30 years and named Star Teacher multiple times. 

Other activities within the sport i.e. Judge, meet director, trainer, demonstrations, community activities etc.
Howard is a Level 5 International Coach for weightlifting and has coached with his son, Michael on many International teams. Howard is also a local referee for weightlifting. Howard has performed countless demonstrations of the sport of weightlifting throughout the SouthEast.

 

Author: By Strength and Power Hall of Fame Completed: yes Created: Sun Jul 04 16:54:40 UTC 2021 | Last Updated: Fri Dec 22 04:15:31 UTC 2023