Bob Snyder Maryland Strength and Power HoF inductee 2022

 

Robert “Bob” Snyder

2/16/1897-9/18/1978

By Strength and Power Hall of Fame

 

Bob was from Hagerstown Maryland and started lifting about 1912. Bob weighed about 125 pounds throughout his lifting career. Bob started to appear in strength publications as a very young man in 1916. Bob trained on the 49 lifts practiced by many lifters in the early 19th century. Bob was an accomplished hand balancer, tumbler, gymnast, and muscle control expert which was also common among lifters of his day. Bob lifted on non-revolving barbells that locked the plates to the bar with pins. The bars were common exercise bars with no flex. Also, presses were true military presses with heels together and the snatch could only be performed with a shoulder-width grip.

 

Alan Calvert wrote: “Robert Snyder Jr. of Hagerstown, Md., although only 19 years of age and weighing 127 pounds, can probably outlift any man of his weight in the country. The best record to date by a light man is the 183 ½ pound bent press performed by Professor Titus of New York City. Professor Titus’s lift was made at a body weight of 125 pounds. Snyder lifted 192 ½ lbs. in an exhibition in Hagerstown recently. A few weeks later I saw Mr. Snyder lift 190 pounds easily. As a demonstration of pure arm strength, he has while standing on unbent legs, pushed up a barbell weighing 176 pounds with his right arm. He took a barbell weighing 135 pounds (more than his body weight) with no warm-up and jerked it aloft several times in succession with his right arm. He made a two-arm military press with 187 pounds. He pressed aloft with his right arm a 175-pound barbell.”

 

In 1966 Bob Hoffman wrote “It was through studying photos of Bob performing the one arm snatch, jerk and bent press that I became fairly proficient in these three lifts. Bob Snyder should be elected to the Weight Lifting Hall of Fame for his great lifting records and for his inspiration to those following him. He surely showed the way for other American weightlifters. Bob Knodle and Dick Bachtell, his fellow townsmen, became national weightlifting champions and world record holders.”

 

Bob trained at the Arcade Weightlifting Club in Hagerstown. The club in its day was the best weightlifting club in Maryland and one of the best in the nation. It was a large club and some members would move to other parts of the State and start new clubs. Arcade usually won the State team title every year at the State Championships. Dick Bachtell 1932 Olympian and many times Senior National Champion learned to lift at Arcade and was coached by Bob Snyder.

Author: By Strength and Power Hall of Fame Completed: yes Created: Wed Jun 15 19:02:04 UTC 2022 | Last Updated: Tue Jan 02 15:05:52 UTC 2024