Where are they now? Manfred Hoeberl

**Curt James** · 07-16-2010, 12:51 AM

That was then...

This is now! Well, Monday, April 19, 2010.

Manfred Hoeberl: Clicking the Captains of Crush® No. 3 Gripper
By Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. | ©2010 IronMind

He had 25-inch arms the sort of physique that would have been easy to dismiss Manfred Hoeberl as being a mere bodybuilder, but it only took a few minutes of watching him compete at the 1994 European Musclepower Championship to realize that he really was a strongman—and we would soon find out why everyone talked about Manfred Hoerberl’s grip strength.

Manfred Hoeberl still has his original Captains of Crush T-shirt from the 1990s . . . when he nearly closed a No. 3 gripper on sight and would subsequently go on to get certified after audibly clicking the handles together. IronMind® | Photo courtesy of Manfred Hoeberl.

As we described it in the January 1995 (Volume 2 - Number 4) issue of MILO: A Journal For Serious Strength Athletes: “. . . we had the opportunity to let Manfred Hoeberl give one of our #3 grippers a squeeze. On first sight, with no warmup or chalk, Manfred laid out the most serious squeeze we have ever witnessed under comparable conditions - bringing the handles down to about 1/8-inch of each other. We are used to seeing really strong guys get the handles down to about 3/4-inch, but anyone who hits the last 1/4-inch or better on his first try makes a very big impression on us” (p. 26).

Since then, Manfred has used up some of his nine lives in both car and motorcycle accidents, but his prodigious hand strength remains - although he’s not really trained in years, Manfred Hoeberl recently picked up a Captains of Crush No. 2 and closed it on sight. Want more? Manfred told Randall Strossen that he will train a little on the grippers and, if so, our money is on him to once again click a No. 3.

###

From http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/ope...3_Gripper.html

**unclem** · 07-16-2010, 01:38 AM

he brings back memories of people saying he used chris clarks synthol, i might add he must not of. i use it and i only got to 22inch guns but i had 20 when i started injecting syntherol not the thick synthol by chris clark. i can use a 25 in x 5/8 incher on my chest arms. but chris clark you have to use a harpon to inject it. its to thick and more expensive. i could get at least another inch but i dont want to push it. maybe he did stretch the facisia with the synthol, but i know you shrink if you dont maintance it at least 2xs a week after u start it. but good post there curt brother.

**unclem** · 07-16-2010, 02:28 AM

wat happen since april is he on a pct because he lost alot of size since then. but he looks healthy, i mean his eyes are not jaundice. his hair is gone but he never did have hair. boy he was a real strongman. i cant remember if he competed in the worlds strongest man semi finals i know it wasnt the showdown he couldnt make the cut. or did he curt? let me know brother.

**Curt James** · 07-16-2010, 02:49 AM

^What do you mean "since April"? The pics are, what, twenty years apart.

Not sure if he competed in WSM. Hold on...

Manfred Hoeberl (born May 12, 1964 in Graz, Eggenberg, Austria) is a former strongman and Powerlifter who was known as having the largest arms in the world during the early-mid 1990's.[1]

Life and career

Manfred won the Europe's Strongest Man Competition twice (1993, 1994) and was runner up at the 1994 World's Strongest Man competition. Hoeberl competed in the World's Strongest Man finals in 1991, and 1993 as well, finishing 8th, and 4th.[2] Manfred won Austria's Strongest Man 7 times, 1989-1994 & 1996.[3] In the early 90's Hoeberl claimed to have the largest arms in the world. At the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, bodybuilding journalist Joe Roark measured Hoeberl's upper arm to be 25.75 inches cold. Right after Hoeberl curled a 150 lb. dumbbell for several reps and was re-measured at 26 inches pumped. After the measurement Roark claimed Hoeberl was the first man in history to have an upper arm girth three times the size of his wrist circumference.[4] Shortly after Hoeberl co-wrote his first book 10 Minutes to Massive Arms.[5]

Car Accident and Retirement

Shortly after the 1994 World's Strongest Man contest, Manfred was involved in a near fatal car accident in which he broke several limbs, and fractured his hip in 8 places. After months of rehabilitation, Manfred returned to strongman competition, although he never again competed in the World's Strongest Man. A severe biceps injury forced him into retirement in 1997.[6]

From Manfred Hoeberl - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**unclem** · 07-16-2010, 03:50 AM

sorry curt, my bad, i seen the first picture you didnt have the second one up yet so i assumed it was apr 2010 the first one. ok good post, he did enter the finals i must of mist that one and i go back to when my trainer and friend back then boris gerrasi was up against lou ferrigno in the car dead lift and boris beat him. before bruce wilham, he was a strong fat bastard. but i trained at boris g. gym and he was my idol back then. he showed me alot, very knowledgeable. i bet i get you on this one, who is debbie olivera, she turned ifbb pro?i worked out with her a few times but she was way to strong for me to use the weights she was using. do you remember her? she was a nurse, and was from freetown, mass.

**Curt James** · 07-16-2010, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by unclem

sorry curt, my bad, i seen the first picture you didnt have the second one up yet so i assumed it was apr 2010 the first one. ok good post, he did enter the finals i must of mist that one and i go back to when my trainer and friend back then boris gerrasi was up against lou ferrigno in the car dead lift and boris beat him. before bruce wilham, he was a strong fat bastard. but i trained at boris g. gym and he was my idol back then. he showed me alot, very knowledgeable. i bet i get you on this one, who is debbie olivera, she turned ifbb pro?i worked out with her a few times but she was way to strong for me to use the weights she was using. do you remember her? she was a nurse, and was from freetown, mass.

No, no, no. Not your bad at all. The recent pic of Manfred didn't "stick". I uploaded it to my Photobucket account and re-posted it. MY bad!

Thank you for contributing to this thread.

And, yes, I do remember Debbie. She appeared in the old Women's Physique World magazines if I'm not mistaken.

...

Was it Debbie or Dona?

Dona Oliveira

Dona Oliveira

1984
Nationals - NPC, MiddleWeight, 4th
1985
USA Championships - NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st
USA Championships - NPC, Overall Winner
World Games, LightWeight, 1st
1986
Olympia - IFBB, 11th
World Pro Championships - IFBB, 9th
1988
Olympia - IFBB, 7th
World Pro Championships - IFBB, Winner
1989
Olympia - IFBB, 12th
1990
Olympia - IFBB, 16th

Dona Oliveira - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**unclem** · 07-22-2010, 03:33 AM

Originally Posted by Curt James

No, no, no. Not your bad at all. The recent pic of Manfred didn't "stick". I uploaded it to my Photobucket account and re-posted it. MY bad!

Thank you for contributing to this thread.

And, yes, I do remember Debbie. She appeared in the old Women's Physique World magazines if I'm not mistaken.

...

Was it Debbie or Dona?

Dona Oliveira

Dona Oliveira

1984
Nationals - NPC, MiddleWeight, 4th
1985
USA Championships - NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st
USA Championships - NPC, Overall Winner
World Games, LightWeight, 1st
1986
Olympia - IFBB, 11th
World Pro Championships - IFBB, 9th
1988
Olympia - IFBB, 7th
World Pro Championships - IFBB, Winner
1989
Olympia - IFBB, 12th
1990
Olympia - IFBB, 16th

Dona Oliveira - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

curt it dona i forgot its been so long since i seen her. god i was in love with her she was better looking in person curt. i should never doubt your knowledge u always come through. god i wish i knew where she was now. she was a rn. me and her used to always have a good time until she got to the top then she changed. but i told her youll be pro one day and she did it. boris and i use to talk about wat a body she had on her god and she was big . it only took her 11 months to get into her first contest she was all over the paper. she took great doses of gear but know hgh. her boyfriend at the time was boris manager at the gym he owned, he quit bbing and after they broke up he went into modeling. they did a couples cover shot together for weider, they said he was a fucking asshole and would never deal with him again, but i guess dona went back on her wordlol. thanks curt you brought back some great memories. i hope i can print this page, iam fucking stupid when it comes to cell phones and computers. thnx brother for the nice day and my birthday of all times.

**unclem** · 07-22-2010, 03:52 AM

^^^^^^there is alot of missinformation in that article, it was not a nautalus club it was the iron palace in new bedford mass, she lived in freetown. mike her boyfriend trained her. cant believe shes 49 now god its seems like yesterday. i wish i knew how and where shes at now. my cousin was in new bedford and thats when we joined and met all the people i mentioned. but the titles are a misprint it took 11 months not 4 months to win her show.wow i cant believe how things can get totally changed around. i had been lifting for about4 yrs, the atlas way until i met boris, and they never mention thats where she got her start at his gym the iron palace. they were on the cover on weider i am almost positive because they were bitching how they were treated. oh well i know the real truth but it does bother me to have lies like that. her arms were 16 inches offseason. i measured them, i would know. fucking bullshit pricks.

**unclem** · 07-22-2010, 04:12 AM

how could i find out now where shes living, the state and if she still is a practicing nurse without spelling problems like me. the first picture was the won that was on the wall at the iron palace. i know her parents footed the bill for her. as she and her parents had a beautiful home in freetown mass. a suburb of new bedford, shit whole mass. the heroin capital of mass and now the aids cap of the whole usa, that was yrs ago it was but i dont know now so i shouldnt write that. but i know it still has no work and everybody is either on welfare or ssi-ssd. i loved this thread it was awesome to go back in time.peace out.

**J4CKT** · 08-26-2011, 12:55 AM

This is a fantastic thread and article. Bump

Thread: Where are they now? Manfred Hoeberl

Thread Tools

Display

Where are they now? Manfred Hoeberl

Posting Permissions