Thomas Inch

Who was Thomas Inch?

Thomas Inch held the titles of Britain's Strongest Youth and Britain's Strongest Man.

He is known for the Thomas Inch dumbbell, known as "172", a dumbbell that weighs 172 lbs and 9 ounces. It was extremely difficult to lift, partly due to its weight, but primarily because its handle was very thick making it difficult to hold onto without an outstandingly strong grip. There were numerous reports that there was a hole in the original 'bell, in which Thomas would place a nail; thus allowing him to arrest any rotation and lift it.

In 1909 he refused to compete in a weightlifting match against the Austrian strongman Max Sick, who had recently arrived in London. However, by 1910 Inch had become a heavyweight and so relinquished his middleweight title to Edward Aston, and a competition was quickly arranged against Sick.