The past few years in particular, have been a wonderful time for strongman and strongwoman fans. For me, one of the most exciting developments has been the renewed interest shown in stone lifting. As a World's Strongest Man fan who grew up watching Kaz or Jon Pal dominate the competition, the sport has always had… Continue reading When did Strongmen Begin Using Atlas Stones?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIIPv2TqXZ8 The internet can be a truly wonderful way to occupy one's time and recapture childhood memories. As a child of the 1990s, who grew up with television shows from the 1980s, I had two twin loves, wrestling and the World's Strongest Man (WSM) competitions. Sadly for me, television broadcasting in Ireland during that time… Continue reading Two Worlds Collide: Bill Kazmaier and Cactus Jack
Admit it. We're somewhat spoilt for choice these days when it comes to contests of strength. Though not as well televised as some of us might like, myself included, strongmen competitions have grown exponentially over the past decade and a half. We have the World's Strongest Man (WSM) and its various qualifying rounds around the… Continue reading The Rise and Fall of the World Muscle Power Classic
I have, I believe, been fairly open about my love of the World's Strongest Man, specifically the opening decade of the competition. Whereas today's competition is professional, modern and scientific, the contests of yesteryear were undoubtedly more tongue-in-cheek. This is not to say that the contests were no less contested and the competitors impressive but… Continue reading Deadlifting Cheese at the World’s Strongest Man (1983)
Who is the strongest man in the World? Ever since man began to lift heavy objects for fun, there has been an insatiable desire to know who is the strongest. It was this desire that led to the creation of the World's Strongest Man (WSM) Competition in 1977, a yearly event that has since become… Continue reading 1977 and the birth of the World’s Strongest Man
The past few years in particular, have been a wonderful time for strongman and strongwoman fans. For me, one of the most exciting developments has been the renewed interest shown in stone lifting. As a World's Strongest Man fan who grew up watching Kaz or Jon Pal dominate the competition, the sport has always had… Continue reading When did Strongmen Begin Using Atlas Stones?
Strength sports, as an endeavour, are simultaneously a modern, and pre-modern, sport. Accounts of men engaging in contests date back to the Chinese practice of lifting heavy stones and cauldrons in 6000 BC (Hai-sheng, 2012). Likewise, Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt, among other regions, had strength cultures (Crowther, 2007). That withstanding, strength contests and feats,… Continue reading A Brief History of Strongman
Earlier this year we were treated to perhaps the most exciting Arnold Strongman Classic to date. We saw Hafthor Bjornsson win the event for the second year in a row with a domineering display of power. The 'Wheel of Pain' from Conan the Barbarian made an appearance and it was joined by an exact replica… Continue reading When Was The Arnold Strongman Classic Created?
Nice muscles, what can you do with them? A common question and also the title for a series of YouTube challenges well worth watching. The underlying point remains however. Are men and women of muscle athletes? Can they challenge others athletically or are they simply lumbering oafs? While anyone who watches World Strongest Man will… Continue reading Can Strongmen Play American Football? The Curious Case of the Crunch Bunch
The past few years in particular, have been a wonderful time for strongman and strongwoman fans. For me, one of the most exciting developments has been the renewed interest shown in stone lifting. As a World's Strongest Man fan who grew up watching Kaz or Jon Pal dominate the competition, the sport has always had… Continue reading When did Strongmen Begin Using Atlas Stones?
