What is strongman?

Strongman is the ultimate strength sport. We have already talked about weightlifting and powerlifting before, sports that involve strength, but nothing like what you are going to learn today.

History of the Strongman

Humble origins “I can move more weight than you”

Strength sports have their origins in rural competitions, after all, in the old days proving that you were stronger than the rest was one of the few pastimes that existed among working groups, whether they were farmers, ranchers, sailors, miners or factory workers.

Therefore, it should not surprise us that in strength competitions, or Strongman competitions, it is necessary to move, lift, shift, drag or throw elements such as wheels, stones, barrels, anvils, or logs, for example.

As you can see, these movements and materials are very different from squats, cleans or snatches, as well as from Olympic discs or bars. One of the biggest differences between “weightlifting” or “power” competitions and Strongman competitions is that the events are not closed.

In Strongman, depending on who organizes the event, the tests can differ greatly from one competition to another, which makes the sport much more spectacular.

Although there are legendary tests that are present in almost all competitions, such as the deadlift, the yoke carry, the log press, or the farmer's walk.

The Strongman in our daily life

For some time now, no more than 15 years, strength sports have been gaining importance, increasing in followers and practitioners, as well as in interest from brands.

The latter, as sad as it may be, is very necessary for any sport to prosper, since without external investment it is not easy to organize events or provide media coverage.

And here Cross Training, just like it did with powerlifting and weightlifting, has acted as an entry wedge. It has shown athletes that there are more ways to lift weights than they themselves thought they knew. Cross Training, as a sport that seeks to surprise its athletes, has a “leg” of its programming that is the lifting/pulling/pushing of strange objects.

And this is nothing more than the inclusion of Strongman movements in box classes around the world. We are talking about lifting Atlas stones, carrying sandbags, the famous pig-flips of the CrossFit Games (which is to say, flipping a very heavy refrigerator), the yoke, sleds… Cross training feeds on Strongman and in return gives it great visibility.

What are Strongman athletes like?

These authentic titans stand out for their size; after all, it is impossible to move many kilos if you do not have great muscles. We are talking about a professional athlete weighing between 150-180 kilograms.

But it's not all about being big, these athletes require a great aerobic capacity as well because the continuous congestion in their exercises conditions them a lot.

They are machines that consume between five and seven thousand calories a day, that train at an exhausting intensity and that require large doses of rest. In addition, their bodies must be flexible to withstand the twists that certain lifts sometimes generate.

But above all, they are strong, they are people capable of literally dragging airplanes, throwing heavy kettlebells more than 10 meters high or lifting rocks weighing more than 300 kilos.

Shall we try Strongman?

If you want to get started in this sport, many Cross Training boxes offer specific classes, as they are very helpful in WODs. It is common for these training centers to have axle bars (bars for Olympic discs with a grip diameter of about 50mm, the usual is 28mm, and without knurling). Yokes, these racks are loaded with weight to carry them in the air on your shoulders from one side to the other. Or sandballs, balls filled with sand of up to 60 kilos.

Once you try it, it will surely awaken in you what we were saying at the beginning: “I can lift that.”