Strongman
The world’s Strongest Man competition is very popular.
Strength is popular. Circus acts, demonstrations of strength, and the like have
always gained attention. Pick up the rear end of a car in public and watch as
others gather to admire your deeds of superior strength.
Years ago my coworkers and I went to a party after work. The
car we rode in was a Ford Fiesta. A small light car. We were supposed to be
leaving and the driver remained inside when the rest of us realized he had
blocked the driveway to a degree. Other cars had difficulty entering the
property. I squatted down and grabbed the bumper, picked up the rear end and
moved it out of the driveway. My friends liked this demonstration and I told
them they could do it also. We ended up doing it several time each. The driver
finally joined us. Observing us picking his car up, he became frustrated.
“Guys, Stop picking my car up!” In those days my deadlift was only 600lbs. I
did rack pulls with more, for stability, but my pull was not superior.
Strongman competitors are strong. They must do longer
duration events than weightlifters and powerlifters. This is strength endurance
(a clinical term referring to greater duration strength displays). A fitness
manager, from equinox, thought I was creating a colloquialism when I used this
term with him once. Starting strength is also a clinical term, Mark Rippetoe
used as the title of his books. Starting strength is the ability to activate as
many motor units as possible and produce high force. Dynamic strength involves
changing direction effectively (weightlifting and other sporting movements).
There are many types of strength. All strength is founded on absolute strength.
Strongman competitions require a broad range of strength. It
is not a coincidence that strength is part of the name. How many gyms have
gargantuan tires in the “functional strength” area currently? A lot! Strength
is universal.
As I have said, I am too small for strongman and
bodybuilding. Competing is a way of comparing your abilities to others in a
weight class. I do not want to compete against others below 200lbs in
strongman. Even at 220lbs I am too small to compete well against a 300lbs
strongman. My leverages are not adequate. I want to compete at the top level in
anything I do. At my last powerlifting meet the only lifer to out-total me was
the super heavy weight. This is fine in powerlifting where bodily dimensions
are reasonably limitless. Strongman competitions are relatively set for big
people.
If a powerlifter, or weightlifter, is 187.96cm tall = 74inches tall and 136.0777kgs = 300lbs body weight
they may compete well. If the competitor is smaller the leverages to move
significant weights efficiently.
Franco Colombo,
Mr. Olympia, broke his leg in a strongman competition in the 1980s running with
a refrigerator on his physique. Franco was a very strong bodybuilder. Lou
Ferrigno also competed in strongman competitions during his bodybuilding
career. He was very strong for his sport also. Neither did well in strongman.
Franco is relatively short, 165.1cm
= 65inches, and light, 83.91459kgs
= 185lbs. Lou is tall, 198.12cm
= 78inches (if bodybuilding magazine are truthful?) and light for his height 124.7379kgs = 275lbs. Muscular
size is germane. Activation patterns, lever lengths, and strength. A pumped up
muscle will help in strength endurance more than an absolute strength scope. If
Franco and Lou had focused training absolute strength more they would have
fared better in strongman. Franco could not change his height. He should have
avoided strongman from this perspective. He also should have sued Los Angeles,
CA for the pothole rather than suing strongman and preventing these
competitions, in America, for decades. That was the only result of his
litigation.
Anyway,
strongman is a convincing measurement of strength. Athletes will benefit from
the activities involved in this sport. I did not mention the events since I do
not want to espouse any of the practices. I also do not know anything other
than strongmen and women squat, bench press, deadlift, snatch, clean, and jerk
with barbells. Assistance movements support these lifts and they are
individualized consistent with needs. Absolute strength applies universally in
sports and life.
Weightlifting,
powerlifting, strongman, and bodybuilding should be the order of a strength
career. It is roughly equivalent to studying elementary curriculum in
elementary school. High school curriculum in high school. Then, as an
undergraduate specializing to a greater degree (pun intended) for a Bachelor’s
degree. Anatomy and physiology for a potential medical doctor and sentential
logic for a future lawyer. Then, go to a professional school based on the
education and ability to associate all information gained in all situations. Specialization
is common in the physical world just as it is in the professional world these
days. A medical doctor cannot skip biology, let alone anatomy and physiology,
any more than a strongman can skip squats. I love squats and so should you.
Curriculum
remains a plan. Training is the same. Train your essence. Do not just exercise.
Set goals and work backwards from the ultimate goal. This outlines sub-goals or
short term goals. Sooner than later you will see where you are presently.
Considerations should only be given to where you were when you want to find out
what led you down the path you currently travel. This is sports psychology. I
chose to be a powerlifter after realizing I was never going to attain 300lbs of
muscle on my 5’8” frame with 7” wrists (136.0777kgs
= 300lbs, at 172.72cm
= 68inches with 17.78cm
= 7inches) when I wanted to be a bodybuilder. I became stronger than most in my
gym but could not gain size. I took up powerlifting and fell in love with the
sport.
Strongmen
love strength. The sport finds you when you love it. I could have taken
anabolic steroids and made it to 110kgs if I wanted to. That was not an option;
I did not love bodybuilding that much. Ask any basketball player on a public
basketball court. There are people riding bicycles huge distances who have no
plans of competing in the Tour de France. All true athletes love what they do
and this drives excellence. It is never easy training to be excellent. Not
many, if any, can make it through robust training if they are less than
passionate. If you love something pursue it. Realize there are some out here,
passionate about strength, who will help you understand how absolute strength
feeds the sum total of your efforts.
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