The tires weigh 330 Ezra Pound , but they lift as easily as hula-hula hoops in the hired hand of this Nordic deity . In a quilt of deoxyephedrine , he hugs the rubber ring and scurries quickly through the moxie . As he run up the third and final tire onto the platform , he turns to the cheering crew on Venice Beach : Who is the king ? I am !
He is by all odds one of the large men I have ever seen . He is tall — six feet , 8.5 inches . When he clutch a liter and a one-half of bottled water in his hired man , it looks as tiny as a baby bottle . Tattoos curl up down his biceps as if they were explicitly draw to play up their capriciously large contour .
In addition to looking like a giant , he also play one on video — he will be make over the use of Gregor Clegane , known as The Mountain , in the quaternary season of Game of Thrones . His name is Hafthor Bjørnson , an Icelandic strongman with his own jersey - wear out fan segment . But you could just call him Thor — that ’s what the letters on his neoprene armbands say .
I muscle my way to the front for a better view of Thor — which is n’t easy , as the arms of many of the people around me are wide than my head . Welcome to the World ’s Strongest Man , where even the watcher have sculpt their dead body into veneration - inspiring strong-arm machine .
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Feats of Strength
TheWorld ’s Strongest Manis an international competition that was started by a grouping of Scottish athletes back in 1977 . The20 events — ranging from an Overhead Log Lift to the Fridge Carry — might change from year to year ( well - catalogue through the DVD retrospective , 30 Years of Pain ) , but the basic idea stay the same : Big body enduring lots of crowd - pleasing spectacle . This is where you ’ve seen men in harnesses , draw firetrucks down Main Streets . It ’s the Summer Olympics cross with WWE .
The World ’s Strongest Men are an elite bunch of a few dozen professional athletes who particularize in these character of competition , know as “ military capability athletics . ” They journey the macrocosm together , facing off in several different contests , and they trade statute title back and forth from year to year . They are almost uniformly tall but not overly muscular ; many take care more like basketball game player than bodybuilders .
Sometimes it look they do , indeed , not sleep together their own strength : While warming up , one competition sat on a plastic paint bucket , only to have it crack under his weighting . He smiled and sheepishly looked around to see if anyone noticed .
You may be happy to learn that , for 2011 and 2013 , the World ’s Strongest Man has been an American : Brian Shaw is six feet eight inches and weighs 415 pounds . He was raised in Fort Lupton , Colorado , but he only began competing eight years ago , at old age 24 , when a friend suggested he contract up for a weightlifting competition .
When I encounter his parents , Jay and Bonnie , they suggest that it is not his size as much as his driving force that makes him a superstar . “ He ’s always been competitive , ” says Jay . “ He ’s always had a desire to be better and to get ahead , ” adds Bonnie . “ So this is perfect for him . ”
Unlike other weightlifting competitions , becoming the World ’s Strongest Man also requires a fair amount of DIY knowhow . Instead of simply becoming a gymnasium rat , training for many athletes consists of recreating the outre , highly specific stunts at home . Shaw ’s parents turned his backyard into a sand Hell where he can hurl kegs , says Jay . “ Those big atlas stones did some damage to the floor of our garage . ”
Pumping Up
During a break , while most of the competitors headed to a collapsible shelter where they straddle dance palace chairs and star at their phones , Martin Wildauer wandered down the boardwalk , which was swim with his fellow consistency - hacker : the breakdancers spinning on their top dog , the skateboarders flip themselves over concrete , the smoothy balance on a ladder with two snakes wrapped around his neck , the dude get into nothing but a flushed Speedo and gilded handcuff with skin the grain of tanned leather . He was making a pilgrim’s journey of sorts to Muscle Beach , the unresolved - air weight room that is widely turn over to be the birthplace of musclebuilding .
Wildauer is the unattackable man in Austria , where he works for the government in construction during the off - time of year . As he flummox for photos , he admit it was always one of his dreams to get here .
“ To have a contender in Venice — that ’s awesome , ” he says . Especially because of his connectedness to one of Muscle Beach ’s most famous protégées , whom he hop to meet someday . “ Everybody here knows Arnold Schwarzenegger , and knows that he ’s from Austria . ”
As a humankind in a gray sleeveless shirt moan on the weightlifting political machine behind him , Wildauer reminisce about some of his career highlights—”In 2009 , we pulled a plane , it was about 50 tons!”—and get philosophical about what it takes to win .
“ To be fair , you just need food , and , of course , genetic science , ” he explain . Wildauer contemplate that 80 percent of achiever is out of your control — it ’s all about how you were born . But even his genetic science seem to have placed him at a disadvantage here . “ I ’m one of the lightest out there . I can not be big like Brian Shaw . He is huge , ” he tell . “ I have about 320 pounds . Compared to Brian , that ’s nothing . ”
What Wildauer relies upon is the power to watch and rewatch his public presentation compared to the other men , continuously modify the way he vie . “ I have to use some smarter techniques — like in the overhead . I have to employ a weightlifting technique , ” he aver . “ But , on the deadlift I am quite good . I can captivate up to the other hombre . ”
The Raging Kegger
The concluding event of the day is likely one of the most ludicrous things I will ever find . The Keg Toss require the men to heave kegs up and over a bar that ’s 16 - and - a - half feet in the air . The competitors must thrash the kegs one - by - one , in order , beginning with the light ( a white-hot 40 - pounder ) and ending with a amber keg that weighs in at 100 pounds .
This alone would be a terrific enough endeavour , until you consider that sometimes the kegs do n’t quite reset the legal community and the competitor must bolt out of the way of a 50 - Irish pound kegful that has reverse guidance and is now heading directly towards his genius .
Did I name that a crowd of one C of people are only a few , barricade - barren cubic yard away ? The EMTs on duty abide up for this one .
The 12 finalists take their go , but it ’s apparent this is one of the hard tasks . None of them oversee to toss any kegful large than 50 British pound , and almost everyone has to throw at least one kegful more than once , which stimulate them to ply out of time . It appears that Wildauer ’s bushed - lifting acquirement might change the biz — he make a splash by tossing all but the 100 - lbf. kegs at lightning amphetamine , but still , he never come after in realise those amber kegs .
Shaw ’s parents had told me that this is one of his best event , and , as he confidently grips the first keg , there is a sense from the crowd that something is about to bump . 16.5 seconds later , Shaw has tossed each of the kegs handily over the prevention , often hoisting one kegful into the air before the late one has reach the sand . It is a young earthly concern record .
Ah , but the Icelander cometh . With his signature chest - pounding bravado , Bjørnson takes the degree . The first kegful flies so high I funk in fear . His stop number is unrelenting , and each airborne kegful earns heave from the crowd . When the last gold keg lands , it is clean that we have witnessed something remarkable .
He has infract the criminal record that had been broken only moments before : cast aside all eight kegs in a staggering 16.35 irregular .
Two world record had been shatter within a few minutes , but sadly , these record were not enough to claim the claim . The next day , Zydrunas Savickas , a stocky Lithuanian , would be crowned the World ’s Strongest Man in the finals , knocking Shaw off the throne , and Bjørnson out of controversy . For this year , at least .
As I headed inland , away from the rival field , the tam-tam of the landing kegs still echoing in my head , I think about the construct of metier . It was something I had never really thought could be measure before , but it seemed funny to declare someone the unassailable by pushing them through this obstacle course of on the face of it antiquated activities .
But perhaps strength , I deliberate , is also about the pageant — about the societal part of being a strongman . It is not only about go objects through space , but also appearing to be larger than animation .
How to Be Strong
World - course of study strongmen ca n’t reveal their proprietary regimen , so to gather some training tips I survive to the Mecca of muscles , the original Gold ’s Gym in Venice Beach . Josh Squyreshas work with UCLA ’s football team as a strength and conditioning coach and has also civilize Army Rangers . He passed along eight pourboire to get stronger , faster .
Step away from the machines
The free weight machines might expect impressive , but they ’re not gon na help you gain strength . “ When you use a machine , your stabilizing brawniness are occupy out of the equation — the auto does the body of work for you , ” says Squyres . Get a flight simulator or coach to show you good lifting kind and hit the system of weights terrace instead .
Focus on compound movements
When you ’re lifting , aim for compound movements , which work multiple muscle groups . Squyres recommends these four canonic lifts : deadlift , work bench press , overhead military pressure , and back shit . “ The more muscle radical that are demand , the more stress on the body . ”
Use the 85 percent rule
“ The muscleman that make you stronger are very indolent — they do n’t come into play unless you employ a lot of exercising weight , ” says Squyres . He recommends this formula : Take the system of weights of your one - rep maximum and wagon train with 85 percentage of that . So , say you could rescind 100 pounds , you need to trail with 85 pound .
Aim for high weight, lower reps
have-to doe with to the 85 percentage ruler : Because you ’re lift with high weight unit , the number of reps that you may well do should go down — way down . You ’ll need to be lifting in the five - to - one repp range , says Squyres .
Ditch the accessories
Just like a auto short circuit - changes your strongman quest , it ’s better to train without weight belts . “ rap take strength aside from your sinew , ” says Squyres . “ You want to let your whole body get inviolable . ” Unless , of course , you ’re attempting to break a world record . Then you should wear down a belt .
Protein, protein, protein (protein!)
A practiced diet is one of the most important parts of forcefulness grooming , and Squyres says the key is protein — lots of it . Chicken , Pisces , egg , and beans are all effective , but steak has natural creatine , which allows your body to fill again ATP ( adenosine triphosphate ) , what your body uses for short bursts of energy . Sqyures also recommends whey protein shakes add on with creatine pulverization .
Repair your body
huffy muscle can benefit from a medicinal touch , so it ’s deserving it to invest in the healing hands of a masseuse or chiropractor . For more serious pain , Squyres ferment to acupuncture . “ When I get an injury , stylostixis draws descent to the tissue and helps it repair faster . ”
Get a lot of sleep
Your organic structure need rest , not just to fill again your zip , but also to actually work up itself . “ Your muscularity only grow when you ’re sleeping , ” say Squyres . Eight hours a night is safe , but 10 is even unspoilt , especially if you ’re training firmly . Think of it as a required part of your physical exertion , just like clip spent at the gymnasium .
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