Strongman

Strongman is a power sport dedicated to athletes of pure strength. Also known as strength athletics, it takes into consideration a diverse set of tasks based on which a winner is determined. Hence, in the competitive field, the success of an athlete depends upon the competency to ace a multitude of events. The sport typically consists of six to eight events, held annually. Furthermore, in each event, the competitors are assigned points based on their final ranking. The contestant who accumulates the highest total points across all the events is ultimately declared the champion. The most popular event today is World?s Strongest Man among others like Arnold Strongman Classic and Strongman Champions League.

History of Strongman

How it was started: The existence of competitions that assess strength has been prevalent in sorts, since ancient times. However, Strongman, as a sport came into existence around the 19th Century and was officially codified in the 20th Century. Its introduction to the sports domain concluded with the addition of the World?s Strongest Man (WSM) competitions in 1977.

The first winner of the World?s strongest man competition: In 1977, Bruce Wilhelm, a former Weightlifter, and Strongman hailing from the United States, was crowned as the first ever World?s Strongest Man. Interestingly, it was the first of his two victories in the sport.

Most successful strongman in the history of the sport: Polish MMA athlete and former Strongman champion, Mariusz Pudzianowski, is regarded as the most successful strongman in history, owing to his five WSM titles. Although others have equaled his record, it remains unbroken. Additionally, he has emerged victorious in 42 out of the 59 events he participated in during his career.

Prize money over the years: The compensation for the most popular Strongman event, WSM has been comparatively low to other events in the past. However, with a collaborated fund collection from sponsors, the overall winning prize money was heightened from $47,000 to $75,000. Currently, the total prize check stands at $200,000, probably the highest to go in the Strongman domain.

All the famous Strongman competitions

World?s Strongest Man: To mark the strongest man in the whole wide world, and award the athlete with the greatest recognition in the sphere, World?s Strongest Man was created. Since 1977, several athletes have reigned and dominated the elite stage of strength. As years went by, bigger and better athletes surfaced within the realms of the sport, making the event highly competitive. 25 skilled competitors go against each other every year, powering through breathtaking tasks, and the last man standing is awarded the title of World?s Strongest Man with no room for dispute or doubts.

Arnold Strongman Classics: It is an annual event that calls for strength athletes from all over the world to determine the Strongest Man of them all. Introduced in late 2002, the event is a part of the famed Arnold Sports Festival, also known as the Arnold Classic. Dr. Terry Todd, a former power lifter, and bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger joined forces to establish the event. Only nine athletes have achieved the title so far, making it the toughest and most prestigious event in the domain of strength sports.

Some of the well-known Strongman athletes

Mariusz Pudzianowski (most won): The greatest of all time in Strongman, holds the record for the most wins with five titles, a record that still stands to this day. Apart from that, he also boasts of two runner-up titles won in 2006 and 2009.

Brian Shaw: American pro-Brian Shaw had an illustrious strongman career, winning four WSM titles. His name also pops up in the discussions of the strongest man to have ever lived and is an undisputed great in the sport.

Eddie Hall: In 2017, Eddie Hall, the World's Strongest Man, amazed the world by accomplishing a historic world record of deadlifting half a ton (1102 lbs). He stands alone as the only person in history to achieve this remarkable feat. The English competitor has now gravitated towards bodybuilding and shall soon make his debut in the sport.

Zydrunas Savickas: Lithuanian professional strongman, Zydrunas Savickas is a four-time World?s Strongest Man. In addition, he secured a remarkable eight victories in the Arnold Strongman Classic, a prestigious competition. Given the nickname Big Z, he is widely considered one of the greatest of all time in the Strongman realm.

Hafthor Julius Bjornsson: Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, the well-known Icelandic strongman and actor, who is also recognized as The Mountain, has achieved the title of World's Strongest Man champion a remarkable five times. He is the only athlete to have matched Pudzianowski?s record. Bjornsson rose to greater fame after his feature as Gregor, in the HBO hit series, Game of Thrones.

Stoltman brothers: Scottish brothers, Luke and Tom Stoltman are together regarded as the World?s Strongest Brothers. They are the only brothers to have made it to the WSM Finals ever, in 2019.