Iron Library
Iron Library
What is Strongman?
Strongman is a sport in which competitors face off across a range of strength-based events - lifting heavy objects such as logs, stones, and barbells, pulling vehicles, and carrying enormous loads over distance. Athletes are known for their exceptional physical strength, endurance, and power.
Unlike the fixed three-lift format of powerlifting, a strongman contest mixes raw maximal strength with speed and grip endurance, and the line-up of events changes from competition to competition. The displays of human capability are so dramatic that the sport routinely draws large crowds.
The Events
Deadlift 
In the deadlift, athletes lift a barbell from the ground to a standing position, with the shoulders back and hips locked out. It tests overall body strength, including the muscles of the back, legs, and grip. Strongman deadlifts are often contested for maximum weight or for repetitions, and frequently use a raised bar, a thicker axle, or lifting straps to push the loads even higher.
Log Press
In the log press, athletes clean a thick, awkward log to the shoulders and then press it overhead, using explosive power and shoulder strength. The lift engages the shoulders, triceps, upper back, and core, demanding both brute strength and precise technique. Its wide, neutral grip and unwieldy shape make it one of strongman's signature overhead events.
Atlas Stones
In the atlas stones event, athletes lift a series of heavy spherical stones onto platforms of increasing height, demonstrating impressive strength and technique. Often contested as a race against the clock, it engages muscles across the back, legs, arms, and core, demanding both explosive power and precise execution. The stones grow heavier through the run, so it usually serves as a dramatic finale.
Farmer's Walk
For the farmer's walk, competitors carry a heavy implement in each hand over a set distance, testing both grip strength and overall body stability. It targets the arms, shoulders, back, and core, requiring a balance of strength and endurance. Events are typically judged on speed over the course, so athletes must move fast while keeping their grip from giving out.
Tire Flip
In the tire flip, participants lift and flip a large, heavy tractor tire over a distance or for repetitions, demonstrating explosive strength and coordination. It engages the legs, back, arms, and core, requiring a combination of power and technique. Good athletes drive from the legs and hips rather than the arms, turning the lift into a powerful, full-body extension.
Truck Pull
During the truck pull, athletes use sheer force to tow a heavy vehicle along a course, often hauling on a rope or harness and racing against the clock. It showcases tremendous strength and determination, primarily targeting the legs, back, arms, and core, and demanding raw power and relentless effort. The hardest part is breaking the vehicle's inertia from a dead stop before building momentum.
Featured Strongmen
Eddie Hall
Eddie Hall, the British strongman, won the World's Strongest Man title in 2017. Renowned for his extraordinary strength, he became the first man to deadlift 500 kg (1,102 lbs) in competition in 2016, cementing his place as one of the strongest men in history. Alongside that championship win, Hall has set multiple records and remained a fixture at the top of strength athletics.
Brian Shaw
The American strongman Brian Shaw is a four-time World's Strongest Man winner (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016), known for his exceptional size, strength, and competitiveness. Standing 6'8" and weighing well over 400 lbs, Shaw set numerous world records during his career and remains one of the most dominant competitors in the history of the sport.
Featured Strongman Programs
Strongman Base Building
- Novice level
- 3 days/week
- General strength base
Event Conditioning Block
- Advanced level
- Event-focused
- High conditioning