Strong man comp.

[Y0yo]

I saw one on TV today for the first. They had one here in Japan. I had a few questions if someone could answer them. I don't know where else to ask.

Of all the competitors, I noticed that the tallest ones had an advantage in some events. They had one event called 'Atlas Stones' I think, and it seemed that the shorter guys had to do a whole lot more work since they couldn't reach the higher pillers as easily. Is this fair really? OR are more of the events not really dependant on height?

Also, the 2 strongest men by the end of the challenge had very different physiques. The strongest man was not 'ripped' but was huge non-the-less. The second strongest looked like he was ready for a BB comp. Is there any reason a strong man would want to lose bodyfat for the competition? Wouldn't holding onto the fat, and thus the muscle, be more benifical?

The competition was held outside. The when the did the Atlas Stones, the first few competitors pretty much blasted through. But half way it started to rain, and they couldn't get a grip on the last, heaviest, stone. Is this fair?

Anyway, just a few questions.

[Bohizzle]

some of the events are also better for the shorter guys with their shorter rom's. It all depends on the event. In general, I think the consensus is that being really lean isn't what most strongmen choose to do, but some still do. And i don't think the atlas stones in the rain would be fair for the later guys.

Andrew

[Justin R]

Yep. From what I have seen they tend to have events that favor both long and short ROMs. I have rarely seen cut guys compete with the bulkier guys in my experience.

On a side note, Im tempted to buy some stone molds and build some pedestals for atlas stone. That looks a killer workout for just about every major muscle group.

[Dinosaur]

Height can be a blessing and a curse, depending on which events they do. Atlas stones are a tough one for short guys, as sometimes they put the stones up to a serious height. A friend of mine is around 5'5" and they had to load a stone to a 62" platform in one competition, only three inches taller than he is. Shorter guys make up for it in such events as deadlifts, log presses, and tire flipping though.

As for why some are huge and others are ripped: a lot of it depends on weight classes. For those without a weight limit, it's actually beneficial sometimes to put on some extra pounds before the competition as with more BW they'll have an advantage. For those that need to be under a specific weight, they tend to be in very good shape. Appearance doesn't matter so much as actual strength though.

[Dinosaur]

Yep. From what I have seen they tend to have events that favor both long and short ROMs. I have rarely seen cut guys compete with the bulkier guys in my experience.

On a side note, Im tempted to buy some stone molds and build some pedestals for atlas stone. That looks a killer workout for just about every major muscle group.

The most surprising for me when I first started training stones was how much stress it puts on your biceps. Mine were sore for days after my first stones session.

[Isaac Wilkins]

Don't buy stone molds.

http://www.tc.umn.edu/%7Ekeen0018/makeastone.htm

[Bohizzle]

Don't buy stone molds.

http://www.tc.umn.edu/%7Ekeen0018/makeastone.htm

this works.