Strength athletics is the collection of strength sports which measure physical strength,[1] based on both: non-standard and historical implements as seen in Strongman[2] and Highland games,[3] and standardized and calibrated equipment as seen in Powerlifting[4] and Weightlifting.[5]
Some of the disciplines have similarities to each other and although it is very difficult to master more than one, some athletes participate in several of them and perform at world class levels. Weightlifting consists of two main lifts (snatch and clean & jerk)[5] and powerlifting consists of three main lifts (squat, bench and deadlift)[4] where all test the maximal strength (one rep max output). Highland games consists of up to about ten different disciplines (including weight over bar, keg toss, caber toss, sheaf toss, hammer throw and stone put)[3] while strongman span across more than thirty different lifts and events (including deadlift, vehicle pull, log lift, axle press, stonelifting, stone carrying, circus dumbbell press, yoke carry, farmers walk, squat, basque circle, loading medleys and grip events), testing both maximal strength and physical endurance.[2]
At present day, Strongman takes the bulk of the strength athletics domain, owing to involving both standardized and non standardized tests of strength,[6] as well as for its highly diversified nature.
Strength competitions pre-date written history. The first Olympics (running, throwing, jumping) were believed to be held in 776 BCE.[7] There are records in many civilizations of feats of strength performed by great heroes, perhaps mythological, such as Heracles, Goliath, Orm Storolfsson and Milo of Croton.[8]
Competitions that modern strongman events are modeled on, Scottish Highland Gatherings, were formalized around 1820 by Sir Walter Scott. In 1848, Queen Victoria attended the Braemar Highland Games.[9]
In the 18th and 19th centuries, circus strongmen lent sensationalism to their acts such as bending iron bars, breaking iron chains worn around their chests, and lifting heavy objects.[10] Famous strongmen from this era included Thomas Topham, Eugen Sandow, Louis Cyr, Thomas Inch, Arthur Saxon, Angus MacAskill, and Alexander Zass.
In the 20th century, strength sports such as weightlifting and powerlifting were popularized through the Olympic Games. However, feats of strength akin to the circus performances also gained in popularity. David Prowse (who played Darth Vader in Star Wars) was initially famous in 1964 for his lifting the famed 733 pounds (332 kg) Dinnie Stones, the first man to do so since Donald Dinnie himself a century earlier.[11]
Perhaps the most famous event is the World's Strongest Man competition, still described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strength athletics.[12][13]
The concept behind "The World's Strongest Men", as it was originally named, was developed in 1977 for CBS by Langstar Inc. David Webster, a Scot who later received an OBE for his services to sport, was the head coordinator of the competition from its inception. Dr Douglas Edmunds, seven-times Scottish shot and discus champion and twice world caber champion,[14] worked with Webster. When Webster retired from his position, Edmunds took over. These two men were responsible for inviting the competitors and choosing the events. They selected men who had shown prowess in the mainstream fields of strength sports and field athletics events, such as shot put, American football, powerlifters, bodybuilders and wrestlers. The idea was to create a spectacle that would test competitors against one another.
The show was enough of a success that it began to be replicated in other countries, such as Britain's Strongest Man (1979). Competitors began shifting from unpaid amateurs to professional strongmen. By the end of the 20th century, and in to the 21st, other strongman programs and events were created such as Strongman Championship hosted by Errol Silverman. Other competitions have been televised, such as the World Muscle Power Championships, World Strongman Challenge, Arnold Strongman Classic, Giants Live, Highlander World Championships, World Strongman Federation, and Europe's Strongest Man.
There is no set rule about what specific events will occur in a contest, except that to prevent single-event specialists from gaining an advantage, each event will be different (a single contest will not include two squat events, or two overhead lifting events, for example). Normally, a strongman contest comprises five or six events, though at the top level of competition, seven or eight events may be held. Among the most common events are: