Re: Deadlifting at the 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic
So I'm seeing videos on my facebook feed of some fancy new bar and two athletes (so far) that have pulled 1000+ on it as part of the Arnold Strongman event. Ok... it's opinion o'clock: for what it's worth I've met, competed with and even beat a few of the top level guys in my chosen field of Grip Strength. Hopefully I 'know strongman' meaning how it's trained, the events and so on. I've put on events with my old mucker Mike and, of course, I am, by no means, close to their level for pressing, picking up stones, yokes and or frames. BUT... let's be a tiny bit honest - the bar has been specially made. It's LONG (way longer than a standard bar. It's 'whippy' (meaning it bends without staying bent). So much so that by the time the guys have done their initial pull it's close to an 18-inch deadlift (close mind). I've seen Rob Frampton pull 500kg from blocks at that height. Ed Hall's effort at the Europe, unlike the previous year, wasn't dropped or thrown down and yet both the two videos I've seen thus far are one or the other. Straps make no odds - those are the rules in strongman. Are these guys strong? Of course - don't doubt that for a moment. And lifting at the Arnold (on stage, big crowd etc) is hard. But compare like with like before saying 'he's the 3rd to pull 1000+, he's the 4th to pull 1000+' and so on.
So I'm seeing videos on my facebook feed of some fancy new bar and two athletes (so far) that have pulled 1000+ on it as part of the Arnold Strongman event. Ok... it's opinion o'clock: for what it's worth I've met, competed with and even beat a few of the top level guys in my chosen field of Grip Strength. Hopefully I 'know strongman' meaning how it's trained, the events and so on. I've put on events with my old mucker Mike and, of course, I am, by no means, close to their level for pressing, picking up stones, yokes and or frames. BUT... let's be a tiny bit honest - the bar has been specially made. It's LONG (way longer than a standard bar. It's 'whippy' (meaning it bends without staying bent). So much so that by the time the guys have done their initial pull it's close to an 18-inch deadlift (close mind). I've seen Rob Frampton pull 500kg from blocks at that height. Ed Hall's effort at the Europe, unlike the previous year, wasn't dropped or thrown down and yet both the two videos I've seen thus far are one or the other. Straps make no odds - those are the rules in strongman. Are these guys strong? Of course - don't doubt that for a moment. And lifting at the Arnold (on stage, big crowd etc) is hard. But compare like with like before saying 'he's the 3rd to pull 1000+, he's the 4th to pull 1000+' and so on.
But they're still strong. Never forget that. And well done to Eddie Hall on keeping the record anyway it's done.
No comments:
Post a Comment