# Strength athletics

Strength athletics is the collection of strength sports which measure physical strength, based on both: non-standard and historical implements as seen in Strongman and Highland games, and standardized and calibrated equipment as seen in Powerlifting and Weightlifting.
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) and powerlifting consists of three main lifts (squat, bench and deadlift) where all test the maximal strength (one rep max output). Highland games consists of up to about ten different disciplines (including stone put, Scottish hammer throw, weight throw, weight over bar, caber toss, keg toss and sheaf toss) 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.
At present day, Strongman takes the bulk of the strength athletics domain, owing to involving both standardized and non standardized tests of strength, as well as for its highly diversified nature.

## History
### Origins

Strength competitions pre-date written history. The first Olympics (running, throwing, jumping) were believed to be held in 776 BCE. 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.
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.
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. 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.

### Television

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.
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, 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.

## Common disciplines

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:
* Farmer's Walk – competitors race along a course while carrying a heavy weight in each hand. A variation is the Giant Farmer's Walk, with a much heavier weight carried over a shorter distance.
* Hercules Hold or Pillars of Hercules – contestants stand between two pillars, pivoted to fall outwards. The competitor must simply hold them up for as long as possible.
* Vehicle pull – competitors pull a vehicle from a stationary start for a prescribed distance – fastest over the course wins. Trucks are commonly used, but larger spectacles employ trains, boats, and airplanes.
* Atlas Stones – a lifting stone event whereby five spherical concrete stones of increasing weight are placed on top of podia of varying height, beginning with the lightest stone lifted to approximately a normal person's head height. Alternatively, the stone is lifted over a bar for reps.
* Stone Carry – in Iceland, the original stone carry was performed with the Húsafell Stone, that was to be carried for a stretch to achieve the title fullsterkur (full-strong). This stone was not round but irregular, increasing the difficulty.
* Refrigerator Carry – a staple of earlier WSM events that has made a comeback in recent years. The competitors carry two refrigerators, attached to an iron bar they hold on their shoulders, and walk it across the finish line as fast as they can.
* Carry and Drag – an object (usually a heavy anchor) is run across half of the course. The competitors then must attach it to a chain of almost equal weight and pull it across the rest of the course.
* Fingal's Fingers – under a timer, lift and flip a series of progressively heavier, hinged poles from a horizontal starting position.

## Major titles and title holders

| Year | World's Strongest Man | World Muscle Power Classic | World Strongman Challenge | Arnold Strongman Classic | Europe's Strongest Man | Strongman Super Series/ Pure Strength | World Strongman Cup Federation | World's Ultimate Strongman/ Fortissimus/ Defi Mark Ten | Strongman Champions League | IFSA World Championships | Shaw Classic | Rogue Invitational |
| 2024 | Tom Stoltman | | | Mitchell Hooper | Luke Stoltman | | | | | | Mitchell Hooper | Mitchell Hooper |
| 2023 | Mitchell Hooper | | | Mitchell Hooper | Pavlo Kordiyaka | | | | Oskar Ziółkowski | | Brian Shaw | Mitchell Hooper |
| 2022 | Tom Stoltman | | | Martins Licis | Oleksii Novikov | | | | Aivars Šmaukstelis | | Trey Mitchell | Oleksii Novikov |
| 2021 | Tom Stoltman | | | | Luke Stoltman | | | Oleksii Novikov | Kelvin de Ruiter | | Trey Mitchell | Martins Licis |
| 2020 | Oleksii Novikov | | | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Luke Richardson | | | Oleksii Novikov | | | Brian Shaw | |
| 2019 | Martins Licis | | | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | | | Mateusz Kieliszkowski | Aivars Šmaukstelis | | | |
| 2018 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | | | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | | | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | Dainis Zageris | | | |
| 2017 | Eddie Hall | | | Brian Shaw | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | | | | Matjaz Belsak | | | |
| 2016 | Brian Shaw | | | Žydrūnas Savickas | Laurence Shahlaei | | | | Dainis Zageris | | | |
| 2015 | Brian Shaw | | | Brian Shaw | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | | | | Krzysztof Radzikowski | | | |
| 2014 | Žydrūnas Savickas | | | Žydrūnas Savickas | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson | | | | Martin Wildauer | | | |
| 2013 | Brian Shaw | | | Vytautas Lalas | Žydrūnas Savickas | | | | Krzysztof Radzikowski | | | |
| 2012 | Žydrūnas Savickas | | | Mike Jenkins | Žydrūnas Savickas | | | | Žydrūnas Savickas | | | |
| 2011 | Brian Shaw | | | Brian Shaw | | | | | Ervin Katona | | | |
| 2010 | Žydrūnas Savickas | | | Derek Poundstone | Žydrūnas Savickas | Brian Shaw | | | Terry Hollands | | | |
| 2009 | Žydrūnas Savickas | | | Derek Poundstone | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Brian Shaw | | Žydrūnas Savickas | Andrus Murumets | | | |
| 2008 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | | | Žydrūnas Savickas | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Derek Poundstone | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Derek Poundstone | Žydrūnas Savickas | | | |
| 2007 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | | | Žydrūnas Savickas | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Mariusz Pudzianowski | | | Vasyl Virastyuk | | |
| 2006 | Phil Pfister | | Žydrūnas Savickas | Žydrūnas Savickas | | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Mariusz Pudzianowski | | | Žydrūnas Savickas | | |
| 2005 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | | | Žydrūnas Savickas | Jarek Dymek | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Raivis Vidzis | | | Žydrūnas Savickas | | |
| 2004 | Vasyl Virastyuk | Hugo Girard | | Žydrūnas Savickas | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Žydrūnas Savickas | Raivis Vidzis | | | | | |
| 2003 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Hugo Girard | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Žydrūnas Savickas | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Mariusz Pudzianowski | | | | | | |
| 2002 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Svend Karlsen | Hugo Girard | Mark Henry | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Hugo Girard | | | | | | |
| 2001 | Svend Karlsen | Hugo Girard | Magnus Samuelsson | | Svend Karlsen | Magnus Samuelsson | | | | | | |
| 2000 | Janne Virtanen | Jamie Reeves | Janne Virtanen | | Berend Veneberg | | | | | | | |
| 1999 | Jouko Ahola | Hugo Girard | Jouko Ahola | | Jouko Ahola | | | | | | | |
| 1998 | Magnus Samuelsson | Jouko Ahola | Magnus Samuelsson | | Jouko Ahola | | | | | | | |
| 1997 | Jouko Ahola | Raimonds Bergmanis | Magnús Ver Magnússon | | Riku Kiri | | | | | | | |
| 1996 | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Forbes Cowen | Nathan Jones | | Riku Kiri | | | | | | | |
| 1995 | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Jouko Ahola | | Riku Kiri | | | | | | | |
| 1994 | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Manfred Hoeberl | Andrés Guðmundsson | | Hoeberl & Magnússon | | | | | | | |
| 1993 | Gary Taylor | Manfred Hoeberl | Gerrit Badenhorst | | Manfred Hoeberl | | | | | | | |
| 1992 | Ted Van Der Parre | Jamie Reeves | Jamie Reeves | | László Fekete | | | Mark Higgins | | | | |
| 1991 | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Riku Kiri | | Taylor & Cowan | | | Mark Higgins | | | | |
| 1990 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Mark Higgins | | Henning Thorsen | Kazmaier & Wilson | | Mark Higgins | | | | |
| 1989 | Jamie Reeves | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Mark Higgins | | Jamie Reeves | Árnason & Magnússon | | Magnús Ver Magnússon | | | | |
| 1988 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Bill Kazmaier | Riku Kiri | | Jamie Reeves | Kazmaier & Thompson | | Hjalti Árnason | | | | |
| 1987 | | Geoff Capes | Geoff Capes | | Ab Wolders | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | | Bill Kazmaier | | | | |
| 1986 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | | | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | | | Tom Magee | | | | |
| 1985 | Geoff Capes | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | | | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | | | Tom Magee | | | | |
| 1984 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | | | | Geoff Capes | | | Tom Magee | | | | |
| 1983 | Geoff Capes | | | | Simon Wulfse | | | | | | | |
| 1982 | Bill Kazmaier | | | | Geoff Capes | | | | | | | |
| 1981 | Bill Kazmaier | | | | Lars Hedlund | | | | | | | |
| 1980 | Bill Kazmaier | | | | Geoff Capes | | | | | | | |
| 1979 | Don Reinhoudt | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1978 | Bruce Wilhelm | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1977 | Bruce Wilhelm | | | | | | | | | | | |