There are many things that people don't know about weight lifting. One of the most frequently asked question is, "Is stretching worthwhile?". Mark Philippi, C.S.C.S., is director of strength and conditioning at UNLV and a two-time finalist in the World's Strongest Man competition. He says that "stretching is required for top performance." he then went on to say, "I do two types of stretching before I lift: dynamic and static, in that order. Dynamic stretches lightly work your muscles through the same range of motion as the activity you'll be doing. So walking lunges, or even a bench press done slowly with just the bar, will work. I do three or four different stretches, each for one set of 10 repetitions. For static stretching--or traditional flexibility training--I use a Jump Stretch band. Since the band gives, it provides tension without stretching the muscle too far--a common mistake that can cause micro-tears in the muscle. I do two sets of 30-second stretches for my biggest problems areas. Although some research disputes it, I believe static stretching before an exercise helps your range of motion while performing the lift, and that can help you move more weight." Personally I think that he is right. I have found that stretching a very important part of any sport not just weight lifting, but in every thing.
Another extremely controversial topic is whether or not weightlifters take dangerous muscle building drugs to perform at a high level? In the 1970's and 1980's, the use of performance enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids, became very popular with athletes in all sports, including weightlifting. This still happens today, however, weightlifting has been separated from other sports by its efforts to eliminate drug use. Weightlifting has began to test for performance enhancing drugs since the late 1960's and testing for the use of anabolic steroids began in the mid 1970's. Drug testing has evolved to the point where very high tech urine analyses are being conducted at every major international weightlifting event. Also they conduct short notice, out of competition, drug testing around the world and throughout the year so that they can control the use of drugs in training as well as competition. No other international sport does more to control the use of drugs by its athletes. Has the testing eliminated drug usage in weightlifting? Probably not. Because there will always be people who try to get around the rules and if they are sneaky enough they may be able to do so until the drug testing is made stronger. But the use of drugs by athletes in weightlifting has dropped enormously in recent years. Which is always a great sine. If it can keep declining it should be very few in the years to come.
Resources:
(http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_6_20/ai_n6112636)
(http://www.wlinfo.com/frequent.htm#5.%20Don't%20nearly%20all)
Events of the World's Strongest Man Competition
These are some of the events that take place in a World’s Strongest Man competition. The “Carry and Drag” is between five athletes who will compete at the same time. These athletes will carry a weight a certain distance, and must place it over a marked line. The athletes will then drag an anchor and chain a longer distance until the whole anchor and chain has crossed the finish line. The winner is the one who does this the fastest.
The next event is the “Giant Log Lift” were each athlete will compete by them self. A large tree trunk is standing up horizontally on a stand with handles at one end. The athlete will stand with his back facing the tree trunk and lift it over his head as many times as possible within the time limit. The winner will be the man who successfully completes the most repetitions within the time limit.
The third event is the “Pillars of Hercules”, in which each athlete will compete by them self. The men will stand with their arms extended, gripping handles that are hooked on to two pillars, one at each side. They will be timed until they drop the pillars when they can't hold on any longer. The winner is the man who holds the Pillars up for the longest time.
“Fingal’s Fingers” is the next event where two men do this at the same time and they are timed. The five fingers (or poles) will be lifted in ascending order of weight and flipped over 180 degrees. The winner will be the fastest to flip all the fingers.
The next event is the “Lorry Pull”. Each man will do this by them self. The men, wear a harness attached to the lorry and with the help of a rope, they pull the lorry along a road, facing the direction of the finishing line throughout the pull. The winner is the man who completes the course in the fastest time, or who covers the most distance, in the fastest time.
The next event is the “Dead Lift” in which each athlete will do this by them self. The man will be required to lift a number of barrels, which will be dropped one by one into a frame within a time period. On completion of a good lift another barrel will be loaded automatically, until: time runs out, all the barrels are lifted or the man can't finish. The man lifting the most weight in the shortest time wins.
“Squat Lift” is where one man stands under the bar and must squat until they are below parallel, they then lift the weight back up to the fully upright position; each time they return to the upright position, more weight will be added. The winner is the man who successfully lifts all weights in the fastest time, or the most weight in the time.
Each man will compete in the “Over Head Lift” (for reps) by them self. Each man will lift a wooden log from the ground then raise it overhead as many times as possible in the time limit; the log is returned back to the floor in a controlled fashion before attempting to the next lift. The winner will be the one who completes as many lifts as possible within the time limit.
In the “Atlas Stones” event they will compete two at a time. There are five stones of increasing weights, which are positioned in ascending order and five podiums positioned in decreasing height. The men pick up the lightest stone first and places it onto the highest platform, and this continues until all five have been put on the wall or until his time has run out. The winner is the man who places the most stones onto the platforms in the quickest time.
They will also compete two at a time in the “Giant Farmer‘s Walk“. Each man will carry a weight in each hand over a marked course as quick as possible.
Weights vary depending on piece of equipment
Each man will compete by them self in the “Dead Lift” for reps. A car is positioned on a frame which has handles extending from underneath the car. The athlete will grip the handles and lift the car until their ‘knees lock’ and then place the car on the ground again. The winner is the man who completes the most lifts in a given amount of time.
The next event is the “Fridge Carry” in which they will compete two at a time. Each man will carry a yoke that holds two fridge freezers on their shoulders. This will be carried over the course as quickly as possible within the time limit. The winner is the man who completes the course in the shortest time or, failing that, the one who travels the farthest in the quickest time.
In the “Plane Pull” each athlete will compete by them self. Each man will pull a plane, with the help of a harness and rope, along the course. The winner will be the man who covers the complete course in the fastest time or, failing that, who covers the biggest distance in the shortest time.
And finally in the “Africa Stone” event, the stone is placed in a stand which the man stands behind. The athlete then wraps their arms around the stone interlocking their fingers. They remove the Africa Stone from the stand and walk as far as possible along a course until they cannot carry it any further. If the athlete drops the Africa Stone on the ground, or steps out of the designated lane, they will be stopped. The winner will be the man who carries the stone the furthest distance.
These again are just some of the events that are carried out in the World's strongest Man competition. Each year they try to think of some other events they could do or maybe just try to make an already existing event better. If you have not entertained yourself with these amazingly strong men doing things that should not be possible, I recommend you do!
All this information was found at:
(www.theworldsstrongestman.com)
The next event is the “Giant Log Lift” were each athlete will compete by them self. A large tree trunk is standing up horizontally on a stand with handles at one end. The athlete will stand with his back facing the tree trunk and lift it over his head as many times as possible within the time limit. The winner will be the man who successfully completes the most repetitions within the time limit.
The third event is the “Pillars of Hercules”, in which each athlete will compete by them self. The men will stand with their arms extended, gripping handles that are hooked on to two pillars, one at each side. They will be timed until they drop the pillars when they can't hold on any longer. The winner is the man who holds the Pillars up for the longest time.
“Fingal’s Fingers” is the next event where two men do this at the same time and they are timed. The five fingers (or poles) will be lifted in ascending order of weight and flipped over 180 degrees. The winner will be the fastest to flip all the fingers.
The next event is the “Lorry Pull”. Each man will do this by them self. The men, wear a harness attached to the lorry and with the help of a rope, they pull the lorry along a road, facing the direction of the finishing line throughout the pull. The winner is the man who completes the course in the fastest time, or who covers the most distance, in the fastest time.
The next event is the “Dead Lift” in which each athlete will do this by them self. The man will be required to lift a number of barrels, which will be dropped one by one into a frame within a time period. On completion of a good lift another barrel will be loaded automatically, until: time runs out, all the barrels are lifted or the man can't finish. The man lifting the most weight in the shortest time wins.
“Squat Lift” is where one man stands under the bar and must squat until they are below parallel, they then lift the weight back up to the fully upright position; each time they return to the upright position, more weight will be added. The winner is the man who successfully lifts all weights in the fastest time, or the most weight in the time.
Each man will compete in the “Over Head Lift” (for reps) by them self. Each man will lift a wooden log from the ground then raise it overhead as many times as possible in the time limit; the log is returned back to the floor in a controlled fashion before attempting to the next lift. The winner will be the one who completes as many lifts as possible within the time limit.
In the “Atlas Stones” event they will compete two at a time. There are five stones of increasing weights, which are positioned in ascending order and five podiums positioned in decreasing height. The men pick up the lightest stone first and places it onto the highest platform, and this continues until all five have been put on the wall or until his time has run out. The winner is the man who places the most stones onto the platforms in the quickest time.
They will also compete two at a time in the “Giant Farmer‘s Walk“. Each man will carry a weight in each hand over a marked course as quick as possible.
Weights vary depending on piece of equipment
Each man will compete by them self in the “Dead Lift” for reps. A car is positioned on a frame which has handles extending from underneath the car. The athlete will grip the handles and lift the car until their ‘knees lock’ and then place the car on the ground again. The winner is the man who completes the most lifts in a given amount of time.
The next event is the “Fridge Carry” in which they will compete two at a time. Each man will carry a yoke that holds two fridge freezers on their shoulders. This will be carried over the course as quickly as possible within the time limit. The winner is the man who completes the course in the shortest time or, failing that, the one who travels the farthest in the quickest time.
In the “Plane Pull” each athlete will compete by them self. Each man will pull a plane, with the help of a harness and rope, along the course. The winner will be the man who covers the complete course in the fastest time or, failing that, who covers the biggest distance in the shortest time.
And finally in the “Africa Stone” event, the stone is placed in a stand which the man stands behind. The athlete then wraps their arms around the stone interlocking their fingers. They remove the Africa Stone from the stand and walk as far as possible along a course until they cannot carry it any further. If the athlete drops the Africa Stone on the ground, or steps out of the designated lane, they will be stopped. The winner will be the man who carries the stone the furthest distance.
These again are just some of the events that are carried out in the World's strongest Man competition. Each year they try to think of some other events they could do or maybe just try to make an already existing event better. If you have not entertained yourself with these amazingly strong men doing things that should not be possible, I recommend you do!
All this information was found at:
(www.theworldsstrongestman.com)
The History of the World's Strongest Man Competition
According to the WSM website (History page) the Worlds Strongest Man Competition was created in 1977. The World's Strongest Man has become the premier event in strength athletics. For nearly 30 years, the strongest men on the planet have come together in a series of amazing tests of strength to determine the World's Strongest Man. The competition has been held at many different locations. At Universal Studios, in California, Bruce Wilhelm became the first person to earn the title of the World's Strongest Man. Wilhelm, a former Olympic Weightlifter from the United States, repeated as winner in 1978. American domination of the event continued through 1982. Until Geoff Capes, of England, became the first non-American to be crowned as the World's Strongest Man in 1983. Many strong men have won the great honor of the World’s Strongest Man, but there has been four men who have one it more than three times. This title of the World’s Strongest Man in many ways has been over looked, and pushed into the background by other more popular sports. But there is not one other sport that takes as much hard work or strength as it does to become the World’s Strongest Man.
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