Strongman - The Strength Athlete

Strongman competitions have been around for for hundreds of years but the stongman competitions of today are totally different than those of yesteryear.

Unlike weightlifting competitions or bodybuilding the strongman competition is a test of strength athletics rather than a pure test of power like weightlifting or powerlifting or to look like physical perfection like bodybuilding.

The most famous and well known of all the strongman competitions is the "World's Strongest Man" which takes the top strongman from all countries to compete for the crown of the worlds strongest man.

The strongman competitions usually consist of many different movements such as flipping cars over, lifting very heavy concrete balls (The atlas stones), flipping large metal poles (Fingals fingers), holding heavy weights at arms length from the body (Crucifix) and many more.

Those that compete in strongman competitions have to have a great deal of cardiovascular fitness to support their strength. They also tend to train using workouts that involve running while pulling a sled or flipping tractor tyres....a little more than the normal weight workouts that you and me complete.

Killer Home Back Workout

Today is the killer home back workout, the last workout for those wishing to get in shape from home to battle the economic slump the world is in. To carry out this workout you need dumbbells and, a bench or chair and thats about it!

This time we are working on four exercises of four sets with twelve repetitions for each set.

Exercise One

Wide hand press ups.

Take a press up position with a wide grip to utilise your back rather than your chest then take three seconds to move down and one second to push back up.

Exercise Two

Shoulder shrug

Using dumbbells stand with your legs shoulder width apart and dumbbells by your side then shrug your shoulders upwards towards your ears then return to your normal stance and repeat.

Exercise Three

Dumbell bent over row

Using dumbells put your right hand and knee on a bench keeping your back straight. With your arm straight towards the floor lift the dumbbell towards your rib, under your chest and repeat.

Exercise Four

Lower back lift

Lie flat on your front and with your arms behind your back just above your bottom, lift your chin off the floor so your facing forward while keeping your body still, return to your starting position and repeat.

Happy New Year

Today I am not posting about anything fitness or weightlifting related. Today I just want to wish you all alot of luck, love, health and happiness for 2009.

I hope all your new years resolutions come true, especially those that are related to getting in shape!

Roll on 2009!!