Widely regarded as the heaviest and the most difficult strongman competition in the world[1][2] the Arnold Strongman Classic has been won by only 9 men in history. Among them, the Lithuanian Žydrūnas Savickas has won it 8 times, while the American Brian Shaw and the Icelander Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson have won it 3 times each. Three of the past champions: American Mark Henry, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson and Brian Shaw have been inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.[3][4][5]
History
The competition (which has been also referred to as 'Arnold's Strength Summit' and 'Arnold's Strongest Man' in the past) is one of the many offshoots of the Arnold festival. The Arnold Sports Festival, founded in 1989 as the Arnold Classic and named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, was originally a bodybuilding contest only.[6] However, the event expanded to include other sports and events, one of which was Strongman, introduced in 2002.
It was specifically designed by Terry Todd at the request of Schwarzenegger[7] to select the actual strongest strongman based on straightforward tests of brute strength. The inaugural head judge was David P. Webster.
Championship history
2002
Inaugural competition, which was called 'Arnold Strongman Challenge' was won by Mark Henry of USA over Svend Karlsen of Norway and Phil Pfister of USA.[8] Henry won the Apollon's wheels, Andy Bolton won the deadlift, Raimonds Bergmanis won the Hummer push while Pfister won the timber carry. Competitors were also given the opportunity to attempt the Thomas Inch dumbbell outside of the competition and Henry took the win by lifting it up to chest height.
2003
2003 was the beginning of Lithuania's Žydrūnas Savickas's dominant reign of the competition. Karlsen emerged second, while Bergmanis secured third. Savickas won Apollon's wheels and timber carry while Karlsen won medicine ball toss. The Hummer tire deadlift was introduced and was won by Brad Gillingham. The competition was called 'Arnold's Strength Summit'.
2004
Savickas won his second title over Karlsen and Bergmanis. The competition was called 'Arnold's Strongest Man' and 5 events were tested. It was also the first year a 10 man lineup was selected over the initial 8 man lineup from the previous two years. Savickas secured the wins in Apollon's wheels, medicine ball toss and timber carry. Karlsen won the hammer lift while Mark Philippi won the Hummer tire deadlift.
2005
For the second year, the competition was called 'Arnold's Strongest Man' and Savickas secured his third title over Vasyl Virastyuk of Ukraine and Glenn Ross of Northern Ireland. 6 events were tested for the first time where Savickas won the Apollon's wheels and shared the medicine ball toss world record with Magnus Samuelsson. Ross won the Hummer tire deadlift, and shared the dumbbell press win with Brian Siders and Hugo Girard. Van Hatfield won the hammer lift while Philippi won the timber carry.
2006
In 2006, the competition took its default name 'Arnold Strongman Classic' and it was won by Savickas for the fourth time over Virastyuk and Mikhail Koklyaev of Russia. Savickas raised the Apollon's wheels world record to 8 reps, won the super yoke, and shared the dumbbell win with Koklyaev and Pfister. Siders won the Hummer tire deadlift while Benedikt Magnússon won the timber carry.
2007
Savickas won his fifth title over Virastyuk and Andrus Murumets of Estonia. He equaled his Apollon's wheels world record from last year and also won the Hummer tire deadlift and super yoke. The Manhood Stone was introduced for the first time and it was won by Steve MacDonald. Virastyuk won the dumbbell press and Murumets broke the timber carry world record.
2008
Savickas won his sixth consecutive title while winning Manhood Stone[9] and sharing the dumbbell press win with American Derek Poundstone who won the overall second place. Siders won Apollon's wheels and super yoke while Murumets won the timber carry. Magnússon and Oleksandr Pekanov both broke and briefly shared the Hummer tire deadlift world record before Magnússon was given an extra attempt outside the competition to take the world record outright. Koklyaev's consistency awarded him the third place.
2009
In 2009, Savickas took a break and Derek Poundstone became the third man to win the title.[10] He also broke the dumbbell press world record. Koklyaev won the Hummer tire deadlift and took the overall second place. Travis Ortmayer of USA won Manhood stone and took overall third. Ervin Katona won the timber carry, Vidas Blekaitis won the super yoke and Siders equaled Savickas' Apollon's wheels world record.
2010
Poundstone, having broken another dumbbell press world record and won the timber carry to win his second consecutive title over returned Savickas and Ortmayer.[11] Savickas won the Hummer tire deadlift and established a new world record in the Axle. Brian Shaw of USA won the Manhood Stone after a close battle with Poundstone and Ortmayer. The number of events was reduced to 5.
2011
Just days before the 2011 contest, Poundstone was forced to withdraw due to injury and Brian Shaw became the fourth man to win the title.[12] He broke the Manhood stones world record, shared the Hummer tire deadlift win with Savickas and won the timber carry. Mike Jenkins of USA won dumbbell press and secured second place. Savickas broke another Axle world record and secured third.
2012
Mike Jenkins held off Poundstone to become the fifth man to win the title.[13] He broke dumbbell press world record and won both timber carry and the newly introduced Austrian Oak. Poundstone's consistency won him second place and Savickas secured third place after winning the Hummer tire deadlift and Axle (cleans only).
2013
The number of events were reduced to 4, and Lithuania's Vytautas Lalas became the sixth man to win the title.[14] He also won the dumbbell press. Krzysztof Radzikowski won the Austrian Oak. Overall runner up Shaw broke another Manhood stones world record and shared the Hummer tire deadlift world record with Mark Felix. Another consistent performance earned Koklyaev the overall third.
2014
The 5 event format was brought back and Savickas won his seventh title.[15] He won the Austrian Oak and established world records in the Hummer tire deadlift and the newly introduced bale tote. Shaw came second with a consistent performance across the board and Mike Burke emerged third. Jerry Pritchett won the timber carry and there was a four-way tie for the win of the newly introduced Cyr dumbbell press between Savickas, Shaw, Burke and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.
2015
Shaw won his second title[16] winning the Hummer tire deadlift and a world record in the bale tote. He also shared the world record in the Cyr dumbbell for reps with Dimitar Savatinov. Runner up Savickas broke the Austrian Oak world record. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson broke the timber carry world record and as a part of Rogue record breakers, broke the Weight over bar world record. Mateusz Kieliszkowski of Poland secured the overall third place.
2016
Žydrūnas Savickas won his eighth and final title[17] after equaling his own Austrian Oak world record. He also won the timber carry. Runner up Shaw broke world records in the Cyr dumbbell and bale tote. Eddie Hall won the newly introduced Elephant bar deadlift while Lalas secured the overall third place. As a part of Rogue record breakers, Shaw, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson and Burke set world records in Max Manhood Stone, Weight over bar, and double Thomas Inch dumbbells farmers walk, respectively.
2017
Brian Shaw won his third and final title[18] with a world record in bale tote. He also won the timber carry and as a part of Rogue record breakers, broke Max Manhood Stone world record. The overall runner up Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson won the Austrian Oak and broke the world record in the Sandbag over bar and as a part of Rogue record breakers, broke Weight over bar world record. Pritchett broke the Elephant bar deadlift world record and secured overall third place.
2018
2018 marked the beginning of Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson's winning reign, after becoming the seventh man to win the title.[19] He broke the Elephant bar deadlift world record, and won both the Axle press and Sandbag over bar. As a part of Rogue record breakers, he also broke the Weight over bar world record. Shaw won second place with a consistent performance across the board. Kieliszkowski broke Odd Haugen's Tombstone world record and Mikhail Shivlyakov secured the overall third place.
2019
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson won his second consecutive title[20] and in doing so broke his own Elephant bar deadlift world record, world record replica Húsafell Stone carry and as a part of Rogue record breakers, broke Weight over bar world record as well. He also shared the win in Austrian Oak with Kieliszkowski, Shivlyakov and Martins Licis. Licis broke the world record in the Conan's wheel of pain and secured the second place while Kieliszkowski broke the Odd Haugen's Tombstone world record and secured the third place.
2020
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson won his third consecutive title[21] becoming only the second man since Savickas to do so. He won the Elephant bar deadlift and the Sandbag over bar and held off Kieliszkowski who won trial by Stone, wheel of pain and established world records in Max Cyr Dumbbell and timber carry to second place. With another consistent performance, Licis secured the third place. As a part of Rogue record breakers, Tom Stoltman broke the Max Manhood Stone world record.
2021
The competition was not held for the first and only time in its history due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
America's Martins Licis became the eighth man to win the title.[22] He won the Odd Haugen's Tombstone and stayed consistent across the board. Ukraine's Oleksii Novikov won second place and broke the dumbbell press world record. JF Caron established a new world record in the Double-T Squat while Luke Stoltman and Bobby Thompson shared the third place.
2023
Canada's Mitchell Hooper became the ninth man to win the title, and the first man to win without winning a single event.[23] Runner-up Kieliszkowski won wheel of pain, timber carry and established a new world record in Steinstossen. Thompson emerged third with a win in briefed deadlift and Trey Mitchell won the Austrian Oak.
2024
Hooper won his second title[24] with wins in timber carry, Axle and a world record replica Dinnie Stones carry. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson returned after a three-year hiatus and won the Elephant bar deadlift event. Kieliszkowski won the Stones of Strength and secured second place, while Tom Stoltman emerged third.
The events also include Rogue record breakers which were conducted in parallel to the Arnold Strongman Classic.
Timber carry - Contestants have to lift heavy barn timbers bolted together and travel up an inclined ramp. In 2015 Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson carried a 500 kg (1,102 lb) frame (with straps) up a 35 feet ramp in 10.15 seconds, and in 2020 Mateusz Kieliszkowski carried a 400 kg (882 lb) frame (without straps) up a 35 feet ramp in 7.01 seconds. The event is also known as 'Frame Carry'.
Manhood Stones - Contestants have to lift heavy round concrete stones weighing in excess of 227 kg (500 lb) (hence Manhood Stones) over a bar 4 feet in height. In 2020 Tom Stoltman hoisted a 273 kg (602 lb) stone over the bar.
Apollon's wheels - A unique barbell made famous by Louis "Apollon" Uni, reproduced by Ivanko Barbell Company, the Axle is a replica of the original with the same bar thickness of 1 11⁄12" (1.93" or 49.3mm) and mechanically fastened to railway car wheels and fixed. Therefore the bar and the wheels are not moving, making the lift even more difficult.[25] Contestants must lift the wheels from the floor to overhead as many times as possible within a time frame. In 2006 Žydrūnas Savickas and in 2009 Brian Siders continental clean[a] and repped a 166 kg (366 lb) Axle for 8 reps. In 2009 Mikhail Koklyaev did power cleans[a] and repped it for 7 reps. In 2010, Žydrūnas Savickas pressed a 208 kg (459 lb) Axle for 2 strict reps and a year later, performed 5 reps with a 188 kg (415 lb) Axle.
Austrian Oak - A unique log named after Arnold Schwarzenegger's nickname which weighs anywhere from 195–204 kg (430-450 lb) where the athletes have to press for the maximum number of reps. A lighter Slater log which weighs 175 kg (386 lb) was also used for athletes who couldn't lift the Austrian Oak. In 2015 and 2016 Žydrūnas Savickas repped a 204 kg (450 lb) Austrian Oak 4 times.
Hummer tire Deadlift - Contestants are required to lift a specially designed 13 ft (3.96 m) long bar loaded with Hummer tires from 15" height. The bar was designed and manufactured by Ivanko Barbell Company and could hold up to eight Hummer tires with the rims intact.[25] Additional calibrated barbell plates may be added if required. In 2014 Žydrūnas Savickas pulled 524 kg (1,155 lb) from a 15" height.
Elephant bar Deadlift - Contestants are required to lift a specially designed extra whipping 10 ft (3.05 m) long bar called an Elephant bar with Arnold Schwarzenegger inscribed 2-inch thick deep dish stainless steel weight plates from a standard 9" height. It has to be done raw and use of figure 8 straps are not allowed. It was designed and manufactured by Rogue Fitness. In 2019 Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson pulled 474.5 kg (1,046 lb) from the standard 9" height.
Bale Tote - Contestants have to carry across their shoulders a heavy bar/yoke in a timed event. In 2017 Brian Shaw carried a 710 kg (1,565 lb) yoke for 4 meters in 14.87 seconds. The event is also known as 'Super Yoke'.
Bag over bar - Contestants have to throw heavy sandbags over a 15-foot bar. In 2017 Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson threw a 45 kg (100 lb) bag over the 15-foot bar.
Weight over bar - Contestants have to throw a 25.5 kg (56 lb) weight derived from the Highland games,[26] using only 1 arm, for max height over a bar. In 2019 Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson threw the weight over a 20-foot 2-inch bar.
Cyr Dumbbell - Lifting the classic heavy "Circus" dumbbell, used by Louis Cyr. Richard Sorin recreated the dumbbell for this event.[25] It usually has a big handle of over 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter and sits lower than a normal circus dumbbell once it's shouldered before the final press, increasing its range of motion. The basic rule was to use one hand and lift the dumbbell overhead either for max weight or reps.[9] In 2020 Mateusz Kieliszkowski lifted a 145 kg (320 lb) dumbbell, and in 2016 Brian Shaw repped a 136 kg (300 lb) dumbbell 3 times.
Odd Haugen's Tombstone - Contestants have to lift a natural stone that weighs 186 kg (410 lb) to their shoulder for many reps as possible. In 2019 Mateusz Kieliszkowski lifted the stone for 5 repetitions.
Húsafell Stone - Contestants have to carry the legendary Húsafell Stone which weighs 186 kg (410 lb) around a structure that replicated the historical sheep and goat pen. In 2019 Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson carried the stone for a distance of 218 feet 11 inches.
Conan's Wheel of Pain - Hailing from the Basque circle tradition, the event replicated the legendary grain mill from Conan the Barbarian (1982) where the contestants have to push a contraption which weighs 20,000 lbs around in a circle for time or distance and measured in either degrees or distance.[27] The colossal contraption was replicated and built by Rogue Fitness. In 2019 Martins Licis pushed the wheel for a distance of 119 feet 9 inches.
Steinborn Squat - A unique barbell with globes and a squat made famous by Henry 'Milo' Steinborn, where contestants have to erect and tip the barbell to their backs unassisted and squat it. In 2019 Martins Licis squatted 256.5 kg (565 lb) with the implement.
Double T Squat - Contestants have to Squat a specially designed cambered duffalo bar to a depth-adjusted platform, for max weight. In 2022 Jean-François Caron Squatted 438 kg (966 lb). The event was named after Terry Todd.
Steinstossen Stone toss - Contestants have to throw an oval shaped natural stone for distance. In 2023 Mateusz Kieliszkowski threw an 84 kg (185 lb) stone for a distance of 11 feet 5 inches.
In 2012, the inaugural "Arnold Strongman Classic-Europe" contest was formed and is a joint promotion between Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Lorimer (Arnold Sports Festival co-promoter), Dr. Rafael Santonja (president of the International Federation of Body Building, "IFBB") as well as American Strongman Corporation and Strongman Champions League.[52]
The "Arnold Strongman Classic-Europe" contest will differ significantly from the format of the original Arnold Strongman Classic event, with less of an emphasis on brute strength and heavy events, and will include a wider variety of events and some speed/loading events similar to Strongman Champions League and World's Strongest Man contests.[52] The format change is due largely in part to the event being broadcast and televised in 85 countries.[52]
2012: Arnold Strongman Classic-Europe
The 2012 contest was held in Madrid, Spain on Oct. 13 & 14, 2012, the event was sponsored by MHP.[52] The contest is included as part of the 2012 Strongman Champions League season, and competitors earned points towards the annual SCL overall title.[52] The inaugural contest was won by 6-time Arnold Strongman champion and reigning World's Strongest ManZydrunas Savickas of Lithuania, who was also the 2012 SCL overall champion.[53]
In 2015, the inaugural "Arnold Strongman Classic Australia" contest was formed, and is a joint promotion between Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Lorimer (Arnold Sports Festival co-promoter), Dr. Rafael Santonja (president of the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness, "IFBB") as well as Australian Strongman Corporation and Strongman Champions League.[59][60]
In 2019, the inaugural "Arnold Strongman Classic USA" contest was established. A competition that's part of the Arnold Pro Strongman World Series ran by Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was held on the Santa Monica Pier.
In 2010, the Arnold Amateur contest was formed by Dione Wessels.[69] The contest is open to amateur strongman competitors from all over the world. The winner of the contest receives their pro card, and an invite to the next year's Arnold Strongman Classic event.[69]Mike Jenkins won the inaugural contest in 2010,[69]Mateusz Baron from Poland was the 2011 winner,[70] and Adam Scherr was the 2012 winner.[71]
2010: Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championships
^ ab 'Power clean' involves pulling the bar all the way to the top of the upper chest at one go. In addition to grip strength, it also requires tremendous wrist strength to rotate the fixed implement as you clean it. The 'Continental clean' on the other hand allows the individual to rest the bar on the stomach which gives an opportunity to re-grip before finishing the clean.
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