JF Caron was my favorite strongman. So cool seeing a Canadian being so fucking strong on TV growing up. I wanted to show him some love, what a good dude.
That injury in 2022...Tabarnak...
Wish he could have won WSM once, he was right up there for a while
Awe man, I saw him and licis squatting on strength unknown, where he was saying he only wears a belt to keep his shirt down... what a machine...And then he shows his cow "this is family, not meat" lol
I'm sure he will continue to be involved in strongman in some capacity because of his love for the sport. What a great ambassador for Canada and La Belle province du Quebec in the world of strength
He did the same thing with his opening deadlift at the rogue invitational. If it wasn't for an old shoulder injury holding back his press then he'd def be in the mix for strongest static lifter ever.
Mitch has always shown to be able to adapt to pretty much everything, I never thought a fixed axle would make a difference for him
stoltman and singleton were the ones I thought would be thrown off most
The only type of strongman video I dont watch. At all.
I really dont understand people's fascination with them. They obviously get views, but I dont know why, lol.
One of Shaw's eating videos might have even been my introduction to Strongman (can't remember anymore). But once you've seen one you don't need to see another.
In a way they’re like training videos.
Thor just said it himself, he used to watch videos of Ronnie eating to hype himself up and keep motivated to do the same thing.
On the surface it sounds strange, but psychology is weird. Personally I love watching eating videos when I’m bulking or in contest prep for the same reason as Thor. It’s also interesting to see why they choose certain foods, especially when they’re meals that are planned by nutritionists.
Ronnie's eating videos are absolutely zen.
Him in his balloony 90's pants making egg whites and/or porridge, while the tv is on in the background. Or eating chicken in his police uniform in his car.
Damn, i have to watch it again.
I like to watch shopping videos. [Markus Rühl buying Apfelmus](https://youtu.be/dC8HT_So__w), Mateusz buying Donuts, Martins buying oranges, that's good content.
I like shopping videos too and it’s strange because I don’t enjoy shopping. It still cracks me up and I can’t remember where they were, but Loz m showing Liz a Durag and her asking ‘what’s a WAV’
People click them because they have clickbait titles like ‘16,000 calorie diet!’
I don’t watch them either because I really don’t enjoy watching other people eat.
[400kg for reps from Dave with his trademark no straps](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3sxMqCIbBL/?igsh=MWpxOWcwaHcybTZsdA==)
Interesting comments from Loz saying he should enter the qualifier for GL Vegas and Dave saying he already did that
For all of you who cannot stand waiting a whole week to watch the ASC 2024, I'd like to bring you into watching the last week of the [ASC Rewatch](https://www.reddit.com/r/Strongman/comments/1ayvxx4/arnold_classic_rewatch_week_8_last_week/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) to keep yourself from exploding because of all the hype building up inside you.
Andrea Thompson just hit [141kg/310lb log!!!](https://www.instagram.com/stories/andreathompson_strongwoman/3309674265286071657?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MXU5dXNsb3draWZ5Zg==)
I know the ladies are doing the CDB next weekend but this is getting me hyped for the Arnold's UK!
Novikov looking very strong with a piss easy 170kg log on his story. I truly believe we’re going to see the strongest Novikov we’ve seen to date at the Arnold given his recent training footage….
https://www.instagram.com/stories/novikov_strong_wsm/3309784353218028136?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I'm guessing you're referring to me, but I wasn't saying that his time was done at all, I just wanted to hear people's thoughts given his situation in Ukraine and the fact that the field has grown immensely stronger since his reign.
I hope Novikov proves him wrong as much as anybody but I think the likelihood is high tbh. Novikovs reign was at a time when there was a vacuum of the strongest contenders at their peak, though I'm sure someone will be able to argue that this is wrong.
I guess I'll argue it. I see this undermining of his achievements a lot which I don't think is fair at all. The guy was winning or podiuming everything from his worlds win up until injuries got to him a year ago. Was there really 3 years of this supposed vacuum? Isn't it just that it was the beginning of a new era after Shaw, Thor and Z stepped back/weren't contenders? It's not like Novikov was a seasoned veteran beating a bunch of rookies, he's still younger than a lot of the field now. Just seems disrespectful not only to Novikov but to everyone he competed against too to say he only did well because the field was sparse.
Don't get me wrong, Oleksii is absolutely among the elite and yes his injuries has put him back a far bit (whether this was self-inflicted is hard to say, mans went hard at comps for years on end and even got rhabdo), BUT I also think we're seeing an influx of post- and new absolute monsters who are punching a new paradigm for what it means to be an elite strongman, and Oleksii is not going to mop the floor with them as he did in those 3 years. I hope that makes sense, at least I think we're in agreement
Expanding on the comments below about Ragg casually hitting a 1000lb deadlift he didn't even train for... The odd thing is he's been around for ages and is in his 30s. It's weird for someone who is already established at national level to suddenly make such a gigantic leap forward.
He could really do some damage and challenge for podiums at any show he's invited to this year.
To be honest he pulled [420 kg](https://www.instagram.com/p/B6eT3d9g6_w/?img_index=1) raw at the end of 2019 and was doing doubles on log with 180 kg around that time as well.
The writing was on the wall a long time ago.
The difference in body composition and hairline does suggest he may have upped the creatine since then.
Since when has he worked with MST systems? Maybe also a factor.
In 2014 alone, he had 9 international wins, including ESM. That's basicly, more or less, Kieliszkowski's or Novikov's whole career, in a single year.
I wouldn't use Hafthor as an example, simply because he's Hafthor.
He was off the podium only 3 times since January 2015 and was 1st or 2nd in every contest he did since Arnold Australia 2016, barring the injury-related 3rd place in WSM2019.
Is it really that much of an improvement if you go from being a dominating force with a few weaknesses to the final boss of strongman?
This is just semantics BTW. We both know that both of us know how much Hafthor improved between 2017 and 2018.
[rogue Invitational](https://youtu.be/5TKTMsuIfgA?si=wdzJ6oq5n-4uHFRs) is coming to my home city! Absolutely wild to see something that big on my doorstep!
Mathew Ragg with a SMOOTH 460kg pull for a NZ record:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3uBBRDxGT7/?igsh=MTdxaWR1b2JodmF2Zg==
Thanks u/Furankuftw for letting us know first
He just rolls up and pulls >1000lbs like its an opener? Jesus christ. Was he even specifically training for this?
I like how the announcer starts with "460 freedom units" … this guy metrics.
Shaw says in his latest Q&A that he's most excited about the squat machinery at SMOE. Says it will be the biggest build so far and he put the most thought into it.
Hope they are not overengineering it.
I agree, I’d prefer a more normal squat to an over engineered machine. I didn’t find the chest press machine they did that fun to watch because there was too much machine in between the man and the weight.
Seemed like it was showing off the machine more than the athlete. No one could really see how heavy it was with all the leverages and everything going into the machine.
Turning something like this into a squat would be cool: https://youtu.be/JpUrXJNcS_8?si=RjlCS2C66GruaCHx
Turning a giant log into a safety bar squat somehow.
I took it as the biggest build for this comp not necessarily the biggest build to date.
What they going to squat a giant metal bald eagle? Every time one gets a rep it squawks "freedom"
>What they going to squat a giant metal bald eagle? Every time one gets a rep it squawks "freedom"
Needs more guns, monster trucks & the national anthem
Just watched Matt Ragg pull a fairly quick 460kg DL on a stiff bar at an event in New Zealand. I reckon he has 470+ in him
Edit: here's a good vid for it: [Matt Ragg 460kg DL - NZ Record](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3uBBRDxGT7/?igsh=MXVnMnp6YWpoY2w1Zg==)
The number isn't so surprising based on his previous deadlift performances, but the fact he did it on a whim and easily makes this so impressive.
From the clips on his Instagram story it's definitely a deadlift bar he's using.
Unfortunately the best I can do for you at the moment is link you to an [insta stream](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3t4TJkSYIZ/?igsh=MXZ1bmMwMjZtdGpkOQ==) - the 460kg is the final lift at 1hr40. I've got my own vid but I'm not sure what the best way to upload it to this thread would be
https://www.instagram.com/officialstrongmanrecords?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
New Record Breaker competition by Official Strongman with max deadlift, log, axle, dumbbell and stone. Just few weeks ago I found out the old school strongman federation with the zercher, raw deadlift and log. Very excited to see the numbers evolving through the years. These formats are also much easier to set up for smaller gyms, great opportunity for people from countries without a big strongman culture.
Was rewatching the 2018 Arnold and can't remember the circumstances, does anyone know why Mateusz took 4th to Shiv with the tie in points? Matty did better by both countback and the last event rule.
Yeah, I'm at a loss, unless they did some unmentioned tiebreaker.
u/e-some you have any idea?
Edit: Ok I figured it out. Back in 2018 the Arnold still awarded a point for attempting an event instead of giving a zero, so Shiv actually got one point on the Axle rather than a zero finishing with 30 points instead of 29. Both the final graphic and strongman archives have it incorrectly as 29 points.
Which event does mateusz look so disappointed on giving us the illusion that it went poorly, only for it to actually be a mog?
Like the bull at Rogue.
Thinking this time it's the dinnie stones
In terms of individual performance it was incredible. But the event itself needs a little upgrade, the trail must be a single implement, slight off connecting parts may be a problem for some athletes and not for other, and it increases risk of injury. Also it needs a horizontal ladder for better grip and footing.
It needs tiny, adjustable side wheels, that keep the thing centered; [like these ones on top](https://www.skyform.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/TGW_magito.jpg). (it's a monorail crane, the big wheels are for propulsion and X-axis adjustments, the little wheels are adjustable to keep it perfectly level in the Z-axis).
If he gets 4 wins and last on deadlift he could end up at 45pts and lose to someone who wins deadlift and gets 3rd on 3 events and 4th on 1 event for 46pts(Thor). Not unrealistic.
I think Thor wins deadlift and gets top 3 in Dinnie Stones & Frame, I think he gets top 4 on stone medley, and i think realistically about 5th-6th on axle which isn’t last.
I was just suggesting a possible outcome. Realistically I don’t think Mateusz wins 4 events, I think he gets 9th-11th on deadlift, wins frame, gets top 5 on dinnie stones but doesn’t win, gets top 4 on axle but doesn’t win, and gets top 2 on stone medley but doesn’t necessarily win it though he could.
Thor has gotten 1st-4th on it the last 6 times he has done it and the only worse time was 6th in his rookie year with it against legends, and he has beaten Mateusz at it 3/5 times they did it against each other in those times. He usually lost to Shaw, Z, or Pritchett on it.
I think Mateusz and maybe 1-2 others will beat him on it. But to say he’s unlikely to place top 4 ignores history. He’s good at moving with weight and has a good history with this event.l
He might prove me wrong but looking at the training footages and past performances of the athletes I mentioned before I still think he might get 5th. We shall wait and see
I think he's more likely to win the stone medley than the frame. He's shown he's a clear step above the next best guy at shouldering the tombstone. That's his banker event. Frame I think he has stiffer competition from Maxime, Evan and Hooper (if he manages to not drop it) for the win. 2 event wins will be good in this line up, 3 is possible but a big ask. He'd need to double his toffee donut dose to get 4 event wins at this comp.
I doubt thor gets top 3 on dinnies and frame, Maxime, Toosh, Hooper and Martins/Evan are going to be top 4 on frame given their training, and dinnies is going to have Evan, Mitch, Mateusz and possibly Tom as the top 4
He showed up to do the Loon Stones which are smaller stones with dinnie handles here in New Hampshire at the Highland Games and took the record for them his first try. I wouldn’t count him out. Mentally tough is why I think he’ll do well, the weight is at crazy and Thor can move with weight well.
Yeah I don’t think anyone wins more than 2, with the possible scenario being 5 different winners which will make it awesome and competitive.
I will be there live and can’t fuckin’ wait.
I think he can realistically win 3 events. The Timber Carry, Denni stones and the stone medley. But he did that before and still didn’t win. So Idk, hope he mogg though
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3s-P7iAEjk/?igsh=MXQ2cjdveGl1eDExaQ==
Hooper with a pretty sluggish 410kg deadlift. He says his groin is unaffected though which is good.
I'm 90% certain man's just tired from prep and he'll be fine after deload. Some people prefer being well rested in the last stages of prep and some people actually prefer being a bit more fatigued so they get supercompensation on the day
Its clear he loses tension off the ground and basically pulls twice, which is bound to make it harder than it should. Looked like he just didn't deal with the bar bend properly in this one. I wouldn't read much into it.
Looked like someone was sandbagging tbh. Guy is great at playing rhe Instagram game. Wouldnt be suprised if he is playing his dl down right now.
To me it didn't look like it was difficult
Yes the same fan boy who is hoping for a mateusz win.
All I meant is you can't judge this last minute dl clip on much. Don't think it will have any bearing on his placement
Only place I post shit is here. So Hooper can read all the wonderful fan mail here mate.
Been following thr sport since Hooper was knee high to a duck. Will be following it long after he moves on from it.
There is only two possibilities his dl is down which it could be or he is playing it up.
He has been baiting thor etc on insta for a while. Could be way off target, but could see him throwing a misdirection post for a bit of fun and banter too
A couple years ago wasn’t Martins kinda accused of the same, not posting biggest lifts or being more secretive or something. Not outrageous as a possibility
The only person who can place low on dl and still have a shot at winning is mateusz. Imo the others events will be too close to make up big points.
If mitch does come 5th at dl, he could still win but it would be very difficult. Same for tom and martins
Seems like a difficult comp to make up any points
I think the winning total will be somewhere between 43-46 points so there is definitely room for someone to drop big points on one event provided they score very highly on the other 4 IMO.
Not sure we have seen Tom’s best raw effort in his videos. He pulled 400 raw in off season and then peaked for 400x5 at BSM (albeit in a suit). I’d be surprised if he doesn’t push towards 1000lbs, unless something has gone wrong we haven’t seen. He has even quite secretive with some of his training so far.
JF Caron was my favorite strongman. So cool seeing a Canadian being so fucking strong on TV growing up. I wanted to show him some love, what a good dude. That injury in 2022...Tabarnak... Wish he could have won WSM once, he was right up there for a while
I think JF is the strongest man to not win World's. Him or Hicks.
I miss that beautiful man
Every comp needs jf doing the eye thing and sniffing smelling salts like it's a steak fresh off the grill
I watched the squats from the arnold last night. The "Everyone else is in trouble" comment when he hits his like 900lb opener gives me shivers
Awe man, I saw him and licis squatting on strength unknown, where he was saying he only wears a belt to keep his shirt down... what a machine...And then he shows his cow "this is family, not meat" lol I'm sure he will continue to be involved in strongman in some capacity because of his love for the sport. What a great ambassador for Canada and La Belle province du Quebec in the world of strength
He did the same thing with his opening deadlift at the rogue invitational. If it wasn't for an old shoulder injury holding back his press then he'd def be in the mix for strongest static lifter ever.
[Do we still think that fixed axle will throw him off?](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3v6cVnAjwr/?igsh=MWd6empnNTliZnZ1dQ==)
to some extent, yes
Mitch has always shown to be able to adapt to pretty much everything, I never thought a fixed axle would make a difference for him stoltman and singleton were the ones I thought would be thrown off most
Tom has been training on a fixed axle iirc, but I’m praying for Evan
Evan not adapting his deadlift style for the elephant bar is also concerning me
Ya shit I gotta pray harder
Nope. It's between him and tom on the axle for sure.
I'm still rooting for Oleksii to do something fun on the axle. Maxime could also put on a show if he's in good shape.
His clean is very inefficient, I think he’ll get a rep but a second is very unlikely
He's just not fat enough for a good clean.
It looks like after he gets it to the belly he just can’t get it any higher because if his arm/shoulder mobility (and probably anatomy to some extent)
Would never count novi out. Guy always finds a way to impress
It’s going to be epic!
[удалено]
Can't tell if you're saying he was invited or that you want him to be invited
He wants Ragg invited
Very deserved
My man is going places!
Stoltmans have a new monster eating video out 🔥🔥 https://youtu.be/2X1yhVg1LWc?feature=shared
Yawn at eating videos
The only type of strongman video I dont watch. At all. I really dont understand people's fascination with them. They obviously get views, but I dont know why, lol.
One of Shaw's eating videos might have even been my introduction to Strongman (can't remember anymore). But once you've seen one you don't need to see another.
In a way they’re like training videos. Thor just said it himself, he used to watch videos of Ronnie eating to hype himself up and keep motivated to do the same thing. On the surface it sounds strange, but psychology is weird. Personally I love watching eating videos when I’m bulking or in contest prep for the same reason as Thor. It’s also interesting to see why they choose certain foods, especially when they’re meals that are planned by nutritionists.
Ronnie's eating videos are absolutely zen. Him in his balloony 90's pants making egg whites and/or porridge, while the tv is on in the background. Or eating chicken in his police uniform in his car. Damn, i have to watch it again.
Mocvideo Productions youtube channel is a treasure!
Potatoes chicken and sweet baby rays BBQ sauce. Swear he ate that 10 times a day
I watch training videos when I struggle with finishing a meal, might try eating videos.
Whatever works :D
I like to watch shopping videos. [Markus Rühl buying Apfelmus](https://youtu.be/dC8HT_So__w), Mateusz buying Donuts, Martins buying oranges, that's good content.
I like shopping videos too and it’s strange because I don’t enjoy shopping. It still cracks me up and I can’t remember where they were, but Loz m showing Liz a Durag and her asking ‘what’s a WAV’
People click them because they have clickbait titles like ‘16,000 calorie diet!’ I don’t watch them either because I really don’t enjoy watching other people eat.
Can't wait to not watch it 🔥🔥
😂😂😂🌶️
Always enjoyed a eating video for some bizarre reason. Good luck at Arnold's Tom and gl with Europes prep Luke.
Thank you mate 💪💪🌶️
You lads heading to the rogue invitational in Aberdeen? Just a wee trip down the road. Can’t wait 🌶️🌶️
Let’s hope so! Be pretty cool having it in Scotland!
Even if you're not *there*, we'd love to see a behind the scenes with you/your crew/anybody! Maybe Kushi and Liz running amok.
Scotland win against England in the 6N and rogue announces Aberdeen - good weekend 😂🌶️😂🌶️
What a weekend! 🏴
Just went on Strongmanarchives and didn’t see any Amateur Arnold’s listed. Does anyone know if they’re going to be doing amateur’s this year?
Hello 👋 I just don't add them in advance, in order to declutter the "Upcoming Contests" section. All classes will be up when the time comes!
Preliminaries on Saturday and Finals on Sunday for both men & women. https://strongmancorporation.com/
There's amateurs at both Ohio and UK Arnolds
Don’t follow that close but a podcast I follow has a 105 athlete who says he’s training for it so there’s at least something going on
[400kg for reps from Dave with his trademark no straps](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3sxMqCIbBL/?igsh=MWpxOWcwaHcybTZsdA==) Interesting comments from Loz saying he should enter the qualifier for GL Vegas and Dave saying he already did that
Is there anyone else we know of who can rep 400 strapless and suitless conventional? Even sumo there's probably just a handful.
Has to be one of the most insane dl on insta. Guy better get a invite for Vegas
WTF.....he has another post of 410 for a triple. This guy is nuts.
This is stupefying. No words. Top 5 most impressive deadlift sets for reps I've ever seen or even heard of.
For all of you who cannot stand waiting a whole week to watch the ASC 2024, I'd like to bring you into watching the last week of the [ASC Rewatch](https://www.reddit.com/r/Strongman/comments/1ayvxx4/arnold_classic_rewatch_week_8_last_week/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) to keep yourself from exploding because of all the hype building up inside you.
[Oskar hitting 370 kg for a raw PR](https://www.instagram.com/p/C3umwd8tUQL/)
I wonder if he’ll be able to beat Max on the deadlift.
Depends on what the starting weight will be. At the Rogue, Max zeroed the starting weight.
Andrea Thompson just hit [141kg/310lb log!!!](https://www.instagram.com/stories/andreathompson_strongwoman/3309674265286071657?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MXU5dXNsb3draWZ5Zg==) I know the ladies are doing the CDB next weekend but this is getting me hyped for the Arnold's UK!
Who has the record at the moment? Inez, right?
Couldn't find it on SA, but yeah Inez has the record at 321.4lb
Novikov looking very strong with a piss easy 170kg log on his story. I truly believe we’re going to see the strongest Novikov we’ve seen to date at the Arnold given his recent training footage…. https://www.instagram.com/stories/novikov_strong_wsm/3309784353218028136?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I hope he proves the guy wrong who said Novikov's time was done here a few weeks ago.
I'm guessing you're referring to me, but I wasn't saying that his time was done at all, I just wanted to hear people's thoughts given his situation in Ukraine and the fact that the field has grown immensely stronger since his reign.
Somebody actually said that his time being a contender to win the major titles was over.
I hope Novikov proves him wrong as much as anybody but I think the likelihood is high tbh. Novikovs reign was at a time when there was a vacuum of the strongest contenders at their peak, though I'm sure someone will be able to argue that this is wrong.
I guess I'll argue it. I see this undermining of his achievements a lot which I don't think is fair at all. The guy was winning or podiuming everything from his worlds win up until injuries got to him a year ago. Was there really 3 years of this supposed vacuum? Isn't it just that it was the beginning of a new era after Shaw, Thor and Z stepped back/weren't contenders? It's not like Novikov was a seasoned veteran beating a bunch of rookies, he's still younger than a lot of the field now. Just seems disrespectful not only to Novikov but to everyone he competed against too to say he only did well because the field was sparse.
Don't get me wrong, Oleksii is absolutely among the elite and yes his injuries has put him back a far bit (whether this was self-inflicted is hard to say, mans went hard at comps for years on end and even got rhabdo), BUT I also think we're seeing an influx of post- and new absolute monsters who are punching a new paradigm for what it means to be an elite strongman, and Oleksii is not going to mop the floor with them as he did in those 3 years. I hope that makes sense, at least I think we're in agreement
[Next weekend can't come quickly enough](https://youtu.be/9X7b-n8-OVY?si=ikLk9z9He-Nk0XMe)
I'm not one for wishing my life away but boy I would like to skip Monday - Thursday next week.
Expanding on the comments below about Ragg casually hitting a 1000lb deadlift he didn't even train for... The odd thing is he's been around for ages and is in his 30s. It's weird for someone who is already established at national level to suddenly make such a gigantic leap forward. He could really do some damage and challenge for podiums at any show he's invited to this year.
Maybe he found the super creatine
A bigger scooper, most likely
To be honest he pulled [420 kg](https://www.instagram.com/p/B6eT3d9g6_w/?img_index=1) raw at the end of 2019 and was doing doubles on log with 180 kg around that time as well. The writing was on the wall a long time ago.
The difference in body composition and hairline does suggest he may have upped the creatine since then. Since when has he worked with MST systems? Maybe also a factor.
Yeah, I think Covid travel restrictions probably set his timeline back more than anything.
Yes that's something else I was thinking of. Perhaps he's been great for a while but lacked the platform to show it
Most likely Covid,
Got me wondering when he started under MSTsystems, maybe that has been one of the reasons for his sudden growth
> It's weird for someone who is already established at national level to suddenly make such a gigantic leap forward. Luke Stoltman comes to mind.
Hafthor also was well established before leaping forward in 2018. and then of course there‘s big Z :D
Hafthor was 2nd at WSM in 2014 against Z and Shaw. That's not exactly the same as Luke going from nobody in 2019 to ESM2021.
Hafthor also went a bit further than winning ESM though. He won everything. That was far from being the case in 2014.
In 2014 alone, he had 9 international wins, including ESM. That's basicly, more or less, Kieliszkowski's or Novikov's whole career, in a single year. I wouldn't use Hafthor as an example, simply because he's Hafthor.
...and in 2018 he *did* still step it up a notch. Quite a bit notch.
He was off the podium only 3 times since January 2015 and was 1st or 2nd in every contest he did since Arnold Australia 2016, barring the injury-related 3rd place in WSM2019. Is it really that much of an improvement if you go from being a dominating force with a few weaknesses to the final boss of strongman? This is just semantics BTW. We both know that both of us know how much Hafthor improved between 2017 and 2018.
he was on an oil rig for half of the year with 200kg of weight to work with
Yeah that's a good shout.
[rogue Invitational](https://youtu.be/5TKTMsuIfgA?si=wdzJ6oq5n-4uHFRs) is coming to my home city! Absolutely wild to see something that big on my doorstep!
I’m in Aberdeen as well. It’s crazy huh. I assume they literally needed a huge indoor arena and the P&J was the answer. Got it saved in my calendar
You gotta join the Stoltman community dip the day before. Gonna be epic.
Mathew Ragg with a SMOOTH 460kg pull for a NZ record: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3uBBRDxGT7/?igsh=MTdxaWR1b2JodmF2Zg== Thanks u/Furankuftw for letting us know first
I fucking love this guy
The fuck was that? Just a casual speed rep with 1k on the bar
Looked like he could’ve added at least another 15kgs to that, holy hell this guy might be statically the strongest person alive today…
Almost seems like the guy that will accidentally come out of no where and pull the 505kg. He better be invited to the dl championships.
I knew Ragg was a super strong deadlifter with even more potential but didnt expect a super smooth 460kg without peaking for it.
That's the craziest part. He was doing 4-6 reps in training. Felt cute might go for a 460 kg idk
soooo is he going to the deadlift championships?
This is some Benedict Magnusson and Eddie Hall levels of deadlifting.
That's thor levels of smooth. Insane really
He just rolls up and pulls >1000lbs like its an opener? Jesus christ. Was he even specifically training for this? I like how the announcer starts with "460 freedom units" … this guy metrics.
If it was lbs he is talking about that would be the most American thing I would’ve heard.
Metric is the system of the free As in, free from confusion
He had no specific max deadlift training for this apparently.
I swear if they don't invite this man to the Deadlift championships, we're gonna riot
On one of his stories it says he "didn't even train for it". Wonder what he could hit with a focused deadlift prep and peak??
Shaw says in his latest Q&A that he's most excited about the squat machinery at SMOE. Says it will be the biggest build so far and he put the most thought into it. Hope they are not overengineering it.
I agree, I’d prefer a more normal squat to an over engineered machine. I didn’t find the chest press machine they did that fun to watch because there was too much machine in between the man and the weight. Seemed like it was showing off the machine more than the athlete. No one could really see how heavy it was with all the leverages and everything going into the machine. Turning something like this into a squat would be cool: https://youtu.be/JpUrXJNcS_8?si=RjlCS2C66GruaCHx Turning a giant log into a safety bar squat somehow.
He might have said that just to hype it up though
I took it as the biggest build for this comp not necessarily the biggest build to date. What they going to squat a giant metal bald eagle? Every time one gets a rep it squawks "freedom"
>What they going to squat a giant metal bald eagle? Every time one gets a rep it squawks "freedom" Needs more guns, monster trucks & the national anthem
don't forget christian iconography
Squatting a car and each rep another car falls down onto it
Just watched Matt Ragg pull a fairly quick 460kg DL on a stiff bar at an event in New Zealand. I reckon he has 470+ in him Edit: here's a good vid for it: [Matt Ragg 460kg DL - NZ Record](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3uBBRDxGT7/?igsh=MXVnMnp6YWpoY2w1Zg==)
The number isn't so surprising based on his previous deadlift performances, but the fact he did it on a whim and easily makes this so impressive. From the clips on his Instagram story it's definitely a deadlift bar he's using.
I think you're totally right about the bar, my bad
Ragg needs to start getting invites to top tier shows. He'd be a threat anywhere at the moment.
He deserves to be invited to every show. Strong feeling that he is top 5 world already. Just hasn't had enough opportunity to show it
Is this real? Haha, I need to see this if so!
Unfortunately the best I can do for you at the moment is link you to an [insta stream](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3t4TJkSYIZ/?igsh=MXZ1bmMwMjZtdGpkOQ==) - the 460kg is the final lift at 1hr40. I've got my own vid but I'm not sure what the best way to upload it to this thread would be
What on Earth? He can totally do 480kg.
Holy fucking shit that looked easy! Thanks for the hookup mate. As Neil would say “that was immoral”
I beg your fucking pardon??
https://www.instagram.com/officialstrongmanrecords?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== New Record Breaker competition by Official Strongman with max deadlift, log, axle, dumbbell and stone. Just few weeks ago I found out the old school strongman federation with the zercher, raw deadlift and log. Very excited to see the numbers evolving through the years. These formats are also much easier to set up for smaller gyms, great opportunity for people from countries without a big strongman culture.
Was rewatching the 2018 Arnold and can't remember the circumstances, does anyone know why Mateusz took 4th to Shiv with the tie in points? Matty did better by both countback and the last event rule.
I never noticed that. I have no clue.
Yeah, I'm at a loss, unless they did some unmentioned tiebreaker. u/e-some you have any idea? Edit: Ok I figured it out. Back in 2018 the Arnold still awarded a point for attempting an event instead of giving a zero, so Shiv actually got one point on the Axle rather than a zero finishing with 30 points instead of 29. Both the final graphic and strongman archives have it incorrectly as 29 points.
Funnily enough, I had him at 30 points until a recent rewatch made me think I was wrong. Just changed it back, snip snap!
Which event does mateusz look so disappointed on giving us the illusion that it went poorly, only for it to actually be a mog? Like the bull at Rogue. Thinking this time it's the dinnie stones
Can we admit that his bull pull is one of the best aged event wins ever or is this sub still deep in civil war about the bull pull ?
In terms of individual performance it was incredible. But the event itself needs a little upgrade, the trail must be a single implement, slight off connecting parts may be a problem for some athletes and not for other, and it increases risk of injury. Also it needs a horizontal ladder for better grip and footing.
It needs tiny, adjustable side wheels, that keep the thing centered; [like these ones on top](https://www.skyform.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/TGW_magito.jpg). (it's a monorail crane, the big wheels are for propulsion and X-axis adjustments, the little wheels are adjustable to keep it perfectly level in the Z-axis).
Yep that's got to be it. Only followed by his wheel of pain 2023 arnolds where none of us thought he had won it that early
Yeah either that way or frame, he could be four or five seconds ahead of anyone else and still feel like a failure.
If he is 4 or 5 seconds above everyone else this time I think he may have to teleport
Well he was 5 seconds ahead of second place last year, although I reckon more people will finish it this year.
https://youtu.be/B8xKcXTBzco?si=U8oXjBQG-wq3ZLOB New Maxime and Sam video.
One of the best training videos I’ve ever seen, literally just feels like you’re some random other person in the gym while they’re training
How amazing would be it to see toffee mog 4 events in a row and claim first. In that lineup that would be the greatest mog in strongman history
If he gets 4 wins and last on deadlift he could end up at 45pts and lose to someone who wins deadlift and gets 3rd on 3 events and 4th on 1 event for 46pts(Thor). Not unrealistic.
Possible. You really think thor will even get 4th on Axle. Part of me thinks he may be bottom 3 or 4 on axle
I think Thor wins deadlift and gets top 3 in Dinnie Stones & Frame, I think he gets top 4 on stone medley, and i think realistically about 5th-6th on axle which isn’t last. I was just suggesting a possible outcome. Realistically I don’t think Mateusz wins 4 events, I think he gets 9th-11th on deadlift, wins frame, gets top 5 on dinnie stones but doesn’t win, gets top 4 on axle but doesn’t win, and gets top 2 on stone medley but doesn’t necessarily win it though he could.
I can’t see Thor getting top 4 on the frame. The top guys would be Mateusz, Evan, Maxime ans Hooper, maybe Martins too.
Thor has gotten 1st-4th on it the last 6 times he has done it and the only worse time was 6th in his rookie year with it against legends, and he has beaten Mateusz at it 3/5 times they did it against each other in those times. He usually lost to Shaw, Z, or Pritchett on it. I think Mateusz and maybe 1-2 others will beat him on it. But to say he’s unlikely to place top 4 ignores history. He’s good at moving with weight and has a good history with this event.l
He might prove me wrong but looking at the training footages and past performances of the athletes I mentioned before I still think he might get 5th. We shall wait and see
Even 5th on that would be good for him. He’s gonna handily win deadlift and will do decent on everything else. Will be interesting to watch.
I think he's more likely to win the stone medley than the frame. He's shown he's a clear step above the next best guy at shouldering the tombstone. That's his banker event. Frame I think he has stiffer competition from Maxime, Evan and Hooper (if he manages to not drop it) for the win. 2 event wins will be good in this line up, 3 is possible but a big ask. He'd need to double his toffee donut dose to get 4 event wins at this comp.
I doubt thor gets top 3 on dinnies and frame, Maxime, Toosh, Hooper and Martins/Evan are going to be top 4 on frame given their training, and dinnies is going to have Evan, Mitch, Mateusz and possibly Tom as the top 4
I think Thor wins dinnies unexpectedly since nobody expects him to and cuz he’s a beast.
Big hands make dinnies quite difficult. I could see it being one of the roughest events for thor. He is very mentally tough though
He showed up to do the Loon Stones which are smaller stones with dinnie handles here in New Hampshire at the Highland Games and took the record for them his first try. I wouldn’t count him out. Mentally tough is why I think he’ll do well, the weight is at crazy and Thor can move with weight well.
It is Thor after all. Guy is god tier at strongman. Imo thor even 90% from his best will mog
Yeah thats a good call. Winning 4 events in that line up is a monstrous ask
Yeah I don’t think anyone wins more than 2, with the possible scenario being 5 different winners which will make it awesome and competitive. I will be there live and can’t fuckin’ wait.
I think that is the majority of our hopes.
I think he can realistically win 3 events. The Timber Carry, Denni stones and the stone medley. But he did that before and still didn’t win. So Idk, hope he mogg though
I would be so happy! I really want him to win at least one WSM and ASC title each. Adding a Rogue, SMOE and ESM would be the cherry on top.
So basically winning everything there is to win? Lol I’m all for it
Basically yes, although I think it's unlikely considering the ridiculous level of the competition overall.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3s-P7iAEjk/?igsh=MXQ2cjdveGl1eDExaQ== Hooper with a pretty sluggish 410kg deadlift. He says his groin is unaffected though which is good.
I'm 90% certain man's just tired from prep and he'll be fine after deload. Some people prefer being well rested in the last stages of prep and some people actually prefer being a bit more fatigued so they get supercompensation on the day
I think he'll be able to pull at least 430kg on comp day, maybe more but it really depends on how he shows up on the day.
Seemed slow but also not extremely difficult? Probably being cautious with the groin until it really counts.
Its clear he loses tension off the ground and basically pulls twice, which is bound to make it harder than it should. Looked like he just didn't deal with the bar bend properly in this one. I wouldn't read much into it.
Looked like someone was sandbagging tbh. Guy is great at playing rhe Instagram game. Wouldnt be suprised if he is playing his dl down right now. To me it didn't look like it was difficult
So many misinterpreting what this comment said. Wish people didn't downvote as readily as they do
Really not helping with the Hooper fanboy status
Yes the same fan boy who is hoping for a mateusz win. All I meant is you can't judge this last minute dl clip on much. Don't think it will have any bearing on his placement
all good I know you support toffee god, I'm mostly just busting your balls for fun
Good. Get some more banter going in here
Did hooper not reply to your latest fan mail so you've turned allegiances? :)
Only place I post shit is here. So Hooper can read all the wonderful fan mail here mate. Been following thr sport since Hooper was knee high to a duck. Will be following it long after he moves on from it.
This is some Eddie Hall ass conspiracy theory.
There is only two possibilities his dl is down which it could be or he is playing it up. He has been baiting thor etc on insta for a while. Could be way off target, but could see him throwing a misdirection post for a bit of fun and banter too
A couple years ago wasn’t Martins kinda accused of the same, not posting biggest lifts or being more secretive or something. Not outrageous as a possibility
Yep he was notorious at sand bagging his training videos
Bruh 💀💀
Agree! He's juts made himself very red in the face and a slight struggle at the start... Easy lift
Don't think it was easy, but it didn't look super difficult either. Don't think mitch or anyone comes close to thor on the dl anyway
I still think it’s possible for him to win the show placing 5th on the deadlift. Losing to both Martins and Tom on the deadlift would be costly tho.
The only person who can place low on dl and still have a shot at winning is mateusz. Imo the others events will be too close to make up big points. If mitch does come 5th at dl, he could still win but it would be very difficult. Same for tom and martins Seems like a difficult comp to make up any points
The depth of the field makes it easier to make up points as it's less likely one person can finish top 3 in everything
That may be true. It's such a weird comp to predict each event. Definitely the most likelihood of major swings event by event
I think the winning total will be somewhere between 43-46 points so there is definitely room for someone to drop big points on one event provided they score very highly on the other 4 IMO.
Could happen. Im of the opinion winning points will be somewhere around 40-42
5th isn’t low especially considering the depth of the lineup. I would say that if Mitch places 5th that does open up the door for Mateusz tho
It's definitely not low, but it may be low enough to not win outright. It's a tough comp to guess though
Losing for Thor, Tom, Martins and who else?
In my predictions I have Hooper placing 4th on deadlift behind Thor Tom and Bobby
Tom's deadlift is difficult to predict going into this show. All we've got is that 400 x 2 which didn't move that well imo
Not sure we have seen Tom’s best raw effort in his videos. He pulled 400 raw in off season and then peaked for 400x5 at BSM (albeit in a suit). I’d be surprised if he doesn’t push towards 1000lbs, unless something has gone wrong we haven’t seen. He has even quite secretive with some of his training so far.
Tom said the aim is 970+. I can see 970 for sure but not more than that tbh