Is Strongman Healthy?
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- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
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As The Worlds Strongest Man and as a Healthcare professional, I think STRONGMAN might be the HEALTHIEST sport to ever exist. HOWEVER!
Before you make a comment, watch this until the end and then share your thoughts.
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Lift Heavy Be Kind
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00:00 Introduction
00:42 My Definition of Health
01:27 Two Major Elements of Health
02:13 Defining Mental Health
02:35 Study #1 - Tyrel Detweiler
03:04 Study #2 - Public Health Of Sweden
04:38 Stud #3 - John Hopkins Medicine
05:54 Is Strongman The Healthiest Sport To Exist?
06:50 My Conclusion - Спорт
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Bruh pls make a Vids on how have strongman strength gains and methods to gains the strongman strengths
Can you do the bring sally up challenge with 225 squat. If you can do that then you are healthy lol.
roids
I feel like a lot of these comments didn't understand the video, he stated quite clearly he doesn't mean at the professional level
Even not at the professional level, you're destroying all your joints and overeating
@@facebookreal There's lots of different levels of strongman and even weight classes. You're generalizing way too much.
There are no popular sports at the professional level today that are healthy. PEDs are a requirement to reach professional levels today.
@@facebookreal So.. like every other sport?
@@facebookreal If you aren't a professional, why would you be overeating? The implied distinction between professional and non-professional is that professionals are going to sacrifice their health through diet and drugs, and non-professionals won't.
I can absolutely say that strongman is the healthiest sport for me, because, simply put, it’s the one I’m willing to participate in. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, happier than I’ve ever been, the most comfortable in my own skin as I’ve ever been. To top it all off, I’ve had fun while doing it. I look forward to going to the gym, not “omg, I have to go on my run tonight, fuck me”. I 100% agree and it’s the reason I’m here! #LHBK
Exactly!
A strong person is harder to kill, therefore it must be the healthiest sport
Reasoning checks out 💪
Until you remember 10% of Americans thought they could kill a gorilla in a fight. Dread to think what the average strongman American thinks they could take on 😂
@mitchellhooperstrongman a strong man becomes a liability in winter, with ice, holding a shovel.
I personally avoid my front steps now.
A strongman is the slowest person and easiest for the wild animals to chase and eat lol.
@@Thanosdidtherighthing nah, he's like mystikal. If you see mitch in a forest fightin with a bear, HELP THE BEAR. Cuz that bytch gon need it.
I don’t know if it’s “healthier” than strongman because it seems to be pretty subjective, but I think climbing is very healthy. You develop strength through extremely long ranges of motion, increase flexibility, develop grip strength, improve cardio, and it’s incredible for mental health. I’ve never met an out-of-shape older climber!
The old punch line is old climbers are dead. I choose the ground. (Yes I know when done properly you shouldn’t die etc but I choose other risks for myself.)…but you are right. It’s very healthy. Also the hiking around the climbing is great for almost anyone.
I disagree with this… I’m a pretty serious climber and noobie powerlifter. I’m currently recovering from a wrist cartilage tear and most, if not all people I know suffer a new injury limiting daily function (grip strength and/or ROM) on a yearly basis. Falling into a wall with rope or hitting a bouldering mat still presents high injury chance. I certainly think if injury risk reduction is a high-value target in training, that climbing can be incredibly healthy. But this simply isn’t the case with 98% of climbers - they’re some of the worst athletes I’ve seen with respect to sleep quality/length, lifting consistency, and priorities.
My pick is swimming. Cardiovascular in nature but still builds muscle, works the body fairly evenly, and is very easy on the joints. Much more accessible for young, inexperienced, or otherwise less capable athletes.
@@ter4su swimming is mind-numbingly boring.
@@ter4su only issue with swimming is it not as effective for building bone density.
Climbing as a fun recreational activity is extremely valuable; esp. if you do both the ropes and bouldering, gym and outdoor. Taken too seriously or as a sport, the injury risk is quite high (even deadly), not enough healthy muscle mass, and so on.
I personally have fallen in love with the strongman sport/community for exactly those reasons. Hopefully there are more strongman style gyms opening in the future to help this grow and make it more available
Should I start opening strongman gyms? 🤔
@@mitchellhooperstrongmanespecially with how much space is required for good strongman equipment it’s hard to have it in most home gyms, and unfortunately it gets left out in all the public gyms I know of. Could certainly see a market for it
@@mitchellhooperstrongmanI'd take one for Düsseldorf (Germany), please! I'm literally living in one of the most crowded areas in Germany and there are zero to non public strongman gyms 🥲
@mitchellhooperstrongman it'd be cool if you collab with Alan thrall.
@@mitchellhooperstrongman use that whatever% you give back to the community from LHBK purchases to fund gym equipment purchases 😎
Strong man is healthy as long as they never use that Rogue Iron Bull Sled Pull again.
Agreed that event was an absolute joke tbh I feel last 2 Rogues were pathetic
It was just too heavy. At 900 lbs it would have been a good event.
Ya, that design needed some serious RnD before showtime. It was racking so badly. A little bit of hdpe on the SIDES of the runners to keep it aligned while not effecting the friction of the sled (felt weight) would have made a huge difference
Amen!!
Hooper, your channel has become one of my fav youtube channel. As a running ethusiast and a gym rat myself, most of your point are valid. Keep up the good work, brother and keep winnin' them titles. Much love and respect from your Malaysian fan 🦾🦾
This guy is so chill. I seem to get a liking for this guy.😊
Hey Mitchell hooper you may not see this but your my inspiration as a Canadian teen trying to go pro strongman and I want you to know that I feel you paved a new path for us and I wanna thank you for that
I lift weights. For my heart disease and mental health conditions. My doctor's told me to. Hooper just solidified why it's a good idea to lift.
Anytime “your doctor told you to do X” please use your own brain. That and realize doctors are not educated in any form of exercise or nutrition my man. That doesn’t pay the bills in modern healthcare.
In this case your doctor is correct, strength training is king for health.
You don't. Have to. Put a period. After every few words.
Congratulations on your back to back wins! Truly great
Mitchell it's cool to see an absolute beast like you turning over every stone and being so engaged in the science. Clearly it has provided you enormous competitive benefits and I imagine it's not an overstatement to say that you're going to change the entire paradigm of what it truly means to train hard.
You look so much leaner and more explosive out there and I imagine the rest of the field is scrambling to catch up.
The production quality has really gone up recently. Nice talk, could relate. Keep up the good work!
Absolutely AWESOME- love some concepts explored here, got me inspired to write some cool shit, yet again, thank you, bruh!
I started training strongman about half a year ago, and I don't think I'll stop for the next decade or more. Most rewarding form of training I've ever had, having my first competition in a month. 💪😁 Staying natural for life of course, as all amateurs should.
I really like that you are trying to get people up and doing something for their well being and I agree that strongman is probably the healthiest sport out there at the lower levels for a person to do
Love these educational videos!
I just did a research project for school on what sport increases your longevity the most, and I do believe that tennis is number one. It’s great for physical and mental health, and anyone can play, however strong man definitely shouldn’t be over looked. Loved the video!
Longevity of life isn't the same as the reference he is making for longevity in all aspects of life. If you were a blue collar manual labor worker like a farmer, you would benefit from strongman training not tennis
You've never watched me attempt to play tennis then 🥴
You're making great points. I've always been a bodybuilder type, but you're making strongman sound really appealing.
My list of everyday functional movements is : push, pull,hinge, squat, carry, lunge,get up from the ground, rotational lever throwing strength (club -mace swinging),btw overhead press is a push from my perspective
Strengthening using the six fundamentals has literally stopped my slide into needing assistance for simple daily tasks. 7:46 I’m a senior, and I am amazed at how quickly I have improved my physical and mental well-being just by strength training. Thank you Mitchell for all that you do, and for making even old ladies like myself part of the community!
Really enjoyed this video. Very well explained.
Great insight on the mental health side of things - totally agree that running for me = mental spinning but lifting my mind is fully engaged
I'm so sick of this mental health nonsense. It's a meaningless buzzword for lazy people who want to gain power and control they didn't earn.
Youre the man, Mitch! Friendly rebuttal. You take into account acute injuries but postural imbalances, restricted range of motion and chronic pain could also be taken into account. I like low head contact martial arts training because of the mobility, explosiveness, and athletic functionality. Community is pretty dope too. Just my opinion. Keep the work up Mitch youre amazing!
New motion graphics guy is really hitting his stride! Last video was a little busy, but these look sick
Swimming is up there
True but i think that swimming doesnt strengthen your bones and ligaments like other sports because the water isnt giving you a lot of force (because you are floating). But for cardio and general strength its great
@@zeratul8372water give a lots of force you always working agains the water resistance. Try to do 100m in butterfly you will fell you muscles shoulders, abs, legs…
“It improves conditioning and builds muscle while minimizing impact. Water therapy is also beneficial for sprains, strains, and tears. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends swimming or walking in the water among four preferred rehabilitation exercises for injuries to ligaments, muscles, or tendons.”
Also the small stabilizing muscle groups are getting trained, besides the ligaments and tendons.
Low bone mineral density
As always, logical and unbiased presentation of information.
Doing strongman for 2 years at local events and after every event I always come back buzzing and this is due to the competitors. Always amazing experience that keeps me training week in week out. +40, late to the game but loving it.
It’s never too late brother
This video was basically an ad for Mitch's workout programs... And I respect that!
I'm trying to convince my mum (she's 61) to integrate some form of resistance training to be coupled to the long walks she takes every day. She's been on a low-protein diet for years due to kidney issues and she's losing muscles and strength faster than normal -and she notices it because she's always been active. None of her doctors is suggesting anything in terms of improving her fitness. Keep up with the educational content Mitch, it's sorely needed.
Thats a rough position to be in, watching someone important make poor decisions when the answer is right there. Basing those poor decisions on 'experts' that are actually the most pathetic beginners in the world of strength training because they are too busy to even think about it. I wish you luck with it and I hope you dont give up and manage to convince her.
Walking is enough resistance purely for health and longevity. Added bonus, she isn’t trashing her joints
Keep trying 👍cant beat strength training ( also do cardio) ,been at it for 43 yrs and just broke a PB at 62 compared to when I was 40yrs old ,being older shouldn't mean weaker!
@@HkFinn83 its good but, BUT resistance training is still needed as we age .
My mother (60 years old) started going to the gym shortly after I did. Her shoulder pain has gone away and she likes going there. I'm so happy for that. I hope your mother lives a long and good life
Thank you for existing as always Mitchell. I should make a fanart of you
I feel like Robert Rodriguez beat you to this with the henchmen from Spy Kids
Good stuff. I agree 100%
Im not a strongman, I'm a rock climber and its made me really really strong. I relate to this video. Its great being strong. It really improves the quality of life.
Absolutely agree with meditation part. I do bodyweight and it help me a lot to aim focus inside and definately increase my mood.
Comment for the algorithm, thanks for the video
I think it comes down to the usual thing: Are you doing it to improve yourself, or push it to competitive levels? Competition is an extreme sport with risks going along with rewards. I train in a more strongman style, and have never before seen natural gains like I see now. I have no interest in competition at this point in my life. I was a sports athlete when younger and suffered most of the normal injuries. I train now for personal wellness, both physical and mental. Define your goals and concept of being healthy. I commonly see gym goers see the improvements in their body and then get excited and want to compete. Some will never be competitive enough to win and end up risking serious injury and for what? Ego needs to be put aside sometimes, and self-improvement limited to self only. I mostly refer to those who enter cross-fit.
There's definitely a balance. I'm a LW Masters Strongman, I plan to stay natty and stay under 220 lbs for health and longevity reasons. Sure I want to win, but not at the cost of my health. The community and fun factor of it is more important to me anyway.
I am just a simple man, who works seating on an office chair the whole day on a very sedentary and intellectual activity, and when it's 20h00 I become a powerlifter that just competes against myself and try to beat all the demons in my mind and my "yesterday's version of me". That said, lifting weights do me really good, specially because I got many many many injuries practicing Jiu-Jitsu for several years, and the only way doctors and physiotherapists said I would definitely heal would be working out at the gym. Since I have a chance to listen to their advices, it took around 2 months forcing myself to go to the gym and after that I was completely IN LOVE... The decrease of the pain, the self confidence, the changes in my shape, etc... And even that I know there is a huuuuge distance between me and professional strongmen, I wish they could talk more openly about their steroids use, the amount, the type of drugs, etc... I am willing to maybe start on deca + test, under doctors damage control, but the only thing I know about strongman athletes is that they loooooove deca, other than that I think the average public don't know so much. And even that it is so clearly obvious that professional strongman (as in many other sports) takes massive amount of gears, yet none of them are super open about it. Becaude it would be bad for the sponsors? Because they don't want to give "bad example" to kids? Well I don't know, but I would genuinely like to know more about it, and not to use what they use, but just to know.
You should do Deca bro it's sick
The most important thing is to let your body heal when it needs healing, pushing yourself is fine, but pushing when your body tells you not to is a recipe for chronic pain
Pain is weakness leaving the body. If you have chronic pain, you are chronically weak.
@@a_fuckin_spacemarine7514 bud are you 12 years old?
Surely the healthiest activity is watching the amazing Mitchell making thoughtful and erudite content by lying in bed and moving my thumbs occasionally.
I might even go to the gym later.
Strongman and smart! Humble dude😊
I think another factor at the amateur level is bodyweight and weight categories. Years ago, I competed at an unhealthy body fat level and justified overeating to remain strong. You see this at the heavier bodyweight categories. So, my opinion, yes, might be the healthiest sport, if bodyweight/fat is kept in check and also additional cardio/conditioning is done.
Have you considered getting fitted to get stronger?
A better way ro phrase it is that Strongman *can* be a very healthy pursuit. The bigger point is that you should find a sport/movement that gives *you* the most joy.
If I had to propose something, it would be something that involves dance or play because I would wager that it has the greatest mental health benefits for most.
Love how with the NFL clip you show my home team that is the colts. 😊
I see Mitch post a video with a laptop, I'm happy
Well done on Liking the Thing
Your performance this year at the Arnold classic Strong man was phenomenal
You speak great hooper. You should do an interview about this topic with another strongman or sport health professional. One thing that people forget about strongman is that recovery is a huge huge part of the sport. Unlike bodybuilding they not telling u to stretch after a workout
Learning strongman movements has fully corrected the chronic back pain I had for my entire adult life before starting strongman.
This type of training should be mandatory for all human beings.
Yup, same. Chronic knee and back pain from being morbidly obese, lost over 100 lbs but it wasn't until I start strength training and learning how to do it correctly and safely that all the aches and pains went away.
100%. After losing 100 lbs several years ago, I started Strongman at age 42. I'm a Lightweight Novice, soon to begin LW Masters. I plan to stay natty, and I plan to remain under the LW limit (220.) I'm in the best shape of my life, both aerobic and strength-wise. I agree completely that for MOST strongman athletes (below the top professionals), this is the healthiest sport you can participate in. I plan to stay in it for the long haul. And maybe most importantly, I hang out with a local strongman club, and it was a community that I REALLY needed after a very dark period in my mental health. It's been life-changing.
The problem with some people is that the mental health sometimes gets stronger than the physical. This are the champions that are able to go the extra mile. But that is also that point where you can get injured.
Great video. I'm curious as to the participants used for the study of older athletes. Were they all professionals in a given sport? Were they still training in retirement? I find it odd that those athletes were at higher risks of cardio vascular disease.
can you make a video on how to start? there are not really many strongman-teachers where i Live. Would like to start in my garage.
I think you're correct. If Strongman is done as a hobby and not for winning titles, I believe it gives you all the positives one could think of.
You can push, pull & lift heavy weight. You're able to walk/run decent lengths with heavy weights. You're able to work with heavy objects which aren't symmetrical. As an example it's easy to lift a 30 kg dumbell, but try lifting a natural stone or a sandbag of the same weight and see the difference.
So if you're able to do all this you're not only getting stronger but you're also getting functionally capable. So Yes!
ironic you mention sound, keltie o'conner just did a vid a short bit ago on whats called bineural beats (research supported by huberman, attia, and a few other's with science backgrounds) on a personnal note i'm aiming to try an IPF powerlifting meet come next winter, i know what i need to do and where i need to go, just need the time to train... not going to lie though between following shaw for so long and now you, i'm curious to give a local strongman event a whirl in the future
Mitchell, get a CAC test or a CTA if doc will write one. Would make for an interesting video.
Mountain biking! It doesn't seem like it, but the stats on injury in Utah Highschool sports came back saying that Mountain Bike was the safest sport in Highschool. I honestly was quite surprised as it is full of inherent risk. despite being the number one participant sport it had the lowest rate of injury.
It took me way too long to get in to strength training, but it gas been fabtastic for my fitness. I am a runner, though, and it is an incredibly healthy sport. I've found a combination of cardio related and strength has been the healthiest for me. I am interested if you are including all weight lifting sports under strongman, as a comparative analysis of the various strength sports to see what the differences are.
Crossfit is also fairly well-rounded and actually includes a wider range of athletic disciplines than strongman with things like running and swimming. I prefer strongman myself, but am curious as to your reasoning for picking strongman as the better training style for overall health.
Rugby has given me a bunch of injuries. Doing various strongman movements, particularly with the axle and sandbags, has really helped strengthen and condition the various muscle groups to reduce those injuries.
Edit: forgot a comma😅
Will this certainly revolves around my idea of training to make life easier, for the long run
Personally I want to try to go for a hybrid approach between endurance and strength training. I wish to be able to lift something heavy, but also not be out of breath when the elevator is broken. For example maybe being able to complete IRONMAN while also being in the 1000lb club, that'd be hella awesome, even if maybe really really far away, if reachable for me at all.
We do it as a gym group session and call it functional strongman
I trust Mitchell to give an honest and nuanced breakdown about why strongman can be very healthy even if at the pro level (of any sport) it’s not necessarily.
But I also trust many people to disregard that and just jump on the “no it’s not healthy cuz fat” train 😂
Is it possible you do the joe rogan podcast ?? Would love to hear more in open discussion about strong man life and fitness.. that would be a blast
lift healthy, be king
I think a combo of Moose's Six Core Movements, select Crossfit activities, coupled with KOTG type prehab stuff would be the ideal platform for "health". As no such sport exists, I guess you could say that Strongman has as good a claim as any other, and better than most.
Do I want a marathon runner or a strongman? As someone who grew up in an abusive home and moved once a week as a kid. Honestly, prolly the marathon runner cause moving is a lot of little stuff, so he'd be doing that fast, plus he can fit through the door which always helps
How do you distinguish between Strongman and regular weightlifting?
I love strongman. i unfortunately dont have a strongman gym near me, and unfortunately. I feel for me personally i struggle when it comes to committing
It seems like lifting weights for a full body workout once a week possibly split up over a few days allows for recovery from heavy lifting, however I think that dieting is mandatory but cardio is not possible because it will pull in the opposite direction, although I want to work with the heavy skipping rope on one or two recovery days. No need for a treadmill now.
I 100% agree with this however the strongman community has a limiting factor at the moment, and I may get the “suck it up and get stronger” responses to this. I started into strongman after a lifetime of athletics 1 year ago. In that year I did two comps where the first I got second due to a double countback and won my second comp. According to the regulations and out of community respect I am to move up to the open class. No problem initially with that until I signed up for the comps and realized the massive weight jump in the lifts. I found the weights challenging in novice and enjoyed that challenge however the open class it is true I will have to become stronger. But I have little desire to get any bigger physically or pursue a massive jump in weight where I am increasing my risk of injury. I want to stay at my current buddy type, fitness level and all but take it to its limits with to my strength. Problem is the open class (at least the comps I have found) the “for rep” weight is my current max or beyond it. I will continue to push my limits but like I said I wish there was a way I could sign up for a comp in the novice area but not count the points but just be there to have fun and do it. Just my thoughts of how the sport could grow and have a non ranked class where you cannot win but you want to challenge yourself still.
Thoughts?
Ps. I have chatted about this before with strongman friends which their suggestion is just find a local non official comp; problem is those are rare if exist at all even remotely close to me.
Having watched the video, I agree that strong man is one of the best styles of training for overall fitness and health. Even so, I believe that weighted calisthenics, such as weighted dips, pull-ups, and even squats, which would also count as weighted calisthenics are in my humble opinion the best training style for overall strength, functional strength, and health.
Note: I train in weightlifting and calisthenics so I have a bias towards weighted calisthenics.
Strength is a fundamental for almost all things humans do in everyday life..as you age you lose muscle mass and strength and become more prone to injury. A strong neck can save your life in a car crash...the mental aspect is profound..to me lifting is meditation, stress relieve...a way of life
Hooper, what do you do for living...what exactly do you do in the health department
Keep up the good work brother
it depends what I have to move.... if I have tooooooooooons of light but huge things carried in the the 5th no elevator... I want a marathon runner ;-)
I enjoyed this video a lot. It was a fascinating argument. My initial reaction is that quite a bit depends on the WHO definition of health as a 'resource that you need to live your life', as that opens the door to anything that promotes a lot of functionality. I would be inclined to define health level as something like "the presence and intensity of disease/dysfunction/other adverse conditions, or presence of physiological risk factors for disease/dysfunction/other adverse conditions". TL;DR is healthy = 'no diseases, no risk factors for diseases'. Framed like that, Strongman looks a bit more concerning because of the bodyweight of top level athletes and use of anabolic substance. But, then I realized- you need to look at the sport as a whole. Yes, at the elite level and for some/many heavyweights it's unhealthy. But in lower weight classes there is never going to be anyone overweight, and below the elite level the use of anabolic substances would substantially reduce. (I also strongly suspect that with careful management and some restraint in quantity, the use of such substances probably isn't that much more harmful than, say, drinking alcohol or eating junk food.) And there is also a comparative element- Mitchell is comparing sports and as he rightly says, all sports are kind of unhealthy at the elite level. It's probably fairer to compare people who are highly competitive amateurs, probably lightweights (who can still be upto 220lbs). So a lot of the concerns go away, at last partly. And overall I buy the argument that a very diverse strength training program, including movement, quite a lot of strength endurance, a lot of functional movements, could be really healthy.
Do you know what your VO2 max is or for strongman athletes in general?
Where's the line between the positive health effects of resistance training and the negative effects of resistance training at the highest levels? Is a certain body weight relative to height the way to draw a line?
I would like to see a comparison between strongman and rock climbing
The pro strongman injuries are mostly due to chemical enhancement which causes muscles to grow bigger and carry heavier loads than the associated ligaments can handle. That’s what he meant by “pushing yourself to the extreme.”
lifting weights is the best meditation for me
I would love strongman become more mainstream. The movements are practical yet show strength. And definitely have more of a "cool factor" than powerlifting or olympics
Strange you dont mention performance enhancing drugs. I feel like that will really affect the lens in which strongman is viewed
He doesn't say it outright, but does imply it @6:50
What about an older beginner with some weight training background? can strong man be started at 50???? (not at the professional level;)
Setting aside the gear use no contact and no brain injury risk makes it one of the healthier competitive sports.
Olympic Weightlifting has 2.4-3.3 injuries per 1000 hours so take that! Twice as safe as Strongman!
Combining weight lifting and Karate works for me. Karate sollicits skills such as coordination, balance, memorization and reacting to the moves of the opponent. I do not get this from running or weight lifting. Karate is not excessive in terms of cardio, "fights" are controlled and I'm part of a community. This combined with strength training seems to be compatible with long term health. #LHBK
Would like to do this myself but outside of weight training I surf, kayak and cycle so just don't have the time for martial arts. Have always wanted to do it though.
Since you have experience of endurance sports, it would be interesting to hear about your physical health then vs now e.g. blood pressure and aerobic capacity.
Health would have to be poorer due to PED use. Health would not be his top priority though at this point in his life otherwise he wouldn't be doing what he does.
@@a1b9c2 well that is one thing, but given his expertise and educational background, I’d be curious to learn more about the distinctions between being overweight due to muscle mass versus fat. Specifically, how do these differences impact health e.g. blood pressure. I recognize the advantages of strength, but I'm particularly interested in understanding its implications from a cardiovascular standpoint. Does the composition of the weight-muscle versus fat-make a difference in this context? Consider a scenario where someone begins with a relatively low body fat percentage and gains muscle without significantly altering their body composition. In this case, is an increase in mass detrimental? This topic seems seldom addressed, as most conversations focus on improving body composition. Not everyone starts from a place of high body fat or poor health.
In my opinion, resistance training is great. Lots of benefits. Unfortunately, the professional lifters, bodybuilders and other professional sports people have created an image of ped users that is detracting from the achievements. Social media has made it a lot worse with so-called 'influencers' out there, claiming to be natty yet looking unnatural.
Strongman as a sport seems healthy because competition gives the individual a broad set of training goals with no ceiling. The targets or markers you’re trying to reach are incremental, progressive, and only limited by yourself. That coupled with the variations in exercises keep it interesting. Powerlifting is a good base, but its more narrowed focus seems to create burnout after some time. Just my humble opinion
I partially agree.
Strongman at a recreational level as part of a broader fitness programme is extremely healthy. Acquiring functional strength, coordination and mobility is vital for long term health for a whole host of reasons, some of which you alluded to.
But, and it's a big but, strongman does not train cardiovascular fitness in any meaningful way. Events are at most, 3 minutes long. You'll principally be working within your anaerobic zone, and aerobic cardiovascular endurance will remain largely untouched.
I competed as an amateur in strongman in my early twenties, but have in the last few years returned to my earlier love of cycling. I have now combined 10-13hrs a week on the bike, 3-4hrs of strength training and 2-5hrs of other sports together and feel really very good (40 this year). I'm comically skinny compared to any strength athlete (203cm and 102kg) but built like a tank compared to almost all other cyclists. It's a good compromise.
I would be really curious to know where your VO2 max sits Mitch. And just to add that it's been a genuine pleasure watching your meteoric rise in strongman, and all that you give back to the sport.
I would argue some of the better competitors, especially at the amateur level, combine great conditioning with strength. And many of the amateur competitions are leaning toward more events that require conditioning. The Go-Ruck Challenge at OSG being a good example. Yes some the events may only be 90 seconds, but that's 90 seconds all out and ALL conditioning work will lead to gains on those events. Pulling a max deadlift requires none of it, but having to pull only 315lbs for what ends up being 14-15 reps (amateur class), you better have great conditioning. Same goes for medleys, especially carrying and loading races. I include all sorts of cardio and conditioning in my training because of it. It's not Powerlifting.
@@jculbert2221 I certainly don't disagree that conditioning is a major factor in any successful strongman competitor, but I still don't think it's the same as high level cardiovascular fitness. If you wanted an example of a sport that truly combines strength and cardio, I'd suggest rowing. I got pretty obsessed with that for a few months during the covid lockdowns, and on my Concept 2 posted some very good times on the longer distances due to my background in weight training and cycling.
I think that it's worth noting the amount of training (in terms of hours per week) that's required to achieve elite level in strength sports versus cardio sports (such as cycling) is vastly different. A pro strongman may train as little as 6-7hrs a week, and of that training time actually be lifting less than an hour. A pro cyclist is in the saddle 25-30hrs a week, building mitochondrial efficiency and developing their VO2 max. My 10-13hrs a week puts me at the level of enthusiast and builds decent fitness, but if I did that much strength training, I'd overtrain horribly.
For longevity, strength training is vital. Strongman training is the king of strength training but it needs to be coupled with a decent cardio programme that is (in my opinion) at least twice as time consuming as the strength work.
@@jonathanrobinson2628I agree, a marathon runner is going to outrun me after the first 100m, and might have "better" cardio health than me. But it seems like the general scientific consensus on "cardio for long term health" consists of doing a "decent" amount of steady state on a regular basis. In addition to my 10-15min of conditioning after each lifting session, I also regularly hike, bike, trail run, kayak, and snowshoe in the winter, for pretty long periods. I sorta see that as "good enough". At some point you gotta pick your battles, if I did 30hrs a week of running or cycling I'd have no time for anything else.
@@jculbert2221 Yeah, absolutely. If you're regularly getting out for longer cardiovascular activities, happy days.
I would just caution against thinking that strength sports alone are sufficient for longevity. I've been 130kg, quite strong but felt pretty terrible. 30kg lighter, I'm still way, way stronger than your average guy (especially in grip - it's nice that muscle size doesn't really affect grip strength so much) and 'elite' level for cardiovascular fitness now from just 10-12hrs of cycling a week.
With good endurance fitness, it's remarkable how general work capacity goes up too, if you have some strength to go with it. So stuff like heavy yard work, wood chopping, furniture lugging and such like becomes really easy. These are just good life skills to have, and part of a healthy old age.
The only healthier sport I can think of might be snowboarding.. features resistance training, cardiovascular challenge, mental health by way of social engagement and travel...
My goal is to go pro in both squash and strongman 😅
Great video Mitch! Powerlifting has a very low incidence of serious injury as well. Of course, the training is not quite as functional as strongman.
yes
This is why Mitch is a next level strongman. People go into strongman as an extension of a hobby. This meticulous analytical thinking and methodology I haven't seen in any other strong person. We see disciplined eating and training but none of this existential analysis of ones self. Strongman for Mitch appears to be a performance based job, there is no limit to achieving, 200kg log, yes, but how far can I take that. Human nature of a repetitive job is just 'doing enough'. Strongmen - 1) Lifting weight to compete with the average numbers, Strongman 2) Lifting heavy numbers beyond the average but only 'doing enough' for their end goal, Strongman 3) Constantly pushes those number boundaries in pursuit to find their limitation. Its Mitch's thinking, treating himself like a science experiment which makes him this good at strongman. Its all a next level approach.
And like always - COME ON TOM you big tubby tubbster.
I absolutely believe strongman (as an activity, and not a sport) is one of the best forms of fitness out there. It’s easily adaptable to either side. Want more strength? Go heavier. Want more cardio? Go lighter and longer. Most importantly- it’s a damned blast. I love working out with strongman implements. Or just random crap to pick up, throw, carry, etc.
I feel like trail running has to be up there. Not only do trail runners tend to be more well rounded physically than road/track athletes, the culture in that area of the sport is super inclusive and chill from what I have seen.
What about iron man or some sort of decathalon athlete?
💪🏽😎