Latest news with #Strongman
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Planes aren't fun': What it's like being Australia's strongest man
B.J. Stone is just your average bloke, who just happens to also be Australia's Strongest Man. In May, the 29-year-old won the multi-day contest to be crowned the strongest man in Australia in 2025. In the footage below, Stone can be seen lifting five massive balls each weighing between 160kg and 210kg over a barrier in 31 seconds — pumping up the crowd as he won the title. Speaking to Stone, who weighs 140kg, said having the title of Australia's strongest man is 'very, very cool'. 'It's something that I didn't think was ever going to be in the realm of possibility growing up, but I think most young adults or young kids always want to know who the strongest is and will be the strongest and that's how I get the story at least for a year. 'To call myself the strongest person in Australia, at least for a year, is pretty cool.' So how does one become Australia's strongest man? 'There's some sort of standard things that you'll find in most strongman comps,' Stone explained. 'There's always like a dead lift, always some form of pressing overhead, always some sort or grip event, and then usually a medley or carrying something, a certain distance or a certain weight for a certain time. Those things kind of cultivate into five to eight events.' 'A typical week of training, I do four days of weight training and I try to get in two days of walking at a relative pace to get my heart rate up, just to keep my heart healthy as being 140kg person is not exactly healthy. 'The most I've ever jerked overhead is 252.5kg. I did that in training for Australia's Strongest Man this year. The most I've ever deadlifted is 410kg. I don't really do bench (press).' Stone works as a window manufacturer, and manages to balance his day job and strength work. 'It can be hard, but my work's pretty supportive with it, which is good,' Stone said. 'Usually I'm the one that they rely on for all the heavy lifting.' Asked if he's somewhat of a celebrity at work, Stone said: 'Not really. I'm just another one of the boys.' Stone gets his protein intake mostly through red meat, chicken and fish. 'Typically I try to eat as clean as I can but I like a treat here and there,' Stone said. 'Usually I sticked to 2.2 grams per kilo of body weight for protein, about 1 gram per kilo body weight of fat. 'So that's works out to be about 350 grams of protein, 140 grams of fat per day, and then I usually have between, anywhere between 500 and 800 grams of carbs a day.' Like a scene out of Superman, Stone decided to try his hand lifting in a gym, only to discover he was far stronger than he ever imagined. 'I was a gymnast for nine years, but I wasn't a strong gymnast — I was tall and weak compared to the guys I was training with. 'I kind of needed an outlet because I was dealing with some degenerative issues in my back from genetics. 'Then one day I decided to try dead lift when I was about 16 years old at the school gym, and I ended up deadlifting 185 kilos — yeah, no, no one had seen that at school. 'I didn't realise how much it was until I started going to a and then I started going to a gym and of personal trainers and I realised I'm actually pretty strong compared to what I thought.' And the rest is history. 'I found strength training in bodybuilding, then I did bodybuilding for a year and a half and powerlifting for a couple years and then ended up working at a strongman gym in Adelaide,' Stone said. 'That took me over to the Arnold's Australia that they held in at the Melbourne Convention Centre. 'I actually got to see Brian Shaw (four-time World's Strongest Man) compete and a few other big names and strongmen. I just fell in love with the sport then, and it took me eight years to claim the title.' There are pros and cons to being Australia's strongest man, as it turns out. 'I mean, aeroplanes aren't fun,' Stone chuckled. 'A lot of normal cars aren't fun to get in and out, those car spots are tight and whatnot. But for the most part, it's pretty awesome. 'Everyday things are just easier, I would say, because I am stronger and, like, just doesn't take me as much effort to do things.' Stone said the biggest misconception about lifting and strong man competitions is the pure level of physical strength required to lift at that level. 'The biggest thing is like, and this is what's hard to portray really, is just the actual difference in strength between the guys that go to World's Strongest Man and whatnot and just a normal everyday person. 'It's such a vast degree of difference, lot of people don't actually comprehend and the hours of work that it takes and the genetic disposition you need to be that strong.' Despite pushing himself to the limit, Stone said is body is in 'pretty good' condition overall. 'I've got some like asymptomatic bulging disks in my back, about five of those in my lumbar spine, but they're mostly asymptomatic, so they're not an issue,' he said. 'With the degenerative disease that I have some arthritis in my facet joints, which plays up every now and then, which makes training a bit tricky sometimes. I can usually get that to settle down in a week or two and then get back to it. Everything else, like knees, ankles, wrists and shoulders all feel good.' So what's next for BJ Stone? 'The next thing that me and my coach are working towards is going to the Arnold's Ohio professional pro competition,' he said. 'Our goal is to go there, win that, and that'll qualify me for the 2027 Arnold Ohio Pro Comp, um, which is probably one of the heaviest comps in the world. 'Apart from that, it'll be next year's Australia Strongest Man. Definitely some bucket list comps in the near future, hopefully.' He said he eventually plans to shed some kgs when he finishes up competing, but he will also be partial to a dead lift. 'Being this body weight is not sustainable, even if it is mostly muscle mass. 'Definitely I'm hoping to get anywhere between five and 10 more years out of this sport. 'Then after that everything will be pointed towards losing weight, getting my body weight down to that 110-115kg mark. Then just maintaining as much strength as I possibly can as I age — lifting weights and being strong and capable is never a bad thing. So it's something that I'm going to do for the rest of my life.' Australia is going through a fitness craze at the moment — Stone says staying active and going to the gym 'is one of the most important things we can do'. Stone will be appearing at the AusFitness Expo in Sydney next month, where he'll be lifting a 'monster dumbbell' and aiming to break the world record of 151kg. 'It's like an oversized dumbbell which we lift with one hand, like pick it up to our shoulders and then put it over our head with one hand,' he explained. 'There's three of us doing it. We're all trying to beat the current Australian record that got set at Australia Strongest Man. All three of us have the capability, if we have a good day to push for the world record as well.'
BBC News
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
European strongest woman from Sheffield 'over the moon' with win
A woman who has been crowned Europe's Strongest Woman said she felt "over the moon" to have won the Hollywood, from Sheffield, took gold in the under 73kg (11st 7lb) category in the Official Strongman European Championship, held at the Barbican in York. Points were awarded for each of five events across two days, after which the personal trainer come out in top 36-year-old said: "I was not expecting it but I deserve it because I work hard." The event involved challenges that saw competitors lift about three times their bodyweight over the weekend, Ms Hollywood said."There was a two-hour gap between events and it was emotionally draining," she said."Lots of adrenaline and getting hyped-up, then after the event you have to calm down and then get ready for the next one."Ms Hollywood said she had gone through "really intense" training ahead of the competition, which included at least 12 hours of workouts a week and eating about 3,000 calories a day."It's been a hard run," she said."It becomes a job in itself just eating enough."She said her diet was not particularly strict but included lots of protein such as steak, along with fibre and cake and biscuits: "I don't particularly enjoy cooking, but I enjoy eating."Ms Hollywood said she became involved in weightlifting "by accident" when she attended a class and found she was good at it."I did some local competitions in Rotherham and it just grew from there," she said."I look up to Chloe Brennan, the champion last year, and I was in awe of her and thought 'I can never do that, but it'd be great if I could'."Then there I was holding the trophy and I'm over the moon."In November, she is planning to travel to Texas to take part in the Official Strongman Games world finals. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eddie Hall shares throwback photo as fans refuse to believe he's 11
Former world's strongest man Eddie Hall has left fans floored after sharing a throwback photo of himself as a young boy. The Beast posted the surprising picture he had dug up on his social media. Eddie, from Clayton, weighed a staggering 195kg (31 stone) during his Strongman days. And the 6ft 2in has seemingly always been a man mountain. In an old snap posted on Facebook, he is stood topless, flexing his arm muscles, while sporting a pair of round sunglasses. He captioned the photo: "11 years old looking like Bronson." READ MORE: Driver dies in Royal Stoke after hitting tree READ MORE: Live updates as air ambulance lands at Stoke-on-Trent beauty spot The picture was shared just days after he uploaded another topless picture with a chain around his neck, a pierced nipple and cream trousers on. He captioned the image: "13-years-old and on the doors." The throwback photos have wowed fans and many refuse to believe his age. One said: "Damn, I was like 3 foot nothing and built like a noodle at the same age." Another joked: "Seriously 11 years old. Are you joking? Someone must have eaten all their green giant beans." A third commented: "Insane body at 11." Eddie was previously a competitive swimmer who competed in the UK Nationals when he was a youngster - even setting a British record for his age group in the pool. At his peak he won the prestigious World's Strongest Man competition in 2017 in Botswana and set a world record by completing a 500kg deadlift. The legend has gone into fighting in recent years and scored a knockout victory in 30 seconds over Mariusz Puzianowski in his first MMA bout earlier this year. Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you - it's FREE
CBS News
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
"No Fame Games" brings the spirit of ancient Celtic strongman contests to Massachusetts
A Massachusetts highland games competition is bringing the spirit of ancient Celtic strongman contests to the modern day, kilts and all. At the No Fame Games in Milford, barbells and plates are replaced with stones logs and kilts are the standard dress code. Ancient Celtic competition "It's a great talking point, I say that the highland games elevator speech is that it's track and field meets strongman in kilts," said founder Joshua MacKintosh. MacKintosh started the No Fame Games as a backyard grassroots movement back in 2021 with the hopes of fostering a highland games community in the Boston area. "I felt like, wow, this is an amazing sport, it's an amazing community and seeing these athletes compete, it blew my mind," said MacKintosh. "They're so welcoming and inviting and the biggest thing that I've found is how supportive and that we all want each other to do well." The message stuck and now thanks to MacKintosh's dedication, more than 100 men, women and teenagers come out to celebrate and ancient Celtic tradition. "A sense of belonging" "So to be able to see that and to be a part of that and see the twinkle in those kids' eyes as they're lifting a stone or learning some wrestling or the tug of war that we had. To see that and to have that part of their experience in their life is, of course it's very rewarding for me but I feel like it's an amazing thing to give back to those that have come before us and to give back to the giants upon whose shoulders we stand," said MacKintosh. Eric Dawson, the owner of Titan Barbell Gym in Stoneham, is an award-winning strongman who has competed in highland games around the world. He's one of the judges at the No Fame Games and has seen its impact firsthand. "I think it provides a sense of belonging, to be honest with you, for a lot of people," said Dawson. "Maybe they don't have this sense of belonging at their work, work is a place they go and punch in and punch out and they go home. A place like this, a community like this, the gym, the community, the larger competitive strength community is a place where you can really form lifelong friendships with people and bonds." For MacKintosh, it's about so much more than seeing how far you can hurl a stone. "A rising tide lifts all boats, this is about us being stronger and getting stronger to be better to lift each other up," said MacKintosh.
BBC News
27-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Boston man in bid to win UK's strongman crown
A National Grid worker from Lincolnshire is taking part in the final of the UK's Strongest Man contest this Mason, from Boston, will be competing against 15 others in the televised competition in include a 12-tonne truck pull, bending a metal bar and carrying a 310lb (140kg) sack three times over a 27-yard (25m) Mason, who works as a cable jointer, credits working outdoors as helping with his training. The 35-year-old began his career just after the Covid outbreak when his gym installed some strongman equipment."I had a play and fell in love with it," he entered his first competition in 2021 and soon won Boston's Strongest Man, before working his way up to national 25 stone (about 160kg), Mr Mason's preparation for the three-day event involves consuming 7,000 calories a day, with a breakfast including eight said winning the event would "be amazing" and added: "I'm just going to enjoy it and give it my all."I never expected to get to this level as it is, so to be crowned the UK's strongest man is like the ultimate dream."Mr Mason's supporters from Boston will be at the event at the Motorpoint to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
