Somehow I thought there had already been a threat like this, but I didn’t find one. Anyway, these are the details:
You are the promoter, the goal is to make this contest appealing both to the audience and to potential competitors.
Implement access, number of helpers etc is not a factor, you’re completely covered.
5 events. Medleys are of course allowed.
What events would you choose, and why?
Let’s see:
Medley: Yoke & Tire flip
I think this is just visually very appealing for the audience. Anyone can see this is heavy. This would preferrably be done head to head in two or even three lanes.
Press medley: Axle, log & block into Viking press for reps.
Order of the first three implements can be chosen by the competitor. I like it when there’s more of a tactical element to the approach.
Car deadlift for reps.
Simply the most visually appealing deadlift variation. Also something few competitors can really do in training.
Truck pull
This is, I think, on many competitors’ bucket lists and always a crowd favorite. Preferrably an old fire engine like WSM 2007.
Loading medley
Carry and load various objects to a platform: natural stone, fire hydrant, sandbag, anchor, stuff like that. Competitors can choose the order of implements themselves.
Looks pretty damn exhausting for the competitors, but assuming it’s a five event contest, this would be pretty close to my ideal contest to watch, plus it has a lot of things I’d like to try myself.
Pick up from the ground
Put it over head
Pick up and carry
Add in - strong men / women are meant to deal with less obvious implements to make it more interesting.
With that in mind
Pressing medley.
5 implements in ascending weight order. A keg, a coulple of blocks, an axle, that sort of thing. Finish off in a heavy log.
Dead lift for reps. Winner should get to 10 reps max.
Carry medley
2 sand bags, a husafell stone substitute, and a farmers carry. 20m, no runnimg back. Impliments at each end.
Truck pull. Something big.
Atlas stones. Load 5 to a podium.
The only thing with this set up is there is no max effort. It rewards people who are better over multiple efforts
Bag over bar, just because I like this event and it’s one of the few I’m good at even as a weakling. It’ll also give the athletes a break between heavy stuff, for better or worse.
Carry medley, does not matter what implements.
Load medley or stone to shoulder.
This would probably be a nightmare to organize and score, and would likely result in a couple injuries, but it would be a blast to watch and compete in. Ideally this would be held at a brewery or something, so the crowd can enjoy adult beverages as well.
Medleys suck. All of them, except maybe Log Medley. Even that one is iffy.
Axle for reps - clean every rep
Hercules hold
Husafelt Stone variation or Car Carry (with legit Citroen 2CV’s)
Truck Pull variation
Stones. 5 is good, 10 is interesting.
Deadlift ladder - 5 bars getting heavier - for time
Squat - the one where a barrels gets added after every rep
Carry, drag event - Yoke, into farmers, into anchor drag
OH Viking press for reps
Stones
Max axle deadlift or deadlift ladder, 3-4 bars
atlas stone for reps
sand bag throw series
yoke 50 ft, run back and grab sangbag/keg/block and load over yoke
log clean and press for reps or max weight
Full disclosure: never competed in strongman, but love watching it. Let’s get crazy…
In no particular order:
Deadlift ladder. BUT, it’s actually Dinnie stones, that progressively go up in weight. If you can hit the heaviest weight, you go for reps. Oh, and the stones are all carved like crazy monster heads.
Circus DB for reps. Pretty simple. Every rep from the ground. The DB is big and gaudy and looks like some ancient artifact, though. Every time you get it overhead for a completed rep, glowing runes light up on it or something.
Sandbag/Hussafel carry for time. Make it look like some Viking carving, though. Like a cairn marker or deity’s idol.
Truck/plane/train/whatever pull. Again, go for broke here; I’m thinking Trojan horse, huge boulder, toppled statue, something awesome.
Hercules hold. The pillars, though? Huge, carved statues of mythological gods. Oh, and there’s fire around the platform.