I lift things up and put them down
If you’ve never been to a strongman competition, go! Even as a spectator, you feel the power, strength and encouragement of the community. On July 9–10, the Mid-Atlantic Strongman competition was held during the Europa Games Expo in Charlotte, N.C. In the strongman area, competitors of all ages, gender and weight patiently waited in the back corner for their chance to compete. Among them was Charlotte Department of Transportation employee Jon Shaben.
Jon started gaining an interest in the competition by watching strongman on TV. Inspired by what he saw, he browsed the website startingstrongman.com and found a list of amateur strongman competitions throughout the country. He began to train by incorporating the major strongman lifts (overhead press, squat and dead-lift) into his workout routine. Now he lifts weights four times a week focusing on a specific lift each day.
“I enjoy challenging myself and I like the strongman community.”
He’s been competing for about a year and a half and has had some impressive results. In the 2015 NC Strongest Man & Woman competition, he placed second in the masters division (over 40 years old). That was his first competition. He’s been hooked since then.
The competition held July 9–10 included six challenges:
- Log clean and press
- Hummer tire dead-lift
- Sandbag carry and load medley
- Frame carry
- Circus dumbbell
- Atlas stone
The titles of the challenge don’t mention the weight, but that’s the impressive part. Competitors lift beginning at 250 pounds and some lift over 1,000 pounds!
Jon placed second in the masters division. He lifted his heaviest hummer tire dead-lift at 530 pounds and his heaviest stone at 305 pounds. That puts a whole new meaning to lifting things up and putting them down. Watch Jon in action below:
If you’re inspired to compete, Jon recommends to lift heavy with multiple sets and few reps. Also, you can checkout strongman websites and search for strongman training programs.
