If we’re anything alike (or if you’ve just been wondering the same thing as me), you’ve probably wondered whether powerlifters or strongmen are stronger. I mean, we see both of them put up heavyweights but, which of the 2 classes of strength athletes is really stronger than the other? The quick (and broad) answer to this question is, they are both strong. Why do I say this? Well, I looked into the activities that people who participate in both of these strength sports do and found a few pieces of information that said something that was quite interesting.
*the funny thing is that I’m a powerlifter (I don’t participate in Strongman whatsoever)
The idea of Fitness
I know that I’ve mentioned this before but, before we get into who’s necessarily stronger we should probably get an understanding for the idea of fitness. So, if you’re a sprinter you should have the physical capacity to handle the stress placed on you during sprinting. The same goes for every other sport. Why did I mention this?
Well, since we’re comparing 2 different sports (strength sports but sports still the same) it’s important to note that they have different physical capabilities. What may seem difficult for a strongman in a certain area (say heavy flat bench) may be easier for a powerlifter. What may seem difficult for a powerlifter (lifting an Atlas Stone or a heavy Log Press) may be easy for a strongman. Why, because they have 2 different levels of fitness.
*that’s just something I had to mention before we got into the actual article.
However, when we discuss the level of overall difficulty between the 2 sports, the trophy would have to go to Strongman - and I’ll explain.
Versatility: The one thing I’ve continually seen and heard about when it comes to strongman is that it requires people to be very versatile in the way that they handle weights. While they may not be the strongest bencher or have the biggest deadlift, they do need to have the ability to lift crazy weights in almost insane ways. What do I mean? Well, Strongmen, may not have crazy 1000 lb deadlifts all the time but, they do need to use more of their grip on their deadlift. Or, they may need to utilize upper back strength and have a crazy solid platform to perform a log press. It is safe to say that they have a very solid understanding of their muscles and the way that they need to be used to achieve maximum utility.
Muscle activation: I mentioned above that Strongmen have a very solid understanding of their bodies and the muscles they need to perform each of the activities. While both sports require athletes to activate various functional muscle groups (such as squatting, Deadlifts/pull pick up, and benching/anterior chain) the various different angles and the sheer number of types of activities require Strongmen to activate many more muscles (and correct more muscle imbalances) than powerlifting does.
*correcting muscle imbalances was an idea that came from a variety of movements. It’s pure speculation as of this point.
Events
Let’s also not forget the events that both strength athletes have to compete in (and what’s required to do them well.
Before we go into the actual events let’s talk about what’s necessary to do well in a competition.
Requirements for competition: Conditioning and Strength. It’s really that simple. If you want to do well in a strongman or powerlifting competition you have to have those 2 things. Why? Well, if you plan on competing for multiple hours under strenuous physical conditions you’re going to need to have the stamina to do so. Remember, a full-blown powerlifting meet can go on for hours. Be prepared to handle that. The strength portion is borderline self-explanatory (not to be a jack-a**) - they’re strength sports.
Powerlifting
*not necessarily in that order (this is just the order I enjoy the most).
One more thing that we should keep in mind with powerlifting is that, due to the lack of variety, it can be a bit of a challenge to be competitive unless you lift heavy-weights. Since concentration (fewer lifts) is a requirement lifters place all of their energy into certain lifts and need to lift heavier weights.
Strongman competitions have set weights for their lifters to lift. Powerlifting competitors are constantly lifting max or near max weights. Just something to keep in mind.
Strongman
Here’s the basic layout of a Strongman competition:
- Deadlift Event (variation)
- Carry Event
- Press Event
- Atlas Stone
- Medley Event
Not all contests will include this but the majority will.
Another thing to make note of regarding powerlifters and strongmen
In strongman, the focus is on endurance, strength, and power and you will likely have to do movements way more than a single time to finish a single contest.
In powerlifting, the focus is on lifting the heaviest weight possible in the 3 big lifts (squat, bench, deadlift). You have to focus on power, 1 rep max, strength, and don't have to do movements as many times as strongmen would.
It can be slightly difficult to judge which lifter would be stronger, since the lifters have to do completely different things. While it can be easier to train for powerlifting, strongmen workouts have more of a carryover to real life.
Conclusion
I included each of these sections for a reason - to show you the differences between each sport. Strongman (as you can tell from the layout of the competition) requires competitors to perform both, more movements and to be versatile and have an understanding of the way their body performs. Based on versatility and the strength required by the sport, in general, I would say that Strongmen take the reward for having the hardest sport.
*don’t forget the point I made at the bottom of the powerlifting events section though.
Resources:
http://www.unchainedfitness.com/blog/strongman-events-and-muscle-activation
https://www.powerliftingwatch.com/node/2402
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00221473.1956.10628345?src=recsys