Strongman is one of the most physically demanding — and visually impressive — strength sports on the planet. And perhaps no one has done more to grow the sport’s presence online than Kalle Beck.
Kalle is the founder of StartingStrongman.com, a fantastic resource covering training in the sport, as well as event results and coverage. (Check out our Resources section below for more on that site.) And what started as a personal blog — born out of a frustration over the lack of strongman resources online — has evolved into one of strength’s more dedicated communities.
No one — and I mean no one — has followed the sport more closely over the past decade.
“Anyone can pick up a keg or a farmer’s walk, a log. It’s fun. You don’t have to compete. Strongman’s for everyone.”
But Kalle’s goal isn’t just to provide online resources for aspiring strongman athletes. He wants to prove that everyone has the potential to participate, not just the 400 pound behemoths we see once a year on television.
Find out what drives one of strongman’s most visible personalities, along with his motivations and hopes for the sport’s continued expansion into the mainstream.
In this episode of The BarBend Podcast, guest Kalle Beck and host David Thomas Tao discuss:
- Recapping the 2019 World’s Strongest Man Contest (2:00)
- How Kalle first found the sport of strongman (4:15)
- Kalle’s reasons for creating Starting Strongman and providing event coverage (10:46)
- Why strongman has been going mainstream — and which personalities drive that growth (16:40)
- What Eddie Hall’s 500kg deadlift meant for the sport — and why it was such a great publicity move to promote it that way (22:30)
- Strongman as one of the most physically demanding and brutal sports practiced today (31:00)
- Strongman’s future (32:00)
- Challenges facing strongman’s community, including public criticism (40:50)
Relevant links and further reading:
- Visit Starting Strongman
- Follow Kalle on Twitter and Instagram
- Check out Kalle’s YouTube Channel
