What have four of the world’s best strongmen been up to this week?
Just you know, what any average strongman would do with seven weeks to go until the World’s Strongest Man competition: they pulled some trucks.
The 2019 World’s Strongest Man competition will take place June 13th through June 16 in Bradenton, Florida.
Hafthor Bjornsson, the reigning World’s Strongest Man and Martins Licis, last year’s fourth Strongest Man, got together to compete head-to-head and pull some trucks. They used a long rope to pull the truck with a load on it for about 200 meters. Martins emphasized the importance of wearing the proper shoes for truck pulling and said rock climbing shoes are the secret weapon. After going with a truck plus a load, they also got some quicker reps in without the added weight on the vehicle.
[Jealous? Take a look at our guide to training for the truck pull and strap yourself in!]
Eddie Hall and Brian Shaw got up to something similar. Hall, the winner of World’s Strongest Man in 2017 got together with Shaw, winner of World’s Strongest Man in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016, to pull a 50,000-pound semi truck in New York City. The two met up in the city because Hall was filming his upcoming TV show, Eddie Eats America, and Shaw was going to be a guest star on his show. Hall went first in the truck pulling contest and managed to drive it forward for 49 seconds. Shaw went after him and beat him by two seconds with 47 seconds.
Shaw said he wasn’t happy with the result, but was pleased to have at least beaten Hall. As for what the two got into for the rest of the day in the Big Apple? The guys went off to tackle a seven pound deli sandwich, and after that Hall said he had a date with a monster. (Presumably he was talking about another big meal and not his wife.) Just a typical day in the life as a strongman.
Between truck pulling, massive deli sandwiches, mysterious monster dates, I think it’s fair to say it’s been quite the week for these guys.
Featured image via SHAWSTRENGTH on YouTube.
