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A strongwoman is a woman who performs feats of strength in a show or circus, or a woman who competes in strength athletics. Traditionally, strongwomen have had a special appeal, as women involved in demonstrated feats of strength were exceptions.
Traditionally, strongwomen were featured as performers in a circus, or in vaudeville, music halls, or other venues, and engaged in feats of strength such as barbell lifting and human juggling.
Some famous traditional strongwomen include:
In recent years, the term strongwoman has come to refer to the women who compete in events such as the annual World's Strongest Woman and Arnold Strongwoman Classic competitions. Strongwomen compete in the sport of Strongman and the sport has become popular with female strength athletes over the past decade that there are several state and nationally sanctioned competitions that prepare amateur female athletes for national competitions that allow for the opportunity to compete as professionals. In all these contests, the participants compete in similar types of events that can be found in a Strongman competition. Such events include, but are not limited to:
Some notable modern strongwomen:
| # | Name | Nationality | Active | Competitions | Wins | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olga Liashchuk |  Ukraine | 2016– | 18 | 7 | 38.9% |
| 2 | Aneta Florczyk |  Poland | 2003–2008 | 8 | 6 | 75.0% |
| 3 | Donna Moore |  Great Britain | 2013– | 15 | 6 | 40.0% |
| 4 | Victoria Long |  United States | 2019–2024 | 6 | 4 | 66.7% |
| 5 | Jill Mills | United States | 2001–2005 | 3 | 2 | 66.7% |
| 6 | Angelica Jardine | United States | 2023– | 4 | 2 | 50.0% |
| 7 | Inez Carrasquillo |  Puerto Rico | 2021– | 6 | 2 | 33.3% |
| 7 | Lucy Underdown | Great Britain | 2020– | 6 | 2 | 33.3% |
| 8 | Anna Rosén |  Sweden | 2002–2012 | 8 | 2 | 25.0% |
| 8 | Jessica Fithen | United States | 2018– | 8 | 2 | 25.0% |
| 9 | Kristin Rhodes | United States | 2008–2018 | 9 | 2 | 22.3% |
| 10 | Rebecca Roberts | Great Britain | 2017– | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
Additionally, the following 15 strongwomen have won 1 international competition (open category) each:
Edith Pongratz, Michelle Sørensen & Nina Geria (1 from 1 each); Annina Saine, Shayna Wirihana & Erin Murray (1 from 2 each); Liefia Ingalls & Annabelle Chapman (1 from 3 each); Hannah Linzay (1 from 5); Kati Luoto (1 from 6); Britteny Cornelius (1 from 9); Anna Harjapää (1 from 10); Heini Koivuniemi & Brooke Sousa (1 from 11 each); Andrea Thompson (1 from 15)
- As at 17 March 2024
Women who compete in Strongman (strongwomen) must be well versed in the styles and techniques that are demonstrated in both powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting as the types of lifts that are performed in both sports are fundamental in strength sports and carry over into the techniques that have been developed for the events that make up a Strongman competition. In addition to developing the proper technique for the foundation lifts, strongwomen must also develop endurance through cardiovascular conditioning training. Being able to adapt to implements (straight barbells versus axle barbells, axle barbells versus logs, etc.) is important as the technique used for the different implements are nuanced and are not readily available at commercial gyms.
This is a list of Strongwoman Competitions. Some also include men. [3]
The World's Strongest Man is an international strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of December each year. Competitors qualify based on placing in the top three at the four to eight Giants Live events each year. The current event sponsor is SBD Apparel. Previous sponsors include Tachi Palace, Coregenx, Commerce Hotel and Casino, DAF Trucks, Tonka, MET-Rx, and PartyPoker.com.
Strength athletics, also known as Strongman competitions, is a sport which tests competitors' strength in a variety of non-traditional ways. Some of the disciplines are similar to those in powerlifting and some powerlifters have also successfully competed in strongman competitions. However, strongman events also test physical endurance to a degree not found in powerlifting or other strength-based sports, such as carrying refrigerators, flipping truck tires, and pulling vehicles with a rope.
The deadlift is a weight training exercise in which a loaded barbell or bar is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting exercises, along with the squat and bench press, as well as a frequent lift in strongman.
Strongman is someone who exhibits strength through strength athletics. Strength athletics, also known as strongman competitions, are composed of a variety of events in which competitors have to move the highest weights possible, the winner being the one having the highest tally across all events. In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or similar circus performers who performed feats of strength.
Žydrūnas Savickas is a Lithuanian powerlifter and professional strongman. Due to his 84 international wins in major international strongman competitions including four World's Strongest Man championships, eight Arnold Strongman Classic championships, two IFSA Strongman World Championships, and over 70 world records, he is widely regarded as the greatest strength athlete of all time.
William Kazmaier is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During the 1970s and 1980s, he set numerous powerlifting and strongman world records, and won two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships and three World's Strongest Man titles. In the 1980s, Kazmaier became famous for his claim to be "the strongest man who ever lived" by equaling and surpassing spectacular and versatile feats of strength of famous strongmen of the 20th century. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions and was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
Rebecca 'Becca' Swanson is an American powerlifter, strongwoman and former professional wrestler. She broke multiple powerlifting world records, including the heaviest squat, bench press, deadlift and the total. Due to her many accomplishments including unbeaten strength world records to-date, she is regarded as "the strongest woman to have ever lived".
Glenn Ross known by his nickname "The Daddy", is a Northern Ireland former international strongman and powerlifter who has represented Northern Ireland and the UK in several World's Strongest Man competitions and various World Grand Prix and European Team competitions. Ross is the founder of the UK Strength Council and Scotland Strength Association and the creator of the UK's Strongest Man competition, as well as several regional and national qualifying events.
Nick Best is an American professional strongman competitor and world champion powerlifter.
The Arnold Strongman Classic is an annual competition featuring strength athletes from all over the world, determining who is the Strongest Man in the World. Created by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Lorimer and Terry Todd, it is an offshoot of the Arnold Sports Festival which takes place annually in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Anthony Wayne Clark was an American powerlifter, holder of the world record for the reverse-grip bench press and member of the York Barbell Hall of Fame.
Brian Shaw is an American retired professional strongman who is widely regarded as one of the greatest strength athletes of all-time. He won the 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016 World's Strongest Man, making him one of only five men to win the World’s Strongest Man four times or more. In 2011, Shaw became the first man to win the Arnold Strongman Classic and the World's Strongest Man competitions in the same calendar year, a feat he replicated in 2015. With 27 international competition wins, he is the fourth most decorated strongman in history behind Lithuania's Žydrūnas Savickas, Poland's Mariusz Pudzianowski and Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.
Jean-François 'JF' Caron is a Canadian strongman and powerlifter from Les Hauteurs, Quebec, Canada. Having competed in 73 International strongman competitions and winning 10 of them, Caron is among the 20 most decorated strongmen of all time.
Kati Luoto is a Finnish strength athlete who is foremost known as the winner of the United Strongmen Women's World Championships held in 2013 and seven times Finland's Strongest Woman.
Matjaz Belsak is a Slovenian professional strongman and powerlifter. Having competed in 60 International strongman competitions and winning 10 of them, Belsak is among the 20 most decorated strongmen of all time.
Martins Licis is a Latvian-American professional strongman, notable for winning 2019 World's Strongest Man, 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic, and 2021 Rogue Invitational strongman championships.
Olga Liashchuk is a Ukrainian pro Strongwoman from Donetsk. She is a 2 x time Arnold Strongwoman Classic champion and winner of World's Strongest Woman, Strongest Woman in the World and Shaw Classic Open (Women) competitions.
The Arnold Strongwoman Classic is an annual competition featuring Strongwomen athletes from around the world, determining who is the Strongest woman in the World. It was created by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Lorimer and Terry Todd in 2002 initially for men, and extended by Jan Todd for women in 2017 as an offshoot of the Arnold Sports Festival. The competition takes place annually in Columbus, Ohio.
Odd Erling Haugen is a Norwegian-born American strongman and a grip strength specialist. He has also competed in bodybuilding, weightlifting and powerlifting.
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