There will be a total of five events taking place in Columbus to determine a winner.
The 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic is upon us.
Hafthor Bjornsson won the 2020 competition before the 2021 show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Arnold Schwarzenegger will bring back his full sports festival, which will take place on March 3-6 in Columbus, OH. This weekend will be highlighted by the 2022 Arnold Classic. Also, some of the top strongmen in the world will gather to compete for the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic title.
The full list of competitors for the event was released back in December. Below, you can find the full roster that includes 10 of the best powerlifters in the sport.
- Maxime Boudreault
- JF Caron
- Rob Kearney
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski
- Martins Licis
- Evgeny Markov
- Trey Mitchell
- Oleksii Novikov
- Luke Stoltman
- Tom Stoltman
Shortly after the roster was released, sponsors announced the five events that athletes will compete in. The Arnold Sports Instagram page shared a post listing the events.
Friday, March 4 Events
Max Barbell Squat
This is a new event for the Arnold Strongman Classic where athletes will be judged on their depth and form. They will get three attempts each where the weight will increase during each try. For reference, J.F. Caron won this event during the 2021 World’s Strongest Man competition. He squatted 700 pounds 11 times to finish at the top of the event. This is another deep group that could see anyone come out on top.
275-Pound Monster Dumbbell Press
This is an event where the winner will be the athlete who performs the most reps. Competitors will have 90 seconds to move the 275-pound dumbbell from the floor to their shoulder and pressed overhead. Once the arm is locked out, the dumbbell will return to the floor for the next rep. Oleksii Novikov currently holds the world record with 11 reps of 220-pounds in 75 seconds. This will be a heavier dumbbell but Novikov will be one of the favorites to win this event.
Saturday, March 5 Events
Australian Oak Log Press For Max
This event will kick off day two of the competition. This will follow the form of the squat where the weight will increase after each attempt. Athletes will perform a log press to see who could finish with the highest number. There are two record holders tied to this event. Bobby Thompson, the American record holder in the log press, is an alternate and could pose a threat if he is needed to compete. Luke Stoltman currently holds the British record of 487 pounds.
Timber Frame Carry
The timber frame in this event weighs 880 pounds. Athletes will have 30 seconds to move this behemoth up a 35-foot ramp without lifting straps. This means that grip strength and form will be the focus as the athletes want to move with speed. Kieliszkowski won this event in 2020 with a time of seven seconds. This was a world record at the time using a slightly lighter frame.
Stone To Shoulder For Reps
The final event is a familiar one but it will not be the traditional Atlas Stone that is used. Instead, the athletes will have to move Odd Haugen’s Tombstone, which weights 410 pounds. Competitors must lift the stone from the ground to their shoulder. Once the judge gives the okay, athletes can return the stone to the ground. The winner will be the athlete who completes the most reps in two and a half minutes. Martins Licis can be considered one of the favorites in this event. He won the 2019 World’s Strongest Man competition and Arnold Santa Monica contest. He performed five reps in this event, using the Atlas Stone.
As you can see, this is a competition with some classic events to test strength in many ways. There are different favorites in each event but ultimately, any competitor can win at any time. This is what can be expected when some of the best in the world get together on one stage.
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