Like weightlifting and want to see some of the world's top competitors without traveling halfway around the planet? Then be sure to at the Arnold this weekend.


Le Maosheng (China) will be at the Arnold this weekend - this silver medalist from the Athens Olympics lifts in the 62-kg category and he's the world record holder in the clean and jerk, at a little over 400 pounds. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

IronMind, with more than a little help from our friends, is proudly presenting three medalists in weightlifting from the Athens Olympics as part of the overall weightlifting program at the Arnold this weekend. These superstars will be lifting on the main stage of the Expo Hall at 11 am on Saturday, so be there if you want to see some world class weightlifting; and on Friday morning and on Sunday, during at least part of the day, they will be over in the weightlifting competition area where "the Columbus Weightlifting Club, in conjunction with Ohio Weightlifting, proudly showcases weightlifting of all ages at the Fourth Annual Arnold Weightlifting Championships. Experience why this is Arnold's signature event and his highlight of the Expo," says Columbus Weightlifting Club's Mark Cannella.

As IFSA President Christian Fennell had said yesterday, the organization has released its 2006 competition calendar today.

In addition to "38 national level events," the calendar includes a variety of international events, such as a Pan Am Championships, a World Championships, and an under 105-kg World Championships.

IronMind has just received official word that World Class Event (WCE) and Trans World International (TWI) have signed an "exclusive three-year agreement."

TWI is "the world's largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming," and its World's Strongest Man contest is the dominant event in the strongman field by a huge margin, and WCE runs the World's Strongest Man Super Series, "which will continue to be the official name of the tour and will as before have at least four Grand Prix events that will become part of the qualifying vehicle for The World's Strongest Man from 2006 and onwards."

"WCE and its concept of The World's Strongest Man Super Series have the exclusive rights worldwide to be the only qualifying tour to The MET-Rx World's Strongest Man event for 2006-2008," WCE said.

UIf Bengtsson, former professional bodybuilder and founder of World Class Fitness and World Class Events, said "With the successful collaboration between WCE and TWI during 2005, we are very happy and excited to announce the continuation of this collaboration on a long-term basis. We will now be able to make more strategic decisions good for the athletes and the sport in general."

Graham Fry, TWI Director of Programming and Production said "TWI is pleased to continue its flourishing relationship with WCE whereby both the WSMSS and WSM has seen real progress in 2005 with expectancy of more events, stronger competitions and an even bigger pool of quality athletes in the years to come. There is now no question that together the MET-Rx WSM and the WSMSS provide the most compelling sport in Strongman competition."

"Together these strongman concepts will reach hundreds of millions of households worldwide, giving it by far the largest TV-coverage of any strongman competition," WCE said.

Putting the just-announced IFSA-USS agreement in context, IFSA President Christian Fennell told IronMind "IFSA is really reaching out."

IFSA and USS announced that they have signed a "cooperation and athlete alliance agreement" that will allow reciprocal participation in 2006 competitions.

Explaining that IFSA had been impressed with what USS had done in 2005, Fennell said "We've had talks with them for some time . . . this is a mutually beneficial agreement." IFSA will provide a minimum of one referee, and probably two, for USS events, said Fennell, and if the signature Jamie Reeves equipment is not used in a particular USS event, the equipment will still be inspected by IFSA to ensure conformity to its standards.

Asked about athlete contracts for this year, Fennell said "We will have 2006 athlete agreements," but he explained that they were still in process. Also, Fennell said that IFSA would be releasing its 2006 non-title competition calendar tomorrow.

Responding to rumors that are being spread around the Internet that associated Hossein Rezazadeh with drug use, the two-time Olympic gold medalist told IronMind that envy, which inspires such false reports, is universal.


Two-time Olympic gold medalist Hossein Rezazadeh punches up a 260-kg clean and jerk at the 2005 Asian Weightlifting Championships (Dubai, United Arab Emirates). Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"In Iran, there are rumors about everyone. It is the same all over the world," Rezazadeh told IronMind, explaining that once you are famous or have achieved a measure of success, other people sometimes become envious and attack you in various ways.

As an example of how extreme things can become for the Iranian superstar, he told IronMind that last year, a man who somewhat resembled him posed as his brother, and solicited money. That man, Rezazadeh told IronMind, is now in jail.

The irony of this particular rumor is that not only is Rezazadeh a two-time Olympic champion, which puts him squarely in the world's most stringent and highly respected doping control procedures, but he also known in Iran for his strong stance advising young people to lead clean lives - he is even featured in a widely-distributed anti-cigarette smoking poster.

Hossein Rezazadeh is something of a national treasure in Iran, and in the world of weightlifting, he has been head and shoulders above all other competitors in recent years - he currently holds all three world records in the superheavyweight class.

"My final training for the Arnold this week is going well," Glenn "The Daddy" Ross told IronMind.


Glenn Ross overwhelms the Inch Dumbbell at the 2005 Arnold Strongman contest. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"'The Daddy' intends to put up a huge performance at the Arnold Classic," Ross said. "I would like to thank the organizers for giving me the opportunity of competing in this coveted competition after my major injury of a snapped patella in Austria at the World Strongman Cup seven months ago. Watch out for those Daddy lifts at the Arnold and future competitions in 2006."

"Being strong in body and soul is the only way forward."

IFSA President Christian Fennell told IronMind today that IFSA has signed 38 fulltime member nations so far for this year, a significant development since, as Fennell put it, "federations are the backbone of IFSA" and this is where the grassroots development of the sport begins.

To provide the highest level of talent and competition, Fennell said it's necessary "to cull athletes from the biggest base possible," and that's why having so many member nations is crucial. "The future stars of the sport are training in their garages or gyms right now," said Fennell, underlining the importance of having such a broad net at the grassroots level.

Eighty percent of these members have signed agreements to hold national championships in 2006, Fennell said, and from that level, the top competitors will advance up the "IFSA ladder of events."

In September 2005, California's Ken Brown continued his pattern of breaking the world record in the silver dollar deadlift in Gatineau, Quebec.


Ken Brown pulled a world record 500-kg silver dollar deadlift at the 2005 Gatineau (Quebec) Balloon Festival. Photo courtesy of Ken Brown.

Well, records are made to be broken and guess who's coming back to Canada for another assault on gravity?
Star Canadian strongman Hugo Girard told IronMind that on May 27, in Quebec City, he is organizing a contest called Night of Champions that will have a very interesting format.

Limited to powerlifters who can squat and deadlift at least 700 pounds and bench at least 500 pounds, first up on the card is squats, followed by two three-round boxing matches. Next up is the bench press, followed by two more boxing matches. And just before the deadlifts, Ken Brown, as a specially-invited guest lifter, will attack the silver dollar deadlift.

This should be a great contest - a lot of fun, big numbers, and a chance to soak up the terrific strongman atmosphere unique to Quebec.

Coming into the FitExpo Strongman contest, Odd Haugen had predicted not just a handful of great performances in the stone loading event, but proof positive that things had been taken to a new level: Haugen's prediction came true and the man left standing at the end of the event was Travis Ortmayer.


On his way to victory and a pro card at the 2004 NAS Championships - this was just the beginning for Travis Ortmayer, who rolled to the overall win at the FitExpo and showed that he's the new top dog in stone loading. Randall J. Strossen photo.

"Stones have a mind of their own," Ortmayer told IronMind, explaining that to be successful, you have to first lose your mind and then just attack them. Ortmayer said that standing over a stone and thinking about it is a sure way to fail with it, and since he has never missed a stone in competition, you might be wise to follow Ortmayer's advice. Ortmayer admits that his track record gives him confidence when he faces off with a stone, but his approach is applicable to anyone.

Wouldn't you guess it, Magnus Samuelsson, along with Svend Karlsen, were the guys who most inspired Travis Ortmayer, and with the way he's going, it won't be long before Ortmayer himself is inspiring a bunch of young guys.

Kidded about quitting while he's ahead this year, Ortmayer said he's hoping that maybe he will end up getting the call to compete in Columbus - right now, he's the first alternate for the Arnold Strongman contest. Not one to duck competition, Ortmayer said that he plans to compete in all the pro national qualifiers IFSA holds this year, then the IFSA USA Nationals. He said that he'd also like to win the IFSA Pan Am Championships and then have a podium finish at the IFSA World Championships to wrap up 2006.

Ortmayer likened his matchup with Jesse Marunde this weekend to a college football rivalry - a top young guy from IFSA and a top young guy from World's Strongest Man - and he said the competition brought out the best in both guys. "Jesse has just really come up in his speed and strength - it would be hard to improve his explosive power, but he's done that too," Ortmayer said. And with Travis Ortmayer's performance this weekend, you can imagine what people are saying about him, too.

While all World's Strongest Man contest invitations are ultimately issued by TWI, Dr. Terry Todd told IronMind that the top three athletes at this year's Arnold Strongman Classic will receive invitations to the 2006 World's Strongest Man contest.

In response to athlete questions, IronMind has been told by WCE that both 2005 WSMSS and 2005 WSM athletes will have the highest priority for invitations to the remainder of the 2006 WSMSS Grand Prix events, but that WCE will continue to uphold its policy of marked neutrality with regard to whatever organizations, federations or companies an athlete might be associated with, and, therefore, all competitors, regardless of their affiliations in strongman, are welcome

On a related note, Dr. Douglas Edmunds, speaking for IFSA, told IronMind that IFSA athletes would not be allowed to compete in WSM, saying that "we have our version of it," although he spoke warmly of his past work with the WSM staff from TWI, and he also said "World's Strongest Man can become like an Arnold's - an iconic event as part of the IFSA calendar." Despite currently being on competing tracks, Dr. Edmunds and the original IFSA group - himself, Jamie Reeves, Ilkka Kinnunen and Marcel Mostert - were regular figures in past WSM contests.

World Class Enterprises Founder and President Ulf Bengtsson told IronMind that his group, which organize the World's Strongest Man Super Series (WSMSS), is delighted to be returning to the Arnold Strongman this year, and that his group is "looking forward to a great tour this year," which culminates in the sport's numero uno event, the World's Strongest Man contest.


Former professional bodybuilder and WCE President Ulf Bengtsson, commenting on the Arnold Strongman, said "We're back!" Randall J. Strossen photo.

The return of WSMSS to the Arnold Strongman contest is significant because the Arnold contest is widely regarded as the top grand prix event in strongman, despite - or because of - its choice to focus more on function and less on flash.

Former IFSA spokesman Jussi Laurimaa, in his quest to create the impression of a sports-entertainment giant, liked to compare IFSA to WWE and F1, and Edmunds, who talks extensively about what he sees as IFSA's "spectacular TV," likens the Arnold to "circus demonstration events," but he's a big supporter of the Arnold nonetheless, saying that it's a way to "weed out the pretenders, as we call them."

Arnold strongman founder Dr. Terry Todd said that the Arnold was designed in response to the traditional approach taken in made-for-TV strongman contests, and that his goal was to "create a contest equally interesting to watch, but that would more clearly reveal who was the strongest man."

Probably understating the general feeling in the strongman community, Todd said that he thinks that the Arnold Strongman contest has been "fairly effective at determining who has the most overall bodily strength in ways that one associates with a strong man," and he points to the contest winners - Mark Henry and Zydrunas Savickas - as examples demonstrating his point.

Dr. Douglas Edmunds, speaking on behalf of IFSA, told IronMind that his organization parted ways with the 2006 Arnold Strongman contest because of IFSA's inability to come to an agreement with Arnold Strongman founder and chairman Dr. Terry Todd over the events, although Edmunds was quick to add that IFSA "is very supportive of what Terry does."

"We couldn't find any agreement in total," Edmunds said. "It's contrary to our ideas."

At one point, Todd's group was considering an event dubbed "the Kaz curl," which was a repetition clean, from the hang, with a pair of dumbbells, a concept that Edmunds called "just plain daft." IFSA favored the inclusion of a maximum log lift, something of a flagship event for its organization, especially because the branded IFSA log could have been used. Edmunds explained that this is a standard event worldwide and that it has "the look of IFSA," which is vital to the organization since it is focused on producing "spectacular TV," Edmunds explained. Edmunds also said that the leading IFSA athlete, Zydrunas Savickas, who has won the last three Arnold Strongman contests, is capable of breaking his own world record in the event. "Zydrunas told me that he is ready to do 220 [kg]," Edmunds said.

Much discussion centered around the Wheels, the Log and the Kaz Curl, but ultimately, Todd's group settled on adding a 500-kg Yoke event.

Edmunds noted that IFSA objected to this event, too, citing concerns from a health and safety perspective, saying, "I don't want my boys to get injured."

Asked about IFSA's safety concerns, Todd told IronMind that this was the first time he had heard this raised and that while it was reasonable to assume there is always a risk of injury in strongman, he felt that a well-designed Yoke event actually posed little apparent risk.

Despite these disagreements, Edmunds had many good things to say about the Arnold Strongman contest, which he sees as an "all comers" contest that will "expose the pretenders" and serve to counter "spurious claims" about who really is the top strongman.

"I support Terry 100% on this grand platform," Edmunds said. "It's unfortunate that we couldn't agree on events."

It was a two-horse race and in the end, Travis Ortmayer edged Jesse Marunde for the title at the FitExpo Strongman contest today.

Here are the top seven finishers:

1. Travis Ortmayer 106 points
2. Jesse Marunde 104
3. Dave Ostlund 74
4. Mark Philippi 72.5
5. Odd Haugen 66.5
6. Josh Thigpen 65.5
7. Kevin Nee 56 points

"There's great energy at the contest," Odd Haugen told IronMind, as he described the action at the FitExpo Strongman contest in Pasadena, California.

"There's a seesaw race for first place between Jesse and Travis, with the latter leading by 1 point after 5 events," Haugen said. "There's also a tight race for third Mark Philippi leading yours truly by 2 point, just ahead of David Ostlund by 1/2 a point. "

"The US Wellness Meats Farmer's Medley was won by Travis Ortmayer in impressive fashion, followed closely by Jesse Marunde and Mark Philippi. The Apex Giant Dumbbell Lift was predictably won by Jesse Marunde (8 reps), followed by Travis Ortmayer (6 reps), and yours truly (5 reps). The Vyotek Stones of Strength was every bit the barn burner it was predicted to be, with some of the best stone lifting I have ever seen....the standard is changing: 9 of the 14 athletes finished all six stones, including the "Tombstone," in the 60 second time limit. The US, or should I say World, King of Stones is Travis Ortmayer (23.71 sec), followed by Jesse Marunde (24.63 sec) and David Ostlund (25.16)."

If you're in Southern California, swing by the FitExpo today and catch the final day of the strongman competition, along with a lot of other exciting events.

Things are hot down in Pasadena, California, where Odd Haugen reported on the action from the first day in the FitExpo strongman competition.

"....Three-way tie for first between David Ostlund, Jesse Marunde and Travis Ortmayer....David Ostlund winning the Subway Truck Pull and Mark Philippi winning the Super Yoke in impressive fashion. We just dodged the bullet, with the rain starting just as we finished the Truck Pull, and we all had a new experience carrying the 900+ lb yoke in the rain....Tomorrow [Saturday] we compete in Farmer's Medley, Giant Dumbbell Lift and a show-down in the Stones lf Strength!"

If you're in Southern California this weekend, be sure to swing by the FitExpo, in Pasadena, and enjoy the action live.

WSMSS will be running the 2006 Arnold Strongman contest, WCE told IronMind today.

"World Class Events (WCE)- organizer and producer of the World's Strongest Man Super Series (WSMSS) - has reached an agreement with Mr. Jim Lorimer and his group to incorporate the Arnold Strongman Classic into the World's Strongest Man Super Series 2006."

Think you have strong hands? Here's your chance to see how you stack up, while having a lot of fun at the same time.


Air time in the grip world: Making it look easy, Wade Gillingham simultaneously hoists the Rolling Thunder and the Blob. Randall J. Strossen photo.

The GNC Grip Gauntlet uses three world standards for testing the major facets of grip strength: Captains of Crush grippers, the Rolling Thunder, and the venerable Blob, and to complete the gauntlet, you have to succeed with all three.

The man running the show, Wade Gillingham, told IronMind, "The weight on the Rolling Thunder and the gripper used will be a last minute decision after I have had a chance to eye the crowd at the FitExpo. While the official GNC Grip Gauntlet has always been 212 pounds on the Rolling Thunder and a No. 3 Captains of Crush gripper, along with the infamous Blob, occasionally the GNC crew and I find it in our hearts to give smaller crowds a fighting chance by reducing the weight to 187 pounds on the Rolling Thunder and using a No. 2 Captains of Crush gripper, and if that isn't enough, we might even drop the normal requirement of three-for-three down to two out of three."

Winners get a $100 GNC gift card, and everyone has a good time, plus some free GNC samples, so be sure to stop by the GNC booth at the FitExpo this weekend and see how strong your hands really are.

He won the World's Strongest Man contest twice and remains highly involved in strongman, but along the way, Jouko Ahola got into movies, and he's is about to start work on his fourth.


On the job: Jouko Aholo was the head referee at the MET-Rx WSM Super Series contest held at Muscle Beach last year. Randall J. Strossen photo.

In 2005, Jouko Ahola returned to strongman in a big way as he managed the equipment for the World's Strongest Man contest. Ahola's personal equipment was standard fare at major Finnish strongman contests for years, but he dismisses it as basic compared to things Jamie Reeves has designed, such as his barrel-loading squat machine. "It is because of him [Jamie Reeves] that I am the equipment manager [at the World's Strongest Man contest]" Ahola told IronMind.

Ahola said that he very much enjoyed doing this work last year, praising the TWI team and noting how much he liked being around all the new faces in strongman, "seeing the young guys who are so hungry," he said.

Ahola is leaving shortly for Vilnius, Lithuania to begin work on a movie about the Winter War, which was between Finland and Russia (1939 � 1940), and features Hitler's quest to make the perfect soldier, who happens to be a zombie.

Ahola said that he is "training a little bit" because he wants to be in good shape for this movie. "I am training pretty much like I used to in the gym, only a little more like bodybuilding." Did we mention that he can still deadlift a little over 300 kg. "It can't come down to 200 [kg]," Ahola said, "if you have done 400 [kg]," which he has. Front squats and a lot of overhead pressing are a big part of his training, the latter because Ahola said he is always lifting people over his head in this movie.

Continuing with his home-restoration business, too, Ahola describes himself as "very happy," and the respect given to him and his popularity speak volumes for his stature in the sometimes-fractious world of strongman.

Odd Haugen hosted quite a training session last weekend, as six professional strongmen gathered at his house and gave everyone a preview of just how the sparks will fly at the FitExpo.


Jon Andersen had cut his teeth in NAS, and in 2003, he hit the ground running at Jim Davis's US Pro Championships in St. Louis. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Jim Glassman, Josh Thigpen, Kevin Nee, Dave Ostlund, Jon Andersen and host Odd Haugen were merciless as they attacked the events. Haugen called Ostlund's performance in the power medley "absolutely outstanding" and he said that Jon Andersen left everyone in the dust on the dumbbell press and in the truck pull. For the record, Andersen did eight reps with the huge dumbbell that is expected to also be included at thet Arnold - it was loaded to 181 pounds, and Andersen did four reps with each arm.

Really marking the intensity level of the pre-contest training session was the assault on the stones as four of these guys (Josh Thigpen, Kevin Nee, Dave Ostlund and Odd Haugen) loaded all six stones, including the infamous Tombstone - the 410-pound stone Odd got for his 55th birthday, last year.

The FitExpo is February 17 - 19 in Pasadena, California.

AOBS President Artie Drechsler told IronMind today that this year's honorees "are just about locked up," and that Don Reinhoudt will be doing a seminar.

Honored by AOBS last year, Reinhoudt was a big gun in the early days of powerlifting, and he won the 1979 World's Strongest Man contest. Drechsler said that Reinhoudt's seminar "will take place on Saturday afternoon, June 3, at 2:30 PM, instead during the Friday evening spot that we used last year."

For more information on the AOBS, please check their official website:

http://www.wlinfo.com/AOBS.htm#AOBS

Hugo Girard has just signed a deal to host a 2007 Super Series event in Canada.


2004 World Muscle Power Champion Hugo Girard is on the mend and looking toward competing in the 2006 World's Strongest Man contest. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Girard, who is the 2004 World Muscle Power champion, told IronMind today that if he were not already committed to returning to competition at full strength, he might have been able to promote a Super Series event this year, but because his top priority is not just to completely heal, but also to reenter strongman competition stronger than ever, he felt could not promote a Super Series event until next year.

Girard has been putting on top flight strongman contests in Gatineau, Quebec since 2000 and he said the Super Series contest will be in Gatineau and it will build on this tradition of excellence.

As far as what his fans can look forward to this year, Girard said that he will begin event training in March and that he plans to be ready for the first Super Series event this year, with the goal of qualifying for the 2006 World's Strongest Man contest.

"It's exciting," said Athletic Director Steve Conway, as he looks forward to this year's Highland Games Heavy Events World Championships, which are set for Pleasanton, California over Labor Day weekend.


On his way to victory at the 2005 World Championships in Fergus, Ontario, Ryan Vierra will be defending his crown later this year in Pleasanton, California. Randall J. Strossen photo.

Explaining the selection process, Conway told IronMind, "The plan is to take the top five U.S. throwers off the NASGA board on July 1 and then add five International guys. That would no doubt include at least one Canadian, someone from New Zealand or Australia, and, of course, Scotland. David Webster is helping with the selection."

With its huge crowds and something-for-everyone schedule of events, Pleasanton is the place to be this Labor Day, so mark your calendar and plan to be there.

IronMind/MILO resident poet-philosopher-stone lifter Steve Jeck knows a thing or two about the power of words.

Want to hear some pearls of wisdom on the subject? Then be sure to read the latest in Steve Jeck's "From the Quarry" column. Either follow the link from the IronMind home page, or click here:

http://ironmind.com/ironcms/export/IronMind/Main/fromthequarry.html