His name and his credentials speak for themselves, so take a moment and read what Magnus Ver Magnusson has to say about strongman.

 

Vintage Ver: He's not kidding when he says that he took them all on, in everything, and won . . . Magnus Ver Magnusson versus Nathan "Megaman" Jones in the Pole Push at the 1995 World Muscle Power Championships (see MILO® for the full report). IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.
 

"Hi Randy,

I just have to comment on some things just posted on your site. I have the highest respect for all strength athletes and all its champions in the past, present, or in the future and I do not wish to put anyone down and I am not going to say how one is better than the other. Every man is entitled to his opinion, so here is mine.

All strongmen and their champions have their strengths and their weaknesses, and nobody today can say I am [the] undisputed [champion]. At least in my days I can say I competed against - all the best and defeated - all the best, not just once but numerous times. I believe that when you are competing in a strongman show it is to find out who is the strongest and is fast and has endurance, not the other way around (fastest, endurance, strongest). You also posted last week or so on Odd Haugen's contest and how it was definitely going to be extremely heavy! So was he also having a brute strength contest or a strongman contest? The same person also commented years ago about how the Arnold Strongman contest does not test true strength, but yet that is indeed what the Arnold Strongman contest does. I don't think anyone can argue with that.

Remember, the sport is to find the "World's Strongest Man," not the fastest man, or marathon runners. Now let's not forget the fact that the strongmen today are better prepared for these events than we were some years ago, so weights have gone up due to event training. I put together the events for the last IFSA Worlds, and I think they test just about every muscle in your body and [they] test speed and test endurance. If we were only putting in power events wouldn't we then have a squat?

Here is the list; you judge for yourself people.

Farmer's walk: time, 125 kg, 75 m
Block lift overhead: medley
Lighter Atlas stones: 120, 140, 150, 160, 170 kg
Block lift overhead: max weight
Shield carry for distance: 82.5 kg                                                                                                                                                       
Log lift: reps, 125 kg
Deadlift/Apollon Axle: reps, 320 kg
Medley, tire flip + block loading                                                                                                                                                       
Log lift: max weight
Deadlift/giant barbell: reps, 320 kg                                                                                                                                                Farmer's walk; 160 kg,
Wheel barrow
Deadlift hold                                                                                                                                                                                    
Super yoke: time, 410 kg, 30 m                                                                                                                                                       
Conan's wheel                                                                                                                                                                                   Heavier Atlas stones: 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 kg

Yours in strength,

Magnus Ver Magnusson
Undisputed 4x Worlds Strongest Man"