American Sports And Strongman!

[scott_van_ingham]

I have to admit as i learnt my fitness trade out in the usa that i am not surprised the americans are churning out so many class strongmen out now,
what is puzzling me is why when their strength sporting athelets, eg, american football player r light years ahead of the british rugby/rugby league players, their other athelets are more advanced as i have coached many and learnt from the american sports and fitness industry, so why has it taken so long for them to finally break through in a big way?

jesse, josh, jon, kevin, sliders, travis etc are really pushing the top placings finally but discounting kaz as a serious one off why now? is it popularity?

will the uk catch up?

[Russell Selcho]

My opinion is money. Money is a big motivator and unusually strong kids usually get pushed towards football from an early age. Football is also very popular as a high school sport, so the exceptional athletes with strength and speed are offered free college education. Strongman events are just now being used with some high school athletes. Also I think knowledge of strongman even existing is somewhat low in America, I stumbled upon it myself on accident. The other day I heard a personal trainer at my gym tell one of his clients that Strongman had been outlawed in the U.S because of an injury Franco Columbo got while doing the yoke, this trainer has since been educated that strongman is alive and well in the U.S. This is just my opinion, I look forward to reading what others think.

[Ian Duggan]

american football player r light years ahead of the british rugby/rugby league players
That's a pretty big opinion to state as fact dude.

As for the rest of your post, yeah, I think it's money. As has been stated numerous times on here before, the monetary gain from dedicating your life to strongman compared to NFL, NHL, NBA or MLB is so small as to be irrelevant. I'm not even sure there's an athlete in America who is making 100% of their living from Strongman.

Consequently people do it for the love of the sport or as a second pop at something (e.g. Mac Smith, Matt Meinrod), and due to the small number of competitors, all it takes is four or five quality athletes to emerge to make a noticeable difference, I'm not sure you could put the perceived rise or fall of the quality of US athletes in strongman to one single factor.

[Terry_hollands]

what is puzzling me is why when their strength sporting athelets, eg, american football player r light years ahead of the british rugby/rugby league players,

will the uk catch up?

Not so sure how you can say that really they are light years ahead in what way strength wise maybe, but an american football player would not need to run around for a full 80 minutes without all the breaks. If you took an american football player and he trained like a rugby player (needing the same aerobic capacity) he would not be in the same league. To be honest apart from the fact they're both physical sports and are played with egg shaped balls there is no real comparison.

As for the Americans having lots of good strongmen well that's pretty obvious being the size of their population. Their poulation is much bigger so they would have more people capable of becoming good strongmen. I think that a major problem in the UK is that many of our best atheletes give up sport at a young age and choose to either play a poor standard of football or watch football down the pub with their mates. I have lot's of friends that gave up rugby at young ages which were good sportsmen but chose not to put in the hard work and go out and get drunk on a weekly basis, which I believe is the major problem with British sport.

[Andrew Joakim]

I played football from grade 5 till my first year of University, and I started playing rugby in grade 9 and I still play today. I have been to Britain twice for rugby tours and I am actually going to Wales next week for another tour. I do think that American Football players are slightly ahead of British rugby players in terms of strength because in America there is so much focus on the testing of the players. They train very hard for the 40 yard dash, bench press, broad jumps etc. From what ive seen rugby training is more about skill, dont get me wrong rugby players have way better CV systems, and there also many forwards who are stronger than American Footballers, probably some backs also ( depending on what position you are comparing them to in football)

[Ian Duggan]

Oh yeah, I mean NFL players are stronger, no doubt about it, in the same way that power lifters are stronger. Put them on a rugby pitch for a pretty much non-stop 80 mins and they'd be in trouble pretty quick.

It's why I think the comparison is pointless. Rugby is a thousand times more CV, and NFL puts much, much more emphasis on pure strength.

And I don't mean this in any way offensively, but the guys you're playing against aren't the cream of British rugby. Some of them were busy today, losing to Argentina...

:BB:

[Andrew Joakim]

And I don't mean this in any way offensively, but the guys you're playing against aren't the cream of British rugby. Some of them were busy today, losing to Argentina...

:BB:
Ian, I am Scottish, Ive beent to Aberdeen, I played against Robert Gordons College right before they left for a South Africa tour. I played in England actually for my cousins team for a few games. Im excited to go to Wales, should be a blast.

[Ian Duggan]

Really? Cool. Scotland's a funny country for rugby, it's almost all in the central belt and bellow. We've got a team in Aberdeen in the 1st Division (Grammar FPs), but they're far from producing players for the national side.

Wales however are rugby mad nearly everywhere. That tour should be good fun. Hope you enjoy it.

[michael martin]

Is there much American football played once you become an adult? From what i see its pretty much geared up for college nfl, and if you make it you make it and if you dont you dont. Isnt there only a very few that actually make it anyways?

'Also I think knowledge of strongman even existing is somewhat low in America'

Hmm, without trying to turn this into a country vs country debate, id say USA is doing good in promoting. Indeed it is the only place i read of having contests being split up into bodyweight classes akin to that of martial arts, and teen divisions et al.

I have lot's of friends that gave up rugby at young ages which were good sportsmen but chose not to put in the hard work and go out and get drunk on a weekly basis, which I believe is the major problem with British sport.

Oh aint that the truth :disgust: Binge drinking is reaching pandemic levels. does depend on what sort of scholl you goto aswell. mine was just a shitty comprehensive on a council estate, so about 90% of people just left at 15/16 straight into work, giving up excercise boozing all weekend


Anyways back on topic, yes they are behind still. Obviously down to the money involved in each respective sport id say, i saw a young chap on another forum saying how all the top teams were advocating no back squats, due to forces on there back and only front squats. step in the right direction yes but not far enough :eek:

ps have a good time in wales, assuming you like hills sheep and rain :T:

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

I would love the USA to take a team of elite NFL guys and train them at rugby for 6 months. Then play the All Blacks. They'd still get killed, just like the normal USA rugby team.

[Russell Selcho]

I would love the USA to take a team of elite NFL guys and train them at rugby for 6 months. Then play the All Blacks. They'd still get killed, just like the normal USA rugby team.
This goes both ways. I respect the game of rugby and the game of american football. These athletes have trained most of their lives to play the sport they are in, so 6 months of training to play at an elite level of a sport they have probably never played wouldn't prove anything. Why would you put them against the All Blacks anyway? why not start with a much lesser team? LOL

[Terry_hollands]

This goes both ways. I respect the game of rugby and the game of american football. These athletes have trained most of their lives to play the sport they are in, so 6 months of training to play at an elite level of a sport they have probably never played wouldn't prove anything. Why would you put them against the All Blacks anyway? why not start with a much lesser team? LOL

I agree I remeber when they played the best rugby league team at the time (Wigan) against the best rugby union team at the time (bath) with a game in each code and each team won their respective game, and this is with two sports that are very similar and only 100 years ago were the same sport. Like I said earlier to compare American Football to rugby is just not worth it, the sports are too different.

[Mac Smith]

For all you Rugby afficianadoes, isn't there a weight limit in rugby (265lbs)? And those heavier guys can only play one certain position?

[Terry_hollands]

No there is no weight limit. I was between 260lb-330lbs while playing, I was nearer the 260lb whilst playing good level rugby. If you are of a certain size you would favour a certain position just the same as in American Football. If you had a 6' 6" 280lb man that could run real fast he could quite easily play wing (america football equivelent would probably be something like a wide reciever) but obviously there aren't many 280lb men that can run under 11 seconds for the 100m.

[Ian Duggan]

If you don't mind me asking Terry, what level did you play at? I seem to remember reading or seeing somewhere that you'd been with Leicester at some point, but that might be my dodgy memory playing tricks on me again.

You were a second row right?

[Eric Jett]

I woulld expect a man of Terry's stature to be a prop. I could be wrong, though.

[Ian Duggan]

Awfully tall to be a prop. Don't see that many props over 6 feet, certainly not any that I can think of that are Terry's height (6'6").

6'6" and 110kgs is pretty much perfect for a lock.

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

This goes both ways. I respect the game of rugby and the game of american football. These athletes have trained most of their lives to play the sport they are in, so 6 months of training to play at an elite level of a sport they have probably never played wouldn't prove anything. Why would you put them against the All Blacks anyway? why not start with a much lesser team? LOL


Oh... but I thought they were light years ahead. My bad.

[Eric Jett]

Oh... but I thought they were light years ahead. My bad.

In terms of playing football, yes. In certain aspects of strength, yes. In playing rugby, no. In running around for extended periods, no.

And isn't one of the props for the All Blacks around 6'4"?

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

In terms of playing football, yes. In certain aspects of strength, yes. In playing rugby, no. In running around for extended periods, no.

And isn't one of the props for the All Blacks around 6'4"?

Yeah, Carl Hayman is 6'4 and 260lbs. I've stood next to him, pity I didn't get a picture.

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

My training partner (5'10 210lbs), Jonah Lomu (6'4 260lbs and FAST) and myself (6'4 1/2 and 292)

http://www.fortifiediron.com/invision/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=12897

Heres a video of him... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYt1TOSni4E

[Ian Duggan]

Yeah, Carl Hayman is 6'4 and 260lbs. I've stood next to him, pity I didn't get a picture.
Really? Wow. That's a BIG prop. Not the weight by itself, more the height.

Isn't it? Or have I missed the change in players again? All the Scottish props I've seen recently have been ~6 feet.

First time I saw a 15 stone winger a few years back I nearly fell off my seat...

[Ian Duggan]

My training partner (5'10 210lbs), Jonah Lomu (6'4 260lbs and FAST) and myself (6'4 1/2 and 292)
Oh yeah, of course, Lomu was the first really big winger I saw.

Knocking over English defenders like they were little children.

Marvelous...

You're not exactly a small you yourself then Jonathan. Did you play rugby?

Or is asking a Kiwi bloke that a bit like asking if the Pope wears a funny hat?

[Steve Ryan]

Like Terry said the sports are far too differant. My roomate is a world class (though American) rugby player, though a great athlete he wouldnt stand a chance in D-I football. Just like i am sure seemingly unbelievable American football players woould have a hell of a time playing an endurance sport such as rugby.

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

Oh yeah, of course, Lomu was the first really big winger I saw.

Knocking over English defenders like they were little children.

Marvelous...

You're not exactly a small you yourself then Jonathan. Did you play rugby?

Or is asking a Kiwi bloke that a bit like asking if the Pope wears a funny hat?

Haha yeah Ian, 1995 world cup (I lived in RSA at the time) NZ vs England is still etched in my mind. It was the craziest thign I had ever seen.

Yeah I played rugby from ages 7-17, stopped before my last year of school because I realised I didn't want to take the game any further outside of schools 1st xv. Then I swtiched my focus completely to shot putting and lifting.

Played lock till age 13 when the line out laws changed, then went to loosehead prop which I played till I stopped at my current height and 248 or so lbs.

[Terry_hollands]

If you don't mind me asking Terry, what level did you play at? I seem to remember reading or seeing somewhere that you'd been with Leicester at some point, but that might be my dodgy memory playing tricks on me again.

You were a second row right?

I played for Harlequins for 2 years then left there and played in New Zealand for a year.

I was more a number 8 than second row but have played both positions.

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

I played for Harlequins for 2 years then left there and played in New Zealand for a year.

I was more a number 8 than second row but have played both positions.


Terry, who did you play for in NZ?

[Terry_hollands]

Terry, who did you play for in NZ?

A club called southbridge about 40mins drive from Cristchurch

[Ian Duggan]

I played for Harlequins for 2 years then left there and played in New Zealand for a year.

I was more a number 8 than second row but have played both positions.
Cool, thanks man.

[Mike Landrich]

I would love the USA to take a team of elite NFL guys and train them at rugby for 6 months. Then play the All Blacks. They'd still get killed, just like the normal USA rugby team.

That's one of the most outlandish things I've seen on this forum. :confused: Take your vaunted All Blacks, train them for six months and have them play an NFL team, or even a college team at American Football. Sounds silly, doesn't it? Because it is silly. Athletes train their whole lives for their sport of choice. To think they could just change over, at a world class level, to another sport is 6 months is preposterous.