For hundreds of years women have been showing their strength off. In times gone by this would have been at circuses and fairs or in vaudeville shows, now we have modern strongwomen lifting logs and loading stones. These certifications are designed for strongwomen looking for targets to achieve and a sense of satisfaction – it’s also a great way of rating your own abilities, and climbing a ladder if you can’t make competitions.
Video footage will be required, but this is easy in this day and age. Please contact for details.
Come and have a go!
GRIP STRENGTH FEATS
All claims should be accompanied with a video (Youtube, or disc sent to me, etc) unless it was done in a ratified contest. The video should show the full feat of strength. I reserve the right to fail any claim if I do not think it has passed all the criteria.
Only chalk is permitted as a grip aid, and no wrist or elbow wraps are allowed.
Loose Discs Pinch Lifting
RULES: Smooth sides of the discs are placed outwards and no fastening of the discs together with a bar is allowed. The lifter will straddle the discs, and grasping the top will lift the discs to a height where your hand is above knee height. Then you must lower it all under control. The lifting hand must not touch the legs or body. See video below.
1. Elizabeth Horne 2 x 20k York discs - 26 July 2009 - Stafford, England Video
Two Hands Pinch Lift (with Euro adjustable apparatus)
RULES: Here
1. Elizabeth Horne - 81.05k - 8 Apr 2012 at Britain's Strongest Hands - Stafford, England - Current WR
Hub Lifting
RULES: The lifter will straddle the disc, and grasping the hub with finger tips will lift the disc to a height of mid knees or above. Then you must lower it all under control. See video below.
1. Elizabeth Horne 45lb disc - Dec 2006 - Stafford, England Video at 16secs
Tearing Playing Cards
1. Elizabeth Horne Maverick playing cards - 14 Nov 2005 - Witness: Steve McGranahan - Stafford, England
Tearing Telephone Book/Catalogues
1. Elizabeth Horne 1,376 page Stafford Yellow Pages - 24 April 2007
- Stafford, England
Unbraced Bending
RULES: Here
BARS/BOLTS LEVEL OF DIFFICULTIES FOR BENDING
LEVEL 11 (Grade 5 bolt x 5” (Triangle Brand)
LEVEL 10 (Grade 5 bolt x 5.5” (Triangle Brand)
LEVEL 9 (Grade 5 bolt x 6” (Triangle Brand)
LEVEL 8 (Two 6” nails taped together)
LEVEL 7 (Grade 5 bolt x 6” (FNL Brand)
LEVEL 6 (6” nail with 5mm bar taped to it)
LEVEL 5 (6” nail with 4mm bar taped to it)
LEVEL 4 (IronMind Blue)
LEVEL 3 (171-180k 6mm cold rolled steel Challenge Bar)
LEVEL 2 (161-170k 6mm cold rolled steel Challenge Bar)
LEVEL 1 (151-160k 6mm cold rolled steel Challenge Bar)
1. Elizabeth Horne Bent a Grade 5 bolt x 6” (Triangle Brand) to 2" in 1 min 40 secs - UK Champion of Steel contest - 8 Sept 2007 - Great Haywood, England Video at 6min 39secs
2. Nakina "Benderella" Morales Bent a IronMind Blue - 6 Aug 2006 - Witness: Russell Hadland - Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA
(All the calibrated bars can be purchased from this website and the IronMind blue bar comes from IronMind. 5 minutes allowed for completion of the bend by strongwomen.)
STRONGWOMAN FEATS
All claims should be accompanied with a video (Youtube, or disc sent to me, etc) unless it was done in a ratified contest. The video should show the full feat of strength. I reserve the right to fail any claim if I do not think it has passed all the criteria.
Only chalk is permitted as a grip aid.
Log Lift, most weight
RULES: The lifter will lift the log from the floor/or tyres to overhead. See video below.
1. Gemma Taylor 110k - 2006 - Iceland Video
2. Aneta Florczyk 107.5k Europe's Strongest Woman contest - 8 Dec 2007 - Trondheim, Norway. Another Video
3. Kati Luoto 95k World Strongwoman Champs - 24 May 2008 - Tczew, Poland
3. Kristin Rhodes 95k World Strongwoman Champs - 24 May 2008 - Tczew, Poland
5. Josefin Brander 90k In contest - 2007 - Larvik, Norway Video
6. Kimberly Berbrier 81.6kg America's Strongest Woman contest - Sept 2008 - USA
7. Agata Wrobel 80kg Britain's Strongest Woman contest - 12 Aug 2007 - Bexhill, England
7. Bernie McKinley 80kg Britain's Strongest Woman contest - 12 Aug 2007 - Bexhill, England
7. Anki Oberg 80k World Strongwoman Champs - 24 May 2008 - Tczew, Poland
10. Amy Wattles 77.1k Idaho Snowman Challenge - 13 Feb 2010 - USA
10. Lacy Okey 77.1k Idaho Snowman Challenge - 13 Feb 2010 - USA
12. Hanne Bingle 75kg Britain's Strongest Woman contest - 12 Aug 2007 - Bexhill, England
13. Kristyn Vytlacil 72.5k Idaho Snowman Challenge - 13 Feb 2010 - USA
13. Sara Osler 72.5k Idaho Snowman Challenge - 13 Feb 2010 - USA
Farmers Walk, most weight
RULES: The lifter will lift the farmers and walk for as far as possible (minimum 10 metres). The distance will be measured from the front of the farmers to the front where they are dropped. Any height of handles is allowed, but if the farmers touch the floor at any point during the walk, this is deemed to be where the farmers were dropped. A ten metre distance with a heavier weight will beat a longer distance with a lighter weight. See video below.
1. Aneta Florczyk 2 x 135k Farmers for 35 metres
- Poland
2. Anna Rosen 2 x 135k Farmers - 2007 - Sweden Video
3. Anki Oberg 2 x 135k Farmers - 2007 - Sweden Video
4. Elizabeth Horne 2 x 110k Farmers for 10.64 metres - 26 Feb 2008
- Stafford, England Video
5. Kristyn Vytlacil 2 x 97.5k (215lb) Farmers for 27.43 metres (90ft) - USA Video
6. Kimberly Berbrier 2 x 92.9k (205lb) Farmers for 21.33 metres (70ft) (1 turn) - USA Video
Farmers Walk for distance with 2 x 70k (154lb) farmers
RULES: The lifter will lift the farmers and walk for as far as possible. The distance will be measured from the front of the farmers to the front where they are dropped. Any height of handles is allowed, but if the farmers touch the floor at any point during the walk, this is deemed to be where the farmers were dropped. See video below.
1. Aneta Florczyk 2 x 70k Farmers for 150 metres (5 turns) (WR) 2007 - Poland Video
2. Elizabeth Horne 2 x 70k Farmers for 101 metres (1 turn) - 26 Mar 2008
- Stafford, England
Axle for reps in 75 secs 65k (143lb)
RULES: The lifter will lift the axle (2" barbell) from the floor to overhead, and lower to the floor on each rep. Any lift partially done when the 75 secs ends is discounted. See video below.
1. Aneta Florczyk 65k for 13 reps - 2007 - Poland Video
Axle for reps in 75 secs 50k (110lb)
RULES: The lifter will lift the axle (2" barbell) from the floor to overhead, and lower to the floor on each rep. Any lift partially done when the 75 secs ends is discounted. See video above.
1. Elizabeth Horne 50k for 7 reps - 12 Feb 2008
- Stafford, England Video
Conans 2" bar/axle hold for 30secs
RULES: The lifter will lift the axle (2" barbell) in the crook of her elbows, preferably from some racks or similar. The time will start when you have lifted the weight, and finish when you have put it down. No resting the bar on a powerlifting belt is allowed, so it's best to use an ordinary belt.
1. Elizabeth Horne 202.1k - 11 Mar 2008
- Stafford, England
Front Squat for weight
RULES: The bar will be taken from the support stands and fixed across the chest, resting on the configuration of the clavicles, upper chest and shoulders. The feet must be parallel and in a straight line. Once the lifter has established foot and hand spacing, he/she will be given the command to squat. After such command, any movement of feet or hands is a disqualification. The lifter must lower his/her body during the lift to a depth in which the articulation of the hip joint is below the articulation of the knee. The lifter will recover (stand) without command. The lift ends on command when the lifter is fully recovered with legs straight and body erect. The lifter may be assisted back to the support stands after the command. Gripping of the bar is optional. The arms and legs may not touch the legs during the conduct of the lift.
No squat suit is allowed, only knee wraps and a belt are allowed.
1. Elizabeth Horne 90k - 15 Feb 2008
- Stafford, England Video
Curl against the Wall
RULES: The lifter will hold an ez bar and rest their buttock, upper back and head against a wall, preferably the end of a wall is good to use. Legs can be bent, but heels are to be no further than 12" away from the wall. With your arms straight the lifter will curl the bar up to their chin in one continuous smooth ascent. Any uneven extension, or lowering of the body is cause for failure. Once the bar is fully curled the ref will say down, and the bar is to be lowered under control.
1. Elizabeth Horne 45k - 21 Feb 2008
- Stafford, England Video
Online length converter here
Online weight converter here
Rules can be sent to anyone interested, and other events may be added depending on the success.
