On Sunday 11/11 Building Your Temple Fitness hosted event 1 of 6 for the Pure Michigan Strongman Record Breakers Series with a 1RM axle Deadlift from standard floor height. This Series is a first ever Strongman competition that spans 6 months. We meet the second Sunday of each month at different strongman training facilities and complete 1 lift to set a new Michigan record, at the end of the 6 months each lifter who completes 5 of 6 events will be scored against others in their weight class where the winner will receive a bid to nationals. Those who don’t want to compete in at least 5 events can pick and choose events signing up for just one of the events at a time.

Event 1 saw 18 competitors that signed up for all 6 events, with 5 more events to go I look forward to the camaraderie that these 18 athletes will have when we are wrapped up. My favorite part of the competition was the lift off we had as 2 SHWs tied on their last lift at 700lbs, we went to sudden death adding 10lbs to the bar and both athletes lifted 710 in front of a crowd that was on its feet cheering the place went nuts. We loaded 10 more pounds on the axle taking it to 720lbs, Mighty Sam Clapper was first up as the bar started to lift the cheers got louder. Sam got the axle to his knees but wasn’t able to lock it out, that’s when the Gothic Strongman Chuck Northrop slowly stepped up to the bar knowing that 720 would be a lifetime PR. You could see the nervousness on his face as he strapped in to set the Michigan Axle Deadlift record, the nervousness left his face as he set his feet in place and all of a sudden with what looked like little effort he ripped that 720lbs off of the floor like it was a warm up set. The longest deadlift and the heaviest of all the women goes to Brianne Frayne on her last lift of the day of 400lbs. Brie had a case of the deadlift shakes, which led to the deadlift shimmy and hitch but the longest part of the whole lift was her trying to get her shoulders back behind the bar.

Event Schedule:

11/11 1RM axle DL (standard height) @3rd annual pull for hope

⁃ 3 attempts

12/9 1RM Log Press 12” for men 10” for women

⁃ 3 attempts

1/13 Max distance yoke walk 60 sec 850 Men’s Open 650Mens Light weight and Masters

450 womens HW 350 Light weight and Masters

⁃ No drops, 2 attempts, best run is scored

2/10 1RM 2” axle overhead press

⁃ 3 attempts

3/10 Max distance Farmers walk 60 sec 320 Men’s Open 280Mens Light weight and Masters

175 womens HW 135 Light weight and Masters

⁃ No drops, 2 attempts, best run is scored

4/14 20” stone of steel over bar for reps 50” for men 42” for women

320 Men’s Open 280Mens Light weight and Masters 175 womens HW 130 Light weight and Masters