Strongman Corporation Athlete Info Overview
Updated December 31, 2025.
All rules below are effective beginning January 1, 2026 (unless specifically stated otherwise).
This document covers the following topics:
- Eligibility and Age Requirements
- Membership Info
- Weight Classes
- Weigh-in Rules and Standards
- Pro Cards and Classes
- Qualification Standards and Dates
- How to Find Competitions
- Novice and Open Categories
If you’re looking for information about promoting or licensing a competition, check out the “Host A Show” page.
1. Eligibility and age Requirements
Athletes must be at least 12 years old to compete. Anyone under the age of 18 must have permission from a parent or guardian, and the parent or guardian must register the athlete and sign any applicable waivers for individual competitions. To compete in the “Teen” division, athletes must be 19 years old (or younger) on the day of competition.
2. MEMBERSHIP INFO
Memberships are fully digital and can be purchased on the Strongman Corporation website: https://strongmancorporation.com/memberships/
Membership rates:
- Adult 1-year membership: $87.50
- Adult 3-year membership: $225 (Note that these stopped being sold on January 1, 2025. Current 3-year memberships will be honored through their expiration date.)
- Teen 1-year membership: $52
Memberships are valid for a full year from the date of purchase. Beginning later in 2026, members will have the option of using auto-renew for a discounted renewal rate of $70 each year. If auto-renew is not selected, the standard annual rate will apply.
Strongman Corporation uses Member365 for managing, viewing, and selling memberships. This allows athletes to view, renew, and update their membership at any time online.
When weighing in for a competition, athletes will need to show proof of membership to the promoter – including an athlete number and membership expiration date. It’s recommended to save a screenshot of your card on your phone for easy access, or set up your online portal with Member365 prior to weigh-ins so you can show a digital version of your card.
It’s also recommended to purchase a membership at least 3 days prior to competition to allow time for processing, or in case something goes wrong or you need help.
Strongman Corporation does not recognize memberships from other sports, federations, or organizations. The only place to purchase a Strongman Corporation membership is on the official Strongman Corporation website.
3. Weight and Age Classes
Starting in 2026, ALL Strongman Corporation competitions at every level will use kilogram classes. This provides clarity and consistency across all Strongman Corporation events and brings Strongman Corporation in line with national and international standards across strength sports globally.
In 2025, Strongman Corporation began transitioning weight classes from pounds to kilograms. For all of 2025, promoters were given the option to use the old classes that are in pounds or the current classes that are in kilograms. This means some 2025 competitions used classes in pounds and some were in kilograms. Moving forward, ALL competitions will use kilogram classes only.
For additional clarity, the kilograms are for weight classes only, not events/implements. The event weights can still be listed in pounds. The only thing in kilograms are the athletes’ bodyweight.
Amateur and Pro Women:
- 57kg – amateur only
- 64kg
- 73kg
- 82kg
- Heavyweight (above 82kg)
Amateur and Pro Men:
- 80kg
- 90kg
- 105kg
- 120kg – amateur only
- Heavyweight (above 120kg)
Masters 40+ and 50+ Women:
- 64kg
- 73kg
- 82kg
- Heavyweight (above 82kg)
Masters 40+ and 50+ Men:
- 80kg
- 90kg
- 105kg
- Heavyweight (above 105kg)
Note that there are no “subclasses” in Strongman Corporation. Promoters may elect to combine classes at Local competitions based on registration numbers and will inform athletes in a timely manner if that is the case. When classes are combined, the new class will use the body weight of the heavier class and (generally) the competition weights of the lighter class.
4. Weigh-in Rules and Standards
Weigh-ins can be conducted up to 24 hours prior to the competition start time. Exact time and location of weigh-ins is up to the promoter.
All athletes must weigh in with some kind of clothing. At minimum, all athletes must wear underwear that covers the genitals; and women must wear a sports bra or similar chest covering. Athletes can wear more clothing if they’d like.
Weigh-ins are conducted in kilograms (i.e. the scale is set to kilos, not pounds). There is no rounding and no conversions. There is also no “allowance” for clothing. For example, an athlete competing in the 90kg class must weigh in at 90.0kg or less.
In the instance that weight classes are combined, athletes will need to weigh in under the weight of the heavier class.
Exact bodyweight does not need to be recorded for athletes in heavyweight classes, but all athletes do need to attend weigh-ins, and it is recommended that promoters indicate in some way that the athlete has checked in and shown proof of membership.
5. Pro Cards and Classes
Athletes may earn a Pro Card at Strongman Corporation Nationals, the Arnold, and at select Pro/Am competitions. Becoming a Pro gives the athlete the opportunity to compete at invitation-only events throughout the year, including America’s Strongest Man and America’s Strongest Woman. Qualification and invitation standards vary for each Pro event.
Additional details about Pro Cards, Pro weight classes, competitions, eligibility, etc can be found on the “Pro Athlete Info & Resources” page.
Pro Cards from other federations are not recognized by Strongman Corporation.
A record of current Strongman Corporation Pro athletes is under construction and will be available in the future.
6. Qualification Standards and Dates
A full list of athletes qualified for higher level competitions can be found on the Strongman Corporation website under “Qualified Athletes.” Note that adding athletes to this list is a manual process, so it doesn’t happen instantly.
Local and Regional Competitions
Open to all athletes, no qualification is required.
Amateur National Championship
Athletes must compete in an open division (i.e. not Novice or Masters) at a Local, Regional, or Pro/Am competition to qualify for Nationals. Athletes may compete up or down *one* weight class from their qualifying class. (For example, if an athlete qualifies in the 82kg class they may compete in 73kg, 82kg, or Open.)
Qualifying Dates for Amateur Nationals
Competitions 4-8 weeks before Nationals can qualify for the upcoming Nationals or Nationals the following year, but not both. This is at the athlete’s discretion. Competitions less than 4 weeks before Nationals qualify for Nationals the following year. All other competitions qualify for the upcoming Nationals.
Qualifying Athletes for Amateur Nationals
The number of qualifying athletes depends on the number of athletes competing on the day of competition and the level of the competition. For a the most up to date information about qualifying for Nationals, visit our Qualifications Standards page.
Teen and Masters competitors need to qualify following the same standards as the open classes, but they can compete in any Nationals weight class they are eligible for (i.e. they do not need to qualify in that class).
America’s Strongest Master
Masters are athletes aged 40+ or 50+ at the time of competition. All Local competitions are encouraged to hold Masters classes, but not all are able to, so Masters often compete in Novice or Open categories.
For a the most up to date information about qualifying for America’s Strongest Master, visit our Qualifications Standards page.
America’s Strongest Teen
America’s Strongest Teen has separate divisions for age, weight, and gender. Age classes are 12-14yr, 15-17yr, and 18-19yr. Weight and gender classes are the same as Open divisions. Weight classes may be combined based on turnout, but age and gender divisions always remain the same.
AST is open to all athletes who competed during the year in an Open, Teen, or Novice competition; and are age 19 or younger at the time of America’s Strongest Teen (not only at the time of the qualifying competition).
To increase accessibility to AST, athletes may also qualify online. Online qualification standards are posted annually and generally include three lifts that athletes can perform at most “regular” gyms: barbell clean and press for reps (any style), max deadlift, and front hold. For the most up to date information on AST qualifications, follow @americasstrongestteen on Instagram.
Athletes who competed at a local competition in a class that was not explicitly defined as “Teen” may not have been captured in Strongman Corporation’s system and added to the list of qualified athletes. If you or your teen fall into that category, you can contact Strongman Corporation directly to confirm eligibility by emailing admin@strongmancorporation.com.
Pro/Am Competitions
Pro/Am competitions have classes for Pro/Am, Amateur, and sometimes Novice athletes.
The Amateur and Novice classes at these competitions are open to any athlete like any other competition. Some classes will be designated as Pro/Am, meaning the class is open to both Amateur and Pro athletes. There are no qualification standards to compete in this class, but weights and events will reflect the Pro level of the sport.
Podium placement at a Pro/Am competition may qualify Amateur athletes to receive a Pro card and/or qualify for future competitions (like Nationals or Arnold Pro/Am). These qualifications vary by event and are based on the number of athletes on competition day. Please refer to the rules for the specific competition or ask the event promoter for details.
Arnold Pro/Am & Lightweight/MIddleweight World Championships
Athletes may qualify for the Arnold at Strongman Corporation Nationals, Regionals, Pro/Ams, and other select competitions. At each competition, the number of qualifying athletes varies based on the number of competitors on competition day as well as the level of the competition.
Current Pros can compete at the Arnold in any weight class without doing a qualifying competition.
For a the most up to date information about qualifying for the Arnold, visit our Qualification Standards page.
Arnold Masters World Championship
Athletes may qualify for the Arnold Masters World Championship at America’s Strongest Master, Strongman Corporation Nationals, Regionals, Pro/Ams, and other select events. At each event, the number of qualifying athletes varies based on the number of competitors on competition day as well as from event-to-event.
Qualifications at other select events vary. Please see the qualification guidelines for the specific event and talk to the promoter for details.
For a the most up to date information about qualifying for the Arnold Masters competition, visit our Qualification Standards page.
America’s Strongest Man and Woman
America’s Strongest Man and Woman are invite-based competitions open to current Strongman Corporation Pro athletes as well as select athletes that have qualified through other means. Only American citizens and residents are eligible to compete in the America’s Strongest series.
Amateur Athletes may also qualify for ASM/W at select Pro/Am competitions and other high-level events throughout the year. Standards vary by year and by weight class.
For a the most up to date information about qualifying for America’s Strongest, visit our Qualification Standards page.
Additional information about each individual competition in the series can be found on the Strength.Events website as it becomes available.
Strongman Corporation does not consider competition or athletic resumes in offering bids to America’s Strongest. Only athletes who meet the published standards are eligible. If you’ve read the standards and have additional questions about your personal eligibility, email Strongman Corporation at admin@strongmancorporation.com.
7. How to find competitions
The best place to find Strongman Corporation licensed competitions is through the Strongman Corporation website (https://strongmancorporation.com/upcoming_events/).
Note that not all competitions you find outside of the Strongman Corporation website are licensed by Strongman Corporation. These events may require additional fees or memberships. Your Strongman Corporation membership is valid for any event publicly and officially licensed by Strongman Corporation.
8. Novice or open?
“Should I enter Novice or Open?” is one of the most frequently asked questions for promoters and coaches. Strongman Corporation acknowledges that there is nuance in this answer and that the final answer is “it depends.”
An athlete’s first stop for guidance should always be their coach. The second stop is to reach out to the promoter. The promoter will have the best guidance based on their competition, the selected weights and events, and how the weight classes are shaping up based on registrations. If the coach, athlete, and promoter struggle to come to an agreement, they should reach out to their local State Representative for guidance.
In terms of general guidance, Strongman Corporation’s official stance is the following:
The Novice class is intended for athletes early in their strongman competition journey or for whom Open class standards are legitimately unattainable at the time of the competition.
The Novice class is open to all first-time competitors in Strongman Corporation, regardless of prior experience in other sports or strength disciplines.
No athlete is “required” to sign up as a Novice. Any first-time strongman competitor may elect to compete in Open.
Generally speaking, athletes are encouraged to move to the Open class if they have previously competed as a Novice and placed in the top 3 in a division of 8 or more, top 2 in a division of 5-7, or won a division of 3-4 athletes.
Strongman Corporation encourages all athletes to push themselves to reach personal bests and compete in a division that will challenge them rather than a division that allows them to cruise through or beat up on other athletes.
Strongman Corporation trusts individual licensed promoters to make the final and official decision on athletes competing in Novice for their specific competitions.