Anyone who has cable TV will have experienced those oft-too-frequent times when, across [insert number of channels here] channels, there's nothing on that's worth watching... or at least that's how it seems...
...so you go channel surfing in the forlorn hope that you might stumble over something interesting enough to hold your attention.
And that's how I came to be watching "The World's Strongest Man", a competition for the over muscled, where the girth of a single arm was greater than Dr J's waist.
Leaving the concerns of the World Sports Anti Doping Agency aside for now, this competition was a brilliantly conceived test of strength in the real world. Each event was an every day application of power, agility, endurance, toughness and finesse.
Anyone can press... but it takes real skill to heave a cannon ball down a track, against a clock and your oponent who's trying to perform the same feat right next to you. If you were on a man-o-war, having a few of these guys on board might save your life (not to mention your back).
Try flipping over a 300kg (660lb) pole, against a clock and your oponent through a multiple pole course. I'm sure there are construction companies the world over wishing they had these guys on the team.
Anyone here in Oz will appreciate the Keg Toss, and yes, those kegs are full, though current OH&S regulations might curtail the demand for this skill.
Those cars weigh 900kg (1980lb), the clock's ticking and it's a long way to the finish line. How many times have you thought "now, if I could just carry my car home..."
By the way, the guy carrying the car is Bill Pfister, a fireman from somewhere in middle America, and the eventual winner. If I ever need to be rescued from a fire, I want Bill to do it because I weigh considerably less than 900kg.
WSM... Olympic weight lifting on some pretty serious steroids... probably the same 'roids that some of the contestants... oh... no... Chester... don't be so unkind.
Oh... and thanks to IMG Media for the pics. I hope they don't mind. For more, go here.
8 comments:
What always amazes me about these chaps is the size of their tummies, they aren't svelt by any means. I think it means they really get out and enjoy ALL the good things of life, as well as lift weights.
I said much the same thing to Dr J. She said something about their exercise regimes being all weight and no aerobics. I suppose she'd know.
As far as I know, a lot of these guys take HGH, human growth hormone, which increases the size of their intesines. It is not uncommon to see amateur body builders with guts that stick out.
Right, note to self, do NOT take HGH!
Oh... don't get me started on HGH.
If you're under 35... BAD.
If you're over 45... GOOD.
In between's a grey area.
A common side effect for someone taking HGH too young is that gap between their front teeth. (Yes, I know, some people have the gap and it has nothing to do with HGH)
If you take HGH too young, everything grows, including the jaw (hence the gap).
And if you're over 45 and take HGH without knowing what you're doing, that's bad too.
So, Mouse... amend note to self... HGH over 45... investigate... talk to a doctor who knows what they're doing (there are few).
The problem with taking HGH is that it severely impacts the bodies ability to produce it's own growth hormones. So if you start taking it, you really need to keep it up...
I just keep looking at the canon-ball pic, wondering how bad it would hurt to drop that on your toe.
Koda, unlike some other things you might take, supplementing your HGH does NOT down-regulate natural HGH production. The fact is that natural HGH production, along with the production of most things the body makes or absorbs, declines at a rate of roughly 1% a year from the age of about 25, so that by the time you're 80, you're making virtually none. This decline corresponds almost exactly with the decrease in lean muscle mass, the increase in body fat, and the increase in incidence of diseases normally associated with ageing.
Please don't believe the propagandists... thst is, the drug companies, ill informed politicians and bureaucrats, much of the medical profession, and well intentioned at the WSADA. They all have some interest (be it financial or otherwise) in making you believe that which is not true.
Modulating your HGH levels (along with a raft of other hormones, enzymes, nutrients and minerals) when you hit about 40ish will prolong your lifespan, improve your healthspan and lift your mood dramatically. The problem is, it's far too expensive for the average punter... a full program would cost you about $600 - $700 a month.
Over-muscled body builders, on the other hand, really don't get that much benefit from HGH alone, and that's where the anabolic steriods come into play (HGH is not an anabolic steriod). (Which is not to accuse any of the competitors in WSM of taking any illicit substances.)
And yes, ouch... and an even bigger ouch if one of those kegs lans in the wrong place.
The Problem with HGH is that it makes people dispute your home run record.
Now if only Comcast would include ESPN in my basic cable package.
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