Raw strength at Premium Fitness Centre

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ALBERTON – Professional and amateur strongmen showed the force of their training in an exhibition of raw power, at Premium Fitness Centre, on Saturday, October 17.

Early on Saturday morning the professional athletes began by lifting an Opel Corsa.

The brawny men gradually increased the weight of the car by asking children attending the demonstration to sit inside. The athletes were only thwarted when all the children at the event were sitting in the car and two 50kg weights were added.

Amateur power lifters competed in a variety of events, including the Farmer’s Walk, where lifters walked with weights in each hand over a certain distance, and dead lifts that went up to a maximum of 300kg.

The camaraderie among the professional and amateur athletes was evident as the pros gave some first time competitors tips on their stance and grip. The friendship and support among the athletes was given as a reason for many of the professionals continuing to compete as strongmen despite injuries, long hours of training and expensive, high caloric diets.

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Samuel Frauenstein, a competitive strongman currently in physical recovery, stated: “You are never competing at 100 per cent; there is always something torn or hurt.

”You need mental toughness, too, every time you do a dead-lift you wonder if you’ll hurt yourself.”

Frauenstein shattered both his kneecaps and sustained two hip fractures while competing.

The winner of the amateur competition, Mohammed Gani, sustained a shoulder injury while competing in the last event. Second placed competitor Jeffery Cook received work-out supplements from Premium Fitness Centre.