Good afternoon Titans,
One of my primary goals when I set out on this journey was to help grow the strength community in the state of Louisiana. Luckily, I’ve discovered a few people in the state that have the same goals. Conquistador Strength, owned by Collin Cortez and located in Lafayette, LA is putting on their second strongman competition this year on April 13
th. This will be a NAS sanctioned competition and will be held during Sportshack’s Expo and Sale day. I, along with several members of the Atlas Strength Shop intend to compete in it. If you’re reading this and are anywhere within driving distance of Louisiana, you should compete in it too and help strength culture grow in our state.
So, what are the events?
The Axel Clean and Press
The very first event is an axel clean and press for reps. Starting from the floor the competitor has one minute to clean the axel and press it for as many reps as possible. What makes the axel different from a standard barbell is two-fold.
First, the axel is thicker, two inches rather than the standard one. Second the axel is a fixed implement, unlike a standard barbell with rotating sleeves. As a result of these differences the clean is slightly different.
The Husafell Carry
Based on the legendary lifting stone. This will be a front carry for 100 feet for one straight shot. The original stone weighed 186 kilograms (409 pounds) and was used to hold open the door of a goat pen. Used as a test of strength for over 200 years the idea was to pick up the stone and carry it around the perimeter of the pen. The stone being used in April will be a replica. Most likely metal and loaded with iron or sand weight. The weight will be different depending on the weight class, but the spirit of the old lift will be there. This is probably the event that I’m the most excited about.
The Super Yoke Walk
This event looks heavy as hell but thank God it’s only 50 feet long and at the very most 60 seconds of actual work. With the weight loaded on your back each athlete will have 60 seconds to carry their weight 50 feet for a straight shot. You can drop the weight if you need to but do not push or drag the weight or else, you’ll suffer a time penalty of two seconds. Stay tight and load the yoke into a high bar position for the best performance.
Max Jefferson Deadlift
This will be a rising bar event with only three attempts so choose them wisely. Don’t miss either or you’re out. For men the weights will jump by 40 lbs. while the women will have 20 lbs. jumps. Unlike a traditional deadlift the Jefferson Deadlift is characterized by the bar splitting the legs. Foot and hand position is up to the lifter.
Stone Over Bar for Reps
The final event will be an atlas stone over bar for reps. This one is exactly what it sounds like. If the weight feels light for you then I suggest one motioning this event. When it starts getting heavy, you’ll have to lap the stone first before putting it over the bar. Currently the height of the bar is unknown.
I plan on writing articles and recording tutorials on each of these movements in the weeks leading up to the competition so if you’re competing in the Swamp Monster Shootout be sure to keep your eyes open for that. If you want to find out more about the competition you can find all the information
here on the Facebook event page and
here on the Strongman Corporation website. Also, don’t forget to
follow our Facebook here and our
Instagram here. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at
cameron@atlasstrengthshop.com
Release the Titan in You,
Cameron Ray
