Phil Pfister

A Man Who Will Actually Do the Heavy Lifting
By:Jeffrey Lara

In the Article by Ira Berkow he writes about the human giant Phil Pfister which was actually 2006 Worlds Strongest man. Phil stands 6’6 345 lbs and is one of the top USA strength athletes. Phil has been featured on David Leatherman flipping a car and talking about his title of the World’s strongest man. Along with Phil’s success as a strongman he is a fireman in Charleston West Virginia.
Phil is known as the gentle giant in strongman, he is one of the most widely known strength athletes due to his size and overall dedication to his sport. Even though Phil is getting older he is getting better, now in 2010 he is the strongest he has ever been which is surprising but not farfetched. It seems Phil is more relaxed now that he is older which allows him to do better. Phil is a very exciting athlete to watch because of his absolute intensity to get things done.
Phil seems to impress every year by getting bigger and stronger and more experienced in every event. Even though Phil is such a monster of a man he said he never played sports in high school it wasn’t until after college that he decided to try strongman and now he is unbelievably strong and good at the sport. Phil still does not know when he will retire, he feels his years aren’t up yet and he still has room to improve as an athlete. Phil continues to impress and its not out of the question if he will win another title.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/sports/othersports/17strong.html

Lousiana Oil Spill

Louisiana Oil Spill 2010
By: Jeffrey Lara

The catastrophic explosion that caused an oil spill from a BP offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico has reached the shoreline. The leak is currently releasing 5,000 barrels of oil per day, and efforts to manage the spill with controlled burning, dispersal and plugging the leak were unsuccessful. This oil spill is on track to become the worst oil spill in history, surpassing the damage done by the Exxon Valdez tanker that spilled 11 million gallons of oil into the ecologically sensitive Prince William Sound in 1989. Unlike the Exxon Valdez tragedy, in which a tanker held a finite capacity of oil, BP's rig is tapped into an underwater oil well and could pump more oil into the ocean indefinitely until the leak is plugged. It seems all hope is lost for the oil, it seems strange that the U.S can solve possibly everything yet they can’t solve something that seems to be so easily fixed.

Travis Ortmayer USA

Travis Ortmayer USA
By:Jeffrey Lara

In the article by Mike Westerling he talks about the upcoming of USA strongman Travis Ortmayer which has been stealing the scene recently with his athleticism and intensity. Travis is known as being the king of the stones which is a title he earned for loading a 500 lb atlas stone. Travis started in the sport by surprise, he went to a competition with a buddy of his and didn’t plan to do it until the night before and ended up placing 3rd and since then he hasn’t looked back.Since then Travis has competed in such competitions as IFSA, Arnold classic and Fortisimus and of course the Met-Rx Worlds Strongest man. Travis is now one of the top strongman in the USA having placed 6th place in 2009 Worlds strongest man competition is a huge accomplishment for only having been a professional for 5 years. Ortmayer seems to impress many people with his intensity and heart towards the sport. Travis placed 6th in Worlds having awful flu symptoms, some say he would have placed much better at full potential, yet he still put on a show and dominated. Ortmayer is in the top rank of USA athletes such as Derek Poundstone, Kevin Nee, and Brian Shaw. Travis is always ready to put on a show for fans. He is always a fire in the crowd and seems to keep a fire burning that will eventually get Travis the Worlds title.

http://www.marunde-muscle.com/articles/ortmayer_interview.html

Jon Stuart

1. Jon Stuart is in many ways a journalist because of the information he does his reports on. Jon does his reports on news that we hear on any other channel except he makes in fun to watch.

2.Things that may consider him a journalist are that he reports on local news and is politically correct about pretty much everything. jon Stuart also reports the daily news as the title of his show is.

3.the show is different from other mainstream journailsts because Jon is a comedian and makes the news much more intriguing to watch.

4.Because he kind of makes fun of what he is doing, as where journalists take their jobs very seriously. Jon makes the way he does his show funny and satirical

What it takes to be a strongman

What it takes to be a Strongman
By: Jeffrey Lara

Since the year 2005 when I Jeffrey Lara was in 8th grade my dream of becoming the World’s strongest man started. Ever since I was in the 4th grade I started lifting at the Red Banks YMCA, I lifted so once I got to high school I would have no problems lifting weights on either a team or for myself. This passion grew stronger and by the time I hit the 7th grade I was dead lifting 400 lbs and bench pressing over 225. Once I hit the 8th grade I was weighing close to 230 and was as strong as most high school seniors. When high school started I played football and loved it but I also realized that I had my dream peeking behind me the whole time, I wanted to be a strongman so I signed up for my first competition in Linden NJ, I did pretty well counting the fact that it was my first heavy weight teens competition. From then on my mind was set, I wanted to win my pro card and win the World’s strongest man. So far I have come in 3rd in the NJ Strongest man competition and have placed well in a couple of big competitions. My strength has increased so much because the 5,000 calorie intake I have each day, my diet consists of around 5 meals containing chicken, meat, or fish. The reason I love the sport of Strongman is because when you win it is because you put the time and effort to win. This sport allows you to truly test your mind because you may do bad in the first event and you must have the confidence to continue for the next events, as where in other sports you depend on who is winning by the 3rd quarter to determine who wins, the guy who comes in last place in the first event still may win the competition if he dominates the last 4 or 5 events. My plans as a strongman are to win my pro- card either during my senior year of high school or within the first 2 years of college, I still have some more weight to gain which usually takes time counting the fact that I lift in the gym 5 days a week and am training outdoors 2-3 times a week on strongman events, which burn hundreds of calories. My dream is to win the World’s strongest man not only because I love the sport, but it is easily the most prestigious title a man can win.

Kevin Nee USA

Kevin Nee USA

By: Jeffrey Lara

In the article by Matt lynch he talks about the young and aspiring strongman named Kevin Nee. Kevin is from a small town called Hopedale where he grew up and was the star of his basketball team. He has been competing in Strongman since the age of 15 and now at age 24 he is one of the most dominant strength athletes in the US. Kevin was first acknowledged by the media when he appeared on MTV’s true life I want the perfect body 2, where it showed the lengths he went to become a professional strongman, on the episode Kevin came in 2nd place which didn’t allow him to take his pro- card. What a pro card does is it allows you to compete in the biggest competitions in the world and allows you to be paid for your winnings. Kevin is known as the youngest professional strongman to ever make it to the World’s strongest man, him making it in at age 19 was a huge deal for him. Kevin was always a skinny kid, he started lifting weights at age 12 to add muscle to his frame when he played basketball. Kevin was noticed by the guys in the gym and eventually was asked to start competing, years later he became addicted to the sport and threw everything else on the back burner. Kevin Nee went from weighing 245 as a professional strongman to 301; Kevin is now one of the top American athletes next to Derek Poundstone and Brian Shaw etc. Kevin is known as an extremely hard working athlete; having torn both his biceps in the past 3 years shows that he is nothing short of a strongman. Kevin is slowly making an impact in the strongman industry; having companies wanting to sponsor him is no joke. Kevin is now one of the greatest strongman dead lifters in the strongman industries being able to pull over 900lbs makes him an athlete with one of the strongest backs in the world. Kevin Nee continues to impress and his overall dream is to eventually win the World’s Strongest Man title. He still has a lot of work to do, weighing 301 is considered heavy to a lot of people but for a strongman that is considered small by most standards. Kevin is said to be the next Marius Pudzianowski, which was the 5 times Worlds Strongest man champion. Kevin Nee definitely has a bright future ahead of him, the size will come but the heart that he has will always stay the same.

Bill kazmaier

Bill Kazmaier
By: Jeffrey Lara

Some may not know who Bill Kazmaier really was. In the article Bill Kazmaier by Curtis Dennis Jr. he tells us a little bit about the legendary Kazmaier or Kaz as most people called him. Kazmaier was the first man to win the Worlds Strongest man title 3 times in a row. Bill started out as a great high school football player, receiving a scholarship to play at Wisconsin University as a full back. Bill soon came to realize that his love for lifting put everything else on the back burner. Bill went on to break several world records in the bench press, making him a world champion power lifter. Power lifting is a sport that consists of the bench press, squat and dead lift, unlike strongman these are all lifts you do in one motion. Once Bill became a renowned power lifter he was invited the World’s strongest man in 1980 which he ended up winning that year and 1981 and 1982 which made him the first man to ever win the World’s strongest man competition consecutive for 3 straight years. Bill kazmaier was known for his unbelievable strength and ambition to win, some say that there is none like the great Bill kazmaier; he won the 1981 Worlds Strongest man title even with a torn pectoral. Kazmaier was so dominating for those 3 years that he wasn’t invited back until 1988 where he came in 2nd to Jon Pall Sigmarsson. It is said that Bill could have won at least 5 titles if he wasn’t suspended from the competition for 5 years. Kazmaier is still known as the U.S.A’s greatest strength athlete and is said to be considered the single most studied human being in history.Kazmaier was an absolute beast of a man, he had this inner rage that none could match, he terrified people with just the look in his eyes but Bill Kazmaiers days of heavy lifting came to an end with torn pectorals so bad he has a permanent hole in his chest and quads so beat up that it hurts to walk. He still lives today as the announcer at the Met-Rx Worlds Strongest man, teaching other strength athletes about strongman and proper training. Students at the University of Auburn still study the strength he with held. Now is the year of 2010 and the weight in the World’s Strongest man are increased, the athletes are bigger and faster, and yet out of all the Strength athletes to have ever walked the planet they say that Bill Kazmaier would have been the only one who would have been battling it out with competitors such as 5x WSM winner Marius Pudzianowski and even the most widely known strongman Zydrunas Savickas. Bill Kazmaier will always be known as the greatest strength athlete of all time.

linked to this article

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/dennis79.htm

Marius Pudzianowski

Who is the Dominator?
By: Jeffrey Lara

The five time Worlds Strongest man champion is Marius Pudzianowski. Marius has the most titles in the sport of strongman and is considered by many the strongest man ever. Marius has been competing in strength athletics since the age of 13 which is why his experience is so much greater than those he competes with. Marius is sponsored by many companies which allows him to support himself. He also owns a chain of food markets making his income very great, this allows him to train longer hours, but even though he holds these riches Marius never comes to a competition unprepared, he is always ready for anything and his will to win is always very powerful. He holds many names including the dominator, super Marius and the python. Marius is the best Scandinavian strength athlete of all time, he is said to be the greatest strongman to have ever competed in the sport. Most say that the reason Marius wins so much is because he doesn’t love anything more than winning. Marius is not only a great competitor but a great entertainer; unlike most strongman athletes Marius keeps a well cut physique which makes him look more like a very athletic body builder. Marius has competed in over 100 competitions and always placing very well in all of them. Marius is said to be pretty much unstoppable in every sport he does Marius has retired from strongman in the year of 2010 to take on a career in mma. After his first fight winning in 20 seconds was an absolute astonishment counting the fact that the man he fought was a veteran to the sport. Marius is currently undefeated.

The Worlds Fourth Strongest man

In this article The Worlds Fourth Strongest Man by Paul Solotaroff he talks about rising Pro Strongman Derek Poundstone which has overcame so much . Derek has overcome so much in his lifetime and he is now one of the most famous strength athletes of all time. Poundstone has fought drug abuse and mental abuse, and yet he was able to come out on top. Poundstoneeven tore a major muscle in his back and was told he would never lift again and yet he came back and broke several records. Derek Poundstone is now ranked as the 4th strongest man on the planet but in some people eyes he is looked at as the strongest man ever, he has only placed less than 1st recently because of minor mental mistakes. Poundstone is said to be easily the greatest U.S athlete in strength athletics right now. He has only been a pro strongman for about 5 years now and at age 29 he is absolutely dominant, Derek is going to easily take the title next year, his training is spot on and he pretty much hasn’t missed a beat in years.

Linked to this Article

http://www.mensjournal.com/the-worlds-fourth-strongest-man

Strongman

Strongman in the United States?

By: Jeffrey Lara

The United States has always been the underdog in Strength athletics, especially in strongman for the past 10-15 years. Most might not even know what strongman is, you’ve possibly seen it on television and thought hey! Those guys are a bunch of meatheads lifting massive weights that would add up to more than your mini van but in reality it is a sport much like any other sport it has a point system much like any other sport but instead of shooting a basket or scoring a touchdown you are lifting cars, pulling Mack trucks and lifting circular atlas stones that weigh more than your refrigerator.
Some would say why is the U.S not doing well if we are the best in everything else?
Most would think we would be the best in everything counting that fact that we have the most worldwide known gyms in the world and are the best at pretty much every sport. The last best group of U.S strongmen was in 1980’s-1990’s then after that athletes from the Netherlands and other such countries such as Poland and Iceland have been dominating the sport until recently, the U.S has had a change in luck since the year 2005 when a group of Strongmen from all over the U.S have been taking the sport by storm. Americans Kevin Nee, Derek Poundstone, Travis Ortmayer, Brian Shaw and Dave Ostlund are some of the names of the reigning U.S Strongmen who have been extremely dominant over the past 5 years. Derek Poundstone recently placed top 4 at the World’s strongest man and Travis Ortmayer in the top 6 and Brian Shaw placing top 3 are all impressive feats for American strongmen.
Throughout the past 15 years the strength athletics in foreign countries have been the most dominant in the World’s level of strongman and now things are starting to turn around having 6 men from America place in the top 10 of the entire world. Every year the U.S has been increasing in rank, with Derek Poundstone winning the Arnold Classic twice which is a huge feat in strength athletics for anyone and Fortisimus which are both actually harder competitions than the Met-Rx World’s Strongest man Competition. Some would say the reason for the foreigner’s success is that they are able to survive off such an income that strongmen are able to accumulate through each year as where in the U.S all strongman athletes must have another occupation to survive. With this happening it allows the foreigners to train harder and longer knowing that their bills are paid and as for U.S athletes they have to withstand a full time job and find time throughout the week to train. Bill Kazmair is known as the best U.S strongman in the 1990’s having won the World’s strongest man title 3 times in a row says that “the U.S will be the future of the sport hands down, there are so many hungry young American strongmen out there that they have but no choice but to take over”. It’s just something to look out for next time you see those men of bulk on your TV that it is not just a sport it is a life style for pretty much all Strongman athletes.