With A Strange Array

WITH A STRANGE ARRAY of events that show off the power of the human body, strongman competitions can be amazing to watch. At the 2003 MHP X-treme Strongman Championship in Atlanta, the two-time defending world’s strongest man, Mariusz Pudzianowski, muscled his way to the title.

The three-day competition began with the “Polish Power” taking an early lead by winning the Keg Load in 35.09 seconds. He took fourth in the Hercules Hold by gripping chains connected to two SUVs on ramps for 29.33 seconds. And he finished third in the Yoke Walk—an event where the athlete carries an 800-pound weight. Day two saw Pudzianowski all but wrap up the title. He earned fourth in the Truck Pull but took first in the Axle Press (by benching the 300-pound truck axle nine times), Conan’s Wheel (which involves dragging a weighted cage in a circle), and the Medley (an event where athletes walk a distance with two heavy cans in their hands, push a weighted sled across the floor, and flip over a Ford Escort station wagon).

On the final day, the 29-year-old muscleman took fourth in a platform squat contest, first in the Tire Flip (with an 800-pound tire), and second in the Stones of Strength—which requires a competitor to lift stones of 265, 300, 330, 360, and 380 pounds onto 54-inch platforms.

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POINT Mariusz Pudzianowski has dominated recent strongman competitions. Standing 6-foot-1-inch and weighing 288 pounds of pure muscle, Pudzianowski proves time after time that he has the speed and explosiveness to stay at the top.

While Pudzianowski’s rock-hard body is impressive, only one person deserves to be called the Rock—and that’s God. In the book of Samuel, David writes that God is the rock and the source of his strength. Pudzianowski may be able to stack some heavy stones in less than 30 seconds, but with God’s power David killed a lion with his bare hands, defeated a giant, and became king of a great nation . . . and he didn’t even go to the gym!

GOAL! Do you rely on your muscles for strength? A strong body certainly helps in athletics. But remember that God is the source of true power.