What an awesome night!

If you were there as an athlete, spectator, judge or volunteer I know you will agree that Friday night's Heavy Metal Team Strongman Competition was badass!

Unfortunately, strongman events are kept pretty exclusive due to the crazy minimum requirements that athletes must meet in order to "play". With Heavy Metal we wanted to open the doors to anyone that was willing to take on a new challenge - and we could not have be more pleased with the final results of the evening.

Teams took on 5 demanding workouts that focused solely on strongman movements and characteristics. At the end of the night, it's fair to say, that everyone - even the top-level strongmen that participated in the event - were SMOKED!

Needless to say, the energy and effort that each athlete brought to the competition was a major factor in the event's success. It should also be said that without the judges, volunteer, spectators and our sponsors(Rogue American Apparel, Survival Tactical Systems, Disciples Of Iron, ONNIT, Fringe Sport, 24 Diner, Easy Tiger and Blithe Salon & Spa).......Heavy Metal would not have run so smooth or had such a positive outcome. It was truly a group effort and everyone deserves a huge THANK YOU for their part.

Here are the final standings:

WOMEN

1st - Brandlyn & Stacey
2nd - Natalie & Katie
3rd - Carrey & Bonnie
4th - Meghan & Taylor
5th - Michelle & Paige
6th - Genny & Allison

MEN

1st - Travis & David
2nd - Kevin & David
3rd - Josh & Andrew
4th - Dom & Andre
5th - Elliot & Elliot
6th - Tony & Jared

I'm willing to bet that most of you have no idea what the hell a Zercher carry(or squat) is. That's OK. It's not often that you see people, gyms or workout programs implement the Zercher carry, which is kind of sad really. The Zercher carry(or squat) has an incredibly potent ability to build a strong back and legs - and most importantly, a strong mind.

There's a very simple and logical explanation for the Zercher carry's endangered status.....IT SUCKS! It's quite honestly one of the most uncomfortable ways to hold/carry anything. But as is the case with most things....If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. And there is a massive pay out for those willing to deal with the shittiness.

I can hear it now. You're saying to yourself that, "That doesn't look so hard..."

The following are just some factors that you may not be taking into consideration:

Your arms are not designed to be the barer of relatively large loads....That job is for your legs, hips and back.
Notice the placement of the sandbag(above). If it looks like it's somewhere between your chest and stomach - it is. This lovely position drastically decreases your ability to take in a full, deep breath. To make things even spicier, with some smart programming, complete a "breath-heavy-type" activity just prior to placing the Zercher carry object in that magical pocket'o'death. And Enjoy!
Due to the load being out in front of your body's mid-line, the posterior chain and abs are forced to double their efforts so that you don't fold up like a lawn chair. This has some obvious benefits.
Lastly, when your arms are burning, you can't breath, and your posterior chain is screaming, you are forced to put all of that aside and just keep moving. This develops mental toughness. Arguably the most important beneficial characteristic of the Zercher carry/squat.

So there ya go! A quick introduction to a under-utilized, highly effective, simple way to build some serious strength and increase your ability to deal with shittiness. Because we all know the shit will hit the fan in one way or another......What are you doing to prepare yourself for when it does? Will you quit when it gets hard? Or will you fight to hold on?