Strongwoman

Charmion (1875 - 1949), vaudeville strongwoman and trapeze artist

A strongwoman is a woman who performs feats of strength in a show or circus, or a woman who competes in strength athletics. Traditionally, strongwomen have had a special appeal, as women involved in demonstrated feats of strength were exceptions.

Traditional strongwomen

Traditionally, strongwomen were featured as performers in a circus, or in vaudeville, music halls, or other venues, and engaged in feats of strength such as barbell lifting and human juggling.

Some famous traditional strongwomen include:

• Minerva (Josephine Blatt née Wohlford), (c.1869 – 1923) born in New Jersey.
• Charmion (Laverie Vallee née Cooper), (1875 – 1949) born in Sacramento, California.
• Vulcana (Kate Williams aka Kate Roberts), (1875 – 1946) born in Abergavenny, Wales.
• Katie Sandwina, (1884 – 1952) born in Vienna, Austria.
• Joan Rhodes, (1920 – 2010) born in London, England.
• Beth Phoenix (1980 –) born in Elmira, New York

Modern-day strongwomen

In recent years, the term strongwoman has come to refer to the women who compete in events such as the annual World's Strongest Woman (WSW) competitions, sanctioned by the International Federation of Strength Athletes (IFSA), and televised nationally on ESPN. Strongwomen compete in the sport of Strongman and the sport has become some popular with female strength athletes over the past decade that there are several state and nationally sanctioned competitions that prepare amateur female athletes for national competitions that allow for the opportunity to compete as professionals. In March 2017, the annual Arnold Classic hosted its first professional female strongman competition. In these contests, the participants compete in the same types of events that can be found in a Strongman competition. Such events include, but are not limited to:

• Atlas Stones
• Conan's Wheel
• Deadlift with various implements such as a barbell, axle, loaded frame, car, etc., all of varying weights
• Farmer's Carry
• Frame Deadlift and/or Carry
• Hercules Hold
• Húsafell Stone
• Fingal's Fingers
• Keg-tossing
• overhead press using various implements such as an axle, circus dumbbell, log, keg, or block- all of varying weights
• Squat (exercise)- of varying weight, often the barbell or axle is loaded with wagon or truck wheels that are larger than standard weighted plates
• Tire flip
• Vehicle Pull

Some notable modern strongwomen include:

• Beth Phoenix, WWE Diva
• Jill Mills, 2001 and 2002 World's Strongest Woman
• Robin Coleman, who took 3rd place in the 2001 WSW competition
• Becca Swanson, powerlifting world record holder
• Aneta Florczyk, four time winner of the World Strongwoman Championships (2003-2008)
• Kristin Rhodes, Strongwoman World Champion 2012, runner-up 2013 and 2008, six time America's Strongest Woman
• Heini Koivuniemi, runner-up in the 2001 WSW, third place in 2002 and 2003

Training

Women who compete in Strongman (strongwomen) must be well versed in the styles and techniques that are demonstrated in both powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting as the types of lifts that are performed in both sports are fundamental in strength sports and carry over into the techniques that have been developed for the events that make up a Strongman competition. In addition to developing the proper technique for the foundation lifts, strongwomen must also develop endurance through cardiovascular conditioning training. Being able to adapt to implements (straight barbells versus axle barbells, axle barbells versus logs, etc.) is important as the technique used for the different implements are nuanced and are not readily available at commercial gyms.

See also

• Female bodybuilding
• Sthenolagnia
• Strongman (strength athlete)

External links

• Media related to Strongwomen at Wikimedia Commons
• Strongwomen from the 18th Century onwards- A compilation of images, articles and information on strongwomen and female bodybuilders of the past from David Horne's collection.