During the 20th century, the world witnessed the rise of a new public hero, the strongman. This came from the physical culture movement that had been rising up during the 1800s and was a direct response to the Industrial Revolution. An increase in the normalization of office work led to many thinking about sedentary lifestyles and how it would affect their health, and in particular, the country’s men.

Hence, the strongmen rose as a symbol of strength and power. The interesting thing about strongmen is that they came from all over the world and with different backgrounds. So, with an impressive history like that, you’d think that they probably knew a thing or true about fitness and brute force.

To homage to its glorious history, here are some exercises from Strongmen Fitness.

1. Finger Lifts

You may have heard of weight lifts but did you know about the finger lift? This exercise is interesting and it also serves as a great reminder about how weak your fingers are. Simply place your hand under a heavy object like a book and then use just one finger to try and lift it up. Though the book might not be extremely heavy, when you do the finger lifts, you’ll understand where you lack. So, once you’ve repeated the exercise on one finger, move on to the next finger until you run out of fingers to lift with.

Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels | These exercises will develop your muscles while naturally increasing the width of your wrist

2. Keg Finger Hangs

This exercise is going to target your finger muscles, arms muscle, and your chest muscles. You’ll need a heavy barrel which you will pick up like would you do during a deadlift but instead of standing up straight, you let the barrel hang, which places strain on your arms, wrists, and chest muscles. It is generally a good exercise for bodybuilding but you are probably wondering where to get a barrel from. In such instances, you could use weights as a substitute. So, for this exercise, you’ll need to keep your back and legs straight while lifting up the barrel. After a few seconds, lower the barrel down, straighten your fingers, and repeat.

Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels | Caution: we are not responsible for the judgmental looks you’ll probably get

3. Isometric Tricep Extension

Give your triceps a little bit of love with this exercise which will require you to stand straight and take both your hands to the back. Once that’s done, you hold your right wrist with your left hand and then tighten the grip before you try to break free from your left hand. In doing so, you will be challenging your arm muscles without moving.

Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels | That’s right, work those shoulder muscles

So, are you going to try out these exercises?