Size is clear. Draws attention while raising the bar. When contracting biceps. By hypertrophying the trapezius and back muscles. But how much, in fact, does an athlete need to demonstrate physical strength to be considered “brute force”?
Rauno Henla, Tiago Aparcido, Cristian Cuiroga and Mikhail Shivalyakov, four contestants in the spectacular summer event that will be broadcast on Esporte Espétrique on Sunday, helped measure the difference in the so-called Strongman (the competition that defines competition) as the strongest in the world. man). world).
Roueno, Mikhail, Quiroga and Tiago Apparecido – Photo: Paulo Roberto Conade
Report by Give it Compared to the quartet with three great names in Brazil’s Olympic Games: gymnast Arthur Zanetti, gold in rings in London 2012 and silver in Rio 2016, former water marathon Poliana Okimoto, bronze in 10 km of Rio 2016, and Fernando Rees, who By far the biggest name in Brazilian weightlifting.
The differences are obvious – fun. The current champion of brute force, Russian Mikhail Shivalikov, scores 50 centimeters when he contracts his biceps. The same number that has Poliana … thigh.
Clearly it is a joke to compare female and male, but it is also disrespectful to Zenetti, famous for his physical strength that causes him to gravitate into rings. The Olympic champion has 42 cm biceps.
Arthur Zanetti in the rings at the Gymnastics World Championship – Photo: REUTERS / Wolfgang Ratte
Only Fernando Rees compares. Pacista is 50 centimeters from the Russians, but is behind his compatriot Tiago Appercido, who is 53 years old.
Not only the shape of the muscles in the arms is frightening. Weight also draws attention. Aparecido has 135kg, Quiroga has 162kg, Rauno has 140kg, Mikhail has equal weight. To reach these numbers on the scale, all four eat 8,000 and 10,000 calories a day.
Fernando Reis Pan de Lima in 2019 – Photo: Guadalupe Perdo / Reuters
Expecting Olympic medals at the Tokyo Games, Reece also surpassed some of them with his 155kg, but admitted that he was intimidated by the strength of brute force athletes.
– These strong athletes are very big. In 2013 and 2015 I competed in the Arnold Classic here in the US, in Ohio. Where I could interact with them and I saw that they are very big people. It actually looks like a standing cow. There are athletes with more than 200 kg body weight. And I have 155 kilos of body weight, as a reference for you – said the Brazilian, who has been living in Florida for years.
Poliana Okimoto – Photo: Reproduction / Instagram
Even for a strong athlete like Reece, the stunning shape creates awkward positions everyday.
– In the bath, for example, I have many problems. The hotels i go to [banheiros] Are very small in general. And I’m not even the greatest athlete. There are other people who are older, I don’t even know how they fit – Estonian Rauno Henla, 38 years old.
