Looks like the “World’s Strongest Brothers” are ready.
Two-time World’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman and his older brother Luke Stoltman are both in the final stages of their preparations for the 2023 World’s Strongest Man competition, to be held the week of April 19-23, 2023 in Myrtle Beach, SC.
The Stoltman brothers have been sharing parts of their competition prep with their followers, including a recent event-focused training session posted on April 3, 2023.
The title of the video is “Our best session yet”, indicating that he considered the training to be productive. Bulk training includes the log press, circus dumbbell press, Fingals Fingers, a pull step designed to simulate a truck pull, and atlas stones. All of these lifts are events that are part of the prestigious Strongman Competition in South Carolina.
Log press
The strong began by repeating the log press ladder, adding weight with each successful rep. Luke Stoltman lifted first and performed five individual reps of 140 to 180 kilograms (310 to 397 pounds) in 10-kilogram jumps with no rest between each repetition.
Tom then followed, but he didn’t lock the 180-kilogram lift. His younger brother Harry also trained with him using lighter weights. Both Stoltmans completed the second set with the same weight, where Tom was able to successfully complete the heavier lift.
After the set, Tom reflected on his performance while taking a deep breath, “I knew the first one was there, I just didn’t chalk it up enough. So, you can see the energy is there and that’s good. It is good to do this in the second round as well. What does fatigue look like in the universe? [Strongest Man].
Circus dumbbell press
He next moved on to the circus dumbbell press. The weight wasn’t revealed on screen, but Tom Stoltman told the camera that he performed two presses of 120 kilograms (242 pounds), something he’s proud of considering he was the first to do log work.
“My shoulder strength is really good right now, so I just have to keep going.” said Tom, referring to his PR in the dumbbell press.
Fingal’s finger
The third event of the day was with his custom Fingal’s finger equipment, which Luke said was “nice and comfortable for a couple of sets.” Every athlete wears gripper gloves, not unlike those worn by an American football wide receiver, to aid their performance in the unconventional overhead movement.
Simulated truck pull
The fourth event was scheduled to be a truck pull, but it was raining in their area. So, he loaded the sled with a combination of a 125-kilogram (275-pound) keg, a 180-kilogram (397-pound) sandbag, and additional undisclosed weights that one of the brothers weighed “about 200-kilogram” (440-pound) sat on while the others pulled Each Stoltman pulled his building twice for an unspecified total distance.
Atlas Stones
The ultimate training program is the Atlas Stones. Both men lifted a 160-kilogram (352-pound) stone atop a wooden bar setup for delegates to simulate the Stone of the Event. Tom can be seen doing nine, while Luke is shown on camera doing six reps.
Tom Stoltman will be looking to add a third WSM trophy to his mantle while Luke is vying for his first title. If Luke wins the competition, both he and Tom will become the first brothers to become the World’s Strongest Man. If Tom does a “three-peat,” he will become the seventh champion in the competition’s 46-year history to win the title at least three times.
Featured Image: Stoltman Brothers / YouTube
