Are you tough enough?

If you ever thought, “I’d love to try strongman”, then this challenge is for you, says Ben Binsted.

Binsted, a personal trainer and coach based at Counties Fitness in Pukekohe, is also the owner and founder of Franklin Strongman Strength HQ.

“We send a lot of athletes to plenty of competitions within New Zealand as well as overseas, and we also host a lot of our own competitions at Counties Fitness.”

He runs multiple weightlifting classes a week, providing opportunities for up-and-coming athletes at the regional, national, and international levels. He is offering the eight-week challenge to anyone who wants to compete in the Steel and Stone novice competition this April.

“It’s about preparing athletes to take that next step to compete in a local competition, the Steel and Stone hosted by Fortress Gym in Henderson. It features five events that are very beginner-friendly, and they have novice sections for those competing for the first time.”

Those events are the truck pull, arm over arm, max deadlift, log press for reps (informally they are the same thing, but formally called the log ladder), the stone over bar, and the Max Hussafell carry.

“The weights are slightly lower so that they’re able to get in among it, and it also has sanctioned weight classes, which means the weights are slightly higher for them.

“This is an amazing opportunity in terms of getting into the sport. We have a lot of people who are keen on getting introduced and getting acquainted with the sport, but it’s about taking that first step, so these challenges are great for those individuals who want to get their foot in the door,” said Binsted.

The eight-week challenge begins on February 20 at Counties Fitness, at 151 Manukau Road, Pukekohe. The Steel and Stone Competition starts at 11am on April 18 at the Fortress Gym on 25A Northway Street, Te Rapa.