Anyone up for a H&F strength challenge/competition?

We can do it over a course of 3-6 months where the winner gets some kind of trophy or t-shirt and of course all the spoils that go to the victor. We can measure the winner in any way that would give everyone a good shot at winning. The bodybuilding forum has these sort of things all the time for specific exercises and usually gets good participation. Thoughts?

^ Cool idea but there's really only like 3-4 posters with a chance of winning.

We can have different divisions separated by level of fitness and then measure percentage improvement or even scale this by some factor based on weight/height/age which I think is what the sinclair number does for oly lifters. Competition always seems to help me out and brings the best out of me especially when Im losing.

I think you could draw up a good contest, but need to branch out a bit from the all things bodybuilding mentality. Sure have lifting for you guys who are into it so much. But as well have things to get total noobs involved, based on gains from a beginners starting point on various things. Have cardio gains. Safe weight loss section. A gainers section. Not personally interested in any way, but think this place needs to be a bit more accomodating for the wider scope of health and fitness.

Okay, someone bash me with a Ripplefoot quote now.

are you talking in raw #s or their wilks coefficient?

H&F Games would be tight. Definitely should include a pose down - judged by Thremp of course.

lots of possibilities here imo

powerlifting/oly lifting/metcons/etc

For H&F games I'd like to see a raw press + bench + squat + deadlift comp. Not that I think I'd have any remote chance at winning but it would be cool to know where I stack up.

This is a pretty good idea, i'd be into a games defo. Please make this happen even with no prizes or anything (or some funky mod-given reward or punishment).

I'd get owned no doubt but it would be pretty cool, my male pride would cause me to be more consistent and work harder than my normal lone wolf gym sessions i'd imagine.

I think what makes this harder is that the posters on this board have a pretty wide range of goals

compare this to boards that are PL dominant like Sherdog (I read their Strength training board from time-to-time....it's pretty good fwiw)

I wonder what the weight classes would even be

I also wonder if I weigh the least out of anybody who isn't a novice (160, though I doubt that)

Can we include raw batted baseball exit velocity? I am a significant dog to SmileyEH in this (maybe) but it's the only one I got a shot in.

kyle,

lolololololololol

I'm the same height and weight as you, but I think its pretty debatable to consider either of us truely intermediate, no offense.

I think with smaller people like you and me the tendency is get a good strength to weight ratio, then stop novice programming because we don't want to add too much fat either for vanity or because we like having impressive ratios. That's how I feel anyway; if I were willing to pig out and get to 180 I'm sure I could add 20 lbs to all my lifts on Starting Strength. Instead I'd rather do my own programming and make slower gains but hopefully stay leaner.

I think anklebreaker has the highest strength:weight ratio on the board.

Seriously tho. the majority of you guys are into lifting, so will need to work that out and you have good examples by the sounds of it from other places. But consider doing say a weight loss one. And a gain one. These could be done as based on %'s of bodyweight. That might help people who maybe rarely post, or are intimidated decide to get busy and interact, join in. Same for gainers. Have maybe one for people trying to run a faster 100m. A 400m, or a mile w/e. Maybe one for people who have total crap cardio, that want to improve from scratch on. This will require a judging panel I think to select who the winner would be. Because I'd be more impressed by the guy who tried to run a 100 first time, went 3/4's of the way down and puked, then 3 months later was running 12s regularly, then the college sprinter who knocked .2 off to get to 10.3. Whole range of possibilities.

And ofc the prizes are something small, like a title or some kinda thing. I think if you made something like that, and stickied it, it has the potential to draw in more people over a course of that 3 or 6 month period. You'll get more lifters at first ofc, as the majority around here that is their thing, but atleast try to encourage a wide array.

see is 5/3/1 (what I do mainly) even considered intermediate programming?

and I don't consider myself an intermediate fwiw...I don't know what the proper definition would be...maybe beginner? I always thought of a novice as someone who was completely new to weight training, a beginner as someone with limited experience, and so on and so forth

that's a good idea

have a # of different games and people can pick and choose whichever contest they wish to enter

Grind,

It's response to training. Beginners will make strength gains every workout. Intermediate will make gains every weekish. Advanced will make gains month to month, season to season, or olympics to olympics.

ty

Keep in mind that this is a low traffic forum. So the contest will have to be broad and inclusive to make it viable. I don't think there is enough traffic here to have multiple divisions. If this contest does come to being, I'll provide whatever help the organizer needs. And I'll probably be able to secure something like purple names and special undertitles for the winner(s).

I would really like some kind of obstacle course that you have to maneuver a heavy weight around. Not that I could beat anybody at it, but that's a good test of all the muscles being used together, and it's pretty fun. I could design a bunch of em in my head, but real world application is a little tougher

And I agree with YB. The more categories the better. That way, if someone was a good athlete, but couldn't actually beat anyone is any category, could have a high enough average to do well. This would make it the fairest I think.

How about 5-6 of us each get assigned a H/F fatty and we see who can make the best improvement with coaching them over a 3+ month period.

I'm down for a 225lb squat max-rep set, but won't be ready for this til end of '09.

I like the idea... My suggestion would be to just pick some events. e.g. a deadlift event, a bench event, a pullup event, 5km row, 5km run, whatever... and anybody can nominate for any event.

If there happens to be major interest in a certain event, you could split it into age/weight categories.

Have a point scoring system for an over-all winner.

Hand out gold/silver/bronze names imo.

depending when it is i would be down for most events