Mathew Ragg
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Mathew Ragg
Mathew 'Matt' Ragg (born 21 September 1991) is a Strongman from New Zealand and a six-times winner of New Zealand's Strongest Man competition. Background Ragg started his sporting career as a sprinter but a recurring shin injury caused him to move towards weight training. In 2013, he started competing in local strongman competitions and broke some national records in the process. This paved him to join 2016 Arnold Amateur World Championships, where he secured third place behind Zach Hadge and Evgeny Markov, resulting in his pro debut. Following a hiatus due to COVID-19 pandemic, Ragg competed at 2022 Official Strongman Games and won third place which qualified him for the World's Strongest Man. At 2023 World's Strongest Man, he qualified for the finals, finishing in 9th place. At the 2023 Giants Live World Tour Finals, he won second place behind Tom Stoltman and ahead of the reigning World's Strongest Man champion Mitchell Hooper. In 2024, he won the Beasts of Burden competit ...
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New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of island countries, sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The Geography of New Zealand, country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps (), owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. Capital of New Zealand, New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland. The islands of New Zealand were the last large habitable land to be settled by humans. Between about 1280 and 1350, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and subsequently developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight and record New Zealand. ...
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COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Soon after, it spread to other areas of Asia, and COVID-19 pandemic by country and territory, then worldwide in early 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020, and assessed the outbreak as having become a pandemic on 11 March. COVID-19 symptoms range from asymptomatic to deadly, but most commonly include fever, sore throat, nocturnal cough, and fatigue. Transmission of COVID-19, Transmission of the virus is often airborne transmission, through airborne particles. Mutations have variants of SARS-CoV-2, produced many strains (variants) with varying degrees of infectivity and virulence. COVID-19 vaccines were developed rapidly and deplo ...
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1991 Births
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS in its place. In July 1991, India abandoned its policies of dirigism, license raj and autarky and began extensive Economic liberalisation in India, liberalisation to its economy. This increased Economy of India, GDP but also increased income inequality in India, income inequality over the next two decades. A United Nations, UN-authorized coalition of the Gulf War, coalition force from 34 nations fought against Ba'athist Iraq, Iraq, which had Invasion of Kuwait, invaded and Kuwait Governorate, annexed Kuwait in the previous year, 1990. The conflict would be called the Gulf War and would mark the beginning of a since-constant American military presence in the Middle East. The clash between Republic of Serbia (1990–2006), Serbia and t ...
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Lifting Stone
Lifting stones are heavy natural stones which people are challenged to lift, proving their strength. They are common throughout Northern Europe, particularly Iceland (where they are referred to as ''steintökin''), Scotland, Ireland, Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country in Spain, northern Spain, Faroe Islands, Wales, north west England centered around Cumbria, Switzerland, southern Germany centered around Bavaria, Austria, Scandinavia, Greece and also in the United States and parts of Asia such as Japan. Recently, lifting stones have been incorporated into the World's Strongest Man and other similar strongman competitions, using various cast, found, or established challenge stones such as the Húsafell Stone, Dinnie Stones, Steinstossen, Inver Stones and Odd Haugen Tombstone. They also do modernized versions of events derived from ancient contests, in which athletes load heavy circular stones onto a platform, known as #Scotland, Atlas stones. Famous lifting stones from ...
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Keg Toss
Keg-tossing (or keg toss) is a traditional strength sport that involves the heaving of a standard half-barrel beer keg or a similar implement. The basic technique involves swinging the keg in a pendulum like manner and releasing when it is at its apex. The keg must be completely emptied before it should be tossed for better stability and to avoid injuries. Highland games and Strongman competitions Throughout centuries, several variations of the traditional movement has been carried out during Highland games. In Ireland, empty beer kegs weighing or have been typically thrown over upwards and the height of the toss determined the winner. Another variation in Scotland combined techniques of both the discus and hammer throw The hammer throw (HT for short) is one of the four throwing events in regular outdoor track-and-field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and Javelin throw, javelin. The hammer used in this sport is not like any of the tools a .... Rather ...
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Squat (exercise)
A squat is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up. During the descent, the hip and knee joints flexion, flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexion, dorsiflexes; conversely the hip and knee joints extension (anatomy), extend and the ankle joint plantarflexion, plantarflexes when standing up. Squats are considered a vital exercise for increasing the strength and Muscle hypertrophy, size of the lower body muscles as well as developing core stability, core strength. The primary Anatomical terms of muscle#Agonist, agonist muscles used during the squat are the quadriceps femoris, the adductor magnus, and the gluteus maximus. The squat also Isometric exercise, isometrically uses the erector spinae and the rectus abdominis muscle, abdominal muscles, among others. The squat is one of the three lifts in the strength sport of powerlifting, together with the deadlift and the bench press. It is also considered a staple exerc ...
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Deadlift
The deadlift is a strength training exercise in which a weight-loaded barbell is lifted off the ground to the level of the hips, with the torso perpendicular to the floor, before being placed back on the ground. It is one of the three powerlifting movements along with the Squat (exercise), squat and bench press, as well as a quintessential lift in strongman. The all-time world record deadlift stands at , achieved by Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. Two styles of deadlift are commonly used in competition settings: the conventional deadlift and the sumo deadlift. While both of these styles are permitted under the rules of powerlifting, only the conventional stance is permitted in strongman. Execution Form The conventional deadlift can be broken down into three phases: the setup, the initial pull or drive, and the lockout. Setup: When performing a deadlift, a lifter sets in a position that eccentrically loads the gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, trapezius, biceps femoris, ...
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McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea. Brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's in San Bernardino, California, in 1940 as a hamburger stand, and soon Franchising, franchised the company. The logo, the Golden Arches, was introduced in 1953. In 1955, the businessman Ray Kroc joined McDonald's as a franchise agent and bought the company in 1961. In the years since, it has expanded internationally. Today, McDonald's has over 50,000 restaurant locations worldwide, with around a quarter in the US. Other than food sales, McDonald's generates income through its ownership of 70% of restaurant buildings and 45% of the underlying land (which it leases to its franchisees). In 2018, McDonald's was the world's second-largest private employer with 1 ...
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Samoans
Samoans or Samoan people () are the Indigenous Polynesian people of the Samoan Islands, an archipelago in Polynesia, who speak the Samoan language. The group's home islands are politically and geographically divided between the Independent State of Samoa and American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. Though divided by national border, the culture and language are the same. The Samoan people and culture form a vital link and stepping stone in the formation and spread of Polynesian culture, language and religion throughout Eastern Polynesia. Polynesian trade, religion, war, and colonialism are important markers within Polynesian culture that are almost certainly rooted in the Samoan culture. Samoa's ancient history with the kingdom of Tonga, chiefdoms of Fiji and French Polynesia form the basis of modern Polynesian culture. Social organization Among the many parts of Samoan society, three are described below: The ''matai'' (chief), the ''aig ...
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Mitchell Hooper
Mitchell Hooper (born 29 September 1995) is a Canadian strongman and kinesiologist. He secured 1st place at the 2023 World's Strongest Man competition in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he also became the first Canadian to win the title of World's Strongest Man. He is also the winner of 2023, 2024 and 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic events. In 2023, he became the fourth person to win both the World’s Strongest Man and Arnold Strongman Classic competitions in the same year. As of the 2024 strongman season, Hooper is the only athlete to have won the World's Strongest Man, Arnold Strongman Classic, Rogue Invitational, and Strongest Man on Earth competitions. Early life and career Hooper has a degree in human kinetics from the University of Guelph and a masters in clinical exercise physiology from the University of Sydney. He worked as a coach for the KW Titans and now runs his own kinesiology clinic in Barrie. Prior to his strongman career, Hooper competed in sports including ...
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Tom Stoltman
Tom Ryan Stoltman (born 30 May 1994) is a British professional strongman competitor, from Invergordon, Scotland. He is a three time winner of the World's Strongest Man in 2021, 2022, and 2024. He also won the national title of Britain's Strongest Man in the same years. Nicknamed "The Albatross" due to his sizeable arm span, Stoltman is known for his prowess with the Atlas Stones. In 2020, Stoltman broke the world record for the 5 Atlas Stones (light set) , completing them in just 16.01 seconds; he also holds the world record for the heaviest Atlas stone ever lifted over a bar at . On 20 June 2021, Stoltman won the 2021 World's Strongest Man competition, becoming the first man from Scotland to win the World's Strongest Man and the fifth British person to do so. On 29 May 2022, Stoltman won the 2022 World's Strongest Man, becoming only the second Briton to win two titles (37 years after Geoff Capes) and the first to win back-to-back titles. In the 2024 World's Strongest Man he ...
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Strength Training
Strength training, also known as weight training or resistance training, is exercise designed to improve physical strength. It is often associated with the lifting of Weightlifting, weights. It can also incorporate techniques such as bodyweight exercises (e.g., push-ups, pull-ups, and squats), isometrics (holding a position under tension, like planks), and plyometrics (explosive movements like jump squats and box jumps). Training works by progressive overload, progressively increasing the force output of the muscles and uses a variety of exercises and types of :Weight training equipment, equipment. Strength training is primarily an anaerobic exercise, anaerobic activity, although circuit training also is a form of aerobic exercise. Strength training can increase Skeletal muscle, muscle, tendon, and ligament strength as well as bone density, metabolism, and the lactate threshold; improve joint and cardiac function; and reduce the risk of injury in athletes and the elderly. For ...
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