Beer Muscles 8

by Power Plant Gym and Katie Feeley Strength

***THE ORIGINAL Beer-Themed Strongman Competition held ON SITE at an operational brewery!***

Join us at 2SP Brewing Company for the 8th year lifting heavy things, eating yummy food, drinking tasty craft beer, and raising money for Delaware County Special Olympics. 

Returning competitors know we always deliver some unique custom events, like 2022's Giant Corn Hole (which was featured on FOX News), and last year's "Beer Run" and PA state record Cerberus Sandbag Load!

We are capped at 100 athletes, and there will be NO WAITLIST this year, so grab your spot early!

This is a Strongman Corporation sanctioned event. Qualifications will be available for Nationals in 2024 (September 20th-21st in Greenville, SC) or 2025 (date/location TBD) - you can choose one or the other, not both. Qualifications are based on the number of competitors in each class on competition day. ALL COMPETITORS are required to have an active Strongman Corporation membership to compete. You can purchase your membership here, on the Strongman Corporation website.

Weight classes may be combined if there are fewer than 3 participants as of competition week. In the case of combined classes, we'll use the weight limit of the heavier class and the implement weights of the lighter class. If you are an "open" athlete (not novice), your class is combined, and you want to use your Regionals/Nationals bid for the lighter class, you will need to weigh in on competition day at the weight of the class you want to compete in at Regionals/Nationals. (For example, if you're a 140 woman and you get combined with the 180 women, you will need to weigh in at 140 or less in order to qualify for Regionals/Nationals in the 140 class.)

As part of our fundraising efforts for the Special Olympics team, we have a dunk tank (!!!) and hold a raffle of cool items on competition day. Last year's raffle included lifting equipment, Philly sports tickets and autographed memorabilia, admission to local attractions, loads of restaurant gift certificates, and more!

 ***All of the proceeds from raffle ticket sales go directly to the Delaware County Special Olympics Powerlifting Team to help them fund equipment, competition, and travel for their athletes! ***

The event is free for spectators! No advance ticket purchase is required. Bring everyone! We recommend bringing an ID if you plan to drink, and some cash if you'd like to buy raffle tickets or donate to the fundraiser.

Volunteer Sign-up: https://forms.gle/XVNPXzt26vDhwvYw5

Weigh-in Info:

These are the ONLY times available, NO exceptions. ALL competitors (including Novice and Heavyweight) must weigh in.

- Friday 8/23 at Power Plant Gym: 7:30-9am, 4-6pm

- Saturday 8/24 at 2SP Brewing: 7:30-8:30am

For updates on events, weights, pictures/videos of implements, sponsors, raffles, and everything else... follow the Facebook Event Page and on the Power Plant Instagram page.

General Equipment Rules: NO grip shirts on any event, competition shirt must be worn for ALL events except stones, NO briefs or suits on any event, NO powerlifting-style knee wraps on any event. Supportive gear made from neoprene is fine - this includes knee sleeves and shorts from SBD, Cerberus, and similar brands. As a general rule, if it's keeping you warm and giving you a little support, it's fine; if it's giving you extra bounce, requires a team to squeeze into it, or it feels like cheating, it's not fine. If you have questions, ask ahead of time.

Event Descriptions

1. Keg Carry & Yoke Run Medley (for time): We're throwing it back to 2018 for this one! Athlete will have 75 seconds to carry a light yoke, then carry 2 kegs to load onto the yoke, then carry the (now quite heavy) yoke back to where it started. The yoke and both kegs will all start on the same time. Athlete can start hands on the yoke but not underneath it. At "3-2-1-Go" the athlete will carry the yoke 40ft (front of yoke must cross the line); run back to grab a keg, carry it to the yoke, and load it into one of the custom keg box attached to the yoke; run back and grab the second keg and carry and load that; then finish by carrying the yoke 40ft back to the start line. To be clear, you may NOT carry both kegs at the same time. For images of the yoke setup, click here to see event pictures from 2018.

Also, before you ask, yes, this means the kegs and the initial yoke weight are not going to be super heavy. We want you to run around a bit and then try to carry a really heavy yoke. It's great fun. A split time will be taken when the athlete places the second keg in the box on the yoke. If the athlete is unable to complete the last carry they will receive credit for distance on the final carry only (no distances on first yoke carry or keg carries - they're light and you'll be fine). The yoke is a Rogue Y-1 series with custom boxes to hold kegs. All weight classes will use standard metal kegs.

Equipment Allowed: wrist wraps, belt, knee sleeves (neoprene, SBD, Cerberus, and similar are all fine), elbow sleeves, gloves, chalk (liquid or powder). 

Equipment NOT Allowed: NO knee wraps (the geared powerlifting kind), NO grip shirts and NOTHING STICKY – no tacky, no tacky towels, no weird tape. Any athlete found using any sticky equipment or substance(s) will be immediately disqualified. This includes leftover tacky on gloves.

2. Press Medley (for reps): Athlete will have 60 seconds to clean and press 3 implements - in order! - as many times as possible. The implements are: barbell, axle, and log. All implements are the same weight. Athlete will start behind the barbell with hands off. At "3-2-1-Go" the athlete will clean and press the barbell, then the axle, then the log. After pressing the log, the athlete will return to the barbell and keep going through the implements - in order! - until time is up. The athlete must successfully complete each implement before moving on to the next one. (For example, if you fail the axle you can't just skip it and move on to the log.)

The athlete must wait for a "down" command on every lift, which will be given when the athlete has the implement overhead and under control; knees, hips, and elbows locked out; and feet on a straight line. Belt cleans are allowed on all implements. The implement must be controlled back to the floor in order for the rep to count. The log must remain on the pads after the drop; if it bounces off, the athlete has to go get it before moving on to the next implement. This is for the safety of the athlete and the judges.

For weights 185lbs and above on the barbell, it will be a 13" pick using 70lb Rogue bumper plates (the 26'ers), and weights below 185lbs will be picked from a standard height using bumper plates. The axle will be from the floor for all weights. The log will be picked from crash pads (about 6" tall). We'll be using a 45lb Rogue Bar for the barbell and a 2" Rogue axle for all classes. Women will use a custom 10" log. Men (including Teen) will use a 12" Pitbull log. 

Equipment Allowed: belt, wrist wraps, elbow sleeves (any of the usual suspects are fine), knee sleeves, chalk (liquid or powder). 

Equipment NOT Allowed: NO grip shirts, nothing sticky, no built-up elbow sleeves (like the kind with all the straps and sh*t), knee wraps (the geared powerlifting kind).

3. Descending Height Deadlift (reps): Athlete will have 60 seconds to complete a series of deadlifts that decrease in height after each rep, then max reps when the bar reaches the floor. Here's the current vision (we're working on exact details): The athlete will be on 1 bar the whole time. The bar will start elevated to 18 inches (with the plates on blocks). After receiving a "down" command (when hips and knees are locked out), the first layer of blocks will be removed and the athlete will lower the bar, which will now be at 15 inches. The athlete must wait for the "up" command before doing the next rep. This process will continue in 3-inch increments until the bar is on the floor (i.e. 9"), at which point the athlete will complete as many reps as possible in the remaining time. The idea is that the lift will get progressively more challenging as the bar continues to drop in height. The score will be total number of reps (with no split times).

Athlete will start behind the bar. At "3-2-1-Go" the athlete can strap in (on their own time) and start lifting. Absolutely NO bouncing is allowed and NO drops from the top are allowed - doing so will result in a no-rep if it's by accident, a zero if you're a d!ck about it, or disqualification from the competition if you're really mean. This is for safety reasons, and we're going to be very strict about it.

Check out @powerplantstrength on Instagram for visuals of the event setup. The bar will be a Rogue Westside bar (stiff with reasonably aggressive knurl). Some kind of foot covering must be worn (socks are fine - I just don't want to see your bare toes on the mat).

As a logistical note, there will be 3 commands during the lift: When the bar is locked out at the top, the judge will say "pull." This is a cue for the VOLUNTEERS ONLY so they know it's safe to pull the top block. Once the block is removed the athlete will receive a "down" command. PLEASE DO NOT JUMP YOUR DOWN COMMAND. This is for safety and for logistics. We're practicing on our end too, and it'll be quick. The last command will be the "up" command once the bar is on the ground/block. This is to prevent bouncing and means "touch and go" reps will be really hard to get away with - plan accordingly.

Equipment Allowed: straps (including figure-8 and versa-grips), belt, knee sleeves (Rehband, Cerberus, SBD, etc are fine), neoprene shorts (the warming kind not the supportive kind), chalk (liquid or powder). 

Equipment NOT Allowed: absolutely NO deadlift suits or briefs (if you're caught cheating on this we'll DQ you from the competition), knee wraps (the kind used in geared powerlifting), hooks or any weird grip aids I haven't thought of yet.

4. Stone Series (for time): 3 stones for points and time, capped at 60 seconds. This is a combination of max weight and fastest time. The athlete will select 3 stones of increasing weight, each worth different points. The stones must be consecutive (i.e. you can't choose 1 point, 3 points, and 6 points). At "3-2-1-Go" the athlete will load their 3 stones in order from lightest to heaviest. A split time will be taken for each stone when the athlete's hands are off the stone. The athlete's score will be their total points with time as a tie-breaker.

Stone weights and points are:

94lbs = 1 point

112lbs = 2 points

141lbs = 3 points

174lbs = 4 points

204lbs = 5 points

251lbs = 6 points

293lbs = 7 points

335lbs = 8 points

360lbs = 9 points

400lbs = 10 points

For the setup... we'll be playing GIANT BEER PONG! Stones will be loaded onto 3 "cups" (with hard lids) arranged in a triangle, like everyone's favorite college (current?) drinking game! Height is 48" on all platforms and for all classes. Athlete will start with palms up on the loading surface. Athlete may wear any shirt (or no shirt) for this event as long as it is NOT a grip shirt. We're also allowing tacky on this event; however, we're being super strict about cleanup. There will be a designated cleanup area. Any athlete found cleaning up in the sinks inside the brewery or getting tacky where it doesn't belong will get a zero for the event. Harsh, but it's not our space and it's not a gym, so we have to treat it with care - we appreciate your understanding.

Equipment Allowed: tacky, tape, stone sleeves, belt, knee sleeves, elbow sleeves, wrist wraps, neoprene shorts (like Cerberus, SBD, etc), chalk (liquid or powder).

Equipment NOT Allowed: suits or briefs (the kind used in single-ply, multi-ply or other geared lifting), knee wraps (the kind used in geared powerlifting).

5. "Hold My Beer" (for max time): Athlete will hold a weighted 2SP "Up and Out" beer can (see what we did there?) in each hand up and out to the side ("crucifix hold") for max time. The can has a chain hanging from the bottom. The chain weight and length will be the same for each athlete in the class. Athletes will stand on a block/platform based on their height, so the chain will be about 2" from the ground. Time stops when one of the chains hits the ground. The athlete may NOT bend the elbows during the hold, or raise the hands higher than the shoulders. The judge will give one warning to straighten elbows or adjust height. If the athlete bends elbows or raises the height again, time will stop. There are photos of the implement and the exact setup on the Power Plant Instagram, @powerplantstrength.

Equipment Allowed: belt, knee sleeves, elbow sleeves, wrist wraps, chalk (liquid or powder).

Equipment NOT Allowed: NO tacky or anything sticky (this will result in disqualification), suits or briefs, knee wraps.

Weights will be posted as we test them. If they're not listed here, we don't have them finalized yet, and sending us an email won't get you any additional info on weights. If you need clarity on any of the rules/standards, check the Facebook Event Page first, then shoot us an email at info@thepowerplantgym.com.

Volunteer Registration (volunteers receive a free t-shirt, donuts, and raffle tix): https://forms.gle/XVNPXzt26vDhwvYw5

Dunk Tank Sign-up (all proceeds from the dunk tank go to the Delaware County Special Olympics). Dunkees must be at least 5ft tall and under 250lbs. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/HtEmMwJ1D1r4MAbC6

Sponsors, On-Site Tables, Raffle Basket Donations: If you or your company/organization would like to sponsor Beer Muscles and/or donate to the raffle for Special Olympics, please reach out to Jess at jess@thepowerplantgym.com with "Beer Muscles Sponsor" in the subject line. She'll get back to you with details on all the options for sponsorships and donations.

Questions? Email katiefeeleystrength@gmail.com.