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131-405: Many sources state that strongman is a man who performs remarkable feats possessing enormous amounts of strength. In the 19th century, the term 'strongman' was referred to an exhibitor of strength during circus performances. In the first half of the 20th century, strongmen performed various feats of strength such as the bent press (not to be confused with the bench press , which did not exist at

262-588: A "Classic Unequipped World Cup" in 2012 and published its own set of standards for raw lifting. By this time, the popularity of raw lifting had surged to the point where raw lifters came to predominate over equipped lifters in local meets. The use of knee sleeves in unequipped powerlifting has brought about much debate as to whether certain neoprene knee sleeves can assist a lifter during the squat. Some lifters purposely wear knee sleeves that are excessively tight and have been known to use plastic bags and have others to assist them get their knee sleeves on. This led to

393-461: A broad variety of styles to convey complex themes or stories. Since the 1990s, a more avant-garde approach to presenting traditional circus techniques or "disciplines" in ways that align more closely to performance art, dance or visual arts has been given the name "contemporary circus." This labelling can cause confusion based upon the other use of the phrase contemporary circus to mean "circus of today." For this reason, some commentators have begun using

524-597: A cage with several big cats in 1833, and is generally considered to be the first wild animal trainer in American circus history. Mabel Stark was a famous female tiger-tamer. Animal rights groups have documented many cases of animal cruelty in the training of performing circus animals. The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) contends that animals in circuses are frequently beaten into submission and that physical abuse has always been

655-454: A change in the law was needed to protect circus animals. Gale told the BBC, "It's undignified and the conditions under which they are kept are woefully inadequate—the cages are too small, the environments they live in are not suitable and many of us believe the time has come for that practice to end." The group reported concerns about boredom and stress, and noted that an independent study by a member of

786-406: A circle and the building as an amphitheatre; these would later be known as a circus. In 1770, Astley hired acrobats , tightrope walkers , jugglers , and a clown to fill in the pauses between acts. Astley was followed by Andrew Ducrow , whose feats of horsemanship had much to do with establishing the traditions of the circus, which were perpetuated by Hengler's and Sanger 's celebrated shows in

917-461: A circus is of a Big Top with various acts providing entertainment therein; however, the history of circuses is more complex, with historians disagreeing on its origin, as well as revisions being done about the history due to the changing nature of historical research, and the ongoing circus phenomenon. For many, circus history begins with Englishman Philip Astley , while for others its origins go back much further—to Roman Empire times. In Ancient Rome,

1048-400: A competition based on an official coefficient used by presiding world federation is called best lifter . In a powerlifting competition, sometimes referred to as standard competition, there are three events: bench press , squat and deadlift . Placing is achieved via combined total. Some variations of this are found at some meets such as "push-pull only" meets where lifters only compete in

1179-444: A considerable change in the character of the modern circus. In arenas too large for speech to be easily audible, the traditional comic dialogue of the clown assumed a less prominent place than formerly, while the vastly increased wealth of stage properties relegated to the background the old-fashioned equestrian feats, which were replaced by more ambitious acrobatic performances, and by exhibitions of skill, strength, and daring, requiring

1310-479: A day. Though competitive strongman events are ever-changing, there are a number of staples that frequently appear on the international stage, including: The strongmen are listed according to the chronological order of their birth. The following 75 strongmen have reached the podium (1st, 2nd or 3rd place) of World's Strongest Man since 1977 and/or World Muscle Power Classic from 1985 to 2004 and/or Arnold Strongman Classic since 2002. They are listed according to

1441-471: A departing circus, collapsed, resulting in minor injuries to many but the death of Fanque's wife. Traveling circus companies also rented the land they set up their structures on sometimes causing damage to the local ecosystems. Three important circus innovators were the Italian Giuseppe Chiarini , and Frenchmen Louis Soullier and Jacques Tourniaire , whose early travelling circuses introduced

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1572-699: A few. In some towns, there are circus buildings where regular performances are held. The best known are: In other countries, purpose-built circus buildings still exist which are no longer used as circuses, or are used for circus only occasionally among a wider programme of events; for example, the Cirkusbygningen (The Circus Building) in Copenhagen, Denmark, Cirkus in Stockholm, Sweden, or Carré Theatre in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Powerlifting Powerlifting

1703-535: A later generation. In England circuses were often held in purpose-built buildings in large cities, such as the London Hippodrome , which was built as a combination of the circus, the menagerie, and the variety theatre, where wild animals such as lions and elephants from time to time appeared in the ring, and where convulsions of nature such as floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions were produced with an extraordinary wealth of realistic display. Joseph Grimaldi ,

1834-456: A more natural look. Daredevil stunt acts , freak shows , and sideshow acts are also parts of some circus acts, these activities may include human cannonball , chapeaugraphy , fire eating , breathing , and dancing , knife throwing , magic shows , sword swallowing , or strongman . Famous sideshow performers include Zip the Pinhead and The Doll Family . A popular sideshow attraction from

1965-609: A new Bill to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses. The Wild Animals in Circuses Act 2019 came into effect on 20 January 2020. A bill to ban the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in Wales was introduced in June 2019, and subsequently passed by the Welsh Parliament on 15 July 2020. Over 6,500 responses were made by the people of Wales, to the public consultation on

2096-575: A performance there later that season. In the Americas during the first two decades of the 19th century, the Circus of Pepin and Breschard toured from Montreal to Havana, building circus theatres in many of the cities it visited. Victor Pépin , a native New Yorker, was the first American to operate a major circus in the United States. Later the establishments of Purdy, Welch & Co., and of van Amburgh gave

2227-784: A reserve. On 1 February 1992 at the Great American Circus in Palm Bay, Florida , an elephant named Janet (1965 – 1 February 1992) went out of control while giving a ride to a mother, her two children, and three other children. The elephant then stampeded through the circus grounds outside before being shot to death by police. Also, during a Circus International performance in Honolulu, Hawaii , on 20 August 1994, an elephant called Tyke (1974 – 20 August 1994) killed her trainer, Allen Campbell , and severely mauled her groomer, Dallas Beckwith, in front of hundreds of spectators. Tyke then bolted from

2358-422: A revival of the circus tradition since the late 1970s, when a number of groups began to experiment with new circus formats and aesthetics, typically avoiding the use of animals to focus exclusively on human artistry. Circus companies and artistes within this movement, often termed "new circus" or "cirque nouveau," have tended to favor a theatrical approach, combining character-driven circus acts with original music in

2489-520: A single-ply suit or briefs but are exponentially harder to use, and are usually reserved for the top lifters. During the squat, lifters also tend to wear knee wraps. Even though knee wraps will be a sub-classification of raw lifting, it will still be worn by equipped lifters. A raw lifter who would squat in knee wraps will have the weight lifted noted as "with wraps" to distinguish from raw lifters using knee sleeves. Knee wraps are made out of similar elastic material as wrist wraps. They are wrapped around

2620-422: A supportive suit. Supportive equipment should not be confused with the equipment on which the lifts are performed, such as a bench press bench, or conventional or monolift stand for squat or the barbell and discs. Chalk is commonly used by lifters to dry the hands to reduce blisters, slipping and improve grip strength, as the contents of the chalk is made out of magnesium carbonate . Chalk can also be added to

2751-487: A typical gym, training with a strongman regimen requires equipment not typically found in a gym. Some equipment used in a strongman competition would have to be found custom-made or at a strongman gym. Some of these equipment includes natural stones, tree trunk logs, farmers walk frames, yokes, kegs and various sorts of vehicles. Another part of a strongman's training is its intense diet regime. The biggest strongman competitors would need to ingest around 8,000 - 10,000 calories

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2882-438: A variety of choreographed acts set to music, often termed "traditional" or "classical" circus, developed in the latter part of the nineteenth century and remained the dominant format until the 1970s. As styles of performance have developed since the time of Astley, so too have the types of venue where these circuses have performed. The earliest modern circuses were performed in open-air structures with limited covered seating. From

3013-497: A variety of other routines. Juggling is one of the most common acts in a circus; the combination of juggling and gymnastics that includes acts like plate spinning and the rolling globe come under the category equilibristics , along with more classical balance disciplines such as tightwire, slackline and unicycle. Acts like these are some of the most common and the most traditional. Clowns are common to most circuses and are typically skilled in many circus acts; "clowns getting into

3144-419: A variety of venues including tents, theatres, casinos, cruise ships, and open-air spaces. Many circus performances are still held in a ring, usually 13 m (43 ft) in diameter. This dimension was adopted by Astley in the late eighteenth century as the minimum diameter that enabled an acrobatic horse rider to stand upright on a cantering horse to perform their tricks. A shift in form has been credited with

3275-417: A wider popularity to the circus in the United States. In 1825, Joshuah Purdy Brown was the first circus owner to use a large canvas tent for the circus performance. Circus pioneer Dan Rice was the most famous pre- Civil War circus clown, popularising such expressions as "The One-Horse Show" and " Hey, Rube! ". The American circus was revolutionised by P. T. Barnum and William Cameron Coup , who launched

3406-463: A wider variety of events, akin to strongman competition . Eventually, odd lifts became standardized to the current three. In competition, lifts may be performed equipped or unequipped (typically referred to as 'classic' or 'raw' lifting in the IPF specifically). Equipment in this context refers to a supportive bench shirt or squat/deadlift suit or briefs. In some federations, knee wraps are permitted in

3537-406: Is a competitive strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat , bench press , and deadlift . As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting , it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effort of a barbell loaded with weight plates. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as "odd lifts", which followed the same three-attempt format but used

3668-408: Is less elastic, and therefore considered to provide greater 'stopping power' at the bottom of the movement but less assistance with the ascent. Bench shirts may be made of polyester or denim , where the denim again provides a less-elastic alternative to the polyester. Knee wraps are made of varying combinations of cotton and elastic . Supportive equipment can be constructed in different ways to suit

3799-404: The circus was a roofless arena for the exhibition of horse and chariot races, equestrian shows, staged battles, gladiatorial combat, and displays of (and fights with) trained animals. The circuses of Rome were similar to the ancient Greek hippodromes , although circuses served varying purposes and differed in design and construction, and for events that involved re-enactments of naval battles,

3930-718: The Bartholomew Fair in London during the Middle Ages . The origin of the modern circus has been attributed to Philip Astley , who was born 1742 in Newcastle-under-Lyme, England. He became a cavalry officer who set up the first modern amphitheatre for the display of horse riding tricks in Lambeth, London, on 4 April 1768. Astley did not originate trick horse riding, nor was he first to introduce acts such as acrobats and clowns to

4061-522: The IPF , is also a World Games sport. Local, national and international competitions have also been sanctioned by other federations operating independently of the IPF. The roots of powerlifting are found in traditions of strength training stretching back as far as the ancient Mayan civilizations and ancient Persian times. The idea of powerlifting originated in ancient Greece, as men lifted stones to prove their strength and manhood. The modern sport originated in

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4192-728: The Pickle Family Circus , founded in San Francisco in 1975; Ra-Ra Zoo in 1984 in London ; Nofit State Circus in 1984 from Wales ; Cirque du Soleil , founded in Quebec in 1984; Cirque Plume and Archaos from France in 1984 and 1986 respectively. More recent examples include: Cirque Éloize (founded in Quebec in 1993); Sweden's Cirkus Cirkör (1995); Teatro ZinZanni (founded in Seattle in 1998);

4323-464: The Thames River , England. In 1770, he hired acrobats, tightrope walkers, jugglers, and a clown to fill in the pauses between the equestrian demonstrations and thus chanced on the format which was later named a "circus." Performances developed significantly over the next 50 years, with large-scale theatrical battle reenactments becoming a significant feature. The format in which a ringmaster introduces

4454-578: The United Kingdom and the United States in the 1950s. Previously, the weightlifting governing bodies in both countries had recognized various "odd lifts" for competition and record purposes. During the 1950s, Olympic weightlifting declined in the United States, while strength sports gained many new followers. People did not like the Olympic lifts Clean and Press , Snatch and Clean and Jerk . In 1958,

4585-607: The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University "found no evidence that circuses contribute to education or conservation."; however, in 2007, a different working group under the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs , having reviewed information from experts representing both the circus industry and animal welfare, found an absence of "scientific evidence sufficient to demonstrate that travelling circuses are not compatible with meeting

4716-462: The "Strength Set" ( biceps curl , bench press, and squat) soon became the standard competition lifts, and both organizations held Championships on these lifts (as well as on the Olympic lifts) until 1965. In 1966, the Society of Amateur Weightlifters rejoined BAWLA. The bicep curl was replaced with the deadlift to fall in line with the American lifts. The first British Championship was held in 1966. During

4847-609: The 13th century, through medieval and renaissance jesters, minstrels and troubadours to the late 18th century and the time of Astley. The first circus in the city of Rome was the Circus Maximus , in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills. It was constructed during the monarchy and, at first, built completely from wood. After being rebuilt several times, the final version of the Circus Maximus could seat 250,000 people; it

4978-650: The 1970s in Australia, Canada, France, the West Coast of the United States, and the United Kingdom. New Circus combines traditional circus skills and theatrical techniques to convey a story or theme. Compared with the traditional circus, this genre of circus tends to focus more attention on the overall aesthetic impact, on character and story development, and on the use of lighting design , original music, and costume design to convey thematic or narrative content. Music used in

5109-470: The 69 and 76 kg weight class effective January 1, 2021. Age categories Age categories are depended on the federation. The IPF uses the following age categories: sub-junior (14–18), junior (19–23), open (any age), masters 1 (40–49), masters 2 (50–59), masters 3 (60–69), masters 4 (70+). Age categories are dependent on the year of the participant's birth. For example, if an athlete turns 18 years old in July,

5240-581: The American Drug Free Powerlifting Association (ADFPA), led by Brother Bennett, became the first federation to break away from the USPF, citing the need to implement effective drug testing in the sport. In 1982, drug testing was introduced to the IPF, although the USPF championships that year did not have drug testing. The IPF's push for drug testing was resisted by several American lifters. In 1982, Larry Pacifico and Ernie Frantz founded

5371-860: The American Powerlifting Federation (APF), which advertised its categorical opposition to all drug testing. In 1984, powerlifting was included into the Paralympic Games for men with spinal cord injuries. At the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney , women were invited to participate in powerlifting. Both men and women are allowed to compete in 10 weight classes respectively. In 1987, the American Powerlifting Association (APA) and World Powerlifting Alliance (WPA) were formed by Scott Taylor. The APA offer both drug tested and untested categories in most of their competitions. As of 2024,

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5502-456: The Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show On Earth, where it toured from 1897 to 1902, impressing other circus owners with its large scale, its touring techniques (including the tent and circus train), and its combination of circus acts, a zoological exhibition, and a freak show. This format was adopted by European circuses at the turn of the 20th century. The influence of the American circus brought about

5633-457: The English public, but he was the first to create a space where all these acts were brought together to perform a show. Astley rode in a circle rather than a straight line as his rivals did, and thus chanced on the format of performing in a circle. Astley performed stunts in a 42 ft diameter ring, which is the standard size used by circuses ever since. Astley referred to the performance arena as

5764-431: The IPF introduced the following new weight classes effective January 1, 2011: Men: -53 kg (sub-junior/junior), -59 kg, -66 kg, -74 kg, -83 kg, -93 kg, -105 kg, -120 kg, 120 kg+ Women: -43 kg (sub-junior/junior), 47 kg, -52 kg, -57 kg, -63 kg, -72 kg, -84 kg, 84 kg+ In 2020, the IPF announced the 72 kg weight class would be replaced with

5895-407: The IPF mandating that lifters put on their knee sleeves unassisted. Equipped lifters compete separately from raw lifters. Equipped athletes will wear a squat suit, knee wraps, a bench shirt, and a deadlift suit. For the squats, a squat suit is used for the event. Squat suits are typically made of an elastic-like material, and a single-ply polyester layer. This allows a competitor to spring out of

6026-471: The IPF standard of using the same bar for all three lifts. The rules of powerlifting have also evolved and differentiated. For example, in ADFPA/USAPL competition, the "press" command on the bench press was used, not used, and then used again, following a 2006 IPF motion to reinstate this rule. IPF rules also mandate a "start" command at the beginning of the bench press. Many other federations, for example,

6157-751: The Italian Antonio Franconi in 1793. In 1826, the first circus took place under a canvas big top. The Englishman John Bill Ricketts brought the first modern circus to the United States. He began his theatrical career with Hughes Royal Circus in London in the 1780s, and travelled from England in 1792 to establish his first circus in Philadelphia . The first circus building in the US opened on 3 April 1793 in Philadelphia, where Ricketts gave America's first complete circus performance. George Washington attended

6288-689: The National Weightlifting Committee of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) decided to begin recognizing records for odd lifts. The first national competition was held in September 1964 under the auspices of the York Barbell Company . York Barbell owner Bob Hoffman had been a longtime adversary of the sport, but his company was now making powerlifting equipment to make up for the sales it had lost on Olympic equipment. During

6419-577: The Natural Athlete Strength Association (NASA), have never used the "start" command. As a further example of diversifying rules of performance, in 2011 the Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF) eliminated the "squat" command at the beginning of the squat. Most federations also now allow the sumo deadlift , which the athletes foot position is outside their grip position. Many communities and federations do not class

6550-490: The Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, have locally restricted or banned the use of animals in entertainment. In response to a growing popular concern about the use of animals in entertainment, animal-free circuses are becoming more common around

6681-504: The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus came to an end in 2014 when The Humane Society of the United States and a number of other animal rights groups paid a $ 16 million settlement to Feld Entertainment; however, the circus closed in May 2017 after a 146-year run when it experienced a steep decline in ticket sales a year after it discontinued its elephant act and sent its pachyderms to

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6812-586: The Soviet gymnastics programme. When the Moscow State Circus company began international tours in the 1950s, its levels of originality and artistic skill were widely applauded. Circuses from China, drawing on Chinese traditions of acrobatics , like the Chinese State Circus are also popular touring acts. New Circus (originally known as cirque nouveau ) is a performing arts movement that originated in

6943-762: The United States, bringing with him a circus tent. At this time, itinerant circuses that could be fitted-up quickly were becoming popular in Britain. William Batty 's circus, for example, between 1838 and 1840, travelled from Newcastle to Edinburgh and then to Portsmouth and Southampton. Pablo Fanque , who is noteworthy as Britain's only black circus proprietor and who operated one of the most celebrated travelling circuses in Victorian England, erected temporary structures for his limited engagements or retrofitted existing structures. One such structure in Leeds, which Fanque assumed from

7074-714: The WPA has over 60 affiliate nations. The USPF failed to conform to IPF demands and was expelled from the international body in 1997, with the ADFPA, now named USA Powerlifting (USAPL), taking its place (now replaced by Powerlifting America). Despite the trend towards federations, each with their own rules and standards of performance, some powerlifters have attempted to bring unity to the sport. For example, 100% RAW promoted unequipped competition and merged with another federation, Anti-Drug Athletes United (ADAU), in 2013. The Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate (RPS), founded by Gene Rychlak in 2011,

7205-543: The West African Circus Baobab (late 1990s); and Montreal's Les 7 doigts de la main (founded in 2002). The genre includes other circus troupes such as the Vermont-based Circus Smirkus (founded in 1987 by Rob Mermin ) and Le Cirque Imaginaire (later renamed Le Cirque Invisible, both founded and directed by Victoria Chaplin , daughter of Charlie Chaplin ). The most conspicuous success story in

7336-626: The West Indies. With 67 lifters in total, 47 athletes were Americans. Lifts were measured in pounds, and the bench press was the first lift. The International Powerlifting Federation was formed in November of 1972. The inaugural IPF World Championships was held in York on November of 1973. There were 47 entrants: one Swedish athlete, one Puerto Rican athlete, two Canadian athletes, one West Indian athlete, eight British athletes, and 34 American athletes. 1974

7467-562: The act" is a very familiar theme in any circus. Famous circus clowns have included Austin Miles , the Fratellini Family , Rusty Russell, Emmett Kelly , Grock , and Bill Irwin . The title clown refers to the role functions and performance skills, not simply to the image of red nose and exaggerated facepaint that was popularised through 20th Century mass media. While many clowns still perform in this styling, there are also many clowns who adopt

7598-567: The arena and ran through the streets of Kakaako for more than thirty minutes. Police fired 86 shots at Tyke, who eventually collapsed from the wounds and died. In December 2018, New Jersey became the first state in the U.S. to ban circuses, carnivals and fairs from featuring elephants, tigers, and other exotic animals. In 1998 in the United Kingdom, a parliamentary working group chaired by MP Roger Gale studied living conditions and treatment of animals in UK circuses. All members of this group agreed that

7729-507: The athlete is considered an 18-year-old sub-junior throughout the calendar year. Other federations typically break the Masters categories down to 5-year increments, for example, 40–44, 45–49, 50–54, etc. Some federations also include a sub-master class from 33 (or 35) to 39. A powerlifting competition takes place as follows: Each competitor is allowed three attempts on each of the squat, bench press, and deadlift, depending on their standing and

7860-401: The bench press and deadlift, with the bench press coming first and the deadlift after. Single lift meets are often held for the bench press and the deadlift. At a meet, the events will follow in order: squat, then bench press, and the deadlift will be the final lift of the meet. There are two types depending on equipment used: conventional stand and monolift stand. The squat starts with

7991-463: The bottom of a squat (called "pop out of the hole" in Powerlifting circles) by maintaining rigidity, keeping the athlete upright and encouraging their hips to remain parallel with the floor. This allows lifters to lift more weight than would normally be possible without the suit. There are also multi-ply suits giving the lifter more rigidity, like that of a traditional canvas suit, with the same pop as

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8122-571: The broad categories of juggling, equilibristics, acrobatics, aerial and clowning. These disciplines can be honed into individual acts, which can be performed independently and marketed to many different prospective circus employers, and also used for devising solo or collaborative work created specifically for a single project. Common acts include a variety of acrobatics , gymnastics (including tumbling and trampoline ), aerial acts (such as trapeze , aerial silk , corde lisse , Lyra or Ariel hoop , circus hammok ), contortion , stilt-walking , and

8253-720: The case, brought against Feld Entertainment International by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals et al., the Court ruled that evidence against the circus company was "not credible with regard to the allegations". In lieu of a USDA hearing, Feld Entertainment Inc . (parent of Ringling Bros.) agreed to pay an unprecedented $ 270,000 fine for violations of the Animal Welfare Act that allegedly occurred between June 2007 and August 2011. A 14-year litigation against

8384-588: The chronological order of their podium appearance. 24 of them have won the World's Strongest Man (WSM), 11 have won the World Muscle Power Classic (WMPC) and 9 have won the Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC). 7 men have won both WSM & WMPC (Kazmaier, Capes, Sigmarsson, Reeves, Magnússon, Ahola, Karlsen). 5 men have won both WSM & ASC (Savickas, Shaw, Björnsson, Licis, Hooper). Additionally,

8515-575: The circus to Latin America, Australia, Southeast Asia, China, South Africa, and Russia. Soullier was the first circus owner to introduce Chinese acrobatics to the European circus when he returned from his travels in 1866, and Tourniaire was the first to introduce the performing art to Ranga, where it became extremely popular. After an 1881 merger with James Anthony Bailey and James L. Hutchinson's circus and Barnum's death in 1891, his circus travelled to Europe as

8646-499: The circus was flooded with water; however, the Roman circus buildings were not circular but rectangular with semi circular ends. The lower seats were reserved for persons of rank; there were also various state boxes for the giver of the games and his friends. The circus was the only public spectacle at which men and women were not separated. Some circus historians such as George Speaight have stated "these performances may have taken place in

8777-616: The contemporary circus' shift toward more theatrical techniques and its emphasis on human rather than animal performance, traditional circus companies still exist alongside the new movement. Numerous circuses continue to maintain animal performers, including UniverSoul Circus and the Big Apple Circus from the United States, Circus Krone from Munich, Circus Royale and Lennon Bros Circus from Australia, Vazquez Hermanos Circus , Circo Atayde Hermanos, and Hermanos Mayaror Circus from Mexico, and Moira Orfei Circus from Italy, to name just

8908-536: The crowd during intermission and perform strength feats like card tearing, nail bending, etc. to demonstrate strength as well as symmetry and size. Circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns , acrobats , trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians , dancers , hoopers , tightrope walkers , jugglers , magicians , ventriloquists , and unicyclists as well as other object manipulation and stunt-oriented artists. The term "circus" also describes

9039-415: The descent to the bar in the deadlift , storing elastic potential energy . On the upward portion of each lift, the elastic potential energy is transferred to the barbell as kinetic energy , aiding in the completion of the lift. Some claim that supportive equipment prevents injuries by compressing and stabilizing the joints over which it worn. For example, the bench shirt is claimed to support and protect

9170-690: The draft Bill, 97% of which supported the ban. The use of wild animals in travelling circuses has been banned in Scotland. The Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (Scotland) Act 2018 came into force on 28 May 2018. There are nationwide bans on using some if not all animals in circuses in Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malta, Mexico,

9301-529: The early 19th century was the flea circus , where fleas were attached to props and viewed through a Fresnel lens . A variety of animals have historically been used in acts. While the types of animals used vary from circus to circus, big cats (namely lions , tigers , and leopards ), foxes , wolves , polecats , minks , weasels , camels , llamas , elephants , zebras , horses , donkeys , birds (like parrots and doves ), sea lions , bears , monkeys , and domestic animals such as cats and dogs are

9432-450: The ears, under the chin and on their legs with metal tipped prods, called bullhooks. Feld stated that these practices are necessary to protect circus workers. Feld also acknowledged that an elephant trainer was reprimanded for using an electric shock device, known as a hot shot or electric prod, on an elephant, which Feld also stated was appropriate practice. Feld denied that any of these practices harm elephants. In its January 2010 verdict on

9563-430: The employment of immense numbers of performers, and often of complicated and expensive machinery. From the late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, travelling circuses were a major form of spectator entertainment in the US and attracted huge attention whenever they arrived in a city. After World War II, the popularity of the circus declined as new forms of entertainment (such as television) arrived and

9694-405: The equipped but not unequipped division; in others, they may be used in both equipped and unequipped lifting. Weightlifting belts, knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and special footwear may also be used, but are not considered when distinguishing equipped from unequipped lifting. Competitions take place across the world. Powerlifting has been a Paralympic sport ( bench press only) since 1984 and, under

9825-408: The field of performance, training, and community which has followed various formats through its 250-year modern history. Although not the inventor of the medium, Newcastle-under-Lyme born Philip Astley is credited as the father of the modern circus. In 1768, Astley, a skilled equestrian, began performing exhibitions of trick horse riding in an open field called Ha'penny Hatch on the south side of

9956-571: The first European country to ban any animal from performing in any circus in its territory in February 2012, following a campaign by Animal Defenders International and the Greek Animal Welfare Fund (GAWF). On 6 June 2015, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe adopted a position paper in which it recommends the prohibition of the use of wild animals in travelling circuses. Despite

10087-694: The first mainstream clown , had his first major role as Little Clown in the pantomime The Triumph of Mirth; or, Harlequin's Wedding in 1781. The Royal Circus was opened in London on 4 November 1782 by Charles Dibdin (who coined the term "circus"), aided by his partner Charles Hughes, an equestrian performer. In 1782, Astley established the Amphithéâtre Anglais in Paris, the first purpose-built circus in France, followed by 18 other permanent circuses in cities throughout Europe. Astley leased his Parisian circus to

10218-598: The first named USA National Championships were held. During the same period, lifting in Britain also had factions. In the late 1950s, because members of the ruling body (BAWLA, the British Amateur Weight Lifters' Association ) were only interested in the development of Olympic lifting, a breakaway organization called the Society of Amateur Weightlifters had been formed to cater for the interests of lifters who were not particularly interested in Olympic lifting. Although at that time there were 42 recognized lifts,

10349-469: The following 50 strongmen have reached either 4th or 5th places of World's Strongest Man and/or World Muscle Power Classic and/or Arnold Strongman Classic :    Active    Retired - As of 24 November 2024 Strongman is often incorrectly used to describe a person who does powerlifting , weightlifting or bodybuilding . Due to the circus and entertainment background, nineteenth-century bodybuilders were expected to mingle with

10480-571: The graduating class of the French circus school Le Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC), directed by Joseph Nadj. In contrast to New Circus, Contemporary Circus (as a genre) tends to avoid linear narrative in favour of more suggestive, interdisciplinary approaches to abstract concepts. This includes a strong trend for developing new apparatus and movement languages based on the capacities, experience and interests of individual performers, rather than finding new ways to present traditional repertoire. Beyond

10611-501: The great arenas that were called 'circuses' by the Romans, but it is a mistake to equate these places, or the entertainments presented there, with the modern circus". Others have argued that the lineage of the circus does go back to the Roman circuses and a chronology of circus-related entertainment can be traced to Roman times, continued by the Hippodrome of Constantinople that operated until

10742-502: The gym and training with competition implements to gain familiarity. In the gym, it is necessary to train the entire body for strength, especially with variants of the squat , deadlift , and overhead press . Explosive power is also important, which is developed by weightlifting style lifts and cardiovascular conditioning. Additionally, grip strength must be developed and it is also imperative to improve mental toughness and pain tolerance. Although you can do general strength training, at

10873-449: The keeping of animals for circuses. A survey confirmed that on average, wild animals spend around 99 to 91 percent of their time in cages, wagons, or enclosure due to transportation. This causes a huge amount of distress to animals and leads to excessive amounts of drooling. City ordinances banning performances by wild animals have been enacted in San Francisco (2015), Los Angeles (2017), and New York City (2017). Greece became

11004-447: The late 1950s, Hoffman's influence on Olympic lifting and his predominately Olympics-focused magazine Strength and Health were beginning to come under increasing pressure from Joe Weider 's organization. In order to combat the growing influence of Weider, Hoffman started another magazine, Muscular Development , which would be focused more on bodybuilding and the fast-growing interest in odd lift competitions. The magazine's first editor

11135-579: The late 1960s and at the beginning of the 1970s, various international contests were held. At the same time, in early November of each year and to commemorate Hoffman's birthday, a prestigious lifting contest was held. In 1971, it was decided to make this event the "World Weightlifting Championships". The event was held at 10 AM on 6 November 1971, in York, Pennsylvania . Most of the athletes were American lifters, since teams were not formed yet. There were also four British athletes, and one athlete from Jamaica . All of

11266-409: The late eighteenth to late nineteenth century, custom-made circus buildings (often wooden) were built with various types of seating, a center ring, and sometimes a stage. The traditional large tents commonly known as "big tops" were introduced in the mid-nineteenth century as touring circuses superseded static venues. These tents eventually became the most common venue. Contemporary circus is performed in

11397-516: The latest and most supportive canvas, denim, and multiply polyester designs, while others such as the IPF maintained more restrictive rules on which supportive equipment could be used. The Monolift, a rack in which the bar catchers swing out and eliminate the walkout portion of the squat, was invented by Ray Madden and first used in competition in 1992. This innovation was adopted by some federations and forbidden in others. Other inventions included specialized squat bars and deadlift bars, moving away from

11528-418: The lift is completed. After removing the bar from the racks while facing the front of the platform, the lifter may move forward or backward to establish the lifting position. The bar shall be held horizontally across the shoulders with the hands and/or fingers gripping the bar, and the feet flat upon the platform with the knees locked. The lifter shall wait in this position for the head referee's signal to rack

11659-445: The lifter lowers the bar to the chest. When the bar becomes motionless on the chest, the referee gives a press command. Then the referee will call 'rack' and the lift is completed as the weight is returned to the rack. The bench equipment will be placed on the platform with the head facing the front or angled up to 45 degrees. The head referee will be positioned on the head side of the bench press discipline. To achieve firm footing,

11790-401: The lifter standing erect and the bar loaded with weights resting on the lifter's shoulders or traps. A high bar and low bar position can be used. At the referee's command, the squat begins. The lifter creates a break in the hips, bends their knees and drops into a squatting position . The lifter then ascends back to an erect position. At the referee's command, the bar is returned to the rack and

11921-400: The lifters knees tightly. The knee wraps are wrapped in a spiral or diagonal method. The knee wraps build elastic energy during the eccentric part of the squat and once the lifter has hit proper depth the lifter will start the concentric part of the movement releasing this elastic energy and using it to help them move the weight upwards. It gives the lifter more spring, or pop out of the hole of

12052-488: The lifters' preferences. A squat suit may be constructed for a wide or a narrow stance; and a bench shirt may be constructed with 'straight' sleeves (perpendicular to the trunk of the lifter) or sleeves that are angled towards the abdomen. The back of the bench shirt may be closed or open, and the back panel may or may not be of the same material as the front of the shirt. Similarly, 'hybrid' squat suits can include panels made from canvas and polyester, in an effort to combine

12183-628: The method for training circus animals. It is also alleged that the animals are kept in cages that are too small and are given very little opportunity to walk around outside of their enclosure, thereby violating their right to freedom. According to PETA, although the US Animal Welfare Act does not permit any sort of punishment that puts the animals in discomfort, trainers will still go against this law and use such things as electric rods and bullhooks . According to PETA, during an undercover investigation of Carson & Barnes Circus, video footage

12314-437: The most common. The earliest involvement of animals in circus was just the display of exotic creatures in a menagerie . Going as far back as the early eighteenth century, exotic animals were transported to North America for display, and menageries were a popular form of entertainment. The first true animals acts in the circus were equestrian acts. Soon elephants and big cats were displayed as well. Isaac A. Van Amburgh entered

12445-548: The most famous competitions of this type are World's Strongest Man , Arnold Strongman Classic , Europe's Strongest Man , Strongman Champions League , World's Ultimate Strongman , World's Strongest Viking , World Muscle Power Classic , Fortissimus , Pure Strength , Rogue Invitational , Shaw Classic , Giants Live , IFSA World Championships , Strongman Super Series and World Strongman Challenge . More than 30 countries also hold national-level strongman competitions. Training for strongman involves building overall strength in

12576-465: The new circus genre has been that of Cirque du Soleil , the Canadian circus company whose estimated annual revenue exceeds US$ 810 million in 2009, and whose cirque nouveau shows have been seen by nearly 90 million spectators in over 200 cities on five continents. The genre of contemporary circus is largely considered to have begun in 1995 with 'Le Cri du Caméléon', an ensemble performance from

12707-421: The organization they are lifting in. The lifter's best valid attempt on each lift counts toward the competition total. For each weightclass, the lifter with the highest total wins. In many meets, the lifter with the highest total relative to their weight class also wins. If two or more lifters achieve the same total, the lighter lifter ranks above the heavier lifter. Competitors are judged against other lifters of

12838-455: The performance aspect of circus, is the Social Circus field, catalysed by Reg Bolton. Social Circus engages communities through circus practice and activity to provide health and well-being benefits. A traditional circus performance is often led by a ringmaster who has a role similar to a Master of Ceremonies . The ringmaster presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps

12969-451: The production is often composed exclusively for that production, and aesthetic influences are drawn as much from contemporary culture as from circus history. Animal acts rarely appear in new circus, in contrast to traditional circus, where animal acts have often been a significant part of the entertainment. Early pioneers of the new circus genre included: Circus Oz , forged in Australia in 1977 from SoapBox Circus (1976) and New Circus (1973);

13100-580: The public with innovative new approaches to the circus form itself. In 1919, Lenin , head of Soviet Russia , expressed a wish for the circus to become "the people's art-form", with facilities and status on par with theatre, opera and ballet. The USSR nationalised Russian circuses. In 1927, the State University of Circus and Variety Arts , better known as the Moscow Circus School , was established; performers were trained using methods developed from

13231-415: The public's tastes changed. From the 1960s onward, circuses attracted growing criticism from animal rights activists. Many circuses went out of business or were forced to merge with other circus companies. Nonetheless, a good number of travelling circuses are still active in various parts of the world, ranging from small family enterprises to three-ring extravaganzas. Other companies found new ways to draw in

13362-577: The referees were American. Weights were in pounds . The lifting order was "rising bar", and the first lift was the bench press. There was no such thing as a bench shirt or squat suit, and various interpretations were held regarding the use and length of knee wraps and weightlifting belts. The IPF rules system did not exist yet, nor had world records been established. In 1972, the second AAU World Championships were held on 10 and 11 November. There were eight athletes from Great Britain, six from Canada , six from Puerto Rico , three from Zambia , and one from

13493-443: The same sex , weight class , and age. Comparisons of lifters and scores across different weight classes can also be made using handicapping systems. World federations use the following ones: IPF GL Points, Glossbrenner, Reshel, Outstanding Lifter, Schwartz/Malone, Siff; for the junior age categories, Foster coefficient is mostly used; for the masters age categories, McCulloch or Reshel coefficients are mostly used. Winner of

13624-408: The shoulders for squatting, on the back for bench pressing to reduce sliding, and on the hands to grip the barbell on the bench press and deadlift. Supportive equipment is used to increase the weight lifted in powerlifting exercises. A snug garment is worn over a joint or joints (such as the shoulders or hips ). This garment deforms during the downward portion of a bench press or squat , or

13755-451: The shoulders. Critics point out that the greater weights used with supportive equipment and the equipment's tendency to change the pattern of the movement may compromise safety, as in the case of the bar moving towards the head during the upward portion of the shirted bench press. Different materials are used in the construction of supportive equipment. Squat suits may be made of varying types of polyester , or of canvas . The latter fabric

13886-463: The show moving. The activity of the circus traditionally takes place within a ring; large circuses may have multiple rings, like the six-ringed Moscow State Circus . A circus often travels with its own band, whose instrumentation in the United States has traditionally included brass instruments , drums, glockenspiel , and sometimes the distinctive sound of the calliope . Performers have been traditionally referred to as artistes, although in recent years

14017-631: The speed off the floor at the beginning of the lift. However, deadlift suits are least likely to carry over additional weight in comparison to equipped squatting and equipped bench pressing. Weight classes: Most powerlifting federations use the following weight classes: Men: -52 kg, -56 kg, -60 kg, -67.5 kg, -75 kg, -82.5 kg, -90 kg, -100 kg, -110 kg, -125 kg, -140 kg, 140 kg+ Women: -44 kg, -48 kg, -52 kg, -56 kg, -60 kg, -67.5 kg, -75 kg, -82.5 kg, -90 kg, 90 kg+ IPF weight classes: In 2010,

14148-422: The sport, and 'equipped' and 'unequipped' records in the competition lifts. The wide differences between equipped and unequipped records in the squat and bench press suggest that supportive equipment confers a substantial advantage to lifters in these disciplines. This is less evident in the case of the deadlift , where the lack of an eccentric component to the lift minimizes how much elastic energy can be stored in

14279-430: The squat resulting in a heavier and faster squat. For the bench press, there are single-ply and multi-ply bench shirts that work similarly to a squat suit. It acts as artificial pectoral muscles and shoulder muscles for the lifter. It resists the movement of the bench press by compressing and building elastic energy. When the bar is still and the official gives the command to press the compression and elastic energy of

14410-436: The strengths of each material. When two or more panels overlay one another in a piece of supportive equipment, that equipment is described as 'multi-ply', in contrast to 'single-ply' equipment made of one layer of material throughout. Raw powerlifting, also called classic or unequipped powerlifting has been codified in response to the proliferation and advancement of bench shirts and squat/deadlift suits. The 100% RAW federation

14541-436: The suit aids in the speed of the lift, and support of the weight that the athlete would not be able to provide without the bench shirt. For the deadlift, deadlift suits are used for the event. There are single-ply and multi-ply deadlift suits. The elastic energy is built when the lifter goes down to set up and place its grip on the bar before the deadlift attempt. The deadlift suit aids core and spine stability and can increase

14672-516: The sumo variation as a technical deadlift. Another rule change into effect from the IPF, is the bench press elbow depth rule, established in 2022 and into effect at the start of 2023. This rule, similar to squat depth, requires the bottom surface of the elbows to be in line with or below the top surface of the shoulder joint. In powerlifting, supportive equipment refers to supportive shirts , briefs, suits, and sometimes knee wraps made of materials that store elastic potential energy and thereby assist

14803-478: The term "21st Century Circus" to encompass all the various styles available in the present day. 21st Century Circus continues to develop new variations on the circus tradition while absorbing new skills, techniques, and stylistic influences from other art forms and technological developments. For aesthetic or economic reasons, 21st Century Circus productions may often be staged in theaters rather than in large outdoor tents. First attested in English fourteenth century,

14934-524: The term artists has also come into regular use. To some performers from multi-generational circus families, the term artiste is still preferred as it is considered to confer higher status than artist. Conversely, some performers from the circus school training route taken by many of the newer generations prefer the term artist as it is considered to be less pretentious than artiste. The physical and creative skills that circus artist/es perform are known as disciplines, and are often grouped for training purposes into

15065-485: The three lifts contested in powerlifting. Some federations allow single-ply knee sleeves, and wraps for wrists in raw competition. Straps are also used in deadlift training in case of a weak grip, but are not allowed by any federations in official competitions. A weight lifting belt is the only supportive equipment that is allowed by all federations in raw competition. The use of supportive equipment distinguishes 'equipped' and 'unequipped' (also known as 'raw') divisions in

15196-629: The time), supporting large amounts of weight held overhead at arm's length, steel bending, chain breaking, etc. They needed to have large amounts of wrist, hand, and tendon strength for these feats, as well as prodigious oblique strength. In the late 20th century, the term strongman evolved to describe one who competes in strength athletics  – a more modern eclectic strength competition in which competitors display their raw functional strength through exercises such as deadlifts, squats, overhead log lifts, lifting stones, toting refrigerators, pulling heavy vehicles and tossing or loading weights. Some of

15327-469: The travelling P. T. Barnum's Museum, Menagerie & Circus , the first freak show , in the 1870s. Coup also introduced the first multiple-ring circuses, and was also the first circus entrepreneur to use circus trains to transport the circus between towns. By the 1830s, sideshows were also being established alongside travelling circuses. In 1838, the equestrian Thomas Taplin Cooke returned to England from

15458-407: The weights. The lifter will be allowed only one commencement signal per attempt. The lifter may be given an additional attempt at the same weight at the head referee's discretion if failure in an attempt was due to any error by one or more of the spotters or by misload. With the lifter resting on the bench, the lifter takes the loaded bar at arm's length. At the discretion of the referee's signal,

15589-524: The welfare needs of any type of non-domesticated animal presently being used in the United Kingdom. " According to that group's report, published in October 2007, "there appears to be little evidence to demonstrate that the welfare of animals kept in travelling circuses is any better or any worse than that of animals kept in other captive environments." A ban prohibiting the use of wild animals in circuses in England

15720-507: The welfare of circus animals in 2008. The following issues, among others, were found: Based on these findings, the researchers called for more stringent regulation regarding the welfare of circus animals. In 2012, the Dutch government announced a ban on the use of wild circus animals. In testimony in U.S. District Court in 2009, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus CEO Kenneth Feld acknowledged that circus elephants are struck behind

15851-599: The word "circus" derives from Latin circus , which is the romanization of the Greek κίρκος ( kirkos ), itself a metathesis of the Homeric Greek κρίκος ( krikos ), meaning "circle" or "ring." In the book De Spectaculis , early Christian writer Tertullian claimed that the first circus games were staged by the goddess Circe in honor of her father Helios , the Sun God. The modern and commonly held idea of

15982-528: The world. In 2009, Bolivia passed legislation banning the use of any animals, wild or domestic, in circuses. The law states that circuses "constitute an act of cruelty." Circus operators had one year from the bill's passage on 1 July 2009 to comply. In 2018 in Germany, an accident with an elephant during a circus performance prompted calls to ban animal performances in circuses. PETA called the German politicians to outlaw

16113-480: Was John Grimek . During the late 1950s and early 1960s, various odd lift events gradually developed into the specific lifts of the bench press , squat , and deadlift , and were lifted in that order. Hoffman became more and more influential in the development of this new lifting sport and organized the Weightlifting Tournament of America in 1964, effectively the first USA National championships. In 1965,

16244-838: Was built of stone and measured 400m in length and 90m in width. Next in importance were the Circus Flaminius and the Circus Neronis , from the notoriety which it obtained through the Circensian pleasures of Nero. A fourth circus was constructed by Maxentius ; its ruins have helped archaeologists reconstruct the Roman circus. For some time after the fall of the Western Roman Empire , large circus buildings fell out of use as centres of mass entertainment. Instead, itinerant performers, animal trainers, and showmen travelled between towns throughout Europe, performing at local fairs, such as

16375-501: Was captured showing animal care director Tim Frisco training endangered Asian elephants with electrical shock prods and instructing other trainers to "beat the elephants with a bullhook as hard as they can and sink the sharp metal hook into the elephant's flesh and twist it until they scream in pain". On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands, Wageningen University conducted an investigation into

16506-568: Was considered a move towards unity, as the RPS breaks the tradition of charging lifters membership fees to a specific federation in addition to entry fees for each competition. Some meet promoters have sought to bring together top lifters from different federations, outside existing federations' hierarchy of local, regional, national and international meets; a prominent example of this is the Raw Unity Meet (RUM), held annually since 2007. As new equipment

16637-418: Was developed, it came to distinguish powerlifting federations from one another. Weightlifting belts and knee wraps (originally simple Ace bandages) predated powerlifting, but in 1983 John Inzer invented the first piece of equipment distinct to powerlifters—the bench shirt . Bench shirts and squat/deadlift suits (operating on the same principle) became ubiquitous in powerlifting, but only some federations adopted

16768-591: Was due to be passed in 2015, but Conservative MP Christopher Chope repeatedly blocked the bill under the reasoning that "The EU Membership Costs and Benefits bill should have been called by the clerk before the circuses bill, so I raised a point of order". He explained that the circus bill was "at the bottom of the list" for discussion. The Animal Defenders International non-profit group dubbed this "a huge embarrassment for Britain that 30 other nations have taken action before us on this simple and popular measure". On 1 May 2019 Environmental Secretary Michael Gove announced

16899-408: Was founded in 1999; within a decade, many established federations came to recognize "raw" divisions, in addition to their traditional (open) divisions permitting single-ply or multi-ply equipment. United Powerlifting Association (UPA) established a standard for raw powerlifting in 2008, and USAPL held the first Raw Nationals in the same year. Eventually, IPF recognized raw lifting with the sanction of

17030-554: Was opened to them. The first U.S. national championships for women were held in 1978. The IPF added women's competition in 1980. In the US, the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 required that each Olympic or potential Olympic sport must have its own national governing body by November 1980. As a result, the AAU lost control of every amateur sport. The USPF was founded in 1980 as the new national governing body for American powerlifting. In 1981,

17161-653: Was the first time that teams were selected in advance, as well as the inclusion of the 52 kilogram weight class. In 1975, the World Championships was held outside America for the first time, at the town hall in Birmingham , hosted by Vic Mercer. The establishment of the IPF in 1973 spurred the establishment of the EPF (European Powerlifting Federation) in May 1977. Since it was closely associated with bodybuilding and women had been competing as bodybuilders for years, powerlifting

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