Terry Todd

Born Strong is the story of the four strongest men on the planet. Each year, the Arnold Strongman Classic crowns the winner in the purest test of strength on the planet. This year’s Arnolds are unique with each of these four weighing more than 400 pounds. Lithuanian Zydrunas Savickas, 40, is the acknowledged Strongest Man Ever, who may have passed his prime. American Brian Shaw is the defending champion, a 6’8’, 425-pound giant who seems poised to take the crown. England’s Eddie Hall is “the hungry wolf, ” knocking on the door. “I’ll do anything, ” he says. “I’ll die, if I have to. ” Finally, there’s Icelander Hafthor Bjornsson, who plays the Mountain on Game of Thrones. He’s the youngest of the group, but with perhaps the greatest potential. “It’s great to see these Monsters, ” says Arnold Schwarzenegger, the host of the competition and a former bodybuilding champion. Born Strong revels in the drama when these remarkable giants clash.

FULLSTERKUR is the third documentary in a collection of films produced by Rogue Fitness, exploring strength culture around the world, connected specifically by the ancient tradition of stone lifting. Nestled at the doorstep of the Arctic Circle, the country of Iceland is uniquely acquainted with the relationship between strength and survival. For hundreds of years, men and women were challenged to overcome harsh weather and endless winter nights by developing their own distinct physical and mental fortitude—passed down from the age of the Vikings, and iconically represented by the lifting of heavy stones. Today, on an island with a population of just over 300,000, a disproportionate number of the world’s greatest strength athletes still call Iceland home.

There are few places on earth as intimately tied to historic feats of strength as the Highlands of Scotland. Lifting stones, formed over centuries by wind and river erosion, can be found all over Scotland – each with its own history and local lore.

In the mountains of Basque Country and Northern Spain stone lifting, wood cutting and other rural sports have helped influence a generation of modern day Strongman who are doing what they can to keep this heritage alive.