Written by: Arthur, Founder of ISFM, and Mateo, Reporter in ISFM
In this article, we’ll be talking about the Hercules Hold, a brutal test of raw strength in which an athlete stands firm on a platform while holding apart two massive pillars, each weighing roughly 150 to 200 kilograms. (Sometimes even more!)
Introduction
The Hercules Hold is a sport where an athlete of high-level experience steps onto a platform, and has to hold two pillars through a chain the longest possible resisting the burning urge to let go of the heavy tension in your arms.
A great sentence to describe the Hercules hold, would be:
The Hercules Hold is the ultimate test of grip endurance, forcing the athlete to resist a massive outward pull through sheer isometric* strength and mental grit.
World Records
The female world record of the Hercules hold is currently held (You get it?!) by Donna Moore, who sustained a stunning 1 minute, and 2.26 seconds! She set the bar high for other contestants, establishing this record on February 16th, 2023.
The male record holder is Vispy Kharadi, nicknamed “The Steel Man of India” with an extravagant 2 minutes, 10.75 seconds, holding pillars of 168 kg. This record is more recent than Donna’s, etched in the Guinness Record books on November 11th, 2024.
He also recently held a personal record for weight, in September, when he held pillars of 261 kg, (That’s around half the weight of a polar bear) for around a minute, not beating his previous record time, but proving he can lift stronger than his previous record. Who knows, maybe soon he’ll be able to beat his record with even heavier weight.
Rules/How they do it
The competitor is standing between two pillars, and at the referee’s whistle, the two pillars fall to the sides and the competitor must hold on to chains strapped to the pillars for as long as possible.
The event ends as soon as a hand lets go, a pillar touches the ground, or the athlete loses their balance. Both hands must remain on the handles throughout the entire exercise. Using your body or legs for assistance is prohibited, and Chalk is also generally permitted, but not straps.
If the athlete shows signs of danger (loss of control, feeling unwell), the referee immediately stops the event. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, the Icelandic strongman, experienced severe pain in his shoulders and spine.
Brian Shaw suffered from blisters and small tears on his hands and fingers, common among all grip athletes. During training sessions, he experienced wrist sprains while trying to hold on longer than his limits.
The Legend of the Pillars of Hercules
Everyone’s probably heard of the Greek hero Hercules, and the 12 trials he had to do as a punishment. Well, he’s the main source of inspiration for this brutal sport.
The whole thing was inspired from the following: Hercules created the pillars during his tenth labor, which involved fetching the cattle of Geryon from the far west, symbolizing the limits of human exploration and knowledge.
The Pillars of Hercules are two prominent mountains that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. In Greek mythology, they are associated with the hero Hercules, who is said to have created them during one of his legendary labors. (The tenth)
When it says “Symbolizing the limits of human exploration and knowledge,” it means that he created the pillars as a way to tell when the “Known World” ended, and the “Unknown/New World” started
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Written by: Arthur, Founder of ISFM, and Mateo, Reporter in ISFM
*Isometric
Involving muscular contraction against resistance in which the length of the muscle remains the same. – The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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