World Muscle Power Classic
Encyclopedia
The World Muscle Power Classic (WMPC) (sometimes known as the World Muscle Power Championships) was one of the most enduring annual strongmen competitions, running for twenty years and in that time attaining the position of the second most prestigious strongman
Strength athletics
Strength athletics, more generally known as strongman competitions, is a sport which tests competitors' strength in a variety of different ways. Some of the disciplines are similar to those in powerlifting and some powerlifters have also successfully competed in strongman competitions...

 contest in the world, after the World's Strongest Man. It was notable for that reason and for the quality of the strength athletes it attracted, which included every winner of the World's Strongest Man
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year...

 competition from 1980 onwards including Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

, Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 and Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

 from the 1980s right up to the five time WSM champion Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

, who was never able to capture the WMPC title.

History

The World Muscle Power Classic (WMPC) first took place in 1985, with the by then established World's Strongest Man having made the popularity of strongman competitions such that this second world title was viable. In a sport notorious for the difficulty with which organisers are faced in making an event enduring, the WMPC stood side-by-side with the World's Strongest Man for almost twenty years and in that time saw many other events come and go. From the outset it attracted the very best athletes in the field and the final placings in that inaugural 1985 competition saw Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

, Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 and Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

 on the podium, all previous winners of the World's Storngest Man and who between them won that title nine times. The event was organized and produced by Doug Edmunds and later the Reeves brothers. For its inception until 2002, the event was held in Scotland, home of the Highland Games, which has a claim to be the progenitor of strength athletics. The quality of the entrants continued unabated, attracting the very best in the world, and the competition quickly became regarded as the second most prestigious title after World's Strongest Man.

The events twentieth century years saw it have a distinctly Highland Games touch. In 1998 for example, there was an opening ceremony started with a parade and several bag pipe bands played as the "World Highland Games Competitors" and the "World Muscle Power Classic Competitors" entered the field together. The competitors lined up in front of the Chieftains table and Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola is a Finnish strongman and actor. He won the 1997 and 1999 World's Strongest Man, and finished second in 1998. Ahola won the Europe's Strongest Man contest twice in 1998 and 1999, and finished fourth in 1996. Jouko won the World's Strongest Team in 1997 and 1999, and was second in 1998...

, the then current World Strongest Man was given the title of honorary chieftain. He was dressed in a kilt and officially started the Games by banging the sword on the shield to the four winds.

By the late 1990s, although regarded highly still, the WMPC profile appeared to dip. In 1998 for example it was advertised that the winner was guaranteed a place at the World's Strongest Man competition, whereas in the 1980s and early 90s it was much more than a qualifier for the more prestigious competition, but a second world title. The profile of strength athletics in general waned in the late 1990s with less coverage on television and many events suffered, including WMPC. In 2000 there was no event held. However, in 2001 it returned. At this time a Strongman Super Series
Strongman Super Series
The Strongman Super Series, known from 2005 to 2008 as the World's Strongest Man Super Series and reverting in 2009 to the World Strongman Super Series, is a sequence of grand prix events in the sport of strength athletics...

 had emerged, an attempt to heighten the profile of the sport once more, and although the WMPC did not feature as part of the point scoring events on that tour, it was advertised as the Scottish Grand Prix. In 2002, the WMPC, also referred to as the Aberdeen Grand Prix, was part of the Strongman Super Series
Strongman Super Series
The Strongman Super Series, known from 2005 to 2008 as the World's Strongest Man Super Series and reverting in 2009 to the World Strongman Super Series, is a sequence of grand prix events in the sport of strength athletics...

 in that year. Although still known as the WMPC, being part of a Super Series was a far cry from its grander position in the 1980s and 1990s. It fell from the list of Super Series events in 2003, and no event was planned in Scotland. At this time, the town of Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

 stepped in. Here, a reputation had been building for a number of years as a host venue for quality strength athletics and they jumped at the chance of hosting a reinvigorated WMPC. It lasted for two years in this venue but 2004 was its last outing. At this juncture the world of strength athletics had been damaged by the split between IFSA
International Federation of Strength Athletes
The International Federation of Strength Athletes was an international governing body for strongman competition...

 and the World's Strongest Man
World's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year...

 with more than one organisation claiming to be the only official worldwide body. An unfortunate casualty of the rift was the WMPC. It is notable that the five time WSM champion Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

, was never able to capture the WMPC title.

Events

Events were held over two days, and over the years the events changed although popular events included:
  • The wench.
  • The Tree Trunk Lift
  • The McGlashen stones
  • The log press
  • The Basque circle
  • The Anvil Hold
  • The super yoke
  • The Carry and Waddle

Results

{| border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0 1em 0 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 91%;"
{| class="wikitable"
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Year
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Champion
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Runner-Up
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|3rd Place
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Location
|-
|2004 ||   Hugo Girard
Hugo Girard
Hugo Girard is a Canadian strongman. Girard is a Strongman Super Series world Champion, a four-time World Muscle Power champion and a six-time Canada's Strongest Man.-Strength career:Prior to his career as a strongman competitor, Girard worked as a bouncer in a popular Quebec City...

 ||   Vasyl Virastyuk
Vasyl Virastyuk
Vasyl Virastyuk , is a strongman competitor from Ukraine.Vasyl Virastyuk competed in the finals of the World's Strongest Man contest in 2003 and 2004. He finished third in 2003 behind then-defending champion Mariusz Pudzianowski and runner-up Zydrunas Savickas...

 ||   Zydrunas Savickas
Žydrunas Savickas
Žydrūnas Savickas is a professional strongman and is widely considered one of the all-time greatest athletes in the history of the sport...

||  Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....


|-
|2003 ||   Hugo Girard
Hugo Girard
Hugo Girard is a Canadian strongman. Girard is a Strongman Super Series world Champion, a four-time World Muscle Power champion and a six-time Canada's Strongest Man.-Strength career:Prior to his career as a strongman competitor, Girard worked as a bouncer in a popular Quebec City...

 ||   Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Zbigniew Pudzianowski is a Polish former strongman and current mixed martial artist...

 ||   Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco...

 ||  Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....


|-
|2002 ||   Svend Karlsen
Svend Karlsen
Svend Karlsen is a former Norwegian strongman, powerlifter, and IFBB professional bodybuilder.-Powerlifting/Bodybuilding:...

 ||   Hugo Girard
Hugo Girard
Hugo Girard is a Canadian strongman. Girard is a Strongman Super Series world Champion, a four-time World Muscle Power champion and a six-time Canada's Strongest Man.-Strength career:Prior to his career as a strongman competitor, Girard worked as a bouncer in a popular Quebec City...

 ||   Janne Virtanen
Janne Virtanen
Janne Virtanen is a strongman from Espoo, Finland. Janne earns his living as a carpenter in Finland....

 ||  Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....


|-
|2001 ||   Hugo Girard
Hugo Girard
Hugo Girard is a Canadian strongman. Girard is a Strongman Super Series world Champion, a four-time World Muscle Power champion and a six-time Canada's Strongest Man.-Strength career:Prior to his career as a strongman competitor, Girard worked as a bouncer in a popular Quebec City...

 ||   Svend Karlsen
Svend Karlsen
Svend Karlsen is a former Norwegian strongman, powerlifter, and IFBB professional bodybuilder.-Powerlifting/Bodybuilding:...

 ||   Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco...

||  Mintlaw
Mintlaw
Mintlaw is a small town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland lying along the A952 road and is geographically a route centre...


|-
|2000 ||colspan="4" align=center style="background: #708090;"|Not Held
|-
|1999 ||   Hugo Girard
Hugo Girard
Hugo Girard is a Canadian strongman. Girard is a Strongman Super Series world Champion, a four-time World Muscle Power champion and a six-time Canada's Strongest Man.-Strength career:Prior to his career as a strongman competitor, Girard worked as a bouncer in a popular Quebec City...

 ||colspan="2" align=center |   Mark Philippi
Mark Philippi
Mark Philippi – is a former leading strongman competitor, multiple entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition, and former holder of the America's Strongest Man title.-Biography:...

 /   Raimonds Bergmanis
Raimonds Bergmanis
Raimonds Bergmanis is a fomer Olympic weightlifting champion and retired strongman competitor from Latvia....

 ||  Callander
Callander
Callander is a burgh in the region of Stirling, Scotland, situated on the River Teith. The town is located in the former county of Perthshire and is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands....


|-
|1998 ||   Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola
Jouko Ahola is a Finnish strongman and actor. He won the 1997 and 1999 World's Strongest Man, and finished second in 1998. Ahola won the Europe's Strongest Man contest twice in 1998 and 1999, and finished fourth in 1996. Jouko won the World's Strongest Team in 1997 and 1999, and was second in 1998...

 ||   Raimonds Bergmanis
Raimonds Bergmanis
Raimonds Bergmanis is a fomer Olympic weightlifting champion and retired strongman competitor from Latvia....

 ||   Mark Philippi
Mark Philippi
Mark Philippi – is a former leading strongman competitor, multiple entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition, and former holder of the America's Strongest Man title.-Biography:...

 ||  Callander
Callander
Callander is a burgh in the region of Stirling, Scotland, situated on the River Teith. The town is located in the former county of Perthshire and is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands....


|-
|1997 ||   Raimonds Bergmanis
Raimonds Bergmanis
Raimonds Bergmanis is a fomer Olympic weightlifting champion and retired strongman competitor from Latvia....

||   Mark Philippi
Mark Philippi
Mark Philippi – is a former leading strongman competitor, multiple entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition, and former holder of the America's Strongest Man title.-Biography:...

 ||   Regin Vagadal
Regin Vagadal
Regin Vagadal is a strongman from the Faroe Islands. He was seven times Faroe Islands Strongest Man from 1994 to 2000. And participated in the World's Strongest Man finals of 1996 and 2000.- Biography :...

 ||  Callander
Callander
Callander is a burgh in the region of Stirling, Scotland, situated on the River Teith. The town is located in the former county of Perthshire and is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands....


|-
|1996 ||  /  Forbes Cowen ||   Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson
Magnus Samuelsson , is a Swedish strongman and winner of the 1998 World's Strongest Man contest in Morocco...

 ||   Torfi Olafsson
Torfi Ólafsson
Torfi Olafsson is a former Icelandic strongman competitor and junior world champion powerlifter. He was one of the biggest competitors from Iceland to compete at the World's Strongest Man, standing 6'7 and weighing 418lbs.-Biography:Torfi's was born in 1965...

 ||  TBC
|-
|1995 ||   Magnus Ver Magnusson
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

 ||  /  Forbes Cowen ||  /  Gary Taylor
Gary Taylor (strongman)
Gary Taylor is a former strongman competitor, Olympic Weightlifter, powerlifter and bodybuilder from Wales.-Strength sports:...

 ||  Mintlaw
Mintlaw
Mintlaw is a small town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland lying along the A952 road and is geographically a route centre...


|-
|1994 ||   Manfred Hoeberl
Manfred Hoeberl
Manfred Hoeberl is a former strongman and Powerlifter who was known as having the largest arms in the world during the early-mid 1990's...

 ||   Magnus Ver Magnusson
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

 ||   Anton Boucher ||  Peterhead
Peterhead
Peterhead is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement , with a population of 17,947 at the 2001 Census and estimated to have fallen to 17,330 by 2006....


|-
|1993 ||   Manfred Hoeberl
Manfred Hoeberl
Manfred Hoeberl is a former strongman and Powerlifter who was known as having the largest arms in the world during the early-mid 1990's...

 || TBC || TBC || TBC
|-
|1992 ||  /  Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves is a former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man...

 ||   Magnus Ver Magnusson
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

||  Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 || TBC
|-
|1991 ||   Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 ||  /  Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves is a former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man...

 ||   Magnus Ver Magnusson
Magnús Ver Magnússon
Magnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....

|| Fergus, Ontario
Fergus, Ontario
Fergus is the largest community in Centre Wellington, a township within Wellington County in Ontario, Canada. It lies on the Grand River about 25 km north of Guelph.-History:...


|-
|1990 ||   Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 ||  /  Mark Higgins
Mark Higgins (athlete)
Mark Higgins was one of the world's leading strongman competitors, having won the World Strongman Challenge on two occasions, and was the British Muscle Power Champion on four occasions...

 ||   Hjalti Arnason
Hjalti Arnason
Hjalti Árnason is a former Icelandic strongman competitor and world champion powerlifter. Hjalti was known by the nickname "The Great Ursus". He first began in strength sports by competing as a junior powerlifter representing Iceland in 1983...

 ||  Scotland
|-
|1989 ||   Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 ||  /  Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves
Jamie Reeves is a former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man...

 ||   Ab Wolders
Ab Wolders
Ab Wolders is a former strongman and world champion Powerlifter from the Netherlands. He was runner-up at the World's Strongest Man competition on two occasions, placing second to Jón Páll Sigmarsson in 1984 and to Jamie Reeves in 1989...

  ||  
|-
|1988 ||   Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

 ||  /  Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 ||   Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

||  TBC
|-
|1987 ||  /  Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

||   Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 ||   Simon Wulfse
Simon Wulfse
Simon Wulfse is a strongman from the Netherlands. He finished 3rd at the World's Strongest Man games in 1983. Simon won the Europe's Strongest Man title in 1983, his career best finish. Simon finished 1st in Holland's Strongest Man in 1982, and 3rd in 1984. Simon also finished 3rd at the 1986 and...

 ||  TBC
|-
|1986 ||   Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 ||  /  Mark Higgins
Mark Higgins (athlete)
Mark Higgins was one of the world's leading strongman competitors, having won the World Strongman Challenge on two occasions, and was the British Muscle Power Champion on four occasions...

 ||   Simon Wulfse
Simon Wulfse
Simon Wulfse is a strongman from the Netherlands. He finished 3rd at the World's Strongest Man games in 1983. Simon won the Europe's Strongest Man title in 1983, his career best finish. Simon finished 1st in Holland's Strongest Man in 1982, and 3rd in 1984. Simon also finished 3rd at the 1986 and...

 || Scotland
|-
|1985 ||   Jon Pall Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson
Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...

 ||  /  Geoff Capes
Geoff Capes
Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...

 ||   Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier
Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...

||  Scotland
|}
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