The Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championship Heavyweight Class, now the Arnold Strongman Pro/Am has produced many of the top Strongman athletes in the world. Athletes like Mikhail Shilyakov, Braun Strowman, Hafþór Bjornsson, Mateusz Kieliszkowski, Olexii Novikov, Bobby Thompson, and Thomas Evans got their break with the Arnold Amateur. On the women’s side, Angelica Jardine, Olga Liaschuk, Donna Moore, Andrea Thompson, Inez Carrasquillo, Hannah Linzay, Melissa Peacock, and Samantha Belliveau have all graced the podium of the Arnold Amateur Strongwoman World Championship on their way to competing in the Arnold Pro.

The Arnold Amateur Strongman World Championship in the weight classes, now the Lightweight and Middleweight World Championship, first debuted weight-classed strongman at the Arnold in 2013 with the lightweight women’s class and men’s class, originally under the name “Strongman Fitness.”
By 2015, the 105kg men’s class and 82kg women’s class were introduced. Most recently, in 2023, we expanded further by adding the 57kg and 73kg women’s classes, along with the 90kg and 120kg men’s classes.

2024 World Champions
Women’s 57kg: Courtney Hollihan
Women’s 64kg: Tasha Wolf Whelan
Women’s 73kg: Taylor Woods
Women’s 82kg: Susan Eger
Women’s Open: Jennifer Lyle
Men’s 80kg: Josh Kowalewski
Men’s 90kg: Andrew Hanus
Men’s 105kg: Alec Soukup
Men’s 120kg: Ethen Erickson
Men’s Open: Nicholas Guardione