You Don't Wanna Challenge This Guy to an Arm Wrestling Match

An arm-wrestling match actually begins a few minutes before the referee shouts, “Go!” with a process akin to a very technical, very adversarial handshake. Both arm wrestlers, also called “pullers,” stand with their elbows pressing into pads on a table as the referee arranges and rearranges their palms and fingers, barking reprimands when, say, one puller’s shoulders are not squared or the other’s elbow leaves the pad. The position of the hand is crucial: If one competitor’s webbing (the space between the thumb and index finger) is positioned higher than the other’s, it could confer an advantage. At a match in front of about 100 spectators in Istanbul in November, two pullers’ right hands are clasped in the middle of a table. As a referee kneads their fingers into place and forces their wrists straight, their nonfighting arms are tense. Their left hands grab at metal pegs on either side of the table. One of the wrestlers, his white hair cut squarely around his face, breathes heavily in and out. His left shoulder is tensed and raised to his ear, and the two prominent veins winding up his arms are already bulging like ranges on a topographic map. His name is John Brzenk, and he is a 59-year-old American—“universally known and recognized as the greatest arm wrestler of all time,” one commentator says as he approaches the table—who has been pulling for more than four decades. [View in Browser]( [Men's Health]( [SHOP]( [MVP EXCLUSIVES]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Alternate text] THIS WEEK'S MUST-READ [Alternate text] [You Don't Wanna Challenge This Guy to an Arm Wrestling Match]( [You Don't Wanna Challenge This Guy to an Arm Wrestling Match]( [An arm-wrestling match actually begins a few minutes before the referee shouts, “Go!” with a process akin to a very technical, very adversarial handshake. Both arm wrestlers, also called “pullers,” stand with their elbows pressing into pads on a table as the referee arranges and rearranges their palms and fingers, barking reprimands when, say, one puller’s shoulders are not squared or the other’s elbow leaves the pad. The position of the hand is crucial: If one competitor’s webbing (the space between the thumb and index finger) is positioned higher than the other’s, it could confer an advantage. At a match in front of about 100 spectators in Istanbul in November, two pullers’ right hands are clasped in the middle of a table. As a referee kneads their fingers into place and forces their wrists straight, their nonfighting arms are tense. Their left hands grab at metal pegs on either side of the table. One of the wrestlers, his white hair cut squarely around his face, breathes heavily in and out. His left shoulder is tensed and raised to his ear, and the two prominent veins winding up his arms are already bulging like ranges on a topographic map. His name is John Brzenk, and he is a 59-year-old American—“universally known and recognized as the greatest arm wrestler of all time,” one commentator says as he approaches the table—who has been pulling for more than four decades.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [The Best Balding Clippers for Men, Tested by a Doctor and Barbers]( [The Best Balding Clippers for Men, Tested by a Doctor and Barbers]( [Our experts recommend Remington's Shortcut Pro Self-Haircut Kit and Wahl's Professional 5-Star Balding Clipper.]( [READ MORE]( [This 4-Week Guide Will Help You Drink Less Alcohol and Stay In Control Of Your Habits]( [This 4-Week Guide Will Help You Drink Less Alcohol and Stay In Control Of Your Habits]( [Your painless guide to learning to drink better.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [The 12 Best Winter Colognes for Men, Tested by a Grooming Editor]( [The 12 Best Winter Colognes for Men, Tested by a Grooming Editor]( [Our expert recommends Cartier's Pasha de Cartier Noir Absolu and Tom Ford's Oud Wood.]( [READ MORE]( [I'm Tired of Feeling So Tired During My Workouts]( [I'm Tired of Feeling So Tired During My Workouts]( [Nothing went right last time I was in the gym. How can I make sure it doesn't happen again?]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [The 9 Best Hair Dyes for Men to Use at Home, Tested by Colorists]( [The 9 Best Hair Dyes for Men to Use at Home, Tested by Colorists]( [Live free and dye hard and remember, always follow the directions.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [The Best Pre-Workout Snacks to Keep Going at the Gym]( [The Best Pre-Workout Snacks to Keep Going at the Gym]( [Find your fuel.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Puzzmo]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice]( | [CA Notice at Collection]( Men's Health is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2023 Hearst Magazines, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779