My what big biceps you have

While the rest of the world was agog at the breathtaking displays of hirsuteness at the World Beard and Moustache Championships last week, hundreds and thousands of really big men quietly converged on Chengdu, China seeking fame and fortune at the Strongest Man Championships.

The capital of Sichuan province hosted an impressive cavalcade of strongman contests like the Pillars of Hercules shown above. The object is to hold onto the pillars for as long as you can lest they come tumbling down as pillars left to their own devices are wont to do. There were also the lunchtime deliveries of steel canisters filled with greasy takeaway Chinese food and cheap beer, a herculean feat that our office boy performs each day.



Even the local residents got into the action, offering up their own children as projectiles in the hope that they would bypass the ticket gates and land in the vicinity of Hong Kong Disneyland.



And in this picture, a fierce goliath shows just exactly how hard he can pat a panda (not hard enough judging from the panda's look of extreme indifference).



So today I want you all to partake in a celebration of sheer brute force by punching a hole in the nearest wall. But first, read "How to Perform Strong Man Stunts", neat parlor tricks for even the most diminutive male specimen.

Another blog to visit: What am I doing here? - 100% woman. Mixed it up in Seoul, London and Hong Kong before landing to rest in New York. Partying will resume at age 30.