For decades, the bench press has served as a common benchmark for measuring physical strength, embodying notions of upper-body power and gym credibility. However, strength has historically been evaluated through a variety of practical tests tailored to the needs of different communities, from military training to labor requirements.

Conor Heffernan, a lecturer at Ulster University and author of “When Fitness Went Global,” notes that many earlier tests of strength were directly linked to real-world demands, often functioning as informal job interviews to determine a person’s suitability for specific roles.

Today, numerous traditional strength assessments remain active worldwide, often relying on minimal or natural equipment and emphasizing skills beyond sheer muscle power, such as balance, endurance, and technique.

In India, mallakhamb exemplifies a sport that challenges participants’ total body strength and coordination. Practiced on a smooth wooden pole about 10 inches wide and 8 feet tall, mallakhamb blends elements of yoga, gymnastics, and martial arts. The sport, described as “the mother of all Indian sports,” was historically used to train soldiers and wrestlers. Competitors perform acrobatic moves and maintain complex poses within a 90-second time limit, either individually or in teams, with judging based on categories like aerial skills and balance. Ravi Gaikwad, founder of Mallakhamb India, highlights the sport’s focus on mastering control over gravity.

In Scotland, the Highland Games mark the outdoor season from May through September, drawing communities together to engage in centuries-old strength competitions. Among the hallmark “heavy events” are the hammer throw and caber toss, the latter involving flipping a large wooden pole weighing up to 175 pounds. Other tests include tossing heavy stones, metal blocks, or weighted sacks. Elizabeth Elliot, a seasoned competitor near Glasgow, emphasizes that while physical strength is essential, technical skill plays a crucial role in successful performance.

Arm wrestling remains one of the simplest and most widespread informal tests of strength globally. Charles Osei Asibey, president of the Armwrestling Federation of Africa, describes it as a straightforward contest of force, but elite competition requires dedicated training for wrist, shoulder, and overall body strength. Grace Minta, who won gold at the 2024 World Armwrestling Championship—the first African woman to do so—trains rigorously as part of Ghana’s national team, known as the Golden Arms. Arm wrestling has deep roots across diverse cultures and was used traditionally to settle disputes or identify the strongest individuals within communities.

In Japan, stone lifting remains a practiced tradition, linking contemporary athletes to historical rituals. Yuta Sakamoto trains by lifting chikara ishi, or “power stones,” weighing roughly 200 pounds, seen as a means of cultural reconnection rather than just fitness. Historically, lifting heavy stones was a community test of strength dating back thousands of years, serving practical purposes from labor qualification to ritual performance. David Dunlap of Japan’s Tenka Musou federation explains that many such stones, engraved with the names of their lifters, remain preserved at shrines, though the tradition faded after the Industrial Revolution.

These diverse strength tests reflect the cultural and functional origins of physical fitness, providing alternatives to gym-based measurements and underscoring the complex skill sets required for different forms of physical prowess.