Ask a world-class strength athlete how she got to where she is today, and you might hear tales of collegiate sports or exploits from a decade spent in the gym. Jessica Fithen’s story, however, begins with Zumba. It’s not the origin story you’d expect from the Strongest Woman in the World, who dominated the field at the recent Palmer, AK competition. By winning brute strength events like the keg carry, truck push, and salmon toss, Fithen qualified for next year’s Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, OH—one of only 12 women to do so.
She may be one of the world’s strongest women now, but it was just a few years ago that Fithen decided Zumba and step classes weren’t cutting it.
“I wasn’t seeing results and I was bored, so I joined a gym in 2015 to learn Olympic lifting,” she says. What seems like an extreme transition proved to be a natural fit. “I quickly realized that I was really strong, but I was terrible at the technical Olympic lifts. So, my coach suggested Strongman as a better alternative.”
The switch was successful, allowing Fithen to channel her raw strength into workouts better suited to her skillset—for example, flipping a heavy tire rather than performing a perfectly executed snatch. Soon after, she joined an amateur Strongman contest and won by a landslide. That kicked off a passion that has only grown since.
These days, Fithen trains at least four days per week, mostly at Unbreakable Athletics Academy in Plainfield, IN. But each Saturday, she drives 90 minutes to Indiana Strong—a popular gym among Strongman competitors in Huntington, IN. “It’s important to have a crew who cares like you do,” she says.
Once Strongman events are released, Fithen will train specifically for those events. But until then, she focuses mostly on dynamic powerlifting moves like the bench press, deadlift, and plenty of overhead work. Two of those training days will usually include some cardio and conditioning, too.
“It’s a myth that Strongman athletes are just big fat dudes,” says Fithen. “Certain events require a ton of cardio intensity, like running with kegs or pulling a truck.”
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Anton Chernov
Fuel Like Fithen
Since she competes in the heavyweight division—an open class that’s typically 200 pounds and above—Fithen’s diet isn’t as strict as some of her smaller competitors.
“I eat to feel good during training and to perform during a competition,” she says. That means lots of protein, rice, and sodium. “I have to maintain energy during long events, and we’re often competing outside or training in hot gyms, so I need more salt than most people.”
For Fithen, that means consuming between 5,000 and 8,000 milligrams of sodium per day, significantly more than your typical diet. According to the American Heart Association, the average American eats about 3,400 mg/day, but the AHA recommends no more than 2,300mg/day. That’s not to say that Fithen is reckless, rather, she’s eating to support her size and extreme level of activity.
As the sport of Strongman grows, Fithen is eager to help others get more involved. She mentions the Starting Strongman website as a great resource for learning about the different events and finding gyms in your town. Otherwise, she recommends going to a powerlifting gym and learning the basic lifts.
“In Strongman, overall strength is very important,” she says. “A good powerlifting program that focuses on the squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead work is a great place to start.”
