Strong men muscle in on Lichfield

The strongest men in England are beefing up ahead of a battle of the biceps in Staffordshire.

Musclebound men from all over the country will gather on July 5, for the finals of the 2009 England's Strongest Man at Lichfield Rugby Club.

Competitors including Dave Meer, from Tamworth, will lift everything from a wooden log to a Transit van as they fight for the trophy.

Strength tests lined up for the contest include the framers' walk, which sees athletes carry two cylinders weighing a total 250kg as far as they can, and the hand-over-hand truck pull.

Contestants will also lift stones weighing up to 190kg on to a high wall.

Dave will be hoping to make up for last year's event, when a calf injury forced him to pull out at the last minute.

Around 2,000 people turned out to watch last year's finals at Lichfield Rugby Club, where reigning champion Jimmy Marku held on to his title.

The top six competitors from the England's Strongest Man final will go on to compete in the UK's strongest man finals in Belfast along with the best performers from Wales, Scotland and Ireland.