Along with other notables in the strongman world, Odd Haugen was big on the Rolling Thunder from day 1, and this led to the inaugural IronMind Rolling Thunder World Championships in 2000, which kicked off Haugen’s Beauty and the Beast competition. Rolling Thunder contests also flourished below the world championships level, and in 2010 Armlifting was born when a Russian armwrestling promoter asked IronMind for permission to organize grip contests featuring the Rolling Thunder, dubbing the competitions Armlifting. So, armlifting is the English translation of the Russian name for grip contests that began with the Rolling Thunder. Armlifting USA co-founder Riccardo Magni took the reins on December 1, 2022 and hasn't looked back. The mission of Armlifting USA is to increase the participation in Armlifting in the United States. Magni has done just that, including having opportunities for athletes to participate on the Main Stage at the Arnold Classic, the Arena at the Shaw Classic, and the Mr. Olympia.
