From Fullsterkur to Followers: How Social Media Distorted the Purpose of Strength
By Rock Hancock
Reclaiming the Purpose of Strength
What does it mean to be strong? What does it mean to be helpful? As a longtime coach I have blended these two questions and asked what does it mean to be strong to be helpful?
The great thing about this question is we have many examples throughout history to help us answer and demonstrate what it means to be strong to be helpful. Historically our strongest fed us, created shelter and protected us. Here are just a few examples of how strength was measured:
- Iceland: In the 16th century in order for men to work on fishing ships they had to prove they were fullsterkur (fully strong). Their strength directly translated into their ability to secure a livelihood and feed their families.
- Scotland: The historic Dinnie and Inver stones were used by young boys to prove their were ready to be men. This was a rite of passage proving readiness to take on the burdens and duties of community life.
- Ireland: Stones were often used to prove manhood and womanhood. They also were occasionally lifted to honor the dead at funerals or to celebrate a couple on their wedding day. Strength was interwoven with the most essential cultural and communal events.
Rock lifting and proving worth definitely resonate with a large group of strength minded folks. However I would argue lifting rocks and proving worth to be helpful in the community has lost its way. I myself have definitely lifted rocks for the gram. As a coach I have always encouraged my clients to tie their fitness to a purpose. To adopt a mindset of training to be strong to be helpful.
Over the past two years I have spent time living on farms across the U.S. or setting up my own homestead and working on building our home and other buildings. The past two years have reinforced for me what it means to be strong to be helpful. One of the best compliments my wife and I received was we had a great capacity for laboring and it was clear our almost daily workouts paid dividends.
🎭 The Age of Performance vs. The Age of Production
Today the fittest among us are not feeding, protecting or sheltering us. They are in fact being paid to entertain us. Yes, one could argue some of them use their worth to help others through charitable organizations. But their primary economic driver is the performance of strength, not the deployment of strength.
The shift is stark: strength has moved from being a utilitarian resource to an entertainment commodity. When strength is primarily a commodity, its purpose is to sell products, gain clicks, and draw eyeballs. The success metric is no longer, “Did you help someone build a roof today?” or “Did you ensure a successful harvest?” but rather, “How perfect was your squat form in the video?” and “How many views did that lift get?”
This focus on the spectacle creates a massive disconnect. We train tirelessly for an aesthetic ideal or a numerical personal record that exists purely within the insulated environment of a gym. We become specialists in movements that have little application outside of a competition or a camera frame.
🏡 Bringing Strength Back Home
The solution isn’t to stop training; it’s to reorient our training. To adopt the mindset of the fullsterkur—the fully strong—who used their capacity to solve real-world problems.
My time on the farm was a clarifying experience. A farmer doesn’t train to look good; they train to work well. Their fitness has a direct ROI:
- Carrying Hay Bales: This is functional strength that literally feeds animals.
- Digging Post Holes: This is core and arm strength that creates a necessary boundary.
- Shoveling Gravel: This is metabolic conditioning that builds a home or a road.
This is the purpose I want my clients—and all strength-minded individuals—to seek. It’s about building a body that is ready for life’s demands, not just a photo shoot. It means shifting our measure of success:
- From: The weight on the barbell.
- To: The tangible thing you built, moved, or protected with that strength.
Let’s challenge the current culture and ask ourselves: How is my strength making the world around me better? By tying our fitness to a genuine purpose, we can reclaim the historical legacy of strength and truly become strong to be helpful.
Want to help and begin to use your strength to help others and yourself?
Here are some simple things you can do today
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rock Hancock
MovNat Team Instructor
- BS Kinesiology w/ concentration in Exercise Science
- MovNat Level 2 Trainer & MovNat Team Instructor
- Trauma Informed Weightlifting Course
- Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist
Rock has worked in various wellness and fitness roles across healthcare, the military, and corporate industries. He has enjoyed supporting individuals and groups in achieving their wellness goals. One of his professional goals is to always be in a place to help people age adventurously. He is also deeply committed to helping individuals utilize strength training along with play to move through life’s obstacles and past traumas. In addition, Rock facilitates men’s groups that incorporate rewilding principles and movement.
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