10 best documentaries on Netflix to fuel your summer workout

10. Strongland

Strongland is a three-part series from 2018. It explores the origin of the strongman tradition.

Episode 1 is about the Basque strongman lifestyle. It talks about how the original traditions of Spain and their rural manual labor jobs helped to originate the strongman sports we know today.

The second episode is about the true origins of the Scottish Highland Games that are so well known today. The most prominent being the lifting of stones. This is a continued tradition carried out in the World’s Strongest Man competitions today.

The final episode is about Iceland and its ties to strongman tradition. Iceland has incredible ties to the world of strongman. Most notable is the recent star in Game of Thrones Hafthor Julius Bjornsson. Bjornsson portrays Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane in the Game of Thrones worldwide series phenomenon.

Strongland digs into the history behind the strongman tradition and helps bring a real appreciation to simply being strong.

It’s interesting to note that the United States has such a strong identity to the fitness community, yet all the originating countries covered here are not the United States. This just goes to show that the United States has become a cultural melting pot where people come together are are able to celebrate their similarities instead of argue about their differences.

If that doesn’t motivate you to make some time to go to the gym, then I don’t know what will. Of course, you don’t have to be a strongman to workout, and I can’t guarantee that you will meet your future best friend at the gym.