In 2020, I was asked by Rogue Fitness to make two Frame Carry apparatuses to be used in the Arnold Strongman Classic. This version was constructed from salvaged beams with hand-cut half-dovetail notches. In 2023, the Arnold Classic added a women's pro class, and I was asked to make a (slightly) smaller version of the Frame Carry for the women, this time from new Southern Yellow Pine. Both the men and women's version were cut with the help of my good friend and mentor, Ian Schwartz. We cut the first set of frames in the shell of a log cabin that Ian was restoring - how fitting!

Like so many wooden strongman implements, the challenge lies in balancing the structure. All timbers were weighed beforehand and the structure redesigned to hit the target. The Frame Carry also had to be balanced (front to back and side to side) and weigh the same as the other in the set. These implements were designed collaboratively between my dad (Steve Slater), Rogue's engineering team, and myself.

View the whole event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOxf0xupCFE

Professional photo courtesy of Rogue Fitness