A crowd, gathered at the South Recreation Field, watches as a man raises a wide black log over his head. His face turns red, his teeth clench together and a low guttural sound escapes from his throat.

A few engineering colleagues decided to get together for a little fun Saturday afternoon. Just the usual kind of thing – lifting giant boulders, raising 200-pound logs overhead, dragging huge tires ...

Heading into last weekend, Jackie Osczevski knew it would be tougher than normal to carry a 550-pound timber frame, not to mention lifting a 225-pound log over her head. The 33-year-old from ...