Phil Rasmussen has forearms like ham hocks. Eyeing them over Zoom, I assume their Popeye-sized heft must have underpinned his success as a four-time national arm-wrestling champion. But Rasmussen insists that muscle-bound arms are not, in fact, the key factor in his sport.

“Arm-wrestling is very much driven by the hand,” he explains. “I often find people from the country who jump into the sport, having spent their lives working with their hands, make very good arm-wrestlers. As opposed to the gym junkies who might look impressive, but their strength doesn’t translate to the table.”