At 73, this Canadian arm-wrestling champion is still beating guys in their 20s

The dimly lit farm shed in the south end of London, Ont., pulsates with pairs of men huffing and grunting while clasping hands, their ripped biceps bulging.

In this recent training session, there are a dozen or so members of the London Armwrestling Club, where they get together twice a week to practise and prepare for their next arm tussle. 

"If you go over half a minute, it's war," said coach George Iszakouits, who's known as Crazy George. At 73, he's by far the biggest legend on the farm.

"People think it's muscle. It's not. It's ligament and tendons. It takes a lifetime to get there."

At just 5-foot-7, Iszakouits is usually an active participant in these training sessions, taking on opponents at tables and offering tips to competitors while their faces turn beet red.

And yes, there are a couple of women here. They're just not as loud.

The team is currently training for the Be Strong Armwrestling Tournament in Brantford, Ont., on Saturday.

"I'm an old man. I'm over the hill," a modest Iszakouits chuckled. He might be one of the older competitors on the circuit, but he's certainly still one of the most successful, and maintains arm-wrestling isn't just about strength. It's also about strategy and knowledge.

"It looks easy, but it's not. It's a lot of work," he said.

WATCH | Arm-wrestling coach George Iszakouits, 73, and Mike Mende, 39, in a battle of the biceps:

Iszakouits, who was born in Romania, has been arm-wrestling competitively since 1968. He has dozens of championships to his name, winning his first world title in Costa Rica from the World Armwrestling Federation in 1983.

Iszakouits is also the current Canadian title-holder in the 75-kilogram weight class, having competed against much younger men in July