He’s going all-out to develop into the Strongest Man on Earth.
4-time World’s Strongest Man and three-time Arnold Strongman Classic winner Brian Shaw is preparing to compete in his final competition on the 2023 Shaw Classic, scheduled for Aug. 19-20 in Loveland, CO. Because the Colorado-native strongman has done throughout his profession, he’s offered sneak peeks into his training for the competition. His most up-to-date insight was making a set of flat dumbbell bench presses look relatively easy using a pair of 91-kilogram (200-pound) dumbbells.
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Shaw didn’t share the rest about this particular workout, but that set alone showed that he’s feeling good about his prep for the competition. Strongmen don’t normally incorporate bench press movements into their programming because many of the pressing events are overhead lifts. The Shaw Classic will feature a bench press variation, which is why Shaw is adding the movement to his training.
This isn’t the primary time that a legendary strength athlete has tested their might against the imposing 200s. The feat was made famous by bodybuilding great Ronnie Coleman when he pressed them, each on a flat and incline bench, for reps during considered one of his Mr. Olympia training videos back in 2000.
Since then, the feat has also been performed by the likes of strength athlete and fitness influencer Larry “Wheels” Williams in addition to 2021 Arnold Classic bodybuilding champ Nick Walker. Nonetheless, there was a notable difference with Shaw’s set which he identified within the caption of the post.
“What number of lifters in history who could bench the 200lb dumbbells could actually carry them from the rack and get them into position without help?”
Because the video showed, Shaw does essentially performing a brief farmer’s walk, unracking the weights and walking them several steps to the bench before starting his set. The previous athletes who’ve accomplished the exercise with these massive weights have typically laid into position on the bench while multiple spotters hand the lifter each weight, assisting within the setup.
Shaw also ended the set after the fifth repetition when he clearly had more within the tank and didn’t appear to struggle to completion. Within the post caption, he shared that this was a strategic move.
“Simply because everyone will comment that I didn’t do more reps… this was a working set and never a set of max reps. It’s okay to simply train without having to max out for each video.”
Besides preparing for his final competition as an athlete, which requires a reported eating regimen of around 10,000 calories per day, Shaw continues his work because the show’s promoter, aiming to make the 2023 Shaw Classic the most effective version of the competition yet. It’ll be the fourth straight yr he puts this show on and he upped the ante by announcing that the winner will earn a latest official title — The Strongest Man on Earth.
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Shaw made the announcement in a separate Instagram post, revealing he bought the rights from former Fortissimus contest promoter Paul Ohl with a view to bestow the title on the Shaw Classic champion for 2023 and beyond. This latest title is a component of Shaw’s technique to make the Shaw Classic an excellent more prestigious event within the years to come back.
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