BEYOND STRONG

Interview for VOS TV with Laurence Shahlaei

Part 1

 

Part 2

 

Part 3

 

BST

UK broadcast details for Worlds strongest man 2011

Channel

Channel 5

Giants Live – WSM Qualifiers

Tuesday 20th December 2011

7pm – 8pm

Wednesday 21st December 2011

7pm – 8pm

Thursday 22nd December 2011

7pm – 8pm

Friday 23rd December 2011

7pm – 8pm

Channel 5

WSM 2011

Tuesday 27th December 2011

8pm – 9pm

Wednesday 28th December 2011

8pm – 9pm

Thursday 29th December 2011

8pm – 9pm

Friday 30th December 2011

8pm – 9pm

Saturday 31st December 2011

8pm – 9pm

Sunday 1st January 2012

8pm – 9pm

We've moved!

No big hurrah...but we have moved. 

Check us out at the same address www.beyondstrong.com

Nick

World's Strongest Hands - Leg 2 results

World of Grip - World's Strongest Hands Series 2010 - Leg 2 results

Saturday 11 Sept, 2010
Venue: Around the world
Promoter: World of Grip, and 9 promoters
All weights in kilo's

Overall results (47 competitors)

1 Steve Gardener – 6.5pt
2 David Horne – 11pt
3 Nick McKinless – 13pt
4 Aaron Corcorran – 15.5pt
4 Paul Knight – 15.5pt
6 David Thornton – 16.5pt
7 Jedd Johnson – 22.5pt
8 Jouni Pakarinen – 29pt
9 Tim Struse – 30pt
10 Stew Killick – 36.5pt
11 Eric Milfeld – 38.5pt
11 Adam Glass – 38.5pt
13 Andrew Durniat – 41.5pt
14 Chris Rice – 42.5pt
15 Matti Heiskanen - 47pt
16 Frank Snyder – 48pt
17 Brent Barbe – 49.5pt
18 Kevin Emery – 53pt
19 Richard Scott – 54pt
20 Jeff Parker - 55.5pt
21 Timo Tuukkanen - 56pt
22 Brian Amundsen - 66.5pt
23 Greg Griffin – 70.5pt
24 Elizabeth Horne – 78.5pt (Female)
25 Mark Martin-Dye – 80pt
26 Paul Sippola - 80.5pt
27 Taylor Wilson - 83.5pt
28 Derek Graybill – 86pt
29 Ryan Pitts – 89.5pt
29 Dave Delgado – 89.5pt
31 Ed Livesey – 93.5pt
32 Kris Wragg – 94.5pt
33 Zach Coulter - 98.5pt
34 Adam Sagers – 99pt
35 Eric Lentner – 101pt
36 Mike Puchalski – 104pt
37 Mark DeSousa – 110pt
38 Ben Thornton - 110.5pt (15 yrs.)
39 Crandall Smith – 117.5pt
40 David Sandel – 118.5pt
41 Yvonne Häkkinen – 119.5pt (Female)
42 Mary Anne McKeague – 122.5pt (Female)
43 Mike T Nelson – 125pt
44 Brad Ellingson – 127.5pt
45 Sherrie Wheeler – 130pt (Female)
46 Jerri Larkin – 134pt (Female)
46 Don Larkin - 134pt (67 yrs.)

Women’s Overall results (5 competitors)

1 Elizabeth Horne – 3pt
2 Mary Ann McKeague – 8pt
3 Yvonne Häkkinen – 9.5pt
4 Sherrie Wheeler – 11.5pt
5 Jerri Larkin – 13pt

Event 1 - Two Hands Pinch Lift

1 Jedd Johnson – 110.49k
2 Steve Gardener – 106.3k
3 Aaron Corcorran – 105.04k
4 David Horne – 104.6k
5 Nick McKinless – 102k
6 David Thornton – 99.73k
7 Chris Rice – 98.16k
8 Paul Knight – 98.1k
9 Brent Barbe – 96.74k
10 Tim Struse - 95.84k
11 Jouni Pakarinen - 95.7kg – 11.5pt
11 Matti Heiskanen - 95.7kg – 11.5pt
13 Frank Snyder – 92.52k
14 Eric Milfeld – 91.4k
15 Timo Tuukkanen - 90.7kg
16 Stew Killick – 88.84k
17 Andrew Durniat – 86.67k
18 Mark DeSousa – 85.3k
19 Adam Glass – 85.27k
20 Jeff Parker - 83.83k
21 Brian Amundsen - 81.60k
22 Paul Sippola - 78.54k
23 Kevin Emery – 78k
24 Richard Scott – 76.8k
25 Greg Griffin – 74.6k
26 Elizabeth Horne – 74.3k (Female)
27 Mark Martin-Dye – 72.11k
28 Eric Lentner - 68.32k
29 Taylor Wilson - 67.88k
30 Dave Delgado - 66.2k
31 Kris Wragg – 64.8k
32 Derek Graybill - 63.89k
33 Ed Livesey – 62.60k – 33.5pt
33 Mike Puchalski – 62.60k – 33.5pt
35 Ben Thornton - 56.49k (15 yrs.)
36 Adam Sagers – 54.88k
37 Mary Anne McKeague – 51.59k (Female)
38 Crandall Smith - 50.08k
39 Ryan Pitts – 45.81k
40 Yvonne Häkkinen - 45.7kg (Female)
41 David Sandel – 44.45k
42 Don Larkin - 43.75k (67 yrs.)
43 Sherrie Wheeler – 42.2k (Female)
44 Mike T Nelson – 37.19k
45 Brad Ellingson – 32.65k
46 Jerri Larkin - 32.36k (Female)
47 Zach Coulter – 0

Event 2 – Wrist Developer

1 Stew Killick – L10 Gold – 2pt
1 Steve Gardener – L10 Gold – 2pt
1 Nick McKinless – L10 Gold – 2pt
4 David Horne – L9 Gold – 4.5pt
4 David Thornton - L9 Gold – 4.5pt
6 Adam Glass – L8 Gold – 6.5pt
6 Paul Knight – L8 Gold – 6.5pt
8 Jedd Johnson – L7 Gold – 8.5pt
8 Aaron Corcorran – L7 Gold – 8.5pt
10 Jouni Pakarinen - L6 gold – 11.5pt
10 Eric Milfeld – L6 Gold – 11.5pt
10 Andrew Durniat – L6 Gold – 11.5pt
10 Tim Struse - L6 Gold – 11.5pt
14 Chris Rice – L5 Gold – 17pt
14 Kevin Emery – L5 Gold – 17pt
14 Matti Heiskanen - L5 gold – 17pt
14 Richard Scott – L5 Gold – 17pt
14 Brent Barbe – L5 Gold – 17pt
14 Jeff Parker - L5 Gold – 17pt
14 Brian Amundsen - L5 Gold – 17pt
21 Frank Snyder – L4 Gold – 22pt
21 Ryan Pitts – L4 Gold – 22pt
21 Greg Griffin – L4 Gold – 22pt
24 Mark Martin-Dye – L3 Gold – 24.5pt
24 Ed Livesey – L3 Gold – 24.5pt
26 Taylor Wilson - L9 Orange
27 Elizabeth Horne – L8 Orange (Female) – 27.5pt
27 Dave Delgado – L8 Orange – 27.5pt
29 Adam Sagers – L7 Orange – 30pt
29 Paul Sippola - L7 Orange – 30pt
29 Zach Coulter - L7 Orange – 30pt
32 Timo Tuukkanen - L6 orange – 32.5pt
32 Derek Graybill – L6 Orange – 32.5pt
34 Eric Lentner – L5 Orange – 35pt
34 Kris Wragg – L5 Orange – 35pt
34 Mike Puchalski – L5 Orange – 35pt
37 Mike T Nelson – L4 Orange – 37.5pt
37 Ben Thornton - L4 Orange (15 yrs.) – 37.5pt
39 David Sandel – L3 Orange – 39.5pt
39 Crandall Smith – L3 Orange – 39.5pt
41 Brad Ellingson – L2 Orange
42 Mary Anne McKeague – L5 White (Female)
43 Jerri Larkin - L1 White (Female)
44 Yvonne Häkkinen - 0 (Female) - 45.5pt
44 Mark DeSousa – 0 - 45.5pt
44 Sherrie Wheeler – 0 (Female) - 45.5pt
44 Don Larkin - 0 (67 yrs.) - 45.5pt

Event 3 - Vulcan Gripper - 20mm block

1 Paul Knight – L20 Gold
2 David Horne – L19 Gold – 2.5pt
2 Steve Gardener – L19 Gold – 2.5pt
4 Aaron Corcorran – L18 Gold
5 Jouni Pakarinen - L17 gold – 6pt
5 David Thornton – L17 Gold – 6pt
5 Nick McKinless – L17 Gold – 6pt
8 Timo Tuukkanen - L16 gold – 8.5pt
8 Tim Struse – L16 Gold – 8.5pt
10 Jedd Johnson – L15 Gold – 13pt
10 Frank Snyder – L15 Gold – 13pt
10 Andrew Durniat – L15 Gold – 13pt
10 Eric Milfeld – L15 Gold – 13pt
10 Kevin Emery – L15 Gold – 13pt
10 Adam Glass – L15 Gold – 13pt
10 Richard Scott – L15 Gold – 13pt
17 Stew Killick – L14 Gold – 18.5pt
17 Matti Heiskanen - L14 Gold – 18.5pt
17 Chris Rice – L14 Gold – 18.5pt
17 Jeff Parker - L14 Gold – 18.5pt
21 Zach Coulter - L13 Gold – 21.5pt
21 Derek Graybill – L13 Gold – 21.5pt
23 Brent Barbe – L12 Gold – 23.5pt
23 Greg Griffin – L12 Gold – 23.5pt
25 Elizabeth Horne – L11 Gold (Female)
26 Brian Amundsen - L9 Gold – 28.5pt
26 Taylor Wilson - L9 Gold – 28.5pt
26 Paul Sippola - L9 Gold – 28.5pt
26 Ryan Pitts – L9 Gold – 28.5pt
26 Kris Wragg – L9 Gold – 28.5pt
26 Mark Martin-Dye – L9 Gold – 28.5pt
32 Dave Delgado – L8 Gold
33 Adam Sagers – L6 Gold
34 Yvonne Häkkinen - L5 gold (Female)
35 Ed Livesey – L4 Gold – 35.5pt
35 Mike Puchalski – L4 Gold – 35.5pt
37 David Sandel – L3 Gold – 38pt
37 Ben Thornton - L3 Gold (15 yrs.) – 38pt
37 Eric Lentner – L3 Gold – 38pt
40 Crandall Smith – L8 Orange
41 Brad Ellingson – L7 Orange - 41.5pt
41 Sherrie Wheeler – L7 Orange (Female) - 41.5pt
43 Mike T Nelson – L5 Orange - 43.5pt
43 Mary Anne McKeague – L5 Orange (Female) - 43.5pt
45 Jerri Larkin - L4 Orange (Female)
46 Mark DeSousa – 0 - 46.5pt
46 Don Larkin - 0 (67 yrs.) - 46.5pt

Well done to Steve Gardener for picking up the pace and winning Leg 2. I am again suprised but happy to have gone up one place to take 3rd overall. Thanks to David and Elizabeth for having me stay and for putting on another great event.

Nick

World's Strongest Hands - Leg 1 results

Here are the results from David Horne's forum

World of Grip - World's Strongest Hands Series 2010 - Leg 1 results

Saturday 14 August, 2010
Venue: Around the world
Promoter: World of Grip, and 9 promoters
All weights in kilo's

Overall results (59 competitors)

1 David Horne – 6pt
2 Aaron Corcorran – 11.5pt
3 Steve Gardener – 12.5pt
4 Nick McKinless – 13pt
5 David Thornton – 17pt
6 Jedd Johnson – 26pt
7 Brent Barbe – 29pt
8 Jim Wylie – 31pt
9 Chris Rice – 33.5pt
10 Adam Glass – 36pt
11 Tim Struse – 37pt
12 Stew Killick – 39pt
13 Eric Milfeld – 41.5pt
14 Jouni Pakarinen – 45.5pt
15 Nick Rosendaul – 47pt
16 John Eaton – 51pt
17 Timo Tuukkanen – 52pt
18 Matti Heiskanen – 53.5pt
19 Richard Scott – 55.5pt
20 Jonathan Williams – 60.5pt
21 Jeff Parker – 65.5pt
22 Kevin Emery – 68.5pt
23 Dave Johnson – 70pt
24 Casey Emery – 70.5pt
25 Bob Lipinski – 74pt
26 Lol Owen – 81pt
27 Greg Griffin – 82.5pt
28 Elizabeth Horne – 88pt (Female)
29 Russ Farver – 91.5pt
30 Jason Horne – 94pt
31 Brian Elam – 94.5pt
32 Mark Martin-Dye – 95pt
33 Ian Gillaspie – 96.5pt
34 Austin Acree – 106.5pt
35 Jess Reiman – 110pt
36 Dave Delgado – 110.5pt
37 Steve Callahan – 112pt
38 Kris Wragg – 113pt
39 Ryan Pitts – 114pt
40 Taylor Wilson – 119.5pt
41 Jordan Simmons – 123pt
42 Mike Gura – 125pt
43 Mark DeSousa – 130.5pt
44 David Dellanave – 132.5pt
44 Mary Ann McKeague – 132.5pt (Female)
46 David Murray – 137pt
46 Crandall Smith – 137pt
48 Carl Wells – 140.5pt
49 Stephen Haessler – 141pt
50 Eric Lentner – 144.5pt
51 Paul Gillio – 146.5pt
52 Mike T Nelson – 148.5pt
53 Sherrie Wheeler – 152pt (Female)
54 Jenny LaCoss – 155.5pt (Female)
54 Brad Ellingson – 155.5pt
56 Breck S. – 156pt
57 Sam Chavez – 163.5pt
58 Kate Wells – 165.5pt (Female)
59 Jennifer Higgins – 168.5pt (Female)

Women’s Overall results (5 competitors)

1 Elizabeth Horne – 3pt
2 Mary Ann McKeague – 6pt
3 Sherrie Wheeler – 10pt
4 Jenny LaCoss – 11pt
5 Kate Wells – 14pt
6 Jennifer Higgins – 15pt

Event 1 - Two Hands Pinch Lift

1 Steve Gardener – 110.4k
2 Aaron Corcorran – 109.35k
3 David Horne – 107k
4 Chris Rice – 103.96k
5 Nick McKinless - 102k
6 Jedd Johnson – 100.55k
7 Tim Struse – 99.52k
8 David Thornton – 97.06k
9 Brent Barbe – 96.81k
10 Timo Tuukkanen – 95.7k
11 John Eaton – 93.52k
12 Eric Milfeld – 92.48k
13 Nick Rosendaul – 92.31k
14 Jouni Pakarinen – 90.7k
15 Jim Wylie – 88.9k
16 Stew Killick – 88.56k
17 Matti Heiskanen – 88.2k
18 Lol Owen – 87k
19 Mark DeSousa – 85.5k
20 Adam Glass – 81.64k
21 Dave Johnson – 80.3k
22 Jeff Parker – 79.02k
23 Jonathan Williams – 78.7k
24 Elizabeth Horne – 77.5k (Female) – 24.5pt
24 Jason Horne – 77.5k – 24.5pt
26 Richard Scott – 74.6k
27 Greg Griffin – 73.48k
28 Casey Emery – 72.57k -– 28.5pt
28 Kevin Emery – 72.57k -– 28.5pt
30 Jordan Simmons – 72.43k -– 31pt
30 Brian Elam – 72.43k -– 31pt
30 Ian Gillaspie – 72.43k -– 31pt
33 Eric Lentner – 70.12k
34 Bob Lipinski – 69.79k
35 Mark Martin-Dye – 69.5k
36 Kris Wragg – 67.1k
37 Dave Delgado – 63.64k -– 39pt
37 Steve Callahan – 63.64k -– 39pt
37 David Murray – 63.64k -– 39pt
37 Russ Farver – 63.64k -– 39pt
37 Carl Wells – 63.64k -– 39pt
42 Paul Gillio – 59.09k
43 Taylor Wilson – 58.44k
44 Mike Gura – 54.55k – 44.5pt
44 Breck S. - 54.55k – 44.5pt
46 Crandall Smith – 50k
47 Mary Ann McKeague – 47.58k (Female)
48 Stephen Haessler – 45.45k
49 Ryan Pitts – 45.35k - 49.5pt
49 Austin Acree - 45.35k - 49.5pt
51 Sherrie Wheeler – 44.45k (Female)
52 Sam Chavez – 43.19k
53 Jenny LaCoss – 43.18k (Female)
54 Kate Wells – 38.64k (Female)
55 David Dellanave – 34.01k - 55.5pt
55 Mike T Nelson – 34.01k - 55.5pt
57 Jennifer Higgins – 31.82k (Female)
58 Brad Ellingson – 31.75k
59 Jess Reiman – 0

Event 2 – Wrist Developer

1 Stew Killick – L9 Gold – 2pt
1 David Horne – L9 Gold – 2pt
1 Nick McKinless - L9 Gold – 2pt
4 David Thornton – L8 Gold – 5pt
4 Adam Glass – L8 Gold – 5pt
4 Jim Wylie – L8 Gold – 5pt
7 Aaron Corcorran – L7 Gold
8 Steve Gardener – L6 Gold – 9pt
8 Jedd Johnson – L6 Gold – 9pt
8 Brent Barbe – L6 Gold – 9pt
11 Eric Milfeld – L5 Gold – 13pt
11 Chris Rice – L5 Gold – 13pt
11 Nick Rosendaul – L5 Gold – 13pt
11 Richard Scott – L5 Gold – 13pt
11 Jonathan Williams – L5 Gold – 13pt
16 Kevin Emery – L4 Gold – 19pt
16 Dave Johnson – L4 Gold – 19pt
16 Jeff Parker – L4 Gold – 19pt
16 Jess Reiman – L4 Gold – 19pt
16 John Eaton – L4 Gold – 19pt
16 Tim Struse – L4 Gold – 19pt
16 Austin Acree – L4 Gold – 19pt
23 Jouni Pakarinen – L3 Gold – 25.5pt
23 Matti Heiskanen – L3 Gold – 25.5pt
23 Greg Griffin – L3 Gold – 25.5pt
23 Casey Emery – L3 Gold – 25.5pt
23 Mark Martin-Dye – L3 Gold – 25.5pt
23 Brian Elam – L3 Gold – 25.5pt
29 Bob Lipinski – L10 Orange
30 Ryan Pitts – L9 Orange
31 Russ Farver – L8 Orange – 31.5pt
31 Dave Delgado – L8 Orange – 31.5pt
33 Taylor Wilson – L7 Orange – 33.5pt
33 Elizabeth Horne – L7 Orange (Female) – 33.5pt
35 Lol Owen – L6 Orange – 36pt
35 Timo Tuukkanen – L6 Orange – 36pt
35 David Dellanave – L6 Orange – 36pt
38 Ian Gillaspie – L5 Orange – 38.5pt
38 Steve Callahan – L5 Orange – 38.5pt
40 David Murray – L4 Orange – 42.5pt
40 Mike Gura – L4 Orange – 42.5pt
40 Crandall Smith – L4 Orange – 42.5pt
40 Jason Horne – L4 Orange – 42.5pt
40 Kris Wragg – L4 Orange – 42.5pt
40 Mary Ann McKeague – L4 Orange (Female) – 42.5pt
46 Mike T Nelson – L3 Orange – 46.5pt
46 Stephen Haessler – L3 Orange – 46.5pt
48 Brad Ellingson – L2 Orange – 49pt
48 Jordan Simmons – L2 Orange – 49pt
48 Paul Gillio – L2 Orange – 49pt
51 Carl Wells – L1 Orange
52 Jenny LaCoss – L2 White (Female)
53 Eric Lentner – 0 – 56pt
53 Breck S. – 0 – 56pt
53 Sam Chavez – 0 – 56pt
53 Kate Wells – 0 (Female) – 56pt
53 Jennifer Higgins – 0 (Female) – 56pt
53 Mark DeSousa – 0 – 56pt
53 Sherrie Wheeler – 0 (Female) – 56pt

Event 3 - Vulcan Gripper - 20mm block

1 David Horne – L19 Gold
2 Aaron Corcorran – L18 Gold – 2.5pt
2 Steve Gardener – L18 Gold – 2.5pt
4 David Thornton – L17 Gold
5 Jouni Pakarinen – L16 Gold – 6pt
5 Timo Tuukkanen – L16 Gold – 6pt
5 Nick McKinless – L16 Gold – 6pt
8 Jedd Johnson – L15 Gold – 11pt
8 Bob Lipinski – L15 Gold – 11pt
8 Matti Heiskanen – L15 Gold – 11pt
8 Adam Glass – L15 Gold – 11pt
8 Jim Wylie – L15 Gold – 11pt
8 Brent Barbe – L15 Gold – 11pt
8 Tim Struse – L15 Gold – 11pt
15 Eric Milfeld – L14 Gold – 16.5pt
15 Casey Emery – L14 Gold – 16.5pt
15 Chris Rice – L14 Gold – 16.5pt
15 Richard Scott – L14 Gold – 16.5pt
19 Kevin Emery – L13 Gold – 21pt
19 Stew Killick – L13 Gold – 21pt
19 John Eaton – L13 Gold – 21pt
19 Nick Rosendaul – L13 Gold – 21pt
19 Russ Farver – L13 Gold – 21pt
24 Jeff Parker – L12 Gold – 24.5pt
24 Jonathan Williams – L12 Gold – 24.5pt
26 Ian Gillaspie – L11 Gold – 27pt
26 Lol Owen – L11 Gold – 27pt
26 Jason Horne – L11 Gold – 27pt
29 Elizabeth Horne – L10 Gold (Female) – 30pt
29 Dave Johnson – L10 Gold – 30pt
29 Greg Griffin – L10 Gold – 30pt
32 Jess Reiman – L9 Gold
33 Ryan Pitts – L8 Gold – 34.5pt
33 Mark Martin-Dye – L8 Gold – 34.5pt
33 Kris Wragg – L8 Gold – 34.5pt
33 Steve Callahan – L8 Gold – 34.5pt
37 Austin Acree – L7 Gold – 38pt
37 Mike Gura – L7 Gold – 38pt
37 Brian Elam – L7 Gold – 38pt
40 Dave Delgado – L6 Gold
41 David Dellanave – L5 Gold
42 Taylor Wilson – L3 Gold – 43pt
42 Mary Ann McKeague – L3 Gold (Female) – 43pt
42 Jordan Simmons – L3 Gold – 43pt
45 Sherrie Wheeler – L7 Orange (Female)
46 Mike T Nelson – L4 Orange – 46.5pt
46 Stephen Haessler – L4 Orange – 46.5pt
48 Brad Ellingson – L3 Orange – 48.5pt
48 Crandall Smith – L3 Orange – 48.5pt
50 Carl Wells – L9 White – 50.5pt
50 Jenny LaCoss – L9 White (Female) – 50.5pt
52 Eric Lentner – 0 – 55.5pt
52 David Murray – 0 – 55.5pt
52 Paul Gillio – 0 – 55.5pt
52 Breck S. – 0 – 55.5pt
52 Sam Chavez – 0 – 55.5pt
52 Kate Wells – 0 (Female) – 55.5pt
52 Jennifer Higgins – 0 (Female) – 55.5pt
52 Mark DeSousa – 0 – 55.5pt

I was very happy and surprised with my result. It's sparked my interest in the geeky, grip world again! I did 5 sessions of training before the contest, which was held in 9 different venues all over the world. The next leg is September 11. If you are interested in having a go please contact David Horne and he can give you all the details.

Nick

Steve Reeves footage

I was trolling YouTube and found this incredible old footage of the legendary Steve Reeves.

Steve, along with Reg Park, was one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's inspirations to start lifting weights and to also become an actor. Both Reg and Steve played Hercules in movies during their careers. I've seen footage of Steve posing before but never the training montage with the antique globe barbells and rock lifting.

Steve was and still is a true icon for Physical Culture.

Nick

Earlier this year I did an interview for Bare Essentials e-magazine. Check them out they are a really cool, forward thinking group and I have been a fan of theirs for a number of years.

Here's the interview.

E-interview:  Nick McKinless  ʻTrain like a Titanʻ - the secrets strategies of a stunt professional 

18/10/10

Nick McKinless has been a stuntman and stunt coordinator since 1996.  He has worked on many of the biggest films ever made and continues to work in both film and television at the highest level.  In 2008 and 2009 Nick was part of the winning teams responsible for the explosive scenes in Bourne Ultimatum and The Dark Knight, both of which won Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture.  Nick just finished filming on Centurion and the highly anticipated remake ʻClash of the Titansʼ and is currently working on the final Harry Potter installments plus Ridley Scottʼs Robin Hood.
A specialist in combining strategy, stealth, strength and stamina Nick is often utilized as a performer and a personal trainer. Aware of his keen insight and intense training methods producers hired Nick to prepare both actors and stunt crew for the physical demands of playing Greek Gladiators. Throw your weight belts out the window and get ready to grip granite using the secret strategies of a stunt professional to Train like a Titan!

1. How did you go about designing a training routine for the Titans? 

I knew most of the guys on the stunt team and although already in shape many of them were detrained from working so much and not being able to find the time to train. We work long hoursand often itʼs sleep and relaxation that takes emphasis over training, especially when you consider the physicality of our job already. This job was no different so the workouts had to be short but effective. We were often training at 6am or squeezing something in between lunch.

2. What are the key concepts to your program? 

It is always about a combination of functionality, athleticism, strength and conditioning. Usually if you combine that with a good diet then you will look good too. Training to look good has never made any sense to me if you canʼt perform well physically. Most of the guys ate really well and managed to get under 10% body fat. Thatʼs a TRUE 10% which is much more difficult than people think. 

3. How do you address the different disciplines (conditioning, strength, agility etc.)? 

I challenged the guys with exercises I have used for many years that I knew would produce the best results. Usually a workout would have an element of strength followed by some repetition work, some speed or agility work like knee jumps or rope climbs and then weʼd end with something unusual like the wheelbarrow ab wheel or carrying a heavy sack for distance or planks with someone kicking you.

Yes, we really did fly on Titan Airways!

4. What about equipment what is essential? 

We were pretty limited but you can always make do! We had a chin and dip station, dumbbells up to 85lbs, one adjustable bench, an Olympic barbell and about 300lbs of weights plus I brought in things like strength bands, a climbing rope, the power wheel, a sack, grip equipment and a core blaster. The guys would usually hit the pads 2-3 times a week as well.

5. What did your Titans struggle with the most (most wicked workout)?

You know these guys are real athletes. Most of us have won National or World titles at some point over the years. I had various stunt doubles from Bond to Batman to Brad Pitt on the team so we werenʼt short of talent! With that in mind you really have to push yourself otherwise these guys are going to just think youʼre a pushover.Anytime you put the body into oxygen debt you are going to have a tough time. However, you have to be careful not to do this too often as it will lead to overtraining and results will suffer. Once a week we would have a tough one. It might be a H.I.T style workout moving from one
exercise to the other without rest and me screaming at you or it might be high sets of chins and dips followed by partner resisted band sprints.

5. Which exercises were emphasized and why? 

Shoulder pressing be it seated or standing. Static but unstable abdominal work, such as planks with a heavy weight on the back or someone kicking you. Chins, dips and pushups. Jumping drills. Since we didnʼt have a rack nobody except myself was really doing any heavy squatting or deadlifting. We did Goblet squats, swings and core blaster work though which keeps the hips, legs and lower back strong.

Nick as 'Medusa' for a Visual FX shot

6. What was the key to progression? 

We looked in the mirror and took photos every now and again. We really only had 6 weeks so in that time you have to just go hard, keep an eye on the calorie intake and pinch your belly now and again to see if thereʼs less fat there. We actually did caliper body fat percentage tests twice during this period as well to keep an eye on specific fat deposits as everyone carries fat differently. 

7. Did you advise on nutrition also (what would you recommend)? 

Itʼs the usual things like cutting out carbs after 4pm, donʼt eat anything man hasnʼt killed or grown on the land and reducing alcohol intake. That last one isnʼt easy for stuntmen! Seriously, nutrition these days should be a piece of cake (pun intended). Just buy good quality meats, fruits and vegetables (preferably Organic). Stay away from ʻwhite deathʼ foods like white bread, white sugar, white rice and donʼt eat anything with saturated fats. Drink more water. Having said that, eating less healthy foods isnʼt going to kill you as long as itʼs in moderation. If you eat 21 meals a week then 3 of them could be junk food or ice cream or whatever floats your boat. The rest should be things like steak and salad, salmon or chicken and brown rice or eggs and spinach.

8. What did you use as a benchmark to indicate your Titans were ready for battle? 

Lean abs and strong quads!

Two weeks out - getting there.

 

9. How did you maintain momentum and motivation amongst the men? 

When you know you are going to Tenerife to shoot for 4 weeks on a Volcano with incredible scenery then the incentive is there! 

11.What scenes in the movie best showcase the efforts undergone in exercise? 

Probably all the fight scenes with the Scorpiox and Calibos and Perseus. I had two actors who were not in the best shape at the beginning of the film but I think the physical and fight training we put them through every week made their particular fight with the scorpiox one of the best.

12.Which stunt proved most challenging? 

That would be the Calibos run down the hill. ʻCalibos Hillʼ as it became known to the crew was incredibly
steep. Rigging that stunt was an effort in itself. Just climbing the hill all the time at that altitude was crazy! 

13.Are actors as disciplined as athletes (stunt crew) when it comes to training? 

It depends on the actor. I know that Brad Pitt was incredibly committed for Troy because his
trainer and I were always discussing his routines. At the moment I am training Ralph Fiennes for his next film and his discipline is second to none. I think when actors know they are going to be centre stage on the big screen then they have no choice but to be 100% committed to their training. 

14.What is the most difficult part of coordinating a stunt?

It depends on the stunt but usually watching the performer and hoping that all the rehearsals, rigging and technicalities work on the day. You want your guys to be safe more than anything and I would rather call it a day than hurt someone for a film. Thatʼs not to say I like people to back off. I want commitment but I want them to be level headed not wild like a daredevil. 

15.How did you unwind after a long-day shooting? 

Oh that doesnʼt quite fit in with health and fitness! Usually at the bar having a few cold beers. I would usually train at the weekends when we were on location which I always find relaxing. 

16. What was it like working with Sam Worthington? 

Sam is that rare actor who is just one of the boys. He came into the first rehearsal wearing beat up work boots, surf shorts and a Metallica t-shirt! However, he is extremely serious about his work and his intensity is incredible.

On location at the top of Mt. Teide

Additionally can you provide an example routine for us.

The “TWO WEEKS TO TENERIFE” Routine 

Work on two exercises plus abs for 20-30 minutes. (That’s all we had during this period) 

Pick two exercises that you like a lot and do them everyday. Pick one pull and one push. 

Pull – power clean, swing, deadlift, chins, curls, rows
Push – military press, seated press, dips, pushups 

Day 1
3 sets of 8 reps of each exercise with 1 MINUTE rest
Finish with Planks 

Day 2
4 sets of 4 reps with 2 MINUTES rest
Finish with Toes to the bar 

Day 3
Work up to a maximum of 3 reps for each exercise
Finish with a Side bend drop set 

Day 4
Same as day 1 but with more weight! 

Day 5
Work up to a top MAXIMUM in each exercise. Then drop to 75% and go to failure.
Planks, side bends and situps to fail.

And for anyone who missed it...here's the training video...

World's Strongest Hands

Gripmaster, Arm Wrestler, Strength Historian and Strength Athlete David Horne, has organized the biggest ever hand, wrist and grip competition to date, called simply...

World's Strongest Hands.

Here are the details.

"World of Grip – World’s Strongest Hands 2010

Leg 1 - Saturday 14 August, 2010
Leg 2 - Saturday 11 September, 2010
Leg 3 - Saturday 16 October, 2010
Leg 4 - Saturday 13 November, 2010

Events:
1. Two Hands Pinch Lift
2. Wrist Developer
3. One Hand Vulcan Gripper - 20mm block close

Venue: All around the world

Overall promoter:
David Horne and World of Grip
Contest promoters:
David Horne – Stafford, England
Steve Gardener – Gloucester, England
Juha Harju – Helsinki, Finland
Chris Rice – Crooksville, Ohio, USA
Dave Thornton – Three Rivers, Michigan, USA
Eric Milfeld – Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Jedd Johnson – Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, USA
Adam T. Glass – Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Aaron Concorran + Tim Struse - Tucson, Arizona, USA

More info

Competitors:
You can compete at any venue. The same events and apparatus will be used at all venues.

Trophies:
There will be ‘World of Grip handshake logo’ trophies (as seen at the Britian's) for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of the overall placings. For the individual 4 legs there will be medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Entrance fees:
£10 GBP ($15, 12 euro) per leg, or £25 GBP ($37, 30 euro) for more than 1 leg, ie. All 4 legs.
All payments are made to the individual promoters by cash or paypal, then after each leg they will send the relevant payment to me through paypal.
To compete at Stafford please send the payment through paypal to world_of_grip@ntlworld.com

Rules:
To be sorted soon.

Results:
The results should be sent to me on the day of the contest and no later. So that I can type up the overall results as soon as possible, and get this up on the forum the next morning.
At the end of the 4 legs, the overall scores will be compiled to find the overall rankings and winner. The trophies and medals will then be sent out to them.

Video:
I will do a video, which I will put on youtube showing how to referee the events, etc.

Other contest:
If a promoter wants to do something else on the day, or expand the event. I think Jedd Johnson may run the GGC contest on one of the dates. This is fine as long as the 3 World’s Strongest Hands events are done first."

This is the first ever worldwide grip competition and I think it is a great example of how future competitions in other sports where travelling is an issue could be contested. David has shelled out a ton of money to make sure all the promoters have the exact same equipment.

The first leg starts in August and I will be at the Stafford event. I am not expecting to even break the top 10 as the events do not suit me and I have only just started doing any kind of regular grip training. I love David's equipment though! You can purchase it all through David's website David Horne's World of Grip and World of Strength.

Yes it's geeky, yes it's strange but hell, it's fun!

Good luck to everyone competing and I hope it's a great success.

Nick

400x20@40

I have just started squatting again after quite a long lay off due to bad, well, everything! That's not quite true, my knees are kind of ok.

With just 2 weeks behind me though I can tell that between squatting I am going to need to stretch, recover and do rehab to continue doing them hard.

I have set myself some nice goals to get to though. I have squatted 500lbs and some change before but if I can hit 500lbs or even 5 plates a side again I'll be pretty happy, especially as I am lighter now.

Harder still though is my all time goal of 400lbs for 20 reps.That is something I would love to hit - 400x20 at 40 years old! We shall see. Right now 300x20 would be hard. I know Rick is after this too.

So, I am attempting to inspire myself with a video of yours truly squatting from a couple of years ago.

In it you'll see my friend Laurence Shahlaei looking bored and easily front squatting 210kg, something he could probably do in his sleep these days. I'm hoping Laurence will attempt to beat Tom Platz's 500x23 reps shown below my modest video below. Big Loz has, in my opinion, the strongest legs in the world. Of course, 36" thighs help!

Nick

2008, for no reason other than it was squat day and I wanted to do something hard!

Platz shows me and just about everyone on the planet how it's done.

The Power 10

A Multi-Use Power Circuit

For my recent boxing match I wanted 10 exercises that would tax mainly the upper body muscles but that would also create enough oxygen debt to tax the entire cardiovascular system. I wanted the each circuit to last about 2 minutes and I wanted it to be done for 5 sets of 5 repetitions per exercise for a total of 250 reps.

I wanted the circuit to be with minimal equipment (two dumbbells) so I could do it at home and for the exercises to be a combination of power and strength movements.

The circuit I eventually came up with served me well and is now helping many others achieve great results. There are many variations on a theme but getting circuits or complexes or whatever you want to call them right isn't always smooth sailing. This one is on the money.

The Power 10

1. One Dumbbell Clean and Press (each arm)
2. One Dumbbell Swing (each arm)
3. One Dumbbell Side Swing (each arm)*
4. Two Dumbbell Clean and Press
5. Two Dumbell Bent Lateral Raise
6. Two Dumbbell Snatch
7. Two Dumbbell Upright Row
8. Two Dumbbell Squat
9. Two Dumbbell Bent Over Row
10. Two Dumbbell Deadlift

Notes

• Complete 5 reps of each exercise without stopping.
• Rest for 1-2 minutes.
• Repeat the circuit 4 more times for 5 in total.
• *I do the side swing slightly bent at the waist. (Scott Abel calls these Lateral Throws)
• Do the squats with the dumbbells resting on your shoulders NOT at your sides.
• Work through each circuit as fast as possible.

Putting the Two Dumbbell Snatch in half way is a killer! At this point fatigue has set in so the last thing you want to do is a power movement. However, it works really well. I never thought upright rows and such light squats could be so hard until I did this circuit. The only respite is the last two exercises but by then you just want to get to the rest period as quickly as possible.

Since the boxing match I have used this circuit in a few different ways.

• I do it now as my primary warm up with light dumbbells. It is a perfect overall warm up.
• I have done it to a maximum weight working from 5 reps with light dumbbells up to a single rep for each exercise with 70lb dumbbells. 
• I have used it in between other bouts of training like grip work and rowing to keep the intensity up.

As you can see it really is a multi use circuit.

I have considered a few other circuits since originating this one but I haven't tested them fully yet.

The week before I boxed I did this circuit with 45lb dumbbells in 14 minutes 20 seconds.

I want to thank Scott Abel who I stole the side swings off for helping me come up with such a great conditioning circuit. 

I hope some of you try this circuit and reap the rewards. Later on I will video me doing the whole thing (just one circuit) but to watch me do it for nearly 15 minutes would be pretty boring.

Do the workout and feel the pain!

Nick

And just for the hell of it here's a cool video.