Martins Licis

Lately I have been playing strongman at Plate City Gym. I purchased farmer's walk handles, a log, and Leflore Steel built me a yoke. I am attracted to this sport even though it is the polar opposite of my own athletic talents.

This interest exploded in 2019 when my wife and I took Trevor McLean, my gym partner at the time, to the Saint Valentines's Muscle Massacre in Little Rock, Arkansas. There Trevor competed as a lightweight strongman in the contest that even my wife enjoyed. I found the atmosphere amazing. The whole vibe was laid back and all the competitors cheered for each other. I thought, I'd love to do this one day. 

I would, but I am far from strong enough. That is one of the things that motivates my backyard lifting. Maybe one day I can compete. I, by the way, am an endurance athlete. An endurance athlete and a strength athlete are as different as a mouse and a polar bear. Different body type, different muscle fiber composition, different mental attitude, different training. But they have a few things in common: goal setting, hard work, and patience.

Not only did I go to one contest and buy some strongman implements, but I have taken to watching strongmen on YouTube. All the top guys have channels that feature their training, their plans, and their products. I find these guys interesting. They lift amazing weights, but are humble, gentle, easy going. I watch Eddie Hall, Hafthor Bjornsson, Clint Darden, Brian Shaw, and Martins Licis. Martins has become my favorite. Let me tell you why.

Watching these guys is a little bit like watching crossfitters. They do amazing things, but the intensity in which they operate is a little beyond the pale. They kill their workouts and have an energy that is overwhelming. Martins, however, is different from the others. He misses lifts (they don't edit that out), he yawns, he drags around and says, "I don't feel like lifting today." I can relate to that because that is how I go to the gym most days. I really rather just take a nap. The thing that makes Martins so inspiring to me is that he shows up when he doesn't want to and he does the work when he doesn't feel like it. And he shows that to the world instead of putting up a false image.

That is what it takes to be successful in life, in any endeavor. Showing up, doing the work, persevering when you had rather do something else. Take a look at his channel. Watch a video or two. You just might find that you enjoy it, him, the whole strongman enterprise. It's a big world out there. Explore another section of it.