Watch Strongman Martins Licis and CrossFit Games Champ Justin Medeiros Deadlift Heavy Together
Strongman met CrossFit when 2019 World’s Strongest Man and 2021 Fittest Man on Earth met at XCEL Fitness in Holladay, UT, to undergo a workout that included traditional challenges from both strength sports.
Licis and Medeiros were last together at the 2021 Rogue Invitational. Licis won the strongman competition, and he set a world record in the Thor’s Hammer event with a lift of 136 kilograms (300 pounds). Medeiros stood atop the podium at the event as the Men’s CrossFit champion. This encounter between the two champions was shared on Licis’ YouTube channel on Dec. 21, 2021. Licis’ introduction to the session begins at the 6:54 mark of the video below.
https://youtu.be/_j-7fgomv44?t=414
After the introduction, the video shows a couple of folks creating a makeshift crossbeam for the Bag Toss, which the crew tackled first. Medeiros is seen warming up on a rowing machine while the crossbeam is being set up. He then talks about the importance of warming up and what he does. He shared details of his routine before a lower body session.
“I do the same warm-up, which is, I do pigeon stretches, some runner’s lunge, some windshield wipers,” the 2021 CrossFit Games winner said in part. “I also got a glute band for glute activation, monster walks, banded squats, and sumo (bodyweight) squats. After that, I’m probably good to go.”
Donning an elf’s hat, Medeiros attempted the bag toss with 20 pounds, but it hit the crossbeam and came back down. Licis offered insight on how to tell if a toss will be successful.
“The best throws will feel like the most effortless throws,” Licis — winner of the 2019 World’s Strongest Man — said while wearing a Santa Claus suit. Medeiros attempted two more tosses, but he was unsuccessful. Licis was next, and his toss cleared the bar with no trouble. The Bag Toss is a strongman event, so Licis’ dominance here is all but expected. (It’s not clear how much weight Licis was using.)
Next up were deadlifts. Licis instructed the group to pause below the knee, then set the bar down without making a sound — or, as he put it, “perfect eccentric control.” Both athletes share insight on form and preparing for the heavy sets to come in between lifts.
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Medeiros would complete a pull with 500 pounds. Although Medeieros’ body weight at the time of this deadlift wasn’t revealed, he’s listed as weighing 190 pounds on CrossFit’s website, making this pull 2.63-times his body weight.
Licis followed Medeiros’ pull with 605 pounds for five reps, with Medeiros and the other training partners watching (very quietly). Afterward, Licis showed his hands to the camera showing how his thumbs looked. That was because he used a hook grip while pulling the massive weight.
Licis and Medeiros also took part in a one-minute Echo bike challenge. The result of that will be shared on a future video by the Buttery Bros on their channel. As of this writing, that video has yet to be released.
Licis is currently preparing for the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic, which he hopes to win for the first time in his career. That competition is scheduled for Mar. 3-6, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. Medeiros is in his offseason, but the 2022 CrossFit Open is scheduled to begin on Feb. 24, 2022, in which Medeiros is expected to take part.
Featured Image: Martins Licis on YouTube