2019 World’s Strongest Man and 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic champion Martins Licis is taking an eight-month break from competition, having stepped back from the 2024 World’s Strongest Man due to sciatica, which causes pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg. What better way to spend time during this hiatus than traveling the world via his “Strength Unknown” series to discover and explore strength cultures?
Licis has embarked on his global travels, delving into Mongolian and Sumo wrestling in Asia and traditional wrestling in the muds of Pakistan. In a video published on June 23, 2024, Licis ventured to Greece to train with fellow strongman and island native Kyriakos “Grizzly” Kapakoulak. Check it out below:
Before his rendezvous with Kyriakos Kapakoulak (Grizzly), Licis sampled Greek cuisine. Below is a detailed account of his breakfast:
- Bougatsa
- Minced Meat
- Asparagus
- Cheese & Cream
[Related: Watch The Stoltman Brothers Crush a 20,000-Calorie Breakfast]
Licis & Kapakoulak’s Training
These training exercises incorporate push and pull variations. Below is a detailed list of Licis and Kapakoulak’s training routines:
- The Sled Push
- The Sled Pull
- The Zercher Shrug
[Related: Putting Your Strongman Training Into Perspective]
The Sled Push
The strongman training session began with a sled push. Positioned on opposite sides, each strongman faced the sled, channeling their entire body weight into propelling it forward.
Licis likened the experience of pushing a truck to draw a comparison between the sled’s heft and the mass of a rhinoceros. He described using the sled as a medicine ball, passing it back and forth in a display of strength and endurance.
“The mechanics express themselves quite differently. It got so heavy that to keep up, I needed every ounce of my weight behind each push,” said Licis. “With each rep, I threw my entire weight with as much momentum as possible.”
Licis immediately felt a pump in his chest, shoulders, and triceps, admitting it initially felt absurd but effective. Research supports sled pushes as a means to enhance athletic performance. (1) They increased the weight on the sled and completed fifty repetitions across five sets.
The Sled Pull
Licis and Kapakoulak utilized wrist straps linked to the sled for their pulling exercise. Maintaining their position between the sled, they employed the straps to draw it closer with multiple repetitions.
“It gave me flashbacks [of] 2017 World’s Strongest Man. When I was against Hafthor Björnsson in a similar event,” said Licis. “I also could take it the distance, but it was brutal. This is about the same weight we did at World’s Strongest Man, which felt about impossible; 99 percent of guys did not finish.”
A 2022 study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research demonstrated the effectiveness of sled pulls in enhancing force among professional athletes. (2)
The Zercher Shrug
To conclude their training, the strongmen geared up for a routine that helped catapult Kapakoulak to internet fame — the Zercher shrug. Licis began with a few weightless warm-ups before gradually adding weight plates while perfecting his form. Following this preparation, Licis executed a single rep of the Zercher shrug.
The workout may have been simple on paper, but in practice, it was draining.
[Related: What Is Muscular Endurance? (Plus the 10 Best Muscular Endurance Exercises)]
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- Kane Francis Ascends the 2024 England’s Strongest Man Throne
References
- Cahill, M. J., Oliver, J. L., Cronin, J. B., Clark, K. P., Cross, M. R., & Lloyd, R. S. (2020). Influence of resisted sled-push training on the sprint force-velocity profile of male high school athletes. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 30(3), 442–449. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13600
- Edwards, T., Piggott, B., Banyard, H. G., Haff, G. G., & Joyce, C. (2023). The Effect of a Heavy Resisted Sled-Pull Mesocycle on Sprint Performance in Junior Australian Football Players. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 37(2), 388–393. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004269
Featured image: @martinslicis on Instagram
