The Stoltman Brothers — Tom and Luke — are locked in on both the 2022 Britain’s Strongest Man (BMS) contest and the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic (ASC). The BSM will be held on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, England. One week later, they will fly across the Atlantic to compete at the ASC, taking place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH on the weekend of Mar. 4-5, 2022.
Two of the top strongmen currently in the sport training together means they push each other to leave everything they have in the gym. One of the events at the ASC is a max squat and the Stoltman brothers have committed part of their training to excel in that lift. In the 15:12 mark of a video posted to their YouTube channel on Jan. 28, 2022, Luke — the elder Stoltman brother — squats 335 kilograms (738 pounds) for a double or as he called it, the “heaviest squat reps of his life.” Check it out below:
[Related: 2022 World’s Strongest Man Scheduled for May 24-29 in Sacramento, CA]
“Yeah, it felt good,” the 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man said after his set was over. The videographer asked him about the potential differences between walking the weight out and using a monolift, which athletes will do at the ASC in Columbus.
I’ve used monolifts before, and I still prefer to take it and walk it. It’s just personal preference really.
As for the 2021 World’s Strongest Man, Tom Stoltman didn’t quite match the weight that his older brother used, but he still squatted 315 kilograms (694 pounds) for a double. Earlier in the session, Tom stopped and re-racked the weight because he felt uncomfortable with the way his knee wraps were applied by his coach, Dan Hipkiss. Many strength athletes feel that if the knees are wrapped inappropriately, it could lead to injury. Tom listened to his instincts and spoke out about making a change.
“When I went down, there was no support there,” Tom explained to his coach. “I can feel my knee popping out.”
Tom took the time to apply his knee wraps on his own before the next set, which worked better on his next set. Hipkiss paid attention to the nuances Tom used so he would know how to apply them for him in the future. Tom explained the adjustment and how he felt after the set:
The wrapping now is higher up [on the leg] and through the middle, and that’s working a lot better for me.
For the rest of the session, both Stoltmans performed reps on the leg press, Bulgarian split squats, banded leg curls, and standing calf raises. They closed with planks to maximize core stability.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Martins Licis and JF Caron Train Together for the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic]
Contests Ahead
Tom Stoltman aims to win his second consecutive BSM title on Feb. 26, 2022. Luke will also compete in that contest to potentially dethrone his younger brother. Both Stoltmans will travel together to Columbus, OH a week later to compete for what would be their first ASC title on March 3-6, 2022.
Featured Image: @stoltmanbrothers on Instagram