Strongman and powerlifter Nick Best has competed in his last full strongman event. Best placed second at the 50+ Masters World’s Strongest Man contest to Mark Felix during the 2022 Official Strongman Games on the weekend of Nov. 12th and 13th.
At the end of the competition, Best walked out onto the center of the platform and left his shoes, signifying that he would no longer compete.
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“Thank you all so much. I love this sport with all my heart, and it’s been a wonderful ride,” said Best as part of the interview. The final meet wraps up a career that has spanned over a decade.
Nick Best’s Powerlifting Plans
BarBend reached out to Best, who confirmed that his retirement does not include powerlifting or the occasional strongman record attempt. Best plans to compete in May in a powerlifting meet, and he set a goal of being the oldest man to total 1,000 kilograms (2,204 pounds). He didn’t mention what meet he will be in, but he would be 54 years of age if it is a meet in the month of May.
There are a couple of world records I want to set.
He also said that he was only finished with full strongman competitions and that he will occasionally do one-off or single events.
Nick Best’s Strongman Career
Best’s first major competition in the sport was at the 2006 America’s Strongest Man contest, where he placed sixth out of 16 men. His first win came at the 2009 Jesse Marunde Invitational, three years after his debut. Best then entered the 2010 Arnold Strongman Classic, where he placed ninth.
His first World’s Strongest Man contest was that same year, and he finished in sixth place. That would be his highest placing in ten career appearances.
In 2016, Best won the 40+ Masters World’s Strongest Man title. He also won the Giants Live North American Open contest that same year.
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Three years later, Best joined forces with fellow strongman stars Brian Shaw, Robert Oberst, and Eddie Hall to film “The Strongest Man in History” TV series for The History Channel. The show was placed on hold after one season. There have been discussions about a second season, but no formal announcement had been made as of this writing.
Nick Best’s Powerlifting Career
Best’s first career in strength sports was in the world of powerlifting, where he had competed since 1985. He has totaled over 2,000 pounds across all three lifts in 26 different years throughout that span, including in 2022 when he competed in the FQ Classic 2 meet.
As of this article’s publication, he’s the Masters 50+ world record holder in the deadlift, with a pull of 370 kilograms (815.7 pounds). He made that pull at the 2018 IPL Old Dogs World Cup meet in Irvine, CA. He set two WRPF world records at his last meet, the FQ Classic in May.
Outside of competing, he’s a co-host on the Legends of Iron podcast, alongside Akim Williams and Jon Andersen.
Featured Image: @nickbeststrongman on Instagram