Brian Shaw is one of five strongmen to win the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest at least four times (the others are Žydrūnas Savickas (4), Magnus ver Magnusson (4), Jón Páll Sigmarsson (4), and Mariusz Pudzianowski (5)). Having reached the pinnacle of the sport on four occasions and been in the mix for the WSM podium for 14 straight WSM contests, Shaw has improved his home gym many times since making his WSM debut in 2008.
On July 8, 2022, Shaw took to his YouTube channel to guide his 1.75 million YouTube followers through a tour of his updated home gym in Colorado. Given the amount of equipment Shaw had to load into his gym, not to mention his training for the 2022 WSM contest, where he placed fourth overall, it took longer than expected to finish. Check out the full tour in the video below:
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The first piece of equipment in the tour is a reverse back extension machine with a custom weight stack so the six-foot, eight-inch tall Shaw can load heavier weight. Next to it is a “back attack” machine modified after Shaw broke it in the past. It can now resist him with additional weight, and he still considers it a good investment.
Entering Shaw’s warm-up and recovery area, he is greeted by a Swisswing. It looks like a giant sideways hammer on a perpendicular swivel, but it vibrates and oscillates to perform deep tissue work. Adjacent to it is a Power Plate calibrated to 550 pounds. Shaw stands on it, and it sends 50 micro-vibrations per second through the body. Per Power Plate’s website, it’s used to “activate muscles…and assist muscle recovery.”
A treadmill takes up space in the warm-up area, though it has not seen much, if any, use, aside from being a storage platform for the banners that have not yet adorned the walls. Walking along, Shaw comments on the Rogue Echo Bike, which he has “beat up a lot” and “inflicted pain” on him in return.
Moving further along one side of the gym, Shaw encounters his Rogue power rack with “every attachment you could possibly have,” including an endless rope trainer. Lining the wall until the room takes its curve are large dumbbell racks footed by Rogue fatbells. In front of the racks are a variety of weight benches.
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Moving along the far wall of the gym from the entrance, a dual cable cross machine stands next to Shaw’s custom dumbbells, each weighing 230 pounds. Shaw primarily performs accessory work with cables, so this machine sees a decent amount of action on training days.
In the first lane of equipment away from the walls is a multi-purpose trainer outfitted with multiple cable stacks for pulldowns, rows, and triceps extensions. Venturing into the back-focused equipment section, Shaw owns the following:
- Hammer Strength Seated Row Machine
- Rogue Seal Row Bench
Towards the middle of the room is where Shaw’s leg equipment is stationed:
- Squat Belt Machine
- Hamstring Curl Machine
- Pendulum Power Squat Machine — a one-of-a-kind machine customized for Shaw
- Reverse Glute and Hamstring Machine
- Leg Extension Machine
- GHD Machine
- Seated Leg Press — used for unilateral training
- Leg Press — modified for Shaw’s size. Once past all the equipment you might find in a state-of-the-art gym, Shaw arrives at the strongman equipment.
- Standing Calf Raise Machine
If it’s been seen in a competitive strongman contest, Shaw has a version of it in his gym. A rack for farmer’s carries, pedestals for Atlas Stones, the stones themselves, throwing bags, and heavy sandbags. Shaw has a deadlift platform as the centerpiece of the gym, with a forest of logs and barbells in their upright stands not far from reach.
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Beyond the deadlift platform is Shaw’s monolift for heavy squats and an accessory and attachment tree covered in chains and resistance bands. The nearby lane of the gym, in line with the entrance, is empty — not because Shaw doesn’t need space but because he needs a lane to carry his yoke.
Shaw has a standing chest press machine along the far wall that he cannot use at the time of this tour because he does not fit in it. To save space as it begins to dry up, Shaw’s Pendulum shoulder incline machine allows him to perform chest presses, incline presses, and shoulder presses. Speaking of shoulder training, much of Shaw’s shoulder accessory work is performed on his Smith machine.
Onto the 2022 Shaw Classic
Shaw is one of 16 athletes competing in the 2022 Shaw Classic. Savickas is also returning to competition to challenge defending champion Trey Mitchell for the crown. The 2022 Shaw Classic is a two-day contest on Aug. 13-14, 2022, and will feature eight events that have not yet been officially revealed at the time of this article’s publication.
Featured image: @shawstrength on Instagram
