2019 World’s Strongest Man Martins Licis reminisces concerning the development of strongman.
Final up to date on January twenty ninth, 2025
2019 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Martins Licis stepped again from strongman competitions in 2024 resulting from harm. Throughout his recovery, Licis explores the power world, immersing himself within the power traditions of various cultures.
Just lately, Licis visited the Dungeon Energy RX fitness center in Tacoma, WA, to observe 4 professional strongman athletes practice for the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic. His expertise dropped at thoughts fascinating moments in strongman historical past.
“We’ll see workforce competitors and meet among the strongest folks on the planet,” Licis disclosed. “There are over 4 worldwide rivals from this fitness center and the Pacific Northwest. I’ve to determine what they’re placing within the water as a result of these individuals are robust and preserve producing power.”
Strongman Competitors Historical past
Licis highlighted the affect of his mentor, Odd Haugen, and different power trailblazers who competed within the Magnificence and the Beast strongman present from 1998 to 2003. One standout athlete who had an outsized influence on the power world at giant was Grant Higa.
Licis shared how an opportunity encounter modified every thing. If Higa hadn’t attended a random powerlifting occasion to cross paths with Haugen, the panorama of power sports activities may look fairly completely different at present.
Higa blended powerlifting experience with strongman coaching to determine a small however influential fitness center. What started as a modest house in a Seattle manufacturing unit warehouse grew into one thing far larger, leaving an enduring mark on the power group.
Higa’s ardour and information drew expertise in like a supercharged magnet; legendary power tradition sprouted.
—Martins Licis
Higa, famend for coaching elite athletes like Jesse Marunde and Zack McCarley, has lengthy been a draw for top-tier power rivals. Dungeon Energy RX, a premier fitness center in Washington’s Pacific Northwest, exemplifies Higa’s legacy as he stays one of many fitness center’s trainers.
The fitness center hosts 4 professional strongman athletes coaching for the 2025 Arnold Strongman Basic, “often called the heaviest present on the planet,” Licis shared knowingly because the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic champion.
Amongst these athletes are two-time America’s Strongest Man Lucas Hatton, reigning 2023 America’s Strongest Girl Angelica Jardine, first multi-weight class world champion Erin Murray, and seven-time world file holder Gabi Dixson.
Dungeon Energy RX Strongman Competitors
Throughout Licis’s preliminary go to to the fitness center, an area competitors was underway to showcase why the fitness center is so well-known.
Hatton defined the format: 4 groups compete, that includes people from any weight class. Every division had particular weights tailor-made to their class, and groups might encompass any mixture of members. The competitors adopted normal scoring, with occasions centered on whole reps, total time, and distance lined.
Licis noticed a number of groups battle intense challenges in a energetic, upbeat environment rife with camaraderie, encouragement, and group.
That is the right concoction to develop a robust group.
—Martins Licis
Coaching at Dungeon Energy RX
Dungeon Energy RX has all kinds of strongman gear. “The quantity of old-school IFA stuff right here is bringing out the nerd in me,” Licis grinned. “Quite a lot of this IFA tools belonged to Odd Haugen — unbelievable the way it’s come such a protracted distance.”
The athletes warmed up with seated hip flexor liftovers, pilates clamshells with a resistance band, and behind-the-neck barbell presses.
Licis assisted Hatton with behind-the-neck press coaching. After Hatton accomplished his first set, Licis acknowledged Hatton’s shoulder mobility. Hatton was amidst a deload, step by step working as much as 70% of his most capability. He centered on perfecting kind and positioning.
Licis prefers to heat up with a cobra activation stretch earlier than tackling stone-to-shoulders. Cobra stretches prep the physique to carry the stone underneath spinal extension.
Hold the abs engaged whereas they’re absolutely elongated. That may be a distinctive demand of a stone raise, particularly a stone-to-shoulder.
—Martins Licis
Licis demonstrated a clean method for lifting the stone from the ground to the higher chest and securing it earlier than transitioning it to the shoulders. Utilizing a two-handed under-support grip on the higher chest offers stability. “That’s the heaviest factor I’ve lifted shortly, and it felt actually good,” Licis stated.
“To suppose a lot of this rising, unbelievable expertise is concentrated in such a small piece of the USA all traced again to at least one second the place my mentor Odd Haugen met with Grant Higa,” Licis reminisced.
Featured picture: @martinslicis on Instagram