"I Put a Lot of Emphasis on Being Kind": Learning Good Form From the World's Strongest Man

The bullies didn’t know who they were messing with. After a bunch of drunk teenagers ganged up on then 13-year-old Martins Licis, he vowed to never let anyone beat him up or humiliate him again. Instead of merely learning to defend himself, Licis turned his then-burgeoning weightlifting hobby into a full-fledged passion. And it’s certainly paid off. Earlier this month the Latvian-American bodybuilder won the World's Strongest Man competition by lifting nine reps of 750 pounds in 75 seconds. In doing so, Licis defeated defending champ Hafthor Bjornsson, the Icelandic bodybuilder and actor now best known for his work on the hit series Game of Thrones.

Ahead of a China tour that includes a meet-and-greet and seminar in Beijing on Jul 26-27, we talked to Licis about bulking up and putting his former bullies in their place, as well as how he manages his grueling workout regime, and how he treats himself on a “cheat day.”

What kind of regiment is the World’s Strongest Man using these days?
I work out four days a week, three hours at a time. I start with 45 minutes of mobility drills, warmups, and muscle activation exercises. From there, I focus on strengthening exercises.

Are there parts of that routine that you enjoy more than others? Or any that you hate?
To be honest, I absolutely hate warming up. But I do it religiously. It’s necessary, so I view it as a transition from everyday life to intense weightlifting.

On the flipside, what part of the regiment is your favorite?
I love weightlifting and hitting new milestones. Each time I try to reach a personal record; whether it’s a new weight, or repetitions, or perfecting my form and technique, I’m always trying to improve.

I’ve always wanted to ask professionals about form, and especially safety. On the rare occasions that I go to the gym, I always see guys wobbling to lift a weight that’s clearly too heavy. I worry they’ll break their backs there and then!
Exactly. A lot of people need to improve their form. So if you’re getting hurt or even just feel yourself getting stuck, you need to allow yourself to pull back from the intensity, and try something lighter. Focus on how well you lift.

I’ve read that you first discovered your strength while working on your grandparent’s farm in Latvia as a boy. What were you lifting there?
Yes, during summers I’d visit my grandfather’s farm. He was a stone sculptor, so I helped him move rocks. They were old school farmers and didn’t have advanced equipment, so they moved plenty of heavy things with their bare hands.

Is that what sparked your dream of professional weightlifting?
Goodness, absolutely! I was curious as a kid and knew about bodybuilders as an abstract idea. I visualized the numbers on dumbbells they’d try to lift over their heads. But I was curious about what it would be like in real life. Then I saw bodybuilders competing on TV, these guys lifting similar objects that I would on my grandfather’s farm, but as part of a competition. Right then I knew: “I could do this.”

How old were you then?
Around nine or ten, and I started working out with my dad more seriously a few years later. At first, I actually wanted to quit, and just be a couch potato. But dad would drag me to the gym, and told me to keep doing it for at least a year. Before long I grew addicted to the gym, and to get stronger.

I was around 13 years old then and already enjoyed lifting. But I wouldn’t say it was my burning passion just yet. It took me getting beaten up by high school kids to really become serious. After that, I thought: “This can never happen again.” And my lifting and focus reached a whole new level.

I bet they regretted picking on you before long.
I never brought it up with them in conversation. But a couple of years went by – when they beat me up, they were freshmen, and by the time I was in high school they were seniors and we were all on the same football team. And that’s when I laid into them.

How’d that feel?
Fantastic, to be honest. By the time I was a high school freshman, I was stronger than them. 

Do you think kids who are being picked on now could take inspiration from how you dealt with that?
I’ll say this: I think everyone should aspire to be their best physically and mentally. And that can certainly help with self-esteem.

That’s a thoughtful answer. Do you think a lot about the responsibilities that come with your strength, and not only being a tough guy?
Yes! One thing that always bothered me, while going to the gym when I was young, was how some of the people around me took… let’s call it a less intelligent approach. For them, muscles were a way to overcompensate. The whole 'angry raging bodybuilder' thing always bothered me. So it made me put a lot of emphasis on being kind and thoughtful and approaching bodybuilding in an intelligent way, to oppose that image.

How did you make your breakthrough as a pro bodybuilder?
I came out to California when I was about 20, and knew I wanted to be like the competitive bodybuilders I had seen on TV. I found a fitness expo in LA where Odd Haugen, a legendary bodybuilder, and coach, was making an appearance. While there I told him what I was able to lift, and he invited me to come for a test and train with him. I started going to his garage and working out with him regularly. It was incredible because I never thought I’d be working with one of my idols.  

What are you most looking forward to about your China tour?
I’m very excited to not only see the culture but also to work with different body types because the Chinese are built differently than Westerners. So it would be interesting to train with them.

Have you ever thought about what you’ll do after retirement? I’m sure you don’t intend to be a professional weightlifter forever.
[Laughs] Eventually I want to own my own gym, and be a coach and pass down what I know.  

Lastly: do you have a cheat day from your training, when you eat junk food? If so, what are your go-to's?
Actually, we bodybuilders stuff ourselves with as much protein and calories as possible to build up muscle. So a cheat day for me is when I don’t have to eat anything.

For my regiment, I need to eat a lot of ground beef, potatoes, chicken, eggs with the yolk – because unlike what some people say, the yolk has good fats that are healthy. But taking a break from that after a competition, and the next day only eating one or two meals instead of eating every few hours, is a big relief.

For more information about Licis' Beijing appearances, click here.

Now that you're acquainted with the World's Strongest Man,
check out Beijing's Best Buns at our recent Burger Fest.

More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
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Photos: Licis' Instagram, Courtesy of the organizers, Youtube, Licis' Youtube,