Strongman Brian Shaw has lost a lot of weight recently and has been stunning fans with his epic transition into a different type of athletic physique.
Strongman Brian Shaw has been gearing up for a major career shift lately. The 28-year-old former strongman has been training hard after a series of career blunders have left his Strongman career on life support. He teased fans with the suggestion that he might be making a debut soon as a bodybuilder, though that’s unlikely to happen anytime soon given current conditions. Shaw shared a progress video with fans on YouTube showing his incredible 150lb dumbbell press. You can watch the video in full above.
Brian Shaw was recently turned away from the 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic due to what was seen as a decline in his conditioning and a disappointing string of appearances on the Strongman stage. However, Shaw clearly just has other goals on his mind these days. His physique is looking a lot slimmer, but, clearly his strength is undiminished.
“I’m just a few weeks out [with my bodybuilding training],” Shaw jokingly comments at the end of the video. “Just need a spray tan, and I’ll get a little dehydrated like Eddie Hall and I’ll be good to go.”
Clearly, Shaw isn’t that serious about starting a new career as a bodybuilder from scratch, but it’s interesting to think about the possibilities there were he to take it seriously. Shaw is on the older end of the spectrum for a pro bodybuilder, but Shawn Rhoden was a decade older than he was at the time of his Olympia win. Plus, as a Strongman competitor, Shaw is no stranger to strength sports – he wouldn’t be starting off as a rookie and would likely outlast newer competitors on the stage.
Shaw is of course best known as being a former World’s Strongest Man alongside Eddie Hall. However, Shaw dwarfs his competitor – Shaw is a shocking 6’8″ and his competitive weight is just over 400 lbs, while Hall is roughly the same weight at 6’3″. Shaw’s massive physique has been his calling card throughout his competitive years, so it’s pretty shocking to longtime fans to see him lose so much weight. However, it’s just a crucial demonstration of the fact that the demands of certain strength sports are very different. It’s necessary, even positive, for a strongman to pack on the pounds. Increasing his body mass by any means necessary is a great aid to them in competition because it lowers their center of gravity and allows them more mass for lifting heavy weights. Obviously, bodybuilders are valued more for the aesthetic appeal of their physique, so they have a completely different set of training goals in mind when they hit the gym. Bodybuilders tend to weigh far less, but their physiques are no less hard-earned or calculated. Whatever your motivations for getting fit, there’s never a bad one – just get out there and hit it hard!
*All media courtesy of YouTube.
