Brian Shaw

I started lifting heavy weights and became addicted to it and before I knew it I won the title of the world's strongest man which is very cool.

People think the training is the hard part, it's not really. That's fun, I can get loose and do what I want to do. I only get to train for a few hours, maybe during the day.

I can very much relate to being on the road and filming and trying to train. It's a whole different ball game.

I wouldn't want to be too lean.

I want to show people how to do this at an exceptional level whether they are a competitor, a CrossFit strongman or someone who just wants to do strongman workouts at home.

My main purpose in launching StrongmanAcademy.com is so competitors know how to win and beginners know what to do.

I remember seeing a story on Olympic swimmer, Ryan Lochte doing strongman workouts. That was awesome.

After I got done playing basketball, I needed a competitive outlet.

I love giving back. There were a lot of people when I got started who really helped me. I do a lot of seminars and appearances. It's neat to be able to be in a position to do that. I've always loved coaching; it's how I got started.

My theory is to let everyone in on what works and let the best man win.

You can't always be the top dog.

Think of how much time it takes to prepare and eat a single meal. Then multiply that by seven. I wish I had my own chef!

Eating is the hard part. It's constant - you don't ever stop from the time you wake up you eat until you go to bed. Then I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is eat and do it all day again.

Being a strongman is a real test of functional strength. What can you pick up, carry and how fast can you move it. It's not a weight room strength, it takes brute strength and power to lift, carry and pull all types objects from fire engines, Mack trucks, transport planes and large stones.

The weight room has always been a place for me where I could go to be relaxed. It's my sanctuary of sorts.

You don't need a gym to develop real strength. Just get an empty keg of beer and fill it with sand or water and simply pick it up, carry it in your back yard, flip it, anything just to get moving for as little as 15 minutes.

When I'm training for a car deadlift, sometimes I'll stand on some mats to make the bar lower.

In all honesty, I just love car deadlifts.

It's a lot of fun, any time you can pick up a car is pretty awesome.

I don't even know how much money I've spent on all of this stuff... Just in plates and bars alone, it's literally a ridiculous amount of money I've spent on those. And to me it doesn't matter. It's money that I've gladly spent.

I eat a lot of grass-fed beef. That's my main protein source. But I'll substitute in chicken and turkey, and sometimes fish, to have a little bit of variety.

My very first competition was at the end of 2005. Honestly, I just looked it up online and tried to find something local, because I had no idea how to do it or where to start. I did Denver's Strongest Man here in Colorado, and I won.

My love for weight training and competing just seemed like a perfect fit for strongman. So I decided to give it a try, for fun, really. It's definitely not for everybody, but if you love working out and being competitive and pushing yourself to the limit, it's great. It's fun, for sure.

First thing in the morning, it's very important to eat quickly. So I'm reaching for eggs.

It's constant - all day long I have to eat, but it's part of the job.