First off, congratulations on taking 6th place at the Giants Live North American Championships. We have a few questions about the event…
What did your training prep look like leading up to the event?
Spenser: Leading up to this contest, I trained 3 days a week, with 2 of those days focusing on overall strength, and one day specifically for events. Day 1 was typically my upper body day, focusing on overhead technique and upper back strength, and my Day 2 was typically focused on maximal strength in the deadlift and squat. My Event Days were tailored specifically to this contest, rotating every third week. An example would be yoke on week 1, frame on week 2, stones on week 3, and rotating through. This allowed me to stay fresh and not get burnt out on any particular event.
To keep your strength and weight up is there a nutrition and/or supplement plan that you follow?
Spenser: Lots of beef! But a critical component to my training, recovery, and weight management comes from utilizing myHMB and BetaTOR in conjunction with my post training protein and creatine supplements. These are critical when heading into a peaking phase before a contest. It’s extremely important to be fresh when you start the next session, and myHMB and BetaTOR are critical in that.
Out of the 5 events for the day (1000 lb. yoke, 800 lb. timber frame carry, 210 lb. circus dumbbell, max deadlift, and atlas stone series), which event was your favorite and why?
Spenser: My favorite event of the contest was the yoke. I feel that I can compete with the best in the world in that event, and this was a great opportunity to do just that. I finished third in the yoke, but by a slim margin, so I was definitely pleased with how it went, and the opportunity to shine in an event that is about mental toughness and determination.
Is there anything looking back you would’ve changed on game day?
Spenser: I don’t have many things I would have changed during the contest. The event I wish I could re-do would be the dumbbell. I had issues with pressing the dumbbell in the rain due to it not getting seated on my shoulder quite right. In retrospect, I should have slowed down and been more deliberate, but in the heat of the moment that is always difficult.
What next competition and goal wise for you?
Spenser: At this point, my main goal is to begin fatherhood on the right track. My wife Amber is due with our first child at the end of September, so my main priority for the next few months will be preparing for that. As far as competing, I am on the lookout for contests in November/December, and will continue to focus on building strength and conditioning in the event that I receive an invite to any international contests in the next few months. In the meantime, I am shooting for a 425 lb. log press, and an 850 or more raw deadlift. Building my overhead strength and deadlift over the next few months will definitely be my top training priority, as these are always critical strongman events.
Our congratulations to your wife and you as you wait for the arrival of your first baby! And we wish you all the best with your training pursuits.
