Strongman is probably one of the only sports on the planet to adapt to the constraints of Coronavirus. Although you won’t see competitors physically lining up against each other anytime soon, Mirafit Athlete Luke Stoltman stands on the verge of glory.

The Highlander is set to attempt a new log press world record in May, with the attempt set to be streamed all over the world.

We caught up with him (not in person, of course) to hear his advice on staying strong during the current state of lockdown.

He says: “I’m in a bit of a privileged state, I own a gym three minutes away from my home so I can still train.”

Although Stoltman has a gym free to himself, he admits not being able to see family and friends has impacted his motivation and increased stress.

“The levels of anxiety are a bit more raised because there isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel yet with Coronavirus.”

Heightened stress and anxiety is likely to be an issue facing most people, but Stoltman says you should just do what you can to stay motivated.

Luke has a younger brother Tom Stoltman who is also one of the UK’s strongest men. The two are currently quarantining together, with motivation being the main reason.

 “Tom and I train at different times and train different things, but living together helps to ensure our workouts get done and we stay on top of recording our progress and posting content to YouTube.”

Keeping a to-do list of physical tasks to get through can be useful method for curtailing the Coronavirus cabin fever.

On May 16^th, Luke will be attempting a log lift world record – in isolation of course.

He said: “My training’s going well. I hit a 222.5kg PB just yesterday, which itself is tied as the second heaviest log ever pressed. That puts me on par with Zydrunas (Savickas, Lithuanian strongman).”

Stoltman will attempt the 230kg log, although a successful 229kg attempt will also rip up the record books.

Luke shared his tips for maintaining size and strength during lockdown.

“It’s being proactive - use anything you can. Sandbags, stones, rocks if you have that landscape.

“If you don’t have space for equipment try to do something else. You could sign up to a PT course to work your brain.”

Luke asserts the need for realism when it comes to size and strength pursuits.

“You need to acknowledge that you might lose weight and some strength may be lost, because if you partake in a strength sport you do need access to heavy weights to maintain that. But you can get by and maintain most of your muscle mass with bodyweight exercises.”

It’s not all bad news though. Luke thinks you should use this time to tackle underlying issues holding you back, such as injuries, strains, mobility or problems with your technique.

If you do have the capacity to buy gym equipment, Luke’s essentials are:

• A barbell

• Bumper Plates

• Flat bench

• Dumbbell set

Luke likes to stick to the basics above all else. He says, “To be honest, having a barbell and weights you can do anything with them.”

Everyone here at Mirafit would like to wish Luke Stoltman the best of luck for his world record attempt on May 16th!

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Tags: Misc > Lifestyle ; Misc > Mirafit Ambassadors