Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
FITNESS Meet Monklands’
Brian aims for top-two finish at UK Masters
“I’ve created a monster”, the infamous phrase from Mary Shelley’s masterpiece was muttered in Monklands last week – not by Victor Frankenstein, but Louis Kuhn, owner of the Stone Crazy gym in Coatbridge.
Because within the walls of his secluded Greenhill industrial estate facility Louis has indeed helped make a man mountain – in the hulking shape of his client and pal, Brian Ratcliff.
“Big friendly giant” Brian and his wife Lee-Ann emigrated from Zimbabwe to Coatbridge in 2006 and, after only starting strongman training in 2014, the 6’4” 19st dadof-two now competes in events all over Great Britain.
The 41-year-old electrician participated in the Scotland’s s t rongest man contest last month but an ill-timed shoulder injury put paid to any hopes he had of taking the title.
Now, the strapping strongman has set his sights on a top-two finish at the UK masters – an achievement which would see him qualify for the world finals.
During a demanding workout at Stone Crazy, Brian took time out alongside Louis to explain his training and competing regime.
He told the Advertiser: “I just aim to keep progressing and improving.
“I work out four days a week and when I have an event coming up I’ll practice whatever disciplines they involve.
“They consist of loads of stuff; Atlas Stone lifts, keg tossing, Hercules holds, sandbag throws and even truck pulls.
“For example, a Hercules hold involves holding around 150kg [24st] in each hand for a period of time.
“There is also an event called the yoke race where we have to run with 380kg [ 60st] on our shoulders.
“I’ll build my strength in my workouts with exercises like bench presses, squats and deadlifts.
“I managed to squat 292kg [46st] last week so I’m hoping to reach 300kg pretty soon.”
Brian, who is competing in the Highland strongman event in Inverness this weekend, continued: “I missed out on going to the world masters by one place but I’ve won competitions and claimed podium finishes before.
“I won a tournament in Fort William last year and came third in my first competition in Kent in 2015.
“My aim is to reach the masters world finals so I’ll have a good crack at that again next year.
“It’s just another day for me every time I train but it’s good to have an aim and something to work towards.
“There’s no money in strongman competitions; it’s all about the passion for the sport.”
Brian consumes around 6000 calories every day in order to gain muscle mass and strength – nearly three times the calories required by the average person to maintain their weight.
Around a kilogramme of meat is chowed down by the strongman each day along with a cocktail of protein shakes and supplements before his workout.
He revealed: “I can easily eat six chicken breasts with rice, potatoes and vegetables to keep up with my training.
“I’ll have eight pieces of Weetabix with protein mix before 9am and the rest of my meals are split throughout the day.
“Without the diet I follow then my training wouldn’t work.”
Gym owner Louis, 47, who hails from South Africa, has also competed in strongman events in the past and explained why he asked Brian to get involved.
He said: “We met at a South African emigrants in Scotland gathering organised by an online society.
“I was already training by that point and when I saw Brian I could see he had natural size and strength so I invited him to train with me. “I think I’ve created a monster!” “Really though, he is a ridiculously macho man but also one of the friendliest, down to Earth people you will ever meet.”
I managed to squat 292kg there and hope to do 300kg soon