The Competitive Strongman

Adam Laverick, 38, from Sunderland, is a PT and strongman at Active Body Conditioning

My dad was a larger-thanlife character. He was 6ft 2in and, as a small child looking up at this mountain of a man, he was quite intimidating. But he was a pillar of strength. When Christmas rolled around, I’d see the strongmen on telly. My dad had a big beard at the time, so I drew a parallel between them and him.

At 12, I was 12st. At 13, I was 13st. I’ve battled with obesity issues for the majority of my life. And up until six years ago, I’d always strived to have that aesthetic physique that everyone seeks out. I tried the bodybuilding diet. It was only when I stopped focusing on aesthetics and started focusing on performance that my physique really changed.

I went to watch a powerlifting competition. I saw the camaraderie backstage... I just thought, ‘I’d love to be a part of this.’ I got in touch with a friend who started coaching me. As long as I fitted into the weight category, it was just a case of ‘get as strong as you can’. I competed at the national level twice and qualified for a third time.

It’s said that comparison is the thief of joy. All my life, I’ve compared myself with others, from celebrities to the fittest guy in the gym. And I was miserable as a result. After [taking up powerlifting], I noticed that a lot of that anxiety was gone.

I switched to strongman because I wanted to pull a truck. The more I get into the sport, the more I research different training methods and body mechanics, I realise there’s a lot of untapped potential. When I first started working as a PT, it was young men who came to me, wanting to get bigger. But with the knowledge that I was able to demonstrate, I managed to get a client base that was more diverse. One client is a wheelchair basketball player who was born with cerebral palsy. He’s one of the hardest-working young men I’ve ever seen.

I’m aware of my size, my stature, which is why I try to adjust the way I come across. It’s amazing how disarming a smile can be.