Derek Wolfe with World’s Strongest Man Brian Shaw
In this episode, Derek and Lane interview Brian Shaw, four-time World’s Strongest Man champion and fourth-winningest strongman athlete in the world.
Brian Shaw’s Retirement and Meeting Derek Wolfe
Brian and Derek met through their strength coach. For Derek, the timing was perfect; having just left his career in football behind, he missed the physicality of training. His mental health was suffering, too.
“I felt, like, what is my purpose?” says Derek. Brian had just called his shot on retirement, too; his last pro contest was in August and training for MMA came in his direction at just the right moment.
Brian and Derek share that once something pulls out of view, they shift their focus; it’s how they’re wired. Needing that physical outlet, too, is part of what makes them feel themselves, “Setting a goal, working toward that goal, and fighting adversity,” Derek summarizes.
Brian and Derek also discuss the role that physicality and masculinity play in the expanding roles of fatherhood, protection, and more.
“The thing that’s important for dads out there is to be present, #1,” says Brian.
Brian Shaw: How He Became the World’s Strongest Man
Growing up in Ft. Lupton, Colorado, Brian was always drawn to competition. His first love was basketball; he set a goal of getting a scholarship and playing in college, where finding the weight room opened doors he never expected. In the off-season, he’d gain mass and weight after spending so much time strength training, which became his true passion.
Leaving basketball behind, Brian found Strongman competitions after searching for some way to make his strength training competitive. “I had to create my own journey…it was one of those things where it was something I fell in love with. The only person I could look at if I was either successful, or I failed, was me.”
The Shaw Classic: The Strongest Man on Earth Competition
In 2020, Brian launched The Shaw Classic, an athlete-centered strongman event that also honors the fans.
Held in the Blue Arena each year, the weekend’s events of The Shaw Classic culminate in
How to Stay Injury-Free While Training
“If you learn how to listen to your body–and recovery’s a part of that–go in and be your best on the day.” When you string enough positive habits and good days together, you’ll make progress. And as Brian shares, listening to your body is key to longevity with training.
Derek shares the pressures of the weight room and training grounds in the NFL, feeling that there was always someone up-and-coming who was gunning for his position. Coming in and perfecting training every day ended up driving Derek to a place where he stopped trusting his body but has experienced so much more freedom to train in retirement.
The worst injury Brian experienced was detaching his bicep during a competition after the events were changed, and he had to switch up his entire training regimen. Mentally, he had trained to compete, so after the injury, he simply walked back to his team. He knew something had happened but continued into the final event. With his body in shock and his mind in a superhuman zone, Brian finished the competition.
Brian’s lesson: “I trained in such a rage that I didn’t listen to my body.” Never again.
How To Train for Martial Arts as a Strength Trainer
Learning how to leverage your size to train for MMA has been key to uncovering the different paths and layers of improvement and movement in training.
When Derek and Brian train together, the improvement is visible. “It’s great for me to feel–and with you coming in–it’s learning in a different way.”
It’s not about ego, shares Derek; it’s about learning, progression, and getting physical in a way that’s also mentally stimulating with technique at the top of your mind.
