Mark Felix Worlds Strongest Man
Mark Felix has long been considered the strongest man in the world. Mark is 6th on the all-time list of the World's Strongest Men and holds 9 Guinness World Records for his strength, endurance and speed.
Mark was born on the 17th of April 1966 in St. Georges, Grenada. At the age of 23, Mark moved to the UK where he developed a passion for working out as a bodybuilder.
At the age of 37, Mark took part in his first strongman competition and was hooked. Before long he was a regular at the World's Strongest Man competition and was breaking world records with ease.
He is a true inspiration to those who are trying their best to live their lives to the fullest and refusing to let age be a barrier.
When you listen to Mark talk about his experiences in becoming one of the world's strongest men, You realise how the physical is never the most important of his accomplishments.
It was his self-discipline and love for family, friends and animals that truly made him a true role model.
How Strong is the Man?
Mark Felix is known as the Worlds Strongest Man. He has set many world records, including the most squat (1,041 lbs) and bench press (1,524 lbs) in history.
Mark started his professional strongman career in 2004 and the following year he entered England's Strongest Man where he placed third.
The result at England's Strongest man allowed Mark to compete at the IFSA British Championships. At this competition, Mark won three events including the Atlas Stones and the Farmers Walk. Mark said after the event that his success came from big hands and a big heart.
The result at the British Championship gained Mark an invitation to a qualifier for the World's Strongest Man competition in Brazil but he just missed out on qualification.
The following year, Mark competed in Britain's Strongest Man where he placed second and this automatically qualified him to take part in the World's Strongest Man the following year. Mark placed fourth in the 2006 WSM and after coming second in England's Strongest Man the following year was off to the 2007 WSM.
Mark placed 7th in the 2007 World's Strongest Man and the following year placed fourth. Mark claims that even though he was not winning, every year he would gain more experience and learn more about his capabilities.
What makes Mark so strong? Let's take a look at his workout routine and see what makes him so powerful!
Mark's Workout Routine
To maintain his strength and physique, Mark Felix workouts six days a week. His routine includes a combination of weightlifting, circuit training, and plyometric exercises. Here is a breakdown of each exercise:
Weightlifting: Mark generally uses heavy weights to achieve maximal results. He squats with a weight that is 85% of his 1RM squat and benches with a weight that is 75% of his 1RM bench press. These heavy weights help him build muscle and increase strength.
Circuit Training: In addition to weightlifting, Mark Felix also participates in circuit training. This type of training allows him to work several different muscle groups simultaneously.
For example, he might do squats followed by overhead presses followed by lunges. By doing this type of training, he can increase his overall fitness level while maintaining his strength.
Plyometrics: Plyometrics are a type of training for those who want to increase their speed and explosiveness.
Although Plyometrics are not considered weight lifting, they do help to build strength. Mark does plyometrics on the floor with a medicine ball, which helps him build explosive strength.
He also performs them against a wall by jumping as high as he can with his feet together and then landing back on the ground while continuing to jump as high as possible.
This type of training allows him to increase his overall strength and agility.
Mark's Diet
One factor that must be considered is Mark’s age. As you age it becomes more difficult to gain or lose muscle mass or develop strength in any given exercise.
The most important factor in terms of building muscle, strength, and power is the number of calories you take in. If you eat more than your body burns off then you will gain weight.
This is something Mark has had to deal with for quite some time now and he’s been following a low carbohydrate diet for the past few years to help minimize this situation.
Mark is a great example of someone who has made drastic improvements in his physique through hard work and determination.
He continues to push himself beyond what he believes his current level of ability allows him to achieve.
Marks top 10 training tips
If you want to follow Mark Felix and reach the next level of fitness these tips may be useful for you too:
1) Use training sessions very strategically. It is important that one does not overtrain. This can lead to injuries and other negative side effects. If you train too hard, your body will see it as an injury and it will not allow you to push any further.
2) You must continually evaluate your progress. Do regular assessments of your progress so that you know where you stand. It's best if one does not get too complacent in his training or his diet.
3) A little variation in the workouts is important. Not every workout should be exactly the same in terms of intensity and duration.
4) Work on all parts of your body as a whole, not just one area at a time. Many people tend to neglect certain parts of their bodies (especially legs) but make sure that everything gets done comprehensively about once a week.
5) Everybody is different, so do not compare your progress with someone else's or judge yourself by it. Sometimes you simply move at a different pace than another person and this is fine.
6) A good training partner can really help you to assess your progress. It can also make things more fun and enjoyable.
7) Be patient but don't be defeatist either. It only takes a few weeks to see the results of training but it's usually more of a mental thing than an actual physical change.
8) Be aware of your body and listen to it. If you feel pain, then stop training. Any setbacks are normal and temporary.
9) Be realistic about what you can achieve but don't become complacent either.
10) Have fun and enjoy the process, even when it's hard! Training is always good for you no matter what!
The Hands of a Champion
Mark Felix is renowned for having some of the strongest hands amongst his fellow strongmen competitors due to his incredible grip strength.
Outside of WSM, Mark 'the hands' has regularly won the Rolling Thunder World Championships and various other events:
2008 - Rolling Thunder - 1st
2009 - Rolling Thunder - 1st
2011 - Vice Grip Viking Challenge
2012 - Vice Grip Viking Challenge
Mark broke a number of strength and grip world records at these events which lead to him being renowned for his incredibly strong hands.
Conclusion
Although Mark has never been crowned the winner at WSM, he is still considered by many as the strongest man in the world. Starting his career at an age when most other WSM competitors are retiring set Mark out on the back foot but he did not let his age get in the way.
Mark Felix is still a big name in WSM and you will not find a fellow competitor who has a bad word to say about him. His gentle demeanour and determination make him one of the most inspirational strongmen to have lived.
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