In early November, Joe was a contender in Maryland’s Strongest Man Competition, a part of North American Strongman, Inc.—the premier amateur strongman corporation in the world. Obviously this is something you don’t hear about too often so we decided to feature him on our blog. What’s Joe’s routine leading up to a competition? What music gets him psyched up enough to throw a Volkswagon over a house? Check him out lifting a 250-pound stone, note his “talk nerdy to me” shirt, and then read his interview below.

How did you first get involved in Strongest Man Competitions?

I discovered Strongman while training for Tough Mudder with some friends. I was researching new workouts for us and soon after that I had tires, logs and stones littering my backyard.

How far in advance do you begin training?

I started to train about nine months before the competition. I was extremely nervous because the weights in the competition were far above anything I’d ever lifted. It was cool to see how much I improved, regardless of how I placed.

What is your routine leading up to a competition?

Sleep and eat. It was hard to take a week off but I had to trust that I was as strong as I was going to get at that point.

And your diet?

I was on the seafood diet. Basically if I “see food” I eat it. There was no weight class in the novice division so I had to gain as much weight as possible before the competition. I went from 190 to 206 pounds in that time.

Do you find that it’s as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one?

It’s very mental. Being one of the smaller guys it was easy to get discouraged, but I had a lot of friends there to support me and to cheer me on.

What’s the hardest part of competing?

The part where you have to lift a car.

How do you see your participation in Maryland’s Strongest Man positively impacting your work at Freedom Consulting Group?

I have a lot of fun talking about training and eating with my coworkers. It helps me to build relationships with the people I’m working with.

What are your three favorite songs to train to?

Anything by Linkin Park is a guaranteed personal record breaker. Other than that I listen to Shane & Shane or story podcasts.

Anything unexpected on that playlist?

I don’t really like music while working out. I prefer to lift in silence in my garage.

Best post-workout recovery regimen?

A Royal Red Robin burger with egg—and an infinite amount of sweet potato fries!

So, are you Maryland’s Strongest Man?

Hardly—haha. I placed 16/20 in my first competition but now I’m hooked. I’ve already registered to compete at the 2016 Maryland’s Strongest Man in the 175-pound weight class. The weights will be heavier and I’d have to drop 30 pounds but maybe next year I’ll be Maryland’s Strongest Man.