Written by Team Juggernaut
Check Out Kalle’s Training Log Here
Name: Kalle Beck
Age: 27
Height/Weight: 5’6 175
Hometown: Carmel Valley, CA
Current City: Carmel Valley, CA I get arooooound
Years Training: 6
Years Competing in whatever you do: 6
PRs in relevant lifts/events: Back Squat 505, 405×10, Front Squat 425, Deadlift 600, Log Press 290
Where you Train: My garage , Crossfit Monterey and Core Strength RX in Scotts Valley
Day Job: Agriculture, I get a truck muddy and make sure vegetables grow
What would be your personal theme song?:
She’s Always in my hair by Prince
What got you into training/competing? What is your athletic background?
I don’t really have an athletic background, Grew up on a horse ranch which helped for something. I was getting into bodybuilding but it was so damn boring I always wanted to be a superhero, not just look like one. I Loved watching World’s Strongest Man on ESPN growing up but thought it was only for the giants of the world. Found out about www.nastrongman.com the amateur body for strongman in North America and weight classes! I didn’t care how weak I was I decided I need to pursue this!
Who have been influential people in your life in regards to training, or just in general?
Most of all my mom, she has always been supportive and is pure inspiration on how to always work hard no matter what your current situation is and always go for your goals. Evan Hansmann & Deric Stockton at Core Strength RX for being patient enough to let a tubby 185lb kid train strongman with him throughout the years. Mark Sikora and all the members of Team Big Sac, Doug Carrol at the field. Great training groups that have given me so much advice and encouragement throughout the years. My best friend Robert Oberst for teaching me how to compete and exactly what it takes to really not set a limit and work to be the best.
What are the greatest challenges you have faced from a training/competing standpoint?
There is nothing easy about making a fringe sport your life but if it is your dream you don’t let anything stop you. Sure I’m short I don’t have the frame of what many would consider a strongman but it’s what I want to do. You are given what you got and it is up to you to see what you can do with it. I am not going to ever set limitations on myself. All any of us can do is try to make ourselves in to the best version of ourselves we can be.
How do you structure you training going into a competition?
I like a good 10-12 weeks for a full training cycle into my competition. Right now since all the weights are fairly manageable for me so it’s been a matter of getting FAST, efficient and conditioned as I think some fairly high reps will win nationals.
I’m doing events every training day right now it goes
Tuesday: Squats/yoke/lower body assistance
Thursday axle C&P, a press, a row or pull ups, some vanity work
Saturday deadlift/events
Sunday more events
What is your typical diet like?
“Paleo” best describes it guess but I am not strict by any means. I just eat real food. Tons of meat, vegetables, nuts, fats, and fruit I eat way more fruit than people recommend but it seems to work well for me. I eat every 2 ½-3 hours and take Amino Acids in between meals. Daily Caloric intake is in the 3,500 range I don’t track macros but try to get at least 40g of protein per meal
What upcoming competitions do you have? What are your competitive goals for the next year?
NAS Nationals November 2nd and 3rd! Where I plan to qualify for the Arnold World Championships in March. I haven’t thought past that. I would like to do a raw powerlifting meet in between then to get a legit total as well.
What is your best event? How do you go about training this event?
Car Deadlift: People say I am good at it because I am short but I haven’t always been good at it and I helped my friend who is pretty tall improve on it as well.
It is a technical lift and gives a lot of people a problem. It is NOT a deadlift so don’t try to deadlift it! It’s a damn squat with your hands at your side. Get your quads strong!! Lots of front squats and my training partner would leg press a lot as well. You also need a really strong upper back. All you are trying to do is get your hips underneath you. The biggest mistake is people trying to lean back, if you try to lean back your hips are going back too and guess what the car will never move if its heavy! You need to drive through your heals but push UP breaking it off the ground with your quads and forcing your hips forward. The backwards lean comes from the setup. Put your foot with toes angling out as wide as possible with your toes slightly in front of the handles. Grip the very front of the handles. As you lift you will automatically be pulling back if your setup is right.
If you don’t have access to a car deadlift I recommend you drive at least once to play with one. In the other weeks you can setup like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaOvPuW2eYc
If you don’t have the end grappler attachments you can put the barbells up against a wall and throw a dumbbell, sandbag, chains, something heavy against them.
What event needs the most improvement? What are you plans to make this weakness into strength?
My speed on yoke and farmers, I’ve been doing a lot of single leg work and it has helped a ton for getting my legs to work better while moving and be more stable. Lots of belt less runs of each and lighter runs just working on speed!
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in competing in Strongman?
Know it doesn’t happen overnight. Stay consistent! If you keep working you will be surprised where you end up. Stick to the basics. Don’t get caught up in the newest program or exercise. Just keep making progress on the basics. Add in events as soon as possible but don’t worry on going extremely heavy on them at first. Strongman events are really hard on your body and it takes some time to adjust. Also spend just as much time with your recovery and prehab work as you do with your training! Nothing will keep you away from your goals like hurting yourself all the time.
Any general thank you’s or products to look out for or anything else you want to say…
Thanks to my sponsor www.espnutrition.com for letting me drink as much damn Amino Acids as I can! It really has made my training and recovery amazing and of course Chad Smith and Juggernaut Training Systems for giving me this outlet to share what I love with others and help them accomplish their goals as well.
If you have a personal website/fan page/etc, list that here…
You can follow me @ www.twitter.com/LetKalleLift
Subscribe to my YouTube www.youtube.com/ko421
Check Out Kalle’s Training Log Here
