Britain's Strongest Man: Q&A with Ben Glasscock
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Ahead of Ben making his Britain's Strongest Man debut in Sheffield on Saturday he kindly took some time out of his busy schedule to do a Q&A with Iron Bone Co.
How are you feeling about competing in your first Brits?
Very good. Going to be making the most of the opportunity!
Do you have a theme song that plays in your head when you're lifting weights? If so, what is it?
Not a single song - I just love heavy metal, rock and punk
What are your goals for this competition?
PBs where I can, would love to finish that deadlift ladder and stones especially. And no silly mistakes!
How do you handle the pressure and nerves before a big event like this?
I had sports psychology sessions at the back end of 2023 which were great. In 2024 I did some very big comps and had no nerves or performance anxiety at all. This is obviously an even bigger comp but I'm treating it the same.
What do you think will be your biggest challenge during the competition?
The pace of the show mixed with how heavy the events are will be brutal.
Are there any specific events you're particularly looking forward to or dreading?
Great set of events for me. Dreading how I'll feel after opening up with that sandbag steeplechase, but very excited for the rest!
How do you stay motivated and focused during training and competitions?
Motivation is temporary, discipline and consistency matter way more. Plus, I enjoy the process and the constant physical/mental challenges. So much variety and choice in strongman hard to get bored or off track I find.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering getting into strongman at a competitive level?
Make sure you enjoy it first and foremost.
Training doesn't need to be hyper specific especially if a novice. Get strong all round and build muscle.
Don't rush, make sure your technique is good, don't be afraid to fail or do badly in competition (it's all date to use and be useful experience).
Challenge yourself with level of competition.
How do you balance training with other aspects of your life, like coaching and your better half?
Its hard sometimes but my partner, Emily, is a badass strength athlete herself. We train together loads, we understand the process and we support each other endlessly.
I love my job so it's easy. In person coaching is engaging for me, and online coaching is super rewarding too. I can scale it back towards big competitions if I really need to.
What has been the most rewarding part of your journey in strongman so far?
Very hard to say. Probably seeing people try out strongman or get interested because of watching me and/or coming to classes and competitions that I've run.
Do you have any pre-competition rituals or superstitions?
Nah, I am a bit boring. I've found doing that kind of thing just adds unnecessary pressure. I try and treat it like a big training session with mates.
If you could challenge any historical figure to a strongman competition, who would it be and why?
Would be cool to see how strong the original circus strongmen etc actually were!
How significant is it that you are now starting to be officially sponsored by prominent brands in the space?
For me personally it is massive. Working with companies I have supported and bought the products of for years as a sponsored athlete is crazy to me.
Cool Hand Luke famously ate 50 hard boiled eggs in one hour - how many do you reckon you could do?
Palate fatigue would kick in there. I reckon 15 before I started to feel pretty ill!
The Iron Bone team cannot wait to see and support Ben on Saturday up in Sheffield. He is going to absolutely smash it.
There is a selection of supporters t-shirts on the store - head over to the BLG Strength team page.