WHAT IS STRENGTH FOR?
BECOMING A MOVABLE FORCE
“I’M NEVER TRYING TO HURT ANYONE. I’M JUST TRYING TO MANIPULATE THEIR BODY WITH FORCE”
ROY SIMS: I.T. GUY, US SUMO CHAMPION, BRICK POWERHOUSE, 195CM / 175KG / 37 YEARS OLD
“SUMO WRESTLERS are more athletic than most people expect. We often carry a lot of fat, but it’s on top of a very solid, muscular structure. It’s just a different body style. We need strength, speed, balance and flexibility.
In my sport, I’m trying to move a human who is my own size quickly, so I do a lot of explosive lifts using weights that are equal to my bodyweight. I’ll put, say, 160kg on the bar and do five back squats, front squats or hang pulls. I keep the intensity high and try to make the bar move as fast as possible. I also do yoga, jiu-jitsu and Greco-Roman wrestling, and I play basketball. I can even dunk.
I’ve won a national championship at 172kg and competed at 180kg, but I like 165kg – at that weight, I felt faster but just as strong, and my energy in daily life was higher.
What is it like to be my size? I don’t get to have a style. When I’m able to find a pair of shoes or jeans that fit, that’s what I buy. I have to put my work desk on blocks, and I use an oversized office chair. I’ve always wanted to work on cars,
