Category Archives: World’s strongest man

6 Pack Says…(motivational quotes w/ pics)

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Hugo Girard

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Hugo Girard (born December 20, 1971 in Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf, Quebec) is a Canadian strongman. Girard is a Strongman Super Series world Champion, a four-time World Muscle Power champion and a six-time Canada’s Strongest Man.

Contents

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  • 1 Strength career
  • 2 Profile
  • 3 References
  • 4 External links

Strength career

Prior to his career as a strongman competitor, Girard worked as a bouncer in a popular Quebec City nightclub on weekends while attending community college. In the early 1990s, he went to Los Angeles in order to either pursue a career as a professional bodybuilder or as an actor. After a few months, Girard came back to the province of Quebec where he was later hired as a police officer for the city of Gatineau.

Girard focused on Strongman competition, and became a 6-time consecutive finalist in the World’s Strongest Man competition from 1998-2004. Hugo’s highest placing was 4th place at the 1999 World’s Strongest Man contest.[1]

In 2002 Girard reached the high point of his career to date, winning the 2002 Strongman Super Series overall title. Hugo has also won the World Muscle Power Championships 4 times, in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2004.

Girard dominated strongman competition in Canada for several years. He was the Canada’s Strongest Man champion from 1999 to 2004. He was also the North America’s Strongest Man champion in 2001 and 2002.

Beginning in 2004, injuries began to plague his career including back to back injuries to his achilles tendon in 2005, the first of which took place at the 2005 Arnold Strongman Classic forcing him to retire from the contest.[2] These injuries required a long period of rehabilitation, and nearly a year and a half to fully recover. At one point Hugo was in a cast up to his waist.[3] Hugo’s comeback took place at the 2006 Mohegan Sun Super Series event. After winning the first event, he tore his patellar tendon in the second event, the Conan’s Wheel and was forced to retire from the contest.[4] He attempted to compete in the North America’s Strongest Man Competition in 2007, but withdrew due to injury. Hugo was able to bounce back in 2008, winning Quebec’s Strongest Man.[5] This win qualified Hugo for the 2008 Canada’s Strongest Man contest. Hugo was leading the contest after the first day, but suffered yet another injury on the second day of competition and tearfully announced his retirement from strongman competition.[6]

Girard broke several records during his career, some of which are still standing today. He has held records in events such as the log press, apollon’s axle press, crucifix hold, farmer’s walk Atlas stones, bench press, truck pull and squat. He has also pulled an 80-ton Boeing 737 for a short distance.

Due to his strength, Girard is often compared to fellow Quebec native Louis Cyr, a dominant nineteenth-century strongman who was considered the strongest man in history at the turn of the century. Girard has trained several other strongmen in the Ottawa and Gatineau regions, including Travis Lyndon and Jessen Paulin, who has participated in the World’s Strongest Man competition and succeeded Girard as Canadia’s Strongest Man in 2005 and 2006.

Girard is currently a member of the organization of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival that takes place every Labour Day weekend. He is also the current president of the Canadian Federation of Strength Athletes. In addition to his career as a strongman, Girard served as a police officer for 12 years.

Hugo was the subject of a documentary film called “Strongman: Hugo Girard” in 2002. The film shows Hugo’s training for the 2002 North America’s Strongest Man competition, which he eventually won. The film also features his training partners Jessen Paulin and Travis Lyndon. The film was directed by Alan Black and released by Top of the World Films.[7]

Profile

  • Biceps: 55 cm (22 inches)
  • Neck : 53 cm (21 inches)
  • Calves: 55 cm (22 inches)
  • Chest: 158 cm (62 inches)
  • Quadriceps: 85 cm (33 inches)
  • Height: 189 cm (6 feet 2 inches)
  • Weight: 150 kg (330 pounds)

References

  1. ^ http://strongestman.billhenderson.org/bios/hugo.html
  2. ^ http://ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Articles/2005/Mar/Hugo_Girard_In_a_Cast_Up_To_His_Waist_.html
  3. ^ http://ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Articles/2005/Mar/Hugo_Girard_In_a_Cast_Up_To_His_Waist_.html
  4. ^ http://ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Articles/2006/Jun/Hugo_Girard_Update.html
  5. ^ http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Articles/2008/Jul/Hugo_Girard_Wins_Quebecxs_Strongest_Man.html
  6. ^ http://ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Articles/2008/Aug/Louis-Philippe_Jean_Wins_Canadaxs_Strongest_Man____Hugo_Girard_Injured____Retires.html
  7. ^ http://www.topoftheworldfilms.com/strongmanmovie/

External links

Canada’s Got Talent, the “REAL” auditions you didn’t see

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It seems every one is tuning in to Canada’s Got Talent to see the “auditions” rounds of the TV show. In every talent show on TV it is the “auditions” episodes that get the most ratings because the viewers never know what to expect. They might see a future star in the making take stage with a historic act, or a comically bad performance that ends up just as historic.

The “auditions” you see on TV however are not really the auditions of these shows at all. The real auditions take place months before. It would be unmanagable for the tv producers to tape all 20,000 competitors for Canada’s Got Talent live on stage in front of the 3 celebrity judges, then edit all that footage for the TV shows. As a competitor of the show Canada’s Got Talent, here is a look at how the real auditions took place…

Rachel Brown of Insight productions, the company that produces Canada’s Got Talent, contacted Ontariostrongman.ca site administrator, Grant Buhr, who put a posting on the Ontario Strongman forum asking any strongman interested to contact her about auditioning for the show. That is when I seen the following message Grant passed on to the strongmen…

“I’m a producer on the new series \”Canada\’s Got Talent\” and I\’d like to encourage some strongmen to apply – there have been some great acts done on the American version of the show, and I know Canada has the talent to top it! Please email me for further information, or go on the website gottalent.ca”

This was in August of 2011.

Certain acts that needed a lot of space to perform, or needed large props, were allowed to film thier act and bring the video to the audtion. The film could only be 2 minutes in length, and had to be completely unedited. An act like Lucas Wilson, the escape artist, or the group Project Dunk who jumps on a trampoline to dunk basketballs would likely bring in a video of themselves performing their acts.

I towed an airplane.

It was September of 2011, with my video in hand I arrived at the Roger’s Centre with my friend Louis Szpeflicki. The line up was incredibly long, and filled with all types of characters. Once inside the building we all sat in the bleachers and waited for our competitor numbers to be called. 10 competitors at a time would be taken away and asked to wait outside of a VIP box overlooking the baseball field.

Louis Szpeflicki's mobile photo of 6 Pack Lapadat at the Canada's Got Talent auditions held at the Rogers Centre in Toronto

There were several VIP boxes going at the same time with a TV producer in each. In groups of 10 we entered the room and took turns performing in front of the TV producer. In my group I was the only act that was not a signer. Out of the 9 singers in the room, 6 or 7 were good enough for radio.

6 Pack Lapadat hamming it up for the cameras at the Rogers Centre

After our auditions, the group was leaving the VIP box when I was asked to stick around to do an interview to be filmed by a TV crew. The TV crew filmed me lifting and pressing over my head a large steel crowd divider with my shirt off. They also filmed me posing for the camera, and showing off my muscles. Portions of this was shown on TV.

6 Pack Lapadat posing for the video cameras at the "real" auditions for Canada's Got Talent, held at the Rogers Centre

I was then told I would be notified via email if I made it to the next round, billed then as the Toronto “showcase” round. I was told this round would be in front of 3 celebrity judges, and filmed for television. While me being asked to hang back for a filmed interview and segment was a good indication I was advancing, it was far from certain. As it turned out, a number of competitors who were asked to do the same never made it to the showcase rounds.

It was in early November I was informed by an email that I had made it to the top 500 (from the original 20,000). My performance for the showcase round of Toronto would be filmed on December 5th of 2011. I had 3 weeks to put together a strongman act that could be performed on stage and still WOW thousands in a packed Toronto Convention Center, over a million viewers at home, and hopefully the 3 judges.

But that my friends, is another story for another article…

6 Pack Lapadat on twitter!

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You can follow me on twitter @6PackLapadat (http://twitter.com/6PackLapadat)!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’ll keep you up to date on my training, recording, public appearances, World records, weightlifting competitions, motivational speaking, TV and radio appearances, song releases, etc. etc.

Don’t miss out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“The Shark” and “6 Pack” to team up?

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Ultramarathon Icon Jim “The Shark” Dreyer is a legend south of the border. He earned his nick name for his fierce and dogged determination of accomplishing unbelievable feats in swimming. How unbelievable are his feats?

How does a marathon run of 26 miles, followed up by a 130 mile bike ride, and to top it off with a 35 hour swim crossing Lake Ontario in a day sound? While some athletes are happy to have completed a marathon, for “The Shark” that is a nice morning jog to warm up for the rest of his day.

It is the type of feats that have no less than President Bill Clinton remarking

“Your extraordinary quests and your indomitable spirit serve as an inspiring example to all. I applaud you for your determination and endurance, and I commend you for using this undertaking to give hope and help to the children.”

Like 6 Pack, The Shark uses his talents to raise money for kids (his focus is the big brothers/big sisters organization) and to show people that any goals are attainable, and any dream is possible.

Both World record holders in their fields, the two are currently in talks to potentially work together in the future. Could there be a historic event to come from this?…

Stay tuned

Recovery

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It has been a half year since I broke two Guinness World records in Weightlifting in a single day, and I am still recovering physically. It seems as though a nerve in my right arm has been damaged.

My right arm was dislocated at the elbow in a submission fighting match a few years ago in a tournament, and has ever since been an on going problem. There was also a great while after the records that my one lift strength was badly sapped. For two weeks I was incredibly soar. When the pain left, I found my crossfit style of weightlifting for the records (lighter weight for hundreds of reps that would increase overall weightage lifted) came at a cost of my single lift strength that my powerlifting training gave me.

A few months of changing my lifting back to single lift strength has got me back on track. By mid february I will commence an 18 week powerlifting training program that should end up with me at my strongest I have ever been.

X rays and MRIs of my right arm are currently being examined, and I am seeing a specialist for help. I also have one of the best in dealing with sports injuries in my corner, Dr. Aras Kvedaras, helping me out. Originally I could not even straighten my right arm out. I had constant pain. Now I can straighten it (not all the way, but painlessly) and only have pain in certain movements.

The X rays and MRIs will reveal what needs to be done to fix the problem. I am confident the injury will be taken care of. In the mean time I am able to resume heavy benching and lifting in general. I am bench pressing 315 pounds for a multiple reps in a working set again. This was not possible just a couple months ago. I am squatting and deadlifting at full power again as well.

My overhead pressing has been comprimized due to my injury (my right shoulder has gotten tender because it is compensating) but this is a minor problem.

You can’t make an omellet without breaking a few eggs. You don’t break World records without taking a toll on your body. Sports injuries go hand in hand with sports. Its a small price to pay.

Me and my team are already in talks for more World records this summer. We are already looking towards the future. As always, they will be to raise money for sick kids. Look for an announcement soon on the up coming events. Expect the new World records to be much bigger than last years!

6 up!

– 6 Pack Lapadat

Vote for Pepsi to give $50,000for McMaster hospital!!!

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Pepsi is running a contest, and your vote can lead to the McMaster Hospital for Children in Hamilton to recieve $50,000!!!

Can you imagine what that could do for those kids?

Help the Hamilton Tiger Cats in getting enough votes for McMaster Hospital. Vote for the Hamilton Tiger Cats player at this link!!! 

http://www.hamiltonhealth.ca/event/power-play

WORLD RECORD DAY- July 16th 2010

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6 Pack Lapadat performing Upright Row, Barbell.

This July 16th, 2010 Ryan “6 Pack” Lapadat will be attempting to break 2 Guinness World Records. He will attempt; Most weight squat lifted in one hourand Most weight deadlifted in one hour.  He will be attempting these records through out the entire day of July 16th. With one of the records being performed in front of 20 000 Ti-cats fans during a half time event.

This is being promoted as “Record Day” at Ivor Wynne Stadium. 6 Pack will not be the only one attempting to break records on July 16th. Although he is the main event this coming Friday July 16th, 2010. Also noted, we are the ones who approached the Hamilton Tiger Cats about breaking several world records and they decided to make a full event out of it. This whole “Record Day” came into effect mainly due to the work of 6 Pack and I (Louis Szpeflicki).

We are extremely excited and slightly nervous to see this day come. 6 Pack has been training vigorously and  tireless to ensure he takes these  Guinness World Records. As well as I have been working diligently to make sure everything is in order and goes off without a hitch. This is a very important day for 6 Pack and I. It is all worth it though, to know that we are in some way (either through fund raising or inspiring people and children) that we are making a difference with sick children.

So on July 16th, 2010 watch, listen or read about it in your local newspaper how Ryan “6 Pack” Lapadat took down 2 Guinness World Records in ONE DAY. Lets cheer on 6 Pack.

Also see:

http://news.guelphmercury.com/News/article/659115

Look out for us.

Your dreams are just goals.

It doesn’t cost anything to have a dream or a drive. So dream big and drive hard.

Louis

The Canadian Powerlifting Championships!!!

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The Canadian Powerlifting Championships of 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did 6 Pack win a Canadian Championship in his new heavier weight class?

The Canadian Powerlifting Championships came to Toronto this year, Saturday ( June the 12th), and featured some outstanding lifting. A new set of Canadian Champions were crowned, National and even a few World records were broken, and the level of competition in most weight classes rose substantially.

I was contemplating whether I was going to compete at these Nationals, my concern being that I had pulled back on my powerlifting training. I have been training for 3 Guinness World records, and adapted a crossfit style approach to weightlifting that emphasized muscular endurance rather than strength. The 3 Guinness World records are feats of muscular endurance over a set time frame. This is obviously quite different from powerlifting. It was like going from training for sprinting to a marathon.  The day of the event, I decided I was going to compete after all and let the chips fall where they may. I figured with a little luck, I might be able to pull out a win.

My last-minute decision to compete was so last-minute that I actually showed up late and missed my warm up. The lifters were already taking to the platform and squating! I knew something was a miss when I showed up and could hear the crowd cheering the lifters on the platform on. I litterally had to take my last warm up lift on the platform as my first attempt.

In powerlifting you have 3 attempts in each of the 3 events (Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlifting…in that order). Once you attempt a weight you can’t go lighter even if you fail at that weight. If you don’t successfully lift the weight in any of your 3 attempts you don’t progress to the next event. Your highest successful attempt in each of the 3 events goes toward your 3 lift total. The lifter with the highest total wins. There is also a competition for the bench press only (because it’s the most popular of the 3 events).

Having to start the meet basically throwing away 1 of my 3 attempts in the squats greatly set me back. Now with only 2 attempts to work with, I had to play conservatively or else I could bomb out if I shot too high. There was less room for error (and there was not much room to begin with). Having not done powerlifting training leading up to the meet already left me unsure what to set my attempts at. I knew I had to make my first attempt in all 3 events unusually low so that if my strength was way down I did not bomb out. If I chose my attempts as high as I normally would and found out on the platform I was not nearly as strong as I normally am…well, I’d be going home early.

There was tension amongst the lifters inbetween attempts

By the end of the squats event I was already trailing by a sizable margin and needed to catch up if I was going to contend for the Canadian title. All was not completely going against me though. One of my chief training partners, Alex Drolc, was coaching me that day and pointed out defending Canadian Champion Shawn Hislop was not competing! For that matter, neither was last year’s second place finisher at the Canadian Championships in the 198 pound weight class Jason Fabbian. I had seen those two battle it out in this weight class the previous year. At the time I was in the 181 pound weight class, and was training with Jason leading up to the Nationals.

I’d seen Jason and Shawn pushed to the limit, with Shawn doing some eye-opening bench pressing (breaking the 400 pound barrier). I was obviously rooting for my training partner Jason to take the title. It all came down to the last attempt in the last event of deadlifts. Jason had the bar loaded to take his total 5 pounds over Shawn Hislop’s for the win. I remember watching as Jason pulled with everything he had. He got the bar up to knees before the momentum stopped. There he struggled for several seconds and got the bar a few inches higher. With the bar within inches of victory, Jason had not enough strength left to seal the win. Shawn had defeated my friend and won the Canadian title in the 198 pound weight class.

I remember thinking I would have to face both Shawn and Jason in the future when I moved up a weight class. No body wants to face lifters of that caliber. As luck would have it for me, neither man showed up for this year’s Championships.  The lifters that did show up were new faces to me. Alex and me both figured they would not be as stiff of competition as Shawn and Jason would be. Turns out we both miscalculated…

I entered the bench press event tied for second. My opening weight of 330 pounds went by easy enough. I brought the weight down to my chest, paused it, and when the ref told me to “press” it came up with no interruption. The second attempt of 340 felt much heavier. After the pause on the chest, and the call for the ref to “press”, the weight felt much heavier than it normally did for me. My third attempt of 352.5 was a weight I had pressed in the past fairly easily, and ordinarily I would be looking past it towards something heavier, but finally I would feel the price I paid for not properly training for powerlifting.

Bar left my chest as fast as the previous attempt but when it was inches away from fully locked out it stopped. It stayed there hovering over me no matter how much I poured it on and pushed. For a moment that felt like forever I layed there with this weight hovering over me, moving no closer to lock out, no matter how much I pushed and strained. It was like there was a ceiling as to how high I could press the weight over me and it had hit it. The third attempt was a failed attempt.

Even though I had missed the last press, I had still outbench every one else in my weight class to take the Canadian Bench Press Competition. In fact, I had out pressed every one else by a sizable enough margin to take the lead. Heading into the deadlifts I was now the front-runner. I was also slightly worried about maintaining my number one position. 3rd attempts were usually the attempts were you extend yourself to get ahead of your competition. It was my 3rd attempt lifts I was most worried about not completing due to my slightly reduced strength. When I tried to extend my self for the first time in the competition, I failed.

Waiting for the deadlift event to begin (and sporting my trade mark chalk muscle outline)

The deadlift was the final event of the day. I hoped my lead I made in the bench press event was great enough to carry me to victory. I didn’t want to have to try to extend myself in the deadlift event cause I was not feeling as strong as I had hoped. If I had fallen behind in the deadlifts, I was hoping it was not more than the ground I had already gained. If I could just hold on in the last event of the day I might be able to win the Canadian Championship. If I was pressed to extend myself again, I was worried I might not have it in me.

My opening weight of 500 pounds was enough to put victory out of reach for most of the lifters. That is when one of my opponents opened up with a first attempt of 530 pounds! Once that happened the battle for the top 198 pounder quickly boiled down to me and him. My lead had been cut to a mere 10 pounds with only his first deadlift. His second attempt of 575 pounds was also a successful one, and he was now ahead by a long shot. The chips were down.

It came down to one final deadlift. Just like last year’s National’s with Shawn and Jason. I had to be successful in my last deadlift attempt to out total him. Unfortunately, I had to extend myself to do it. It would require a 550 pound deadlift, and would give me a total 5 pounds heavier than my rivals’. If I landed the deadlift the total that had won Shawn Hislop last year’s Championships would have done him no better than a third place bronze at this Nationals.

I paced back and forth waiting for the signal from the judges that “the bar is loaded”. Once I got the call to the platform I could feel my heart beating. The crowd knew I needed this lift to win the Canadian Championships. I needed to dig deep to secure the victory. I could feel the anxiety and pressure. Me and Louis had talked about how if I had won the Nationals it would be a great boost for our campaign to raise money for sick kids. It would also help promote my Guinness World Record attempts.

I grabbed the bar with my chalked up hands and as soon as I got the lift signal every muscle in my body flexed and I pulled with everything I had in me. I shot the weight up to my knees, the same place Jason Fabbian had the weight at the last Nationals, when all of a sudden it was stuck. My eyes were closed as I was pulling the weight, and for a brief second I opened them to look at the crowd. I saw Alex Drolc, my coach, with a worried expression on his face. It was a moment that lasted a second but felt like forever. The anxiety was now at its peak and I could feel my heart pound.

I used the extra energy to my advantage and I heaved the weight until I was upright. Just like that, I had won the Canadian Championship once again. This time it was by the smallest of margins (5 pounds on my total to be exact). I had collected both the Canadian Powerlifting Championships and the Canadian Bench Press Championships (though in that event Shawn Hislop’s absence greatly helped! I defeated his over all powerlifting score, but not his amazing bench press)

The final deadlift of the day sealed the victory for the new two division Champion

At the end of the day I was glad I didn’t pull out of the Nationals, and I was glad I used the anxiety and nervousness as a positive to perform. We all feel the pressure, we all get scared, but it’s those that recognize it’s there because it’s a moment to shine that get the chance to do something special. I got a little lucky that day as well, but when you take a chance and give yourself the opportunity, you make your own luck.

Those Guinness World Records will fall…

The Nationals approach…is it possible?

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The Canadian Nationals of powerlifting are this saturday. It’s an event I have not missed in the past 3 years. It’s an event that is the apex of powerlifting for any Canadian lifter. It’s also my biggest dilemma closing in on my Guinness World record attempts.

Training for these Guinness World records has consumed my life and changed the entire way I weight train. My powerlifting training prepped me for one single lift of the heaviest weight in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Hours of lifting heavy weights for sets of 3 repetitions, over and over with hundreds of pounds acclimatize your central nervous system for heavy lifting.

Your central nervous system is much like your engine, and your muscles and bones the body to your car. Your central nervous system is why you can have two individuals both the exact same weight (say 200 pounds) and the exact same muscularity and muscle density, and by all optical judgement be the exact same to look at. But it’s not the muscle mass alone that makes some individuals stronger. That is only the body of the vehicle. The body of the vehicle may be designed for speed, but its the engine that really separates fast cars from others.

That is why some people gravitate towards powerlifting. In weight training, they discover that for whatever reason they are built to lift heavy weights. Their central nervous system is hardwired for their bodies to generate lots of horse power. More so than other peers who train as much, and often, and are the same size or bigger.

But the central nervous system (CNS) is a funny thing.

Powerlifting training gears your CNS for such heavy lifting. These Guinness World records I am attempting in July are records of muscular endurance, and switch the fast/slow twitch fibers I am recruiting in my muscles.

In training for the Record Day this July 16th, I have been lifting a relatively light weight (compared to my powerlifting training) for hundreds of reps over the span of hours straight. Although still weightlifting, it is actually the opposite of powerlifting training.

I have noticed in my training that my muscular endurance has improved greatly. The first few days of training like this were some of the hardest days I have ever endured. Training with a trash bucket next to me because I felt as though I was going to puke was standard protocol. I would sweat 3-4 pounds of water out of my body, and my muscles would tighten up as soon as the training day was over. It felt more like I was running a marathon than weightlifting.

I trained nothing but low weight/high rep squats and deadlifts for the past month with only one powerlifting day a week.  At first I didn’t notice much difference on my powerlifting day. A month later, the difference is impossible to ignore or deny. I no longer need a trash can by my side, as my conditioning has risen to the best shape of my life in terms of muscular endurance. My one lift strength however has dropped dramatically.

While it was standard practise to train with over 400 pounds on my back as a good working weight for repetitions a month ago, today it is a labouring task I can only do for a few sets.

An injury to my left hand has also considerably weakened my grip strength. hundreds of deadlifts a day every day have taken its toll. The left hand has been giving out when I go for what was a short while ago a fairly light deadlift.

My chief coach, Dr Aras Kvedaras, warned me this would happen. Dr. Aras is a master in understanding the human anatomy, and in some circles is so good he is nick named “the witch doctor”. He has been working with me to keep me healthy and as injury free as possible. Considering the work load I am putting my body through, he has a tough assignment.

He foreseen the lost of heavy lifting strength as muscular endurance grew. He encouraged me to bypass powerlifting, and if possible such feats of strength like towing airplanes and school buses. The ladder I may not be able to bypass as I have commitments to do such feats of strength to help hype the record attempts. These eye-popping  feats of strength bring in National media attention and, in turn, corporate sponsors to raise money for sick children. After all, raising money for sick kids is the reason for all of this anyways.

It’s a hectic schedule, and at the end of the day it is a game time decision. I won the Provincials, and I am already on the Nationals roster. My path is all clear for me to compete should I choose to.

This week I’ll monitor my body’s strength and have to make a tough decision come saturday.