Of all the strength sports athletes present among Strongman championships, Brian Shaw has aced his way to the top with his Herculean power. The Strongman may have pulled out from strength sports but is now aiming to make it big in combat sports.
Amidst various collaborations with bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, and so on, Shaw has also moved on to training for his MMA debut. Meanwhile, in a recent video, the former Strongman icon took fans through a journey through testing his body fat percentage, since it’s often a parameter that fitness enthusiasts look at.
The video began with him and his wife Carrie Shaw, as the couple sought to observe their body fat percentages. They opted for a hydrostatic weighing method to check the measurement. Since it is one of the most accurate ways to measure body fat, Shaw considered it the standard for the experiment.
This involved first measuring the individual under normal conditions and then submerging them in a tank of water while encouraging them to exhale as much air as possible. The difference is then taken to fractionate the body between its fat and nonfat components. Since fat is lighter and tissues are heavier than water, a significant difference can be established.
“It’s very different blowing out all of your air underwater, not a super comfortable feeling, but I feel like we got the hang of it.”
The duo went on to experiment thrice to get accurate results. In the end, Carrie ended up with about 18.9% of body fat while Brian ended up with 17.6%. Since it’s typical for women to carry more body fat percentage compared to men, the results seemed accurate.
The real challenge, however, was to observe a change over six weeks. The couple decided that whoever lost the most body fat percentage would win. The loser would bear the punishment of cooking an entire day’s worth of meals for their significant other.
“It was actually a really good experience…I’m excited to see what happens. The retest is going to be exciting.”
Brian Shaw shares an equally competitive relationship with fellow strongman veteran
Shaw has a penchant for building a friendly competition with his close friends and family. One of his best buddies happens to be former Strongman champion Eddie Hall. The duo have often collaborated for their strength training content, and after taking their respective breaks from the sport, have indulged more in fun content.
They share a fun rivalry that involves making fun of each other on social media as well. They previously got together for the Shaw Classic 2023, where Brian got to compete and win one last time. Fans have always appreciated their friendship and often look forward to their collaborations.
