Martins Licis's recently posted a workout session showing off an impressive 880lb frame carry uphill. With less than two weeks until the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic, he has been focusing more on exercises and lifts that will correlate with the events that will be in the competition. If you don't know who Martins Licis is, get familiar below!
Who is Martins Licis?
Martins Licis is a Latvian-American professional strongman, and In 2019, Licis came in second during the Arnold Strongman Classic, placing right behind 3-time champion Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. In June later that year, Martin was able to pull off his first World's Strongest Man title, beating out defending champion Björnsson.
On January 18, 2020, Licis won the Arnold Strongman Santa Monica Qualifier, beating out Brian Shaw by just 1 point. This earned him a spot to compete in the 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic in Columbus, Ohio, on March 8. At the Arnold Strongman Classic, Licis finished in 3rd.
Martins Licis spent most of the 2020 and 2021 strongman season in recovery, with his comeback taking place in October at the first Rogue Invitational Strongman competition. Martins beat out Tom Stoltman and Oleksii Novikov to win the competition and the top prize of $133,685.
On top of all of that, the very next day, he set a new record in the Thor's Hammer Lift by lifting an incredible 300 pound (136-kilogram) hammer. So you can say Martins is a serious competitor and is definitely someone to keep your eye on for this year's Arnold Classic.
Martins Licis Workout
The big man takes us through a training session that includes a few of the big lifts that will be featured in the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic next month. You're sure to get some tips and tricks from the former WSM; pay attention!
Dumbbell Presses
Martins starts the video off by performing some monster dumbbell presses, with his first set using 144lbs dumbbells. He notes that the first set felt alright and that he needed to chalk his shoulder to prevent the dumbbell from slipping. Martins also says that he can feel the squats that he had done the previous day, resulting in his entire body being tired.
The second set looked great at 250lbs dumbbells. The third set was at 275lbs, and he was able to muster out 4-5 reps. However, Martins feels like his power wasn't there for those reps because of the previous leg day.
Martins was going to move on to some log presses but decided against it after he felt that even his warm-up weights were feeling heavy. Sometimes you have to listen to your body and adjust your workouts accordingly. Each training session leading up to the competition needs to be completed with intent and with a plan in mind to get Martins ready for the big events.
Log Lifts
Martins starts the training session with some stretching before he works into practicing his log presses. His log presses look great, and you can tell that the log is moving smoothly. After the third or fourth set, he mentions that he is pressing 360 lbs and progressively going up each set.
The weight works up to a staggering 411 lbs, which the week before he had failed. Before the big set, he performs an upper back stretch to extend his thoracic spine, prepare his neck, and stretch his chest. Next, Martins begins the big 411 lbs press, slightly struggling to get the log settled in his chest, but manages to get a good press to finish the rep.
Frame Carries
The workout moves outside for the frame carries. They start the frame on a slight incline since they will be required to carry the log frame up a 35-foot ramp in competition. The weight starts off very light, and you can see him focusing on his speed.
Even with 760 lbs on the frame, Martins makes it look light and moves it quickly to the finish line. For the last set of the workout, he carries 880 lbs up the incline, holds the weight for 5 seconds at the finish line, and then finally drops the weight to complete the rep.
Martins says that was the best that his grip has felt with that weight and just needs to work on his speed. To wrap up the video, he shows off one rep with a 400 lbs sandbag, which will help to prepare him for the Stone to Shoulder event at the Arnold. He said it felt fairly easy and that he had more in the tank but didn't want to overwork himself.
Sample Workout to Improve Carrying Strength
Improving your carrying strength will help to increase your overall strength and especially your grip strength. The following workout and exercises are designed to boost your carrying ability. Your forearms are sure to be torched after this one!
- Block Deadlifts: 3 sets x 8 reps
- Barbell Bent-over Rows: 5 sets x 6 reps
- Farmer Carry: 4 sets x 15-20 meters (50-65 feet)
- Dumbbell Shrugs: 4 sets x 6-8 reps
Note: Keep rests 1-2 minutes between sets.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Licis is set to have a great showing at next month’s competition. Seeing these big men throw massive weights around is truly something else, we can't wait for the competition!
If you try this workout, make sure to let us know down below what you think of it!
Related: The Best Strongman Workout Plan
Andrew Lenau
Author