In a recent YouTube video, strongman Robert Oberst gets honest about the things he wishes he had known when he was first pursuing a career in his sport, and offers some advice for anyone who is starting their training and has ambitions to compete in strongman events (which he describes as being like “awkward gathering of friends who don’t like each other”).
Oberst admits to neglecting the routines that would have complemented his training, like properly warming up and cooling down, until far later than he should have. “There’s a lot of maintenance stuff that I didn’t pay attention to, that caught me after a couple of years of beating myself up,” he says. “The whole time, I had people telling me ‘you should be doing this.’ The information was there, I just didn’t put it to good use… I wish I’d taken the time to do the rehab, the prehab, the stretches. The stuff I do now that I make time for, I wish I’d started that early.”
“It’s the teeniest stuff that you know you need to be doing,” he continues. “Getting your cardio, getting your ab work, making sure you’re stretched and loose, that kind of stuff matters a lot… Trying to play catch up later isn’t the right way to do it.” This is especially important when it comes to the core, he adds, particularly the lower abs and diaphragm. “A strong diaphragm can make or break any strongman.”
He also speaks openly about how hard it is to make a living and support yourself financially as a professional strength athlete, and acknowledges that he has been “blessed” to be able to do so—even while paying thousands of dollars for treatment following injury. “I’ve been just as good at the show business part as I have with the weightlifting part, and that’s important,” he says. “That’s stuff you can’t teach. There are guys who are stronger than me, I don’t know why they can’t do it… For 99 out of 100 guys, it’s going to be a money pit, and hopefully a good time.”
Ultimately, Oberst stresses the importance of personal discipline and drive, and getting into the sport because that’s what you’re passionate about, rather than pursuing some kind of reward.
“You have to know yourself, and be willing to make the sacrifice,” he says. “You have to be willing to work nights, train days, eat everything you possibly can, get no sleep and have no money for 3 to 4 years. Then you might have a chance. Maybe.”
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