Strong man keeps on doing it

CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, UNITED STATES

05.13.2016

Story by Sgt. William Battle 

372nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

The thick metal chain strains in a contest between the enormous weight anchoring it in place and the person on the other end pulling it along almost effortlessly. This is not the newest superhero blockbuster film at your local movie theater, this is one the Army’s strongest man competition winners. This is the top Soldier from both the Fort Gordon and Fort Stewart events. This is Spc. Carlos-Antonio Ramirez, a satellite communications specialist assigned to the 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion, Fort Gordon, Ga.
The Tucson, Ariz., native found an interest in body building and was driven to reshape his physique with weight training while still in high school. Eventually, this interest led to strength training and exploring how strong he could get instead of focusing on how big he could get.
After joining the Army a little more than two years ago, Ramirez was informed of his first competition by a friend that was aware of his interest in feats of strength. Ramirez immediately signed up to go against 14 other competitors at Fort Gordon just one week before the event. With events that included lifting boulders onto pedestals, dead lifting, dragging weights with ropes, throwing kegs, and flipping large tires, he dominated the events on his first outing and was crowned the Strongest Man on Post for Fort Gordon. He says that the first victory gave him affirmation that all the work and training he had been putting in on his own was working and had paid off.
Motivation is one of his driving forces, and when competitions are announced, it gives him something to strive toward. During the time between events, he logs his own workouts to track his progress and notes where he may feel like he needs improvement.
“Once you hit a personal record, there is always that drive to do more and get better,” he said.
Ramirez describes his routine as functional training which develops the whole body at once. Since strength competitions are about compound movements that use the entire body to execute tasks, it is important to do a lot of mobility work and proper stretching before and after workouts. But Ramirez still incorporates regular physical training into his schedule and limits strength training to once or twice a week, since it is taxing on the body.
As with all sports, there is a high risk for injury, and Ramirez takes a lot of care in making sure that he allows himself proper preparation and recovery during training and competitions. Recently, he suffered a pulled hamstring which set him back for about a month, but he takes it in stride and still does what he can to keep his muscle memory intact without causing further injury.
“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” he said of maintaining a regular workout routine. Relating the difference between regular training and competition, Ramirez says that the difference is that during training you’re just doing what you’re doing but with people watching during a competition, there is an adrenaline rush when the crowd is cheering you on. “It’s my hobby, it’s what I love to do.”
His advice on staying with a great fitness program incorporates his philosophy regarding employment.
“Keep on doing it where you do it so much that it feels wrong or out of place once you stop,” he said.

• Date Taken: 05.13.2016
• Date Posted: 05.20.2016 15:48
• Story ID: 198657
• Location: CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, US
• Hometown: FORT STEWART, GA, US
• Hometown: TUCSON, AZ, US