FORMER Strongman Laurence Shahlaei has completed a remarkable weight loss journey.
A winner of Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man, the 40-year-old is currently coaching fellow strength athletes and running a popular YouTube channel with his wife Liz.
On top of this is the most important job of all – being a parent to their three children.
But in order to ensure he would be there for his kids in the long run, Shahlaei needed to get his health in order.
'FOR MY FAMILY'
For competitive strongmen, sacrificing their health can often be seen as a necessary evil.
The strain put on the mind and body both when competing as well as getting their bodies to the right size is somewhat unimaginable to non-competitors.
At his heaviest, the 6ft2 Shahlaei weighed just shy of 375lbs.
In a recent exclusive with The U.S. Sun, he explained that this simple "wasn't a healthy weight to be at," adding that "it was fine when you had it as a purpose when you're trying to be a pro."
Now a commentator and coach to the likes of World's Strongest Man hopeful Mitchell Hooper, Shahlaei admitted "I just wanted to get fitter for myself and for my family.
"I've got three young kids. I want them to have a dad that's gonna be around for a long time, and also to be able to do stuff with them.
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"I'd kind of almost training for Strongman. I'd almost disabled myself from everyday life.
"I [was] kind of built for one purpose and one purpose only. Whereas now I'm just so much more laid back.
"My fitness is really good, especially for a guy – I'm still a relatively big guy – but yeah, my fitness is really good."
FIT BY 40
Aiming to be fit by 40, Shahlaei managed to drop 100lbs, hitting a low of just over 272lbs.
A slim-looking Shahlaei explained that he's "doing a lot of cardio.
"I do like concept two, rowers, SkiErgs, and I try and do like 2000 meters in under seven minutes, which is pretty good."
And his new lean physique hasn't only benefitted him physically but mentally, an element of his health he's been very open about throughout his career.
He explained: "The fitness and the kind of the physical look and stuff like that, that was a positive mentally.
"Because I find training really important for my mental health, just as much as physical as well.
"So I needed a goal that was completely different to being strong, knowing that my strength level was, was reducing.
"And I just thought a hundred pounds was a good target."
HANGING WITH 'THE OLDER BOYS'
Now training for a return to Strongman at the British Masters in May and the World Masters in December, Shahlaei added that while he's gone back up ten pounds, "I certainly won't be getting back up to 170."
He said: "I've got no ambitions of competing at World's Strongest Man again.
"But I enjoy lifting. I enjoy pushing athletes, you know, training partners.
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"I'm just one of those guys – I need a focus. So, I'm feeling good and each week I'm seeing kind of good progress."
Shahlaei expects that come December he'll "be in pretty good shape" as he looks to challenge "the top older guys," commenting that the younger challengers are "a bit too good now, but I could still hang with the older boys."
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