Q&A with ASC Pro Strongman Derek Poundstone

**tjoe** · 09-25-2010, 08:38 PM

Something happend while I was flying to Vegas from SA. Sometimes the journey is more important then the destination and this was a journey I needed to take. This is what I live for. The end of this journey has led me to become 3x America's Strongest Man. I might get wounded in battle but I will always pick myself up and keep fighting.

**tjoe** · 10-07-2010, 08:18 AM

Great interview with Callie about Derek and the WSM and ASM.

Check it out:

Interview with Derek Poundstone
By: Callie Marunde-Best

After winning America’s Strongest Man at the Olympia Expo Sept 25-26, 2010 Derek Poundstone granted me an interview. Anyone who knows Derek can attest to his gift of gab and let me tell you he had a lot to say.
Not only is Derek America’s Strongest Man (three times), he is one hellofa physical specimen to look at. Standing 6’1 in his flat shoes, he is shorter in comparison to some of the strongest humans to walk the planet. What he lacks in height he makes up in weight (and width). He weighs anywhere from 325-345 pounds. I last saw him at 330 (at World's Strongest Man in South Africa where we also had the same flights back to Vegas). I am not joking when I say that people literally stopped conversations, hit their friends and pointed at Derek. Some whispered and others flexed at him (I still don’t understand why very skinny or very fat people do this). Either way Derek was looking like a freak as he walked through the airports from South Africa to Las Vegas where he would attempt to regain his title as America’s Strongest Man after a not so stellar performance at WSM.

Let's back track a bit with a little history on his preparation for WSM. In June 2010 Derek’s hand had been in a cast for three weeks because he had a partially torn ligament at the base of his thumb. This injury was work related (putting a criminal in cuffs). When life handed Derek lemons, he added tequila and salt (always my idea of a good time). A week long cruise and a few nights in Miami were just what the doctor ordered, resting the thumb of course, and eating at the buffet (a main priority). After he got the cast removed he had another set back. The Connecticut heat and rigorous training schedule Poundstone had jumped back into had caused some electrolyte imbalances resulting in another two weeks of rest. In other words he had not trained in June and most of July.

He was frustrated that he was forced to rest as WSM was quickly approaching. According to Derek the month before WSM is not the time to increase training trying to get stronger (his time to really make improvements had passed by while recovering from dehydration and his torn thumb ligament). Poundstone believes strength gains are minimal for the output and effort in workouts so close to contest. So his approach to WSM is to decrease training and be fully rested and injury free.

After about two weeks of training August 19 to be exact Derek had a squat day. Like a few other elite strongmen I know Derek goes by feel, not necessarily a typical periodization schedule. It was a night for squats and also the night that sent Derek into WSM and America’s Strongest Man with a torn quad.

The way Derek tells it is like this: 645 for three sets of three because it felt right. First two sets went great. The last set took a turn for the worst. First rep was a little off, second rep felt a twinge, third rep felt a huge snap. And down came Derek and 645 lbs of metal.
“This is it, I’m done. No World's this year,” is the thought that ran through his head. The pain Derek experienced was comparable to being stabbed with a “Big Old Rambo Knife”. It was worse then his two herniated disks, pec tear, and tricep tear all put together. It was ten seconds of pure hell.

Derek, his training partners, and his fiancé Kristin could not have been more devastated by this injury. After this happened Derek had some serious thinking to do about possibly pulling out of WSM. Kristin was a huge support to Derek during this time, not only picking up the slack of cooking and cleaning but being a pillar of emotional support. Let us not forget the old saying behind every great man is a great woman. (The couple will be married in June 2011) Derek and Kristin kept his injury quiet until he had some time to recover and assess what he was capable of bringing to his upcoming competitions.

Anyone who knows Derek or any champion will recognize one similarity. Champions reek of Will and Determination. That was the scent of Derek going into WSM and America’s Strongest Man (perhaps some tiger balm too). I have seen time and time again if a man competes and is unsure of his capabilities he will never rise to the occasion, but if a man comes in with a plan to win he is unwavering. This was Derek’s approach to both contests (although this philosophy did not bring a first place trophy home from WSM, it did from America’s Strongest Man).

September 1, 2010 was the day that Derek decided to go to WSM. This was following a trip (yes with a torn quad) to S. Africa for an appearance with Solae (his sponsor) and then to Japan to break a world record with the Thomas Inch dumbbell for 17 repetitions. Typically he would not have chosen to take a trip a few weeks prior to the most important contest of his life, but the economics of a week trip for Poundstone added up to more then a 2nd place finish at WSM. At this point Derek had determined that a first place finish may not be realistic, but podium was within his reach.

Derek’s the spokesperson for Solae www.solae.com He is the first strongman to sign a contract with a company for four and a half years and over seven figures! It looks like Derek got some brains with that bronze. I would compare Poundstone and Solae to Beyoncé and L’Oreal. Not in dancing but business.

Attention Strongman: You are valuable!!! Stop working for products and tee shirts and get yourselves some money!!! If no one is willing to work for free then everyone will eventually get paid. Make demands! You are professional athletes getting paid peanuts!!! Feel free to contact me about this on face book (Callie Marunde)

Back to topic.

Derek finished in 9th place at WSM. When his Mary Lou Retton finish and becoming America’s sweetheart did not happen, this put things into perspective for him. Usually Derek has some type of injury going into a contest, for most strongmen this is normal. What is abnormal is competing for 6 days in a foreign country at the most grueling competition known to man, with a torn quad and having torn all the calluses off his hand, then traveling 24+ hours (3 hrs in a bus and 23 on a plane and all the in-between) to his next contest and KICKING ASS!
Something happened to Derek after not performing as well as he thought at WSM. He licked his wounds and straightened out his tail all the way back to Vegas and went to America’s Strongest Man with something to prove. He wanted to end the year with a win, and he did. Let me tell you something about Derek. He is stubborn and competitive! My husband Nick Best and I both told Derek to seriously reconsider competing just hours after stepping off the plane. We feared for his safety since his body was so broken down. Well Derek I am glad you proved us wrong 

I am sure that all the competitors at America’s Strongest Man had counted Derek out, but Derek had something else in mind. Here are the final scores
Derek 70.5, Jenkins 61,White 51,Hanson 48, Palmer 45.

The proof is in the pudding with Poundstone. What most people don’t want to do, he does for fun. When others' bodies tell them to quit Derek’s says, "Give me more." Perhaps he is a glutton for punishment, either way I am looking forward to seeing him continue to shock and amaze people with his super human strength. If you want to hear what Poundstone thinks you can listen in on his live radio show starting near the end of October. Check out his website for details www.poundstonepower.com

**tjoe** · 11-02-2010, 06:12 AM

[ame="http://forums.rxmuscle.com/showthread.php?p=1221063#post1221063"]Poundstone Power Radio - RX Muscle Forums[/ame]

For further questions and comments please refer to the thread posted above.

**Derek Poundstone** · 11-04-2010, 06:42 AM

First show went great, thanks for posting this up Joe! I'll be referring to this website for topic ideas for the show so keep posting up questions and I will answer then on the show and also on here.

**robert da strongman** · 11-04-2010, 07:15 AM

will there be a podcast or a streaming version of the show?

**Michael K. Scott** · 11-04-2010, 12:44 PM

Derek, I know you eat massive amounts of food and do the 2 lb chicken shake. How exactly do you get your meals in while on patrol? Do you ever miss meals?

thanks

**tjoe** · 11-12-2010, 09:14 PM

Hey Everyone,
If you get a chance check out ESPN tomorrow (Saturday Nov 13) from 10am-12. Derek is a guest on College Game Day and will help pick the college games for this weekend. He will also pull the College Game Day tour bus. He is promoting his new radio show that airs Wed nights on Sirius/XM. This is GREAT for the sport and hopefully the general public will see how interesting the sport is and how intelligent the men and women who take part in it are. I am a firm believer that Derek is a great represenative for all of you. So show your support and be proud!

**ArmoredCore94** · 11-21-2010, 11:57 AM

hey derek. i checked the post you put on your training split. how do you train chest & back on the same day? excercises, sets, reps?

congrats on the good work, the futures looking bright for ya

**Ryan Bracewell** · 11-21-2010, 02:01 PM

Derek will be on RX Power Hour this week(recording Monday night), and we will discuss his new radio show and training. If you have any specific questions for him please post them here or PM them to me.

**tjoe** · 11-21-2010, 04:06 PM

general training stuff would be great. thoughts about the leg. next contest.
does he still do specific cardio?

**smj091977** · 11-22-2010, 09:25 PM

Derek,
I have friends in law enforcement and it always seems that the drunk idiots always single out the biggest cops to try to prove themselves, any experiences with this? I am also curious how often you get "I'm going to sue" or "wait until my lawyer gets a hold of you" and whether or not anyone has ever actually tried suing you and the department, thats if you are willing and or able to talk about it.
I hope you have made a full recovery, congratulations on all of your success.

**tjoe** · 11-23-2010, 07:31 AM

oh yeah... and more vids of training on youtube. He was putting up a lot a year or so ago but then he stopped. I saw him mention an 800 pull recently but hearing about it and seeing it are two different things.