Akos Nagy may not be a name familiar to many people, but you may well hear it alot more in the future.
He has just won the 2012 Giant’s Live leg in Hungary, winning a place in the finals of Worlds Strongest Man 2012.
Phil Burgess: You recently won the Giants Live event in Hungary. What did it mean to you to win that event? Is this the victory or result that you are proudest of in your career?
Akos Nagy: I think, the Giants Live victory is my biggest success in the sport of strongman, similar to during my weightlifting career when I won the 1997 junior World Championship title.
Phil Burgess: Are you currently Hungary’s Strongest Man?
Akos Nagy: The strongest Hungarian is Ervin Katona…, but Ervin has Serbian citizenship, but Ervin is from Hungary.
Unfortunately I was unable to win the last three Hungarian Strongest Man competitions, because I always seemed to lose one event in the competition.
In the last 2 years I placed second each time.…
Phil Burgess: How popular is the sport of strongman in Hungary? Is it growing?
Akos Nagy: Hungary is a small country. Everyone knows everyone in the sport of Strongman…, Our federation (HSMA) comprises of about 100 athletes who compete.
I think the Giants Live Hungary competition has helped to grow the popularity of the sport in Hungary.
Phil Burgess: How did you get into strongman competitions? Did you always want to be a strongman?
Akos Nagy: When I was 8 years old, I started weightlifting and in 1997 I won the Jr.World Championship (I beated Misha Koklyaev) and I won several times the Hungarian weightlifting championship also.
Because of financial problems I had to finish my weightlifter career, and build my private life…. After 8 years break without training I started in strongman competitions and powerlifting in 2009.
Phil Burgess: Now you have qualified for World’s Strongest Man 2012, how will you prepare for that? How will your training change and what contests do you plan on doing in preparation for wsm?
Akos Nagy: I normally train 5-6 times a week and I’ll continue to do that for the WSM also. In the WSM finals all the athletes are very strong, I want to fight honest.., and get the maximum out of myself…
Phil Burgess: Where are you from in Hungary?
Akos Nagy: I was born in Tatabánya, but I have lived in Budapest for 2 years now.
Phil Burgess: What is your best strongman event and why?
Akos Nagy: Maybe Super Yoke and weight for height, this is perhaps because my past in weightlifting sport meant that I was explosive…
Phil Burgess: What other strongman or people have been the most important ones in helping you develop as a strongman?
Akos Nagy: I often train together Ervin Katona, he helps me alot.
Phil Burgess: What do you do as a job and what do you enjoy doing to relax?
Akos Nagy: I have Sports Management/Economist degree, but in the last 10 years I have worked in the financial sector. For the last four years I have worked in the largest life insurance company, where my job is sales support expert.
Phil Burgess: What is your best log press, squat and deadlift?
Akos Nagy:
- Best log: 165kg
- Squat: 390kg (equipped) 350kg raw
- Deadlift: 390kg (equipped) 360kg raw
Phil Burgess: Finally who do you think is the greatest strongman who has ever lived and why?
Akos Nagy: This is a difficult question, because there have been alot of very good athletes in the sport of strongman.
My favourites are Ervin Katona (always a great warrior and braveheart man) and Big Zydrunas Savickas… ( always very strong).
