Strongman Jarno Hams has won Holland’s Strongest Man not once but 6 times….
This year he will be aiming to make it 7 times!!
We talk to Jarno about his career and his longevity in the sport.
Phil Burgess: You have won Holland’s Strongest Man 6 times in a row from 2004 to 2010, which of these 6 victories meant the most to you and why?
Jarno Hams: I won the nationals 5 times in a row. In 2009 a severe knee injury kept me sidelined for 11 months. In 2010 I won my 6th national title.
The first and the 6th one were the most special.
- The 1st because I promised one of my best friends on his deathbed that I would win and dedicate it to him.
- The 6th because doctors told me it would take more than a year to come back.
Phil Burgess: Who has helped you the most in your strongman career?
Jarno Hams: That has to be Berend Veneberg as a mentor and trainer in the past. Also Marcel Mostert of Strongman’s Champions League. He is also the owner of the local gym where I train. We talk a lot about the sport and techniques.
Phil Burgess: You are 38 years old now, how many more years do you think that you will compete for?
Jarno Hams: I’m 37, 38 in November. I’m in my 17th year of Strongman !! and 15th year on an international level… I hope to have some 2 to 3 years more… But if everything goes well I’ll keep competing a year longer
Phil Burgess: What is your favourite competition event and why?
Jarno Hams: I don’t have a single favourite event, but Loglift, Yoke and Stones are amongst my favourite events.
Phil Burgess: What is your best log press? As I can see that you have performed a military press for 210kg, so can you do similar with the log?
Jarno Hams: My best Loglift is 180kg and that’s the national record at the moment. I will try and better that on 30th June at the Strongman’s Champions League event in Holland.
Phil Burgess: How did you first get involved in the sport of strongman, didn’t you play soccer as a kid?
Jarno Hams: I played soccer until I was 25 and already ranked No.3 in Holland’s Strongest Man.
In the past I did judo, boxing, kickboxing and Free-fighting.
I was like 19/20 years old when I first got into a gym. I could press 100kg bench press at the first go. My first ever deadlift was 265kg at the age of 21.
Then I was asked if I wanted to compete in a regional Strongman competition and so I did finishing 3rd after never training an event for that competition.
Phil Burgess: I have a question from Bill Lyndon, former Australian Strongest Man, what’s it like to train in Clogs?
Jarno Hams: Haha it’s hard!! But you can drop a weight without being scared what’s about to happen… 🙂
I don’t even have Clogs… Not everybody has a pair… Just like not everybody here smokes weed.
Phil Burgess: What was it like competing against your brother in the 2010 Holland’s Strongest Man? And have you competed against him much?
Jarno Hams: Actually that was a proud feeling. He had a bad competition finishing last. Last year though he just missed the podium. So we will see if he can get one step higher this year.
Phil Burgess: What is the next competition which you are competing in, and how do you think you will go?
Jarno Hams: 30th of June we will have the Strongman Champions League in Holland. That is what I’m preparing for at the moment. Two weeks later we have nationals (Holland’s Strongest Man) and I want to go for a record 7 wins!
Phil Burgess:What do you think is the secret to your longevity in the sport?
Jarno Hams: Having a good frame. That’s genetics, but it gives you a body to work with.
You can put heavy loads on a pick-up truck, but having a big truck will keep you going for more years without paying a too high price in the end.
And also knowing there is more after Strongman.
With a body that has been banged up too many times it will not be a pleasant ending. So think about your health especially in the long run….
Phil Burgess: Finally what have you loved about being involved in the world of strongman for 17 years?
Jarno Hams: The way the Strongman help each other out, in or out of competitions is second to none.. I have made real friends in Strongman..
Also the travelling and being in the most beautiful places in the world have made me grateful..Coming to Australia in November will make it a full circle for me.
I will have done Strongman Competitions on all of the continents except Antarctica, but when they organize one there I want to be part of it.
