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Gary Brown
AKA "Mr.
Brick"
Updated 3/5/02
I can remember watching the
very first World’s Strongest Man Contest in 1977 when I was a kid. I picked up
the end of the sofa after watching it. It’s funny to look back at it.
Not just that one instance,
but how I grew up on a small farm and how a lot of the strongman events
resemble farm work.
The one that comes to mind
first of course is the farmers’ walk, carrying five-gallon buckets full of
water. 56 for height or keg toss, throwing hay bales up into the loft in the
barn. There is probably a bunch more too.
I was a skinny kid and not
good at any sports. I got tired of people picking on me so I started to play
around with an old set of plastic weights. I had plenty of time after school
since I didn’t play sports. That went on for about 5 years… I trained for
size. The local recreation department advertised that they were going to have
a bench press contest. At that point I started to focus on strength. I got
hooked on the bench until the late 90’s. I did ok but as far as a 3 lift
competition I lacked the leg and back strength needed.
  
In 1998, as strongman
competition started to regain popularity in the US, I entered my first
contest. I came in 3rd. The following year I dropped out of a
contest… I was loosing so bad. It rained that day, it took forever to get
through the events and I was mentally and physically drained. I was too
embarrassed to continue. I still lacked the leg and back strength necessary to
be competitive.
So it was back to the drawing
board to find something that I was good at. I tried everything from bending
nails to driving nails with my hands. I was still very much into upper body
strength.
In 1999 I started trying
brick lifting. In just a few workouts I was unofficially making record lifts.
In 2000 I did it officially in the heavy weight at 228 lbs. And in 2001 I
broke the lightweight record at 225 lbs. I finally found something that I was
good at.
 
I have become quite a fan of
the sport over the past few years. I look forward to watching the
ever-increasing amount of contests and competing. I enjoy meeting and talking
with the world’s best.
So here I am, in my
mid-thirties ready to hit my peak. I’m looking to compete more this year.
Though this web page I would like to share with you something that I enjoy
very much, that is strength competition.
 
| 12/9/00 Behind
this load of 50 bricks is non other than "Mr. Brick" Gary
Brown of Luray VA Taking another Stab at a Un-Official Brick Lifting
record!...(also if you look real close, Gary is
wearing his Very Fashionable and functionable Samson-Power
Sleeves )
I have also added at the
bottom, NASS's Rules for the Brick Lift
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Gary Brown
Breaks the Un-Official American Brick-Lift
Record!
40 Bricks!
9/30/00
Once again, it was
time to pack up and head to the city for a day of
strongman training. And what a day it was. Well, just the trip there
is a
pretty big deal for me. The first half hour is one lane each
direction. The
second is two, regular interstate. The third is at least four each way
and
bumper to bumper. Of course I hit a traffic jam where it stopped for
about
15 minutes, and that's on a Saturday. I didn't have any trouble
finding the
place though.
So after unpacking everything, it was time to get to business. The
guys
wanted to see me do a bricklift. Of course, it was my pleasure. I
wasn't
prepared to do any records. But a demonstration in public was overdue.
I
guess the reason I was not prepared, was that the whole thing was a
surprise. I only found out about it the day before, not to mention
I've
been away from the bricks for almost three months. Concentrating on
some
Olympic assistance to bring up the log press has been the focus
lately.
Anyway 40 bricks went ok. The 42 was tough and tipped toward me. I'm
not
sure if I had it off the table or not before it tipped. The sidewalk
wasn't
exactly level that could have contributed to it. No big deal it was
only a
demonstration.
Next on the agenda was the log. I got a PR by 5 pounds and almost 15.
It
only got to the top of my head. I was afraid to lean to far back, just
two
weeks ago I did just that and still have a very sore spot.
On to stones. Warming up I did my little trademark
"necktie", rolling the
little one all the way around my neck. The #4 Samson stone and myself
still
have some unsettled business. It got to my lap for a lengthy fight but
refused to go to the platform. Our next meeting will have a different
outcome.
Farmers walk. I would have been proud if I would have gone first. To
me
thick handled 200+ implements sounds like a big deal. And I was amazed
that
holding onto one before the training started was not to bad. But going
after watching the other guys jog around the course only added to my
embarrassment. This was my worst event.
There were other events like truck pull and tire flip (680) to name a
couple.
I didn't take any notes or pictures, so most of the things I am sure
of
were what I did myself. However a few performances stood out. Mark
kicked
some serious butt on the log. Outdoing the rest of us by 100 pounds or
so.
Kevin did the #4 stone. Mark did it for reps. Everyone had at least
one
event that they really excelled at.
What a great bunch to train with. I had so much fun, and look forward
to
the next time we can do it again.
Gary B.
|
warming up with 32 |
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37 |
40 Bricks! |
Loading up to 42 |
Getting 42 up, but they touched his body, so it didn't
count |
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Congratulations to Gary, and I know he will be going for
more!!!
STRONGMAN
RULES FOR EVENTS
Re: BRICK LIFTING
North American Strongman Society
300
West Northern Avenue
Saginaw, Texas, 76179-1326
817-847-6082
Email: wwillyh@swbell.net
The
Bricks:
The
bricks should be of a standard house brick, 3.5 pounds.
The
Platform: The
Platform should be 40 inches and 44 inches in height.
Width of the Platform should be at least 11 inches wide and not more
than 24 inches wide.
The
Lift: The
lifter may place the bricks on the platform in an arrangement of the lifters
choice. The bricks shall be
gripped with either the hands or the forearms no more than 4 inches above
the heel of the hand. The
lifter shall then lift the bricks from the platform and show control.
Reasons
for Disqualification:
Lifter fails to show control.
Bricks
touch the lifter on any part of the body other than the lifting surface of
the hands/forearms.
Bricks
become unstable and fall prior to the lifter showing control of the lift.
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