Published: 12 September, 2007, 05:33
Edited: 12 September, 2007, 05:33
Lifting huge boulders and battling moving cars isn’t most people’s idea of a good time. But for one man in the city of Saratov, it’s just another day on the job.
Vyacheslav began bodybuilding almost a decade ago and enjoyed it so much that he decided to take it up full time. It appears he has also passed his obsession on to the next generation: his little son enjoys lifting his model cars, which do not seem that light.
As Vyacheslav’s wife Lyudmila admits, being married to a man who can carry you about like a shopping bag is of course an advantage but still there is room for fear.
“I’m very proud of my husband and of that fact that he is a strong man. But, of course I worry. When I’m there at competitions I often close my eyes because I’m scared. You never know what could happen,” says Lyudmila.
That is why Vyacheslav tries to make sure he is as fully prepared as possible, and that’s where he has a little help from his friends. Vyacheslav has his own personal training group who regularly carry enormous boulders, flip over gigantic tires and deposit huge metal balls on tables in an effort to become the toughest guys in Russia.
It should be noted, though, there is a motive behind all this gut-busting effort. Vyacheslav has become the first man in Saratov to pull a train of six carriages. Having achieved the seemingly impossible, Vyacheslav says he needs some rest for the time being.
“Right now I’m thinking that there might be no next time. But maybe in a month, when I get back to normal, I’ll probably want to move something else. You never know,” he laughs.