Dennis Kohlruss (33) is officially the «strongest man in Germany». But he already has his eye on the next goals. What they are, how he trains, what he eats and much more, the strength athlete now told in the FITBOOK interview.
2021 was definitely a successful year for strongman Dennis Kohlruss. In the third attempt he won the «German Strongman Championship». He is now officially the «strongest man in Germany». A reason to rest now? Not for the 33-year-old. The fighting spirit has seized the athlete again. What does a 138-pound dumbbell have to do with it? Dennis Kohlruss said that in an interview with FITBOOK. He also shared details about his workout routine, diet and mental challenges.
»A long-cherished dream has come true for me
FITBOOK: You won the Strongman Championship. How does it feel to be the «strongest man in Germany»?
Dennis Kohlruss: «It’s a long-cherished dream. I fought for it for a long time and was second twice, just missing out on the title. It might sound a bit martial when you’re the ‘strongest man’ in this country. But there is also a lot of technology involved and it is quite a complex sport. To come back to the question: I feel good and like I’ve reached a goal. But now, of course, I want to go even further.”
What is particularly important when training as a strongman?
“The strongman sport is very extensive, with many disciplines. That’s why you have to train your basic strength first and foremost. Once you’ve built that up, you move on to the specific disciplines of the competition. These vary greatly from competition to competition.”
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“A strongman has to be like a chameleon
What is your training routine like?
“I always say that a good strongman has to be like a chameleon. The base has to be good, but you have to be able to adapt for each competition. For me, that means training four to five times a week. For three days I do basic exercises and for two days I train two of the disciplines required in the competition. This is roughly my training structure. On the other hand, there are athletes who only train basic strength and then in the month before the competition only the upcoming events.”
What are typical core strength exercises?
“The deadlift is very classic, i.e. lifting the dumbbell from your back and legs. Then the squat. Add bench press. These are also the three exercises of classic powerlifting, i.e. powerlifting. In the case of the strongman, however, the overhead press of the weight is also important. That is often part of competitions.”
How do you feel about training just before a competition?
“I don’t do anything for almost three days before a competition. Just a little mobilization and a little stretching to keep you supple. But you should give your muscles and especially your nervous system a little rest before a competition.”
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»3 days before the competition hands off the weights
And if you overdo it with the training?‘
“In the past I made the mistake of training and trying out a bit the day before. So shortly before a competition you get a break and you doubt whether you can master certain disciplines. Then you try out exercises the day before. But then you’re more likely to shoot your nervous system in the competition. So I would recommend everyone to take a break from three days beforehand. A bit of swimming and walking to clear your head. But steer clear of the weights.”
In addition to training, nutrition is also important. What is important in a strongman?
“During preparation for a competition, like the two months before, you have to increase the calories. My body tells me when I’m eating too little and need more carbohydrates. Before the competition, I eat about 7,000 to 8,000 kilocalories a day. Simply because you train so much, then weight and height also come into play. If you’re going into technique training during the off-season, not competing and working on your weaknesses, then you don’t need that relentless calorie surplus. That’s where you eat when you’re hungry.»
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“You go to the local farmer and get 200 eggs
So what’s on your plate?
“I try to get the calories as clean as possible. That means I make sure I eat decent meat, rice and eggs. The food should be as unprocessed as possible. You go to the local farmer and get 200 eggs and portion them out. The same goes for the meat. Personally, I’m very spartan when it comes to food. I’m not someone who needs a pickle or a sauce or anything like that. I’m quite simple and not a fan of cooking. It just has to be quick and practical. Eating is just more functional and less of a joy. But of course I also eat a doner kebab or a burger. In my sport it doesn’t matter whether you have 15 or 20 grams of body fat, it’s a performance sport and it doesn’t matter if you can see every muscle.
What can’t you do without?
«For me, for example, it’s not so much the chocolate. For me it’s the drinks. I like to drink cola. Then you have to make sure that there isn’t that much sugar in it, so I tend to drink the zero version. But then it says: Yes, there is nothing good in Zero either. But I just can’t drink plain water. It has to be something with taste, even in training. I can’t do without that.»
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Dennis Kohlruss had a 138-kilo dumbbell built
Do you have or did you have a role model?
“Before my career I once saw a documentary about the Swede Magnus Samuelsson, about the ‘World’s strongest arms’. When I saw that, I was blown away. I looked up his videos and then got into this sport through him and other athletes.”
The name Louis Cyr is also anchored in the strongman scene. Who is this and what about the exercise named after him?
“The exercise was named after Louis Cyr, a Franco-Canadian born in 1863. At that time, weight training was part of the circus, mainly for fun, and Louis Cyr brought it closer to people. He pushed this 274-pound dumbbell – that’s 124.5 kilos – over his head with one arm. Today, therefore, there is the Louis Cyr dumbbell. So far ten or eleven people in this world have been able to press this bar over their heads. You put the dumbbell on your shoulder and then somehow try to lift it over your head with one arm using the momentum of your legs.”
Wow! And you can do it?
«I’ve done that three times in a row, in one sentence. In the meantime I had my own built, it weighs 138 kilograms. That’s what I meant by the goals: If you can do one thing, you’ll want more.»
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“I’m a head person
If you want to achieve something like that – and in strongman sport in general – mental strength is important, isn’t it?
“There are two different types of weight training. There are the head people and the daredevils. A daredevil just pulls it off and then there are the people who think. For example about the fact that if the angle is wrong, the weight could fall down and kill you. I count among these. A lot of people tell me, ‘Dennis, you could lift more if you were a little wilder while lifting.’ But I try to stay technically clean. Because I know other athletes who are more daring and sometimes lose a muscle. Then they go to the doctor, are cut open, the muscle is sewn back on and three months later they are back at the start.”
As a head person, do you go a different way?
“I try to be more sustainable and think more. This means that I always try to build more strength than is necessary during an exercise. Then I have excess power in case the technology doesn’t work. For example, I can catch the barbell and it doesn’t fall on my head. I’m more careful there.»
«Reign» brand ambassador Dennis Kohlruss won the title of «strongest man in Germany» in 2021Photo: Marcel Kübler
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Dennis Kohlruss represents Germany internationally
2021 was a successful year for you. What are your next sporting goals?
“I will work on my weaknesses over the winter and then compete in ‘World’s Strongest Man’ next year. I would like to reach the final there. As a country, we haven’t been able to do that for a long time. That would be a knighthood. If I were to win it then, of course, that would be … But the competition is huge. Who knows? Everything can happen.»