GAWAIN JOHNSTONE is considered the strongest Filipino of all time. He lifted a total of 1,040 kilograms (435 kg for deadlifts, 215 kg for bench-press and 390 kg for squats) at the 2017 Big Dogs 2 powerlifting competition in Australia.
This earned him a sixth-place finish among the elite of the elite strongmen in the world. By any measure, the Filipino-Australian is an authority on strength. While most of us may not come close to lifting half the poundage that Gawain hoists, executing powerlifting exercises suited to our specific strength levels as part of a fitness program is a step in the right direction. “I would recommend it at its most basic level for both a health perspective, fitness and athletic-based perspective. There are a lot of valuable tools that a person or athlete can learn from executing these lifts which translate to sport and life,” he shared.
To be successful in powerlifting or any sport for that matter, Gawain—who grew up in Australia—narrated that being patient and surrounding yourself with the right people who similarly strive for greatness is a must. “To be great in this sport or at the pro level you need a support crew. To be there for you when things get heavy, and to keep you in line and tell you when you’re being unrealistic,” he pointed out. “Being good or above average or mediocre is not the Filipino way. You have to emphatically choose to be great and choose to be a slave to refining your craft day by day,” enthused the 32-year-old powerlifter.
To demonstrate how strong Gawain is, he once lifted a compact car parked on the street that was in the way of his pickup football game with friends. He lifted the car from the rear to straighten its parking alignment, and clear the playing field. “My mate was the owner of the Honda Civic so it was ok. No damage done,” he clarified.
For powerlifters, the one repetition maximum is king. They train with the end of mind of yanking out their heaviest for each of the three lifts. This kind of training, most especially at the highest levels of the sport, requires copious amounts of focus and energy. Recognizing this, and to stay at the top of his game, Gawain tries to consume between 6,000 and 7,000 calories daily. This, he admited is quite difficult. “Although it may be ironic because of my size, I actually really struggle to eat,” said the 6’2, strongman who weighs in at 180 kg.
For comparison, the recommended daily calorie intake of a normal person would sit at around 2,000 calories. However, note that topnotch strength athletes who train as hard and intense as Gawain will need ridiculously high amounts of fuel in order to consistently perform at the highest levels.
Interestingly, Gawain holds on to a day job as business banking manager for the National Australia Bank (NAB), one of the biggest banks in Australia, working eight to 12 hour a day. Despite this, he finds the time to train consistently, noting that his vision in powerlifting of “being the strongest man ever is going to take serious commitment.” Next up for him is the 2018 Big Dogs 3 powerlifting meet in October 14 that will be held in Australia, where the top 20 lifters in the world are invited to one open weight class competition.
When asked what the most Filipino thing about him is, Gawain hesitated, then bared cheekily that it is his taste for classic love songs, which he got from his Filipino mother, uncles and aunts. “My mum’s family has a lot of musicians. So any occasion to get out a guitar and sing, my titos and titas would be there—and they’re amazing. Girls always look at me funny when I know the words to Mariah or Whitney songs,” he chuckled.
Gawain Johnstone, one of the world’s strongest men, cuts an intimidating figure with his size, heft and menacing demeanor. Except when he’s belting out those sappy love songs.