Team GB track cyclist Matt Rotherham broke a squad gym record on Monday when he lifted an astonishing 250kg in a squat.
The 29-year-old, a gold-medal-winning tandem sprint pilot, is currently preparing for this summer's Paralympics.
Speaking to Cycling Weekly, he said that his record lift fell within a "strength block" as he ramps up his training ahead of the Games.
"Recently I've started improving in squat," Rotherham said. "I've seen old videos circulating of [former GB sprinter] Jamie Staff doing 245kg. [Current GB sprinter] Ali Fielding had matched 245kg in his time on the programme, and I think [recently retired GB sprinter] Ryan Owens was up there. 250kg was the next benchmark that had to go. We had an easy week last week, and it just kind of had to be really."
Slipknot’s 'Psychosocial' played over the speakers as Rotherham attempted to lift heavier than any GB rider before him. In his headphones, he said, "it was Avenged Sevenfold", which blocked out the shouts of encouragement from his squad-mates around him.
"As soon as someone's going for big lifts, the whole gym stops, everyone watches, everyone starts filming," he said. "For someone like me that likes a big stage, it's nice to have that feeling every now and again. It puts on a little bit of extra pressure, and means you really have to go for it."
Rotherham managed one full rep with a quarter of a tonne on his shoulders, then roared at the bar, beating his chest as he walked away. He had no spotter on standby – "if I was going to fail, I could just jump out from underneath it," he said.
This summer, the 29-year-old is expected to pilot 20-time world champion Neil Fachie in the tandem kilometre time trial at the Paris Paralympics. The pair won the gold medal in Tokyo last time round, setting a world record of 58.038 seconds.
"It goes without saying that, just because you've squatted or leg pressed a certain number, it doesn't necessarily mean that you’re going to go faster on the bike," Rotherham said. "But I do, at the same time, believe that the stronger you are, the more potential you have to start faster and push the pedals that bit harder. The more I've lifted in the gym, the faster I've felt on the bike."
This desire to improve ties in with Rotherham's '60x12' philosophy, a personal hashtag he uses on his Instagram.
"It all started years ago. Basically, the biggest gear I could ever make was 60x12, and from then on, anything I did 100% was referred to as 'going 60x12' – putting on the big gear and going for it," he explained. "It's also the name of my coaching business, 60x12.com. If anyone out there wants to get to the levels of strength and performance as me, then please check out 60x12.com."
