Local Stongman Pro & Proud Member at Optimal Performance
May 17, 2009 by jzaretzky
Filed under OPTC Updates
Here is some press of local Strongman Pro and proud member of OPTC…
From New York’s Finest To New York’s StrongestVALLEY COTTAGE, N.Y. (CBS) ― For a decade he was one of New York’s Finest. Now, Gerard Benderoth is one of the country’s strongest – competing for a spot in the World’s Strongest Man competition.
He’s part Rocky, part Incredible Hulk – but in strongman circles, Benderoth is known as the White Rhino: New York’s only professional heavyweight strongman.
In a few days he competes on the national stage. 
“This is it,” he says. “This is the big leagues.”
Benderoth began competing in strongman competitions in 2003. He liked catching the bad guys, but says he’d rather be lifting dead weight.
“It’s fun. It’s as much fun as you can have [while] not being able to breathe, with a 400-pound stone on your chest,” Benderoth says.
His equipment – giant stone balls, blocks of concrete, earth-moving tires – look like toys in a giant toddler’s playpen.
But training for these events isn’t child’s play.
Strongmen aren’t just good for lifting stones or flipping tires. If your car breaks down or you run out of gas, they can help you get to work – by pushing your car.
Benderoth stretches and works out every day. And he also eats – a lot.
“I eat breakfast twice, I eat two lunches, I eat dinner, and then I eat supper,” Benderoth says. “I always eat a snack before bed.”
Those meals total 8,000 calories a day, quadruple the amount that a regular guy eats.
“I really don’t care how good I look,” Benderoth says. “I want to be strong. That’s what I care about, being strong.”
The World’s Strongest Man Qualifier will determine if he’s strong enough, but if he doesn’t win, he’s got a nice consolation prize.
“I come in last place, and my son thinks I’m the strongest guy in the world,” he Benderoth says. ‘And I love it. I love it, it’s the best.”
After six years of training, eight orthopedic operations and thousands of tons carried, Benderoth is pumped.
In case you’re wondering, Benderoth has 23-inch biceps.
He’ll be put to the test this weekend at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
originally posted by www.CBSnews.com - see write up here - http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=79998714193&h=fcdo7&u=dzRrd&ref=mf
JZ
PS – also here is a link to our 2 minutes of fame from the publicity of Big G
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