John Brzenk
country USA
Date of birth 15 July, 1964.
Profession Lineservice mechanic at Delta Airlines.
Started armwrestling
I have been armwrestling what seems to be my whole life. About 5 years of non serious stuff across class room tables in grade school.
Then at about 16 I became a more serious puller. Pulling with my father on a regulation table.
I won my first World Title at age 18.
Weight 95 kg.
Forearm 39,5 cm.
Biceps 44,5 cm.
Fighting style Hook, toproll, press.
Toughest opponent
My toughest opponents are against the guys that truly have the confidence to win, and do not except defeat no matter the position or circumstance. Losing is easy if its quick, and I know I will have a second chance to try something different later in the day.
The ones that hurt are the ones that last awhile early on. They are the tough ones, because I know there is a good chance, because of fatigue, that I may get beat by someone that shouldn't beat me in a later round.
Toughest match
My toughest matches would be the ones that I put pressure on myself to win. High stake tournaments like the Over the Top tournament and some of the bigger money matches are always tougher physically and mentally leading up to the tournament.
Win or lose.
Matches are enjoyable for me when I haven't been thinking about them months in advance.
I don't have any one armwrestler that I am currently training to beat.
Currently there are so many good armwrestlers with different strengths and weaknesses around the world that it would be very difficult to key on one area... or person.
It would require a lot of thought and a little luck to win a full heavyweight class if everyone were to show up. Many would be very difficult to eliminate without causing considerable wear and tear on the arm for later matches.
How many tournaments have you won?
I honestly couldn't begin to guess how many first place finishes I have had through the years. When I first started I would pull almost once a week. And had hundreds of trophies stacked everywhere. Now I pull on average about 6 tournaments a year, and have about half a dozen trophies left sitting around. Yes I have lost my share of matches getting involved in the sport, but have been very fortunate, with real good timing to win most of the major opportunities to have come along.
Best training advice
If you want to be a good boxer then box. If you want to be a good tennis player then play tennis. If you want to be a good weight lifter then lift weights. But if you want to be a good armwrestler get involved in the sport and armwrestle. Don't be afraid to lose. Learn and get stronger from competitors that may be more advanced than you. Pull hard and be aggressive but keep in mind there is such a thing as too much. Give your body time to heal. Armwrestling strength takes time to develop..... hang in there and give yourself plenty of time, it won't happen overnight.
