TEAM BARBARIAN STRENGTH ATHLETICS MEMBERS

Josh Hewett

Founder of Team Barbarian & Top Form Fitness
Former VP of the Ontario Powerlifting Association

I started weight training at the age of 17 in order to put some muscle on my 6 foot tall, 150 lb frame. By the time I was in university I weighed over 240 lbs and decided to compete in powerlifting. After a few contests, I took a shot at strongman training and competition. My trainer partner, Conor Kelly, and I entered our first strongman contest in PEI in 1998 and were addicted ever since!

I now hold a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, as well as several training qualifications. I’m a qualified fitness professional with over 14 years of involvement in the health and fitness industry including employment, academic, competitive, and volunteer experience. I've also worked with the National Ballet of Canada, Shooting Stars Soccer, Ontario Powerlifting Federation, and the Sports Medicine Specialists.

I started Team Barbarian Strength Athletics to help athletes like you to improve their strength, power and performance. That's exactly what the Barbarian Strength System will do.

Occupation: Personal Trainer; Strength and Conditioning Specialist , Owner of Top Form Fitness

2nd- Dunnville Mudcat Festival Strongman, Heavyweight Division, 2007
4th - Woodstock Strongman Contest, Lightweight Division, 2006
2nd - Woodstock Strongman Contest, LightWeight Division, 2005
1st - Halton Cup Qualifier 1, LightWeight Division, 2005
3rd - Extreme Fitness Strongman Challenge, 2002
1st - St.Thomas Middleweight Strongman Contest, 2002
8th - Ontario's Strongest Man, 2002
9th - Wasaga All Strength Challenge, 2002
7th - Octoberfest Strongman Competition, 2001
5th - Trenton Air Force Base All Strength Challenge, 2001
1st - Deadlift on the Beach, 1999

Started bodybuilding at the age of 16, competing in powerlifting and strongman at the age of 21

Career Highlights: 4-time Ontario's Strongest Man finalist, 2004 OSM 8th place, 2000 Atlantic Canada's Strongest Man 4th place

Selected Accomplishments: Log Press - Official competition best of 290 weighing 210 ( North Bay, 2001), in training PR of 330 at 220 lbs. bw, and more recently 285 @ 186lbs. bw

Favorite Saying: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, it is a habit" - Aristotle

Qualifications:
· Bachelor of Combined Honours, Psychology and Kinesiology and Health Sciences, York University
· Certificate in Fitness Assessment and Exercise Counseling, York University
· Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, McGill University

Background:
I began training when I was 18 years old and soon became interested in powerlifting and started to train heavy, but never competed. By the summer of 2002 I weighed a solid 235 lbs. But, that same summer I became ill & couldn’t keep any food down or in. I stopped training, ate very little, and I was losing 1-2 lbs per week. Doctors could not determine exactly what was wrong. I tried many different treatments but none worked. By December 2003 I weighed 145 lbs. I had lost 90 lbs! Then in January 2004 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and I began my treatments. This time the doctors were right and I responded well. I began eating again and training light and started gaining weight back in no time. I felt great and have been doing well since then, and I am close to my previous heaviest bodyweight. Three things helped me get by those 2 years: my family (parents and brother), my wife, and my training.

Competitions:
2006 Toronto Fitness Festival – 6th place (Open)
2006 Dunnville Mudcat Festival – 3rd place (205 – 257 lbs)
2006 Woodstock Festival - 2nd place (up to 231 lbs)

Interests: Latest technology and lifting heavy!

Favorite Saying: “You’re not big because you lift heavy weights; you lift heavy weights because you’re big.”

Sam has been involved in training and rehabilitation for the past 13 years. He received an honors degree in Human Kinetics from the University of Windsor. In addition to his educational background, he has also competed and coached many sports such as Football, Track and Field, Olympic style weightlifting and Strongman.

My goals consist of continuing to learn and educating people to achieve maximum result in sporting and in life. Personally I desire to improve my own performance to the level of placing within the top 5 at the Ontario Strongest Man. With the help and support of TEAM BARBARIAN, I look forward to what lies ahead.

My experience includes:

· Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
· Periodization- Planning Specialist (Tudor Bompa Institute)
· Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor Level one: Intermediate Certification
· Degree in Kinesiology: Member of the Ontario Kinesiology Association
· Member of the Ontario Weightlifting Association
· Level one and two Theory National Coaching Certification, 1997
· Level one track and field Technical, 1999

Competitions:
3rd - Neogenixx Competition, Nepean, 2006
3rd - New Liskeard Strongman Competition (Heavy Weight Division), 2007

Craig Hirota

Certified Personal Trainer and heavy-weight powerlifting competitor, training in the Toronto area.

Phone: (416) 424-2422

Eric is a personal trainer with a strong athletic background, including football. He has been competing in strongman competitions since 2005 and aspires to qualify to compete at Canada's Strongest Man in the future. At 6'4" and weighing over 265 lbs, "the Natural" has a promising future in this sport.

Competitive History:
7th Place - 2005 Gloucester Fair
4th Place - 2005 Belleville Waterfront Festival
6th Place - 2005 Fitshoppe Warehouse in Ottawa
5th Place - 2006 2nd Annual Woodstock Competition
11th Place - 2006 Ontario's Strongest Man (Port Stanley)
3rd Place (SHW) - 2006 Mudcat Strongman (Dunnville, ON)

As one of the youngest members of the team, Drew has been improving his performance on an almost weekly basis since joining the Barbarians. Junior consistently demonstrates the potential to excel as a Strong Man.

Background:
. Played competitive Hockey for 12 years. Started strength training at 15 y.o. to rehabilitate and prevent Hockey injuries.
. Started Strongman Training at 17 y.o.
. Began competing in Strongman in 2007
. Hobbies: Hockey, Strongman, Fighting / Martial arts

2nd- Dunnville Mudcat Festival Strongman, (Middleweight Division), 2007
2nd - New Liskeard Strongman Competition (Middle Weight Division), 2007

Qualifications:
· NCCP Club Coach Weightlifting Certification (Theory)
· Member of the O.W.A. (Ontario Weightlifting Association)
· Can-Fit-Pro P.T.S. (Personal Trainer Specialist)
· C.H.E.K. NLC Level 1 (Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach)

I have a great interest in strength and performance conditioning. I have recently competed in my first powerlifting competition. I will be doing my first weightlifting competition this winter and will begin competing in strongman in 2007. I would have to say my favorite book so far is without a doubt Supertraining (the Bible of strength in my opinion).

Rico began strength training seriously in 1999, when he was playing amateur football for Toronto MadDogs. His training focused on developing explosive strength for sport. In 2005 "Rhino" Rico began training for strongman with Team Barbarian and he began competing in 2006. Rico has also dedicated a significant amount of time to increasing public awareness of the strongman sport through his expert videography of training and competition.

Derek began lifting at the age of 14 while training for baseball. Over the years, his interests have progressed from baseball to bodybuilding to powerlifting and more recently strongman. Derek's training had primarily been targeted towards aesthetic purposes but the heavy iron soon began to call out to him.

Aside from his physical drive, Derek also possesses a strong interest in learning the science behind the training. In addition to being certified with the ISSA, Derek continues to broaden his knowledge through private study.

With the support and wisdom of Team Barbarian, Derek will be competing in the 2008 strongman season.

Team Barbarian does accept new members who have a strong strength training background, dependant on certain requirements:

The minimum strength standard for a new member is: deadlift 400 lbs, full squat 300 lbs, push press 200 lbs and 2 flips of our 800 lb tire.

We expect our athletes to meet and train with the group at least once per month and to be team-players. We also encourage our members to train for competition in the strength sport of their choice.

Members are also expected to purchase a team shirt to represent us in training and competition.

Note: personal training, group coaching sessions andonline training are also available for strongman implement tr

For information on upcoming strongman contests in Ontario and related content visit www.ontariostrongman.ca