The event served as a notable juxtaposition within the fitness industry. Planet Fitness, which operates over 2,400 locations globally, is well-known for its "Judgment Free Zone" philosophy, which often includes the "Lunk Alarm"—a siren intended to discourage grunting, dropping weights, or any behavior perceived as intimidating to casual gym-goers. Conversely, the sport of strongman is defined by maximal physical exertion, heavy implements such as Atlas stones and yokes, and vocal intensity. The presence of Shaw, who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs over 400 pounds, and Hall, similarly massive, presented immediate logistical challenges within the facility’s architectural and equipment constraints.
Technical Constraints and Equipment Adaptation
The primary challenge for Shaw and Hall was the absence of traditional power racks and free-weight squat stations, a standard omission in most Planet Fitness locations to maintain a specific atmosphere and safety profile. Consequently, the duo began their leg session on the Smith machine. Unlike a free-weight squat, where the bar moves in a natural, slightly curved path, the Smith machine confines the barbell to a fixed vertical track. For athletes of Shaw and Hall’s size, this fixed path can impose significant biomechanical stress on the joints, as it does not allow for the natural shifts in center of gravity required for their massive frames.
During the session, both athletes worked up to a load of five 45-pound plates on each side of the bar, totaling 495 pounds plus the weight of the carriage. This weight often nears the structural limit of commercial-grade Smith machines. Shaw noted the physical difficulty of fitting within the machine’s frame, eventually having to stabilize himself by holding the outer supports of the unit to maintain balance. This underscored a recurring theme of the workout: the physical environment of a commercial gym is often unsuited for the 99th percentile of human size and strength.
Following the Smith machine squats, the pair transitioned to the abdominal crunch machine. This piece of equipment is designed with a specific range of motion and seat size tailored to the average adult. For Shaw and Hall, the ergonomic fit was nearly impossible, illustrating the "scaling" problem in fitness equipment manufacturing. Despite these hurdles, they proceeded to the leg press station.
The Leg Press and Accessory Movements
The leg press provided a more familiar platform for the strongmen to move significant weight. They loaded the machine with six 45-pound plates on each side, supplemented by an additional plate placed atop the sled. While a total of 585 pounds is a substantial weight for a standard gym-goer, for individuals who routinely squat over 800 pounds and deadlift over 1,000 pounds, the movement was largely performative. Observers noted that the athletes moved the sled with high velocity, indicating that the machine’s maximum capacity was insufficient to provide a true maximal strength stimulus for them.
The workout continued with a series of isolation movements, including leg extensions, adductor machines, and abductor machines. These machines are typically utilized for hypertrophy or physical therapy rather than the functional, multi-joint movements that define strongman training. The sight of two World’s Strongest Man winners utilizing the "inner/outer thigh" machines provided a moment of levity in the video, but also highlighted their willingness to adapt their training to whatever tools were available.
The Circuit Challenge: A Quantitative Comparison
To conclude the session, Shaw and Hall engaged in a competitive "circuit race" within the gym’s designated 30-minute express circuit room. This area features 20 stations designed to be performed in rapid succession. The strongmen modified the rules, performing one repetition at the maximum available weight on every machine in the room. This challenge shifted the focus from pure strength to metabolic conditioning and transition speed.
The results of the circuit race were as follows:
- Eddie Hall: 1 minute, 15.09 seconds
- Brian Shaw: 1 minute, 19.00 seconds
Hall’s victory in this segment, though marginal, reflects his recent shift in training focus. Since retiring from full-time strongman competition in 2017, Hall has explored various athletic endeavors, including a high-profile boxing match in 2022 against rival Hafthor Björnsson. This transition required a significant reduction in body mass and an increase in cardiovascular efficiency. Shaw, conversely, was in the midst of his off-season, maintaining the massive bulk necessary for the heavy static lifts that define his competitive career.
Competitive Context and Hall’s Return to the Platform
While the Planet Fitness workout was largely an entertainment-focused endeavor for Shaw’s YouTube audience, it occurred during a pivotal time for Eddie Hall. After a five-year hiatus from the strongman stage, Hall had announced his return for the "World’s Strongest Nation" contest. This event, scheduled for November 26, 2022, at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, was designed as a team-based format rather than the traditional individual format of the World’s Strongest Man.
Hall was appointed as the captain for Team UK, a role that required him to not only compete in select events but also lead a roster of British athletes against a contingent from the United States. The American team was captained by Martins Licis, the 2019 World’s Strongest Man champion. This return to competition signaled a new chapter for Hall, moving away from the "super-heavyweight" 2017 form and toward a more versatile, "athletic" version of a strongman.
Brian Shaw’s involvement in the video served as a bridge between his role as an active competitor and his growing influence as a promoter and media personality. Shaw’s own competition, the Shaw Classic, has become one of the premier events on the strongman calendar, offering some of the highest prize purses in the sport’s history. By filming at a mainstream location like Planet Fitness, Shaw continues to broaden the reach of the sport, demystifying the "giant" persona of strongmen for a general audience.
Analysis of Implications for Gym Culture
The visit of Shaw and Hall to a Planet Fitness raises broader questions regarding the inclusivity of commercial gym spaces. While Planet Fitness markets itself as a "judgment-free" environment, its equipment limitations effectively exclude certain types of athletes. The absence of heavy dumbbells (typically capped at 75 pounds) and the prohibition of certain movements create a ceiling for strength progression.
From a journalistic perspective, the event highlights three key trends in the fitness industry:
- The Rise of the "Influencer" Workout: Elite athletes are increasingly using "fish out of water" scenarios to generate engagement on social media platforms. By placing world-class strength in a novice environment, they create relatable yet extraordinary content.
- The Equipment Gap: There is a widening gap between "big box" gyms focused on high-volume memberships and specialized "black box" or "hardcore" gyms that cater to powerlifting, strongman, and Olympic weightlifting.
- The Versatility of Elite Strength: The ability of Shaw and Hall to complete a workout using sub-optimal equipment demonstrates that at the highest levels of sport, the athlete’s effort and adaptability are more critical than the specific brand of machinery used.
Conclusion
The session at Planet Fitness, while unconventional, provided a rare look at how the world’s strongest individuals interact with the fitness infrastructure used by the average citizen. Though the "Lunk Alarm" remained silent, the presence of Shaw and Hall served as a loud reminder of the physical possibilities of the human body. As Hall prepared for his return to the international stage in Liverpool and Shaw continued to build his legacy through the Shaw Classic, this Colorado workout stands as a unique moment of crossover between the niche world of professional strongman and the mainstream fitness landscape.
The logistical hurdles they faced—from fitting into seats to maxing out weight stacks—underscored the reality that these athletes are, in many ways, built for a world different from the one served by commercial health clubs. Nevertheless, their successful completion of the session proved that even in a "Judgment Free Zone," the pursuit of strength remains a universal endeavor.
