Laurence Shahlaei

Shahlaei was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire,[2] his father is Iranian from Kermanshah and his mother is English from Newcastle upon Tyne. He attended Balcarras School, and later moved to Stroud, Gloucestershire.[2]

Shahlaei started strongman training in 2005 and entered his first novice competition that year, where he finished 8th. Within two years, he entered his first Britain's Strongest Man ("BSM"), having won the Midlands qualifier. In that competition, he made a huge impact, making it to the final, only to tear his biceps in the tyre flip, which forced him to withdraw. He won the Midlands qualifier again in 2008, and once again made the final, this time finishing 4th behind Jimmy Marku, Terry Hollands, and Mark Felix. This placing landed him an invite to the World's Strongest Man in 2008. He did not make the final.

In 2009, four years after beginning strongman, he became the UKSC Midlands Strongest Man and also won the UKSC England's Strongest Man, citing this, alongside his WSM 2008 squat win, as the greatest moment of his career (the WSM qualifier titled "England's Strongest Man", which replaced the Britain's Strongest Man contest in 2009, was won by Terry Hollands and Shahlaei did not compete in that). His favourite strongman events are the Squat for reps, Farmer's walk and Super Yoke because those are a good test of natural strength coupled with his world class grip strength (having closed the Captains of Crush No. 3 gripper). His least favourite strongman event is the Atlas stones.

In his career spanning across 15 years, Shahlaei has competed in 55 international competitions and have won 8 of them[3] including his best win, the 2016 Europe's Strongest Man. He also managed to win the 4th place at the 2011 World's Strongest Man while securing 7th, 9th, 9th and 10th places in 2017, 2009, 2014 and 2016. Laurence also competed in the inaugural World's Ultimate Strongman competition in Dubai at the Bab al-Shams Arena in October 2018. He won the 5th place from a stacked field of 12.[4] He also won the 7th place in the 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic which is widely considered the heaviest and the most difficult strongman competition in the world.[5] His final competition was 2021 Giants Live Strongman Classic where he won 7th place.

In powerlifting

• Squat max: 380 kg (838 lb) (2020 Tattooed and Strong)
• Bench press max: 227.5 kg (502 lb) (2020 Tattooed and Strong)
• Deadlift max: 385 kg (849 lb) (2016 Tattooed and Strong)
• Total: 960 kg (2,116 lb) (365|220|375) (2017 GPC-GB Salisbury Qualifier)[6]

In strongman

• Squat: 317.5 kg (700 lb) x 12 reps (2017 World's Strongest Man)
• Log press: 185 kg (408 lb) (2011 SCL South Africa)
• Axle press: 205 kg (452 lb) (2010 Giants Live Turkey)
• Deadlift: 435 kg (959 lb) (2014 Europe's Strongest Man)
• Dumbbell press: 100 kg (220 lb) x 4 repetitions (2018 Giants Live North American Open)
• Dumbbell press: 90 kg (198 lb) x 8 repetitions (2017 UK's Strongest Man)
• Car Walk: 450 kg (992 lb) for 20 meters in 11.05 secs (2016 Europe's Strongest Man)

Other

• Current world record holder in the Dinnie Stone carry in farmers walk style – 14 ft 10 in[7]
• Closing the Captains of Crush No.3 gripper

Shahlaei has said that he would like to set up a sports-related business in the future, but his dream is to become an actor. He had a role in The Golden Compass (2007). On 19 August 2011, Shahlaei competed on Deal or No Deal, where he won £20,000 and lifted presenter Noel Edmonds up above his head. In August 2012, Shahlaei opened a personal training business in Swindon, Wiltshire. Shahlaei has since written various training programs which he sells via his website, as well as various other merchandise labeled 'Team Loz'.

Since retiring from competition, Shahlaei become a popular analyst and commentator alongside his wife Elizabeth and maintain a YouTube channel Big Loz Official which is sponsored by 'Mirafit', a popular strength and conditioning equipment Store in the UK. Since 2016, the channel has covered many strongman-related topics including training, event coverage, athletes and competition analysis, strongman history, and live Q&A sessions with strongman fans, and has released more than 1,100 videos. Known as one of the most knowledgeable people in the world of strongman, Shahlaei considers Lithuania's Žydrūnas Savickas to be the greatest strongman of all time and Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson to be the strongest strongman of all time.

On 2 May 2020, Shahlaei was the official commentator on Björnsson's 501 kg world record deadlift done in World's Ultimate Strongman Feats of Strength series during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic. He was also the official commentator along with Brian Shaw at the 2022 Rogue Invitational. Shahlaei has also run a coaching business, with a number of his clients competing in Giants Live shows. In 2023, he coached Mitchell Hooper to both the Arnold Strongman Classic and World's Strongest Man titles.

Shahlaei and his wife, Elizabeth (Liz) Mason, live in Swindon, Wiltshire.[8] They have 3 children;[9] daughters Ava, Alexa and son Lewis, whom Shahlaei described as his greatest achievements. Shahlaei has been open about his struggles with depression.

• Profile on Official WSM site