Meet Jeff King, Champion Armwrestler

Hi Jeff - how long have you been armwrestling?

11 years since May 1993.

How did you get started?

Well like many kids I armwrestled all the time in high school. Because I worked out a lot that was something to do too at dances as I wasn't a popular kid I had to do something! :-)) Then while in college I found out about armwrestling and we saw a tournament coming up at a bar nearby so I tried it for real for the first time then.

What happened?

I won my first match and that was it.

What have you done since then?

Well I got involved in armwrestling there in London, Ontario training with guys like Murray Park, Rick Baarbe, Mark Gardiner, Crazy George, Mark Zalepa to name a few that your readers might know.

Well what exactly have you won all over the world?

I won the Ontario's 1996, Michigan State AM 1995, Worlds handicapped 60 kg. + sit down class in 1998 (Thunder Bay), I would love to do sit down armwrestling again. Canadians 1996 (6th at 176 dropped too much weight and everything went wrong!), 1998 (3rd at 198, good comeback but tore a medial elbow tendon in my semi final match.) Took off 1999 due to injuries. 2002 (6th at 220 after 3rd at provincials fouled out, was stupid mistake.), 2003 4th in the 220 at 203 after 2nd in Ontario at 198),1998 WORLD NATIONAL WRISTWRESTLING "WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS" 3rd in final after winning qualifier. Only the second time I'd done wristwrestling.

Armwrestling Workouts?

Practice 1x a week 1 1/2 to 3 hours (Hamilton at my place with the 2 other pullers I coach or in London with their team there.) Heavy power training and as a big tournament approaches train with heavy (80 - 85% of heaviest for an exercise for 2 sets each with max reps and sometimes doing "drop sets" with dropping the weight after failure to a lighter one and repping out with that and then dropping the weight after failure to a lighter one and repping out with that one more time, rest and repeat. Static Holds, CAPTAINS OF CRUSH GRIPPERS, ROLLING THUNDER 1 hand deadlift with revolving 2" handle. Chin ups and Dips with added weight, Farmers' Walk and the old ROSS'S ARMWRESTLER machine.

Recommendations For New Armwrestlers?

Practice with bigger, stronger and more experienced armwrestlers and different ones too if you can. Then you'll be stronger against opponents in your own weight class. (my training partner is 330 lbs. and 6'6". Training against someone like that each week makes a BIG DIFFERENCE compared to someone 198 or 220 lbs. in my normal class) Also, for a woman armwrestler to get better she should train against men for the same reason.

Thanks Jeff!