Devon Larratt is considered the most famous arm wrestler in the world. The 6'5" 283-pound Canadian is a multiple WAL (World Arm Wrestling League) Heavyweight Champion who uses both his right and left hands and has an impressive reputation for beating men taller than himself as the strongest man in the world, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson "the mountain" among others.
Larratt's love of arm wrestling began at a young age of 5 thanks to his grandmother who got him started in a sport that would forever be a part of his life.
"I've been involved with several arm wrestling clubs, toured the world and played in just about every single league there is," says Larratt. "I was a student and a fan of the sport as much as I am a competitor."
When Devon Larratt was about 18 years old he met a pro who introduced him to the real arm wrestling scene and he was hooked. "I fell in love with her and never really went back," says Larratt. "I've never taken my eyes off it since, and I'm 47 now, so it's been a solid 30 years of competitive arm wrestling."
There are no borders
Larratt's amazing stamina, strength, and no-limits mindset have proven to be the recipe for success in his armwrestling career, helping him defeat Michael "the Monster" Todd at King of the Table 1 to defeat the greatest of all time, John Brzenk, in Draw King of the Table 2.
But he won't stop there. Larrett is now set to take on seven-time armwrestling world champion, six-time European champion and 2017 World Cup winner Levan Saginashvili. At 415 pounds, the "Georgian Hulk" is considered a force to be reckoned with in the art of pulling - Saginashvili's incredibly intense power speaks for itself.
On June 25th, the two strongest armwrestlers of this generation will face off in the King of the Table 4 Main Event live on Core Sports. It's already considered the most anticipated arm wrestling of all time. And while Larrett is considered a bit of an underdog, he comes into play in this match stronger than ever.
Courtesy of Devon Larratt
A look inside Devon Larratt's sport-specific training
One look at Larratt's physique and you'll probably be wondering just how much he can curl up. Though his arms are massive, training for max reps and pushing to failure is a thing of the past for the arm grappler.
"I rarely test my one-rep max because I don't believe in failure," says Larratt. "I think failing in training is a really bad idea and very counterproductive," he says. Devon Larratt rarely gets anywhere near his max and finds that he benefits much more from consistency and good volume. t to mention trying to stay injury free.
"When you're doing max lifts and max attempts, it's only a matter of time before you hurt yourself," he says. "You can't really train like that without injuring yourself at some point." Max efforts, he says, are saved for the competition.
And after suffering arm wrestling injuries that led to three surgeries (one surgery resulted in a cup of bone spurs and calcification being removed from his right elbow), it's safe to say Larratt is now training smarter when it comes down to it to work on specific power.
So what does Larratt's training look like? Arm wrestling a lot, focusing on the movements that are important for the arm wrestling table, and arm wrestling with weights or rubber bands. "If you practice the movements, you'll definitely get stronger," he says.
“There's a lot of connective tissue stress in arm wrestling; It's very tough on your tendons and ligaments, and the volume and work I do has a kind of healing effect on those connective structures," he adds.
Devon Larratt is physically and mentally ready to dominate the Georgian Hulk
"I don't think I've ever been this good at right-handed arm wrestling in my entire life," says Limits. Music to the ears of his legions of fans. And while he knows he's not the favorite to win, he always believes he can.
"Even though I know the odds are against me, I always believe I can do it and I believe I see myself as a winner," he says.
The one thing Devon Larratt seems to excel at his arm wrestling peers is endurance, and Larratt agrees. "Whether it's just stamina in a physical sense or stamina from a technical and efficient perspective, I tend to outlast my opponents - that's a big part of my wins and a big part of my strategy," he explains.
So when it comes to battling the Georgian Hulk, Larratt relies on his stamina to outlast him.
Larratt continues, "My opponent is hands down the number one arm wrestler on the planet and possibly the strongest arm wrestler that has ever lived that way if I can somehow find ways to stop him and slow him down and prolong the match and manage stamina, that is, this is my path to victory.”
NO MATTER WHO YOU 'DRAW' FOR - DON'T MISS THE GAME ON 25TH JUNE 2022 on Core Sports -
