ProSource: What initially drew you to such a unique sport such as strongman?
Madewell: This sport is
intense. When you hear people use the phrase 'blood, sweat and tears,' that describes it.No day is ever the same. But outside of that intensity, the athletes you compete with are friendly and help each other. It may be surprising, but I've never seen such a friendly sport.
ProSource: Outside of the grueling training, of course, what are the biggest obstacles you face as you climb the ranks?

Madewell: There's not a lot of money -- you really do this sport for the love of the game. So it hasn't been easy to round up the funds to get me ready to compete. It's also a challenge working my training and competition schedule around my family, school, and my regular job as a heavy machine operator.

ProSource: How did you begin? What were your first steps?
Madewell: I starting powerlifting and lifting weights at the age of 17, and I loved it. I got to meet some great powerlifters along the way. A couple years went by and something was just missing -- I wanted more. I wanted my dream, to compete in strongman events. But I had no idea where to go to start, and wondered, 'Who do I talk to?'
So I went online and simply started searching for strongman contest locations, and wouldn't you know, one popped up close to me. I couldn't believe it! So I called this well-known strongman, Orie Barnett, who lives near me, and I asked him if I could train with him. I told him of my dream to be the World's Strongest Man one day. I said, "Give me one shot." Now we're great friends and train together every day.
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ProSource: What was it like at the very beginning? Was it what you had imagined?
Madewell: My first week was great. It was actually nothing like traditional weightlifting. My training consisted of picking up big stones, pushing trucks down the alley, and flipping tractor tires. It made working out fun! I fell in love with the sport.
ProSource: How did you develop your training program?
Madewell: I created my own workout program. I keep it simple, just trying to work one or two body parts per training day.
ProSource: How did your nutritional strategy change in order to fuel the strength gains you were after?
Madewell: I had to really up my calories from carbohydrates and protein. I would eat five small meals per day, and lots of chicken and fish. I didn't ever get so meticulous as to use a food log, and I didn't measure my food, but I did keep mental track of what I was eating. I also increased the amount of water I drank daily; I always carried a gallon of water with me.
ProSource: What supplements do you rely on?
Madewell: I use
Supreme Protein powder,
Supreme Protein bars, pure creatine monohydrate, HMB, and a daily vitamin/mineral supplement. They all help me with my endurance, recovery and strength. The Supreme Protein powder contains the best combination of a high-quality protein blend and terrific taste that I know of. I guess that comes from the Supreme Protein bars, which I also enjoy a lot. It's amazing that the Supreme Protein people have managed to get so much whey isolate into their protein blend and still have a
bar that tastes better than candy, in my opinion. I notice when I take these products, I always feel more energized for my training sessions -- I'm primed to push myself to the limit, and my body feels right and ready to go.