Nick Best has garnered recognition for his jaw-dropping displays of strength, recording remarkable lifts over the years and setting world records. Nevertheless, Best’s time in the gym has not always gone smoothly, with incidents occurring periodically. One such event, however, proved to be a blessing in disguise. In a recent appearance on the Shaw Strength podcast, Best revealed how an unsuccessful bench press attempt resulted in the detection of cancer in his body, which ultimately saved his life.
Nick Best: A Career in Strength Sports
Nick Best’s rise to prominence began in powerlifting, where he established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Best demonstrated his potential by winning the USAPL National Powerlifting Championships in the 125-kg category in both 1996 and 1997, as well as the WDFPF World Powerlifting Championships. After a few years as a powerlifter, Best moved on to Strongman competitions. In 2010, he emerged as a promising Strongman contender, claiming victory in the All-American Strongman Challenge. The win secured his qualification for the Arnold Strongman Classic, where he finished ninth, and he has regularly qualified for the World’s Strongest Man over the last decade.
Nick Best: An Impressive Display of Strength at 53
In November 2021, Best left his fans in awe by performing a massive 500-pound (226.79-kg) deadlift for 50 repetitions at the age of 53. Best went on to detail a rigorous back day workout after the age-defying feat to motivate his followers further. Best then teamed up with legendary Strongman contender Brian Shaw, a four-time World’s Strongest Man champion, for an intense back training session at bodybuilding icon Flex Lewis’ gym in Las Vegas.
Best and Shaw: A Power-Packed Partnership
Best and Shaw’s partnership continued to strengthen with another impressive workout in January 2022. The duo completed a series of heavy exercises aimed at the upper body, including a huge 500-lb bench press. They teamed up again for a tough lower-body training session a month later, which included a colossal 480-lb hip thrust exercise as part of the challenging leg day workout.
Powerlifting Legend Nick Best Sets Two World Records at the 2022 WRPF FQ Classic 2
Nick Best made history at the 2022 WRPF FQ Classic 2 powerlifting contest by setting two WRPF Masters World Records. The 54-year-old athlete accomplished a 372.5-kilogram (821.5-pound) squat and locked out a 337.5-kilogram (744-pound) deadlift. Additionally, he equaled the Total World Record in the 140-kilogram weight class. These accomplishments were a testament to Best’s unparalleled strength and dedication to the sport of powerlifting.
Nick Best Continues to Amaze with Massive 700-lb Deadlift Reps
In July 2022, Nick Best demonstrated his remarkable strength by performing an enormous 700-pound (317.5-kilogram) 13-inch deadlift for eight reps. At the 2022 Clash of the Masters, he improved on this feat by completing 10 reps of 700 pounds on the 13-inch deadlift, earning a bronze medal in the process. These accomplishments showcase Best’s continued dominance in the sport of powerlifting and solidify his legacy as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Nick Best Retires from Professional Strongman Competition
Following a glittering 16-year career in professional Strongman competition, Nick Best announced his retirement from the sport. Just days before his 54th birthday in November 2021, Best smashed a 600-pound (272-kilogram) deadlift for 16 reps, further cementing his status as a legend in the world of strength sports. While his retirement marked the end of an era, Best’s accomplishments and impact on the sport will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come.
Powerlifting Veteran Nick Best Credits Failed Bench Press Attempt for Saving His Life
Nick Best, a powerlifting and strongman veteran, credits a failed bench press attempt for detecting cancer in his body and saving his life in time.
“My wife’s an ER nurse and so nothing really phases her unless it’s really serious,” said Best. “She’s kind of looking at me, watching me breathe and she’s seeing the spasm, and she’s like we better go get that looked at. Let’s get you to the ER. We went in the next 30 minutes. I couldn’t take deep breaths until they gave me the muscle relaxants to get my diaphragm from spasming, just real shallow short breaths. They told me we need to get a CT scan to make sure there’s no internal bleeding.
The guy was kinda feeling around, poking up in the top part of my rib cage and he goes like I don’t know. We need to get some film on it. Kelly’s like okay fine let’s do it just be safe. Turns out I had a hematoma, which isn’t the end of the world, that’s going to heal and go away. Both sides of my ribs are bruised because the rib cage gives and where it stops giving that’s where I got the injuries so it was right in my serrates. It wasn’t very pleasant.
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Got through that and he brought this other doctor in, my wife knows him, he’s not someone that messes around when he comes into the room, it’s usually something serious. He goes, we’ve had an incidental finding and that’s when they found the tumor in my kidney. He says there’s a growth in your kidney, it’s completely inside the kidney but you need to go get another CT scan in two days because they gave me contrast and they can’t do that back to back.
Two days later, we got another CT scan and in which time, got the film, an appointment scheduled, and a couple weeks later, he sent me for another CT scan because look we have a mass there, can’t tell if it’s a cancerous tumor or fatty tumor. We’re going to need to get a biopsy stuff like that, went in for another CT scan, got a better look at it then he sent me for a biopsy but couldn’t get me comfortable because they laying on my belly, got to go through the back, where it was sitting out of my kidney. They were going to have to go through my lung into the kidney. The doctor said we can’t do this today. It just hurt so bad on the ribs they couldn’t. I couldn’t move at all because the needles.
“They’re going off the CT scans but the doc’s concern is it could be a fatty tumor in which case if it was they could go in cauterize blood vessels in the kidney that are supplying the fatty tumor in and it’ll go away. So, you can’t tell the difference. I’m like doc with an MRI be able to be enough of a view in a 3D view to give you a better idea whether it’s fat or something else. He goes yeah the MRI will work so we went in again. I got an MRI and this is all within a month.”
Nick Best Continues to Impress With Heavy Deadlift at 2022 Olympia Expo
Powerlifting and strongman veteran Nick Best continues to showcase his strength and ability, even in his mid-50s. At the 2022 Olympia expo in December, he made a significant impression by performing a heavy 600-lb (272.2-kg) deadlift for 15 repetitions, displaying his impressive fitness and endurance.
Best has had a long and successful career in powerlifting and strongman competitions, with several championship wins and world records to his name. He has also overcome challenges along the way, including a health scare that led to the early detection and treatment of cancer in his body.
Despite these obstacles, Best remains committed to his fitness and strength goals, regularly collaborating with fellow strongmen like Brian Shaw to push his limits in training and competitions. With his continued dedication and impressive performances, Nick Best remains one of the strongest and most admired athletes in the world of strength sports.
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Overview
Nick Best, a veteran powerlifter and strongman, has made waves in the strength sports world with his remarkable displays of power and endurance. He began his career in powerlifting, winning multiple championships, before transitioning to Strongman competitions in which he regularly qualified for the World’s Strongest Man contest. At the age of 53, he stunned fans with a 500-pound deadlift for 50 repetitions, and continued to impress with a series of rigorous workouts alongside fellow Strongman Brian Shaw. Best further solidified his status as a powerlifting legend at the 2022 WRPF FQ Classic 2, setting two world records and equalling the Total World Record in the 140-kilogram weight class. Despite his retirement from professional Strongman competition, Best’s impact on the sport is undeniable, and he credits a failed bench press attempt with ultimately saving his life by detecting cancer in his body.
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