Laurence Shahlaei

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Laurence Shahlaei

| nickname = Big Loz / Uncle Loz

| image = Laurence Shahlaei.JPG

| image_size = 220px

| caption = Shahlaei in 2009

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|12|25|df=y}}

| birth_place = Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

| education =

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=2}}

| weight = {{convert|145-160|kg}}

| sport = Strongman

| medaltemplates = {{CompetitionRecordSport | Strongman}}

{{CompetitionRecordCountry| {{flagu|United Kingdom}} }}

{{CompetitionRecordCompetition | WSF World Strongmen Championships}}

{{CompetitionRecordCountry| {{flagu|England}} }}

{{CompetitionRecordCountry | {{IRN}} }}

| other_names =

| footnotes =

| module = {{Infobox YouTube personality|embed=yes

| channel_handle = @BigLozOfficial

| channel_display_name = Big Loz Official

| years_active = 2016–present

| genre = Strength Training/Strongman

| subscribers = 156k

| subscriber_date = 29 December 2024

| views = 71.58 million

| view_date = 29 December 2024

| silver_button = yes

| silver_year = 2022

}}

Laurence Cristiaan David Shahlaei (born 25 December 1982) is an English YouTuber, strength sports commentator, analyst, coach, and a retired strongman and powerlifting competitor. He is most noted for winning the 2016 Europe's Strongest Man competition.{{Cite news |date=2016-07-17 |title=Game of Thrones star loses European strongman title to Swindon man |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36819042 |access-date=2024-11-08 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

He has made the finals of the World's Strongest Man competition 5 times, winning fourth place in 2011.{{Cite web |title=Strongman Archives - 2011 WSM Final |url=https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=130 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=strongmanarchives.com}} He also won fifth place at the 2018 World's Ultimate Strongman,{{Cite web |title=Strongman Archives - 2018 WUS Dubai |url=https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=176 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=strongmanarchives.com}} and seventh place at the 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic.{{Cite web |title=Strongman Archives - 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic |url=https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=214 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=strongmanarchives.com}} He is also the winner of England's Strongest Man (2009) and Britain's Strongest Man (2012, 2013) at the national circuit.

Early life

Shahlaei was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.{{Cite web |url=http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/sport/news/Shahlaei-England-s-strongest/article-1153427-detail/article.html |title=Shahlaei is England's strongest in www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk |access-date=18 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090716034031/http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/sport/news/Shahlaei-England-s-strongest/article-1153427-detail/article.html |archive-date=16 July 2009 |url-status=dead }} 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 where he developed his passion towards strength sports.

Strongman career

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 (Shahlaei did not compete in the WSM qualifier titled "England's Strongest Man", which replaced the Britain's Strongest Man contest in 2009 and was won by Terry Hollands). His favourite strongman events are the Squat for reps, Farmer's walk, and Super Yoke, while his least favourite is the Atlas stones.{{Cite web |date=2013-01-30 |title=Burnley company reveals deal with Britain's strongest man |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/10195145.burnley-company-reveals-deal-britains-strongest-man/ |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=Lancashire Telegraph |language=en |archive-date=12 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612080349/https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/10195145.burnley-company-reveals-deal-britains-strongest-man/ |url-status=live }}

In his career spanning across 15 years, Shahlaei has competed in 55 international competitions and won 8 of them{{Cite web |url=https://strongmanarchives.com/viewAthlete.php?id=73 |title=Laurence Shahlaei |access-date=8 April 2022 |website=strongmanarchives.com |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301190338/https://www.strongmanarchives.com/viewAthlete.php?id=73 |url-status=live }} including his best win, the 2016 Europe's Strongest Man. He also managed to win 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 placed 5th in a stacked field of 12.{{Cite web |url=https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=176 |title=2018 WUS Dubai |access-date=8 April 2022 |website=strongmanarchives.com |archive-date=17 January 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240117035709/https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=176 |url-status=live }} He also placed 7th in the 2012 Arnold Strongman Classic, widely considered the heaviest and most difficult strongman competition in the world.{{Cite news|url=https://barbend.com/world-top-strongman/|title=Which Event Really Finds The World's Top Strongman?|date=6 February 2017|work=Christo Bland for Barbend.com|access-date=12 April 2022|archive-date=4 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204022154/https://barbend.com/world-top-strongman/|url-status=live}} His final competition was the 2021 Giants Live Strongman Classic where he won 7th place.

Other work

Shahlaei had an acting role in the film The Golden Compass (2007).{{Cite web |date=2007-06-09 |title='I am iron man' says weight lifter |url=https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/1452224.i-am-iron-man-says-weight-lifter/ |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=Stroud News and Journal |language=en |archive-date=12 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612080350/https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/1452224.i-am-iron-man-says-weight-lifter/ |url-status=live }} 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 has become a popular strongman analyst and commentator. Alongside his wife Elizabeth, they maintain a YouTube channel titled Big Loz Official. {{Cite web |title=Big Loz Official - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/@BigLozOfficial |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612080349/https://www.youtube.com/@BigLozOfficial |archive-date=12 June 2023 |access-date=2023-06-12 |website=www.youtube.com}} Since 2016, the channel has covered many strongman-related topics including training, event coverage, athletes and competition analysis, strongman history, trivia, predictions, new developments and live Q&A sessions with strongman fans, and has released more than 1,500 videos.

On 2 May 2020, Shahlaei was the official commentator of Hafþór 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 an official commentator at the 2022 Rogue Invitational{{Cite web |last=Blechman |first=Phil |date=2022-10-29 |title=2022 Rogue Invitational Strongman Results |url=https://barbend.com/2022-rogue-invitational-strongman-results/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=BarBend |language=en-US |archive-date=18 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518041058/https://barbend.com/2022-rogue-invitational-strongman-results/ |url-status=live }} and 2024 Shaw Classic.

Shahlaei also runs a coaching business, with a number of his clients competing in major strongman competitions. In 2023, he coached Mitchell Hooper to both the Arnold Strongman Classic and World's Strongest Man titles,{{Cite web |last=Lockridge |first=Roger |date=2023-04-25 |title=Laurence "Big Loz" Shahlaei Recaps 2023 World's Strongest Man Finals, Reacts to Coaching Client Mitchell Hooper's Win |url=https://breakingmuscle.com/laurence-shahlaei-big-loz-2023-worlds-strongest-man-finals-recap/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Breaking Muscle |language=en-US |archive-date=25 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725145813/https://breakingmuscle.com/laurence-shahlaei-big-loz-2023-worlds-strongest-man-finals-recap/ |url-status=live }} and also trains 2018 World's Strongest Woman (WSW) champion Andrea Thompson and 2022 America's Strongest Man (ASM) champion Bobby Thompson among a few others.

Personal life

Shahlaei and his wife, Elizabeth (Liz) Mason, live in Swindon, Wiltshire.[https://web.archive.org/web/20101222042401/http://theworldsstrongestman.com/laurence_shahlaei.php Profile on archive.org's copy of Official WSM site]

They have 3 children{{Cite web |url=https://mirafit.co.uk/athletes/big-loz-team-mirafit |title=BIG LOZ |access-date=5 April 2022 |website=mirafit.co.uk |archive-date=30 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130094814/https://mirafit.co.uk/athletes/big-loz-team-mirafit/ |url-status=live }} daughters Ava, Alexa and son Lewis, whom Shahlaei described as his greatest achievements.

Personal records

Powerlifting

Squat – {{convert|380|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (2020 Tattooed and Strong)
Bench press – {{convert|227.5|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (2020 Tattooed and Strong)
Deadlift – {{convert|385|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (2016 Tattooed and Strong)
Total – {{convert|960|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} ({{convert|365 + 220 + 375|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}}) (2017 GPC-GB Salisbury Qualifier){{cite web |title=2011 Laurence Shahlaei (M) |url=https://www.openpowerlifting.org/u/laurenceshahlaei |website=Openpowerlifting.org |author=GPC-GB | date=9 April 2022 | access-date=10 April 2022}}

Strongman

Deadlift – {{convert|435|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (2014 Europe's Strongest Man) Shahlaei previously held the joint-strongman deadlift record with {{convert|430|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} in 2011 Giants Live London
Giant Barbell Squat (for reps) – {{convert|317.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} × 12 reps (single-ply suit w/ wraps) (2017 World's Strongest Man)
Keg drop Squat – {{convert|265-360|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} x 7 reps in 25.67 seconds (2008 World's Strongest Man - Group 4) (World Record){{cite web|url=https://strengthrecord.com/strongman-world-records/#S2 |title=STRENGTH RECORD, Section 02 - Squats |website=www.strengthrecord.com |access-date=9 April 2025}}
Log press – {{convert|185|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (2011 SCL South Africa)
Axle press – {{convert|205|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (2010 Giants Live Turkey)
Dumbbell press – {{convert|100|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} x 4 repetitions (2018 Giants Live North American Open)
Dumbbell press – {{convert|90|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} x 8 repetitions (2017 UK's Strongest Man)
Max Atlas stone – {{convert|200|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} x 3 times over a 4 ft bar (2013 SCL FIBO)
Atlas stones – 5 stones {{convert|100-180|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} in 20.75 seconds (2016 Britain's Strongest Man)
Atlas stones – 5 stones {{convert|140-200|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} in 30.80 seconds (2016 Europe's Strongest Man)
Dinnie Stone carry in farmers walk style (with the original stones) – {{convert|332|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} for 22 ft 4 in (6.81 m) (World Record){{cite web|url=https://strengthrecord.com/strongman-world-records/#S8 |title=STRENGTH RECORD, Section 08 - Stonelifting (Irregular stones) |website=www.strengthrecord.com |access-date=10 April 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://barbend.com/laurence-shahlaei-dinnie-stones-world-record-22-feet-4-inches/|title=Strongman Laurence Shahlaei Breaks Dinnie Stones Carry World Record Of 22 Feet, 4 Inches|date=7 August 2023|work=Roger Lockridge for Barbend|access-date=15 August 2023|archive-date=15 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815080951/https://barbend.com/laurence-shahlaei-dinnie-stones-world-record-22-feet-4-inches/|url-status=live}}
Bavarian Stonelift – {{convert|275|kg|lb|abbr=on}} for 81cm (2012 SCL FIBO)
Super yoke – {{convert|580|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (15 meter course) in 16.49 seconds (2018 World's Ultimate Strongman) (World Record){{cite web|url=https://strengthrecord.com/strongman-world-records/#S9 |title=STRENGTH RECORD, Section 09 - Hip lifts & Back carries |website=www.strengthrecord.com |access-date=11 April 2025}}
Car Walk – {{convert|450|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} (20 meter course) in 11.05 seconds (2016 Europe's Strongest Man) (former world record)
Keg toss – 7 kegs ({{convert|18-25|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}}) over {{convert|4.00|m|ftin}} in 40.96 seconds (2011 World's Strongest Man - Group 2)
Basque Circle – {{convert|363|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} 233° rotation (2018 World's Strongest Man - Group 1)
Basque Circle – {{convert|300|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} 710° rotation (2014 Britain's Strongest Man)
Thor's Hammer one arm grip lift – 113 kg (250 lb) (2021 Rogue Invitational){{Cite web|url=https://barbend.com/martins-licis-world-record-300-pound-thors-hammer/|title=Martins Licis Sets World Record in Thor's Hammer Lift - The record going into the event was owned by Hafthor Bjornsson|date=1 August 2023|work=Roger Lockridge and Phil Blechman for Barbend|access-date=15 August 2023|archive-date=15 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815074534/https://barbend.com/martins-licis-world-record-300-pound-thors-hammer/|url-status=live}}
Captains of Crush – No. 3 gripper with {{convert|127|kg|lb|abbr=on|0|}} of pressure

Competitive record

Winning percentage: 14.54%
Podium percentage: 41.81%

class="wikitable"
! style="background: gold;"\|1st ! style="background: silver;"\|2nd ! style="background: #c96;"\|3rd ! Podium ! 4th ! 5th ! 6th ! 7th ! 8th ! 9th ! 10th ! 11th ! 12th ! 13th ! Total
International competitions \| 8 \| 9 \| 6 \| style="background: #EEEEEE;"\|23 \| 5 \| 2 \| 3 \| 5 \| 2 \| 2 \| 3 \| 1 \| 0 \| 1 \| style="background: #EEEEEE;"\|55

class="wikitable"

! style="background: gold;"|1st

! style="background: silver;"|2nd

! style="background: #c96;"|3rd

! Podium

! 4th

! 5th

! 6th

! 7th

! 8th

! 9th

! 10th

! 11th

! 12th

! 13th

! Total

International competitions

| 8

| 9

| 6

| style="background: #EEEEEE;"|23

| 5

| 2

| 3

| 5

| 2

| 3

| 1

| 0

| 1

| style="background: #EEEEEE;"|55

Filmography

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
2008-2011, 2013–2019 \| World's Strongest Man \| Himself – Competitor \|
2007 \| The Golden Compass \| \|
2011 \| Deal or No Deal \| Contestant \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

2008-2011, 2013–2019

| World's Strongest Man

| Himself – Competitor

2007

| The Golden Compass

2011

| Deal or No Deal