Very unusual to get such a long interview and with all these questions been answered by the greatest of our sport. please give the video a like and leave a comment if you enjoyed it. Thanks guys! ☕If you really liked it you can even buy me a cup of coffee:) www.buymeacoffee.com/mattrhodes
Your aces mate. Just checked out his insta, I get it isnt exactly what you said but the while first page of Google was garbage, and I saw him doing SBD equipment log lift for reps, and yeah, selfies with Eddie hall( no hate i subscribe to everyone as a fan just of course Eddie got a selfie with Big Z which as a judge he was careful to appear with contestants during) Thanks. I haven't really reached out to strength athletes overseas other than novikov or big loz as a Western/American fan on Google or social media I wrongly ignored it. Stupid me. Thanks again.
You can see he's becoming very fluent in English speaking, it wasn't always like this but now it seems he's realising it would benefit his brand and would really please his fans who wants to know more about him, so now he can finally sit down do a interview in English language
This guys career is on another level! He's not just the greatest in this sport , he is undoubtedly one of the greatest athletes to ever walk the planet.. it doesn't matter whether we are talking about the greatest ever Olympians, the greatest soccer players or whatever .. this guy ranks alongside them all.. a bloody lovely fella too, respect 👊🏻
Without you and Big Loz I wouldn't have anything to watch on RUclips. Thanks for the content. I would love to see if you could get Bill Kazmeier on here. Good interview.
Imagine me, only recently getting into strongman competitions, just now finding out about this guy! Amazing accomplishments. (I'm only just starting to expand my awareness beyond Eddie, Thor and Brian.)
This is by far some of the greatest strongman content that will be watched for years to come by new fans who learn about the athletes as we get further away from their comp days! Thanks for documenting and putting all of it together for us! 🤘🏻
You can tell he is the greatest by the way he takes a compliment. He doesn't get embarrassed but acknowledges it so nonchalantly as if to say, "Yes, you're right, that was amazing when I did that!"
Holly molly, the legend himself, Big Z. I like the insights he gave on IFSA split and Mariusz. Also I had no idea that something like Zydrunas Classic even existed, I can't find any info about it tho.
@@MattRhodesSport yes very genuine person, no bullshit, no underestimating no over estimating, no excuses, just facts as they are. "I was stronger then Marius" :)
Only one minute in and this is so exciting! Amazing job Matt situation these interviews with such legends for your audience, let alone Big Z. I can only imagine the excitement to meet him in person.
this is so cool i cant believe that you actually got a real interview with big z. 😲 love the video @ Matt Rhodes Sport. cant wait to see what awesome content you make next. stay fresh and hydrated 😄✌
When you asked "when did you first realize you were strong?" Damn... I have seen a lot of interviews but the question is always, when did you get interested in lifting, or fall in love with the gym, or why did you. I hope you understand how exactly perfect this question, and the follow up about age and family is EXACTLY, what we as your subscribers want to know. I watched that two minute segment up til "what did you want to be if not strongman" about 4 times. If I could point to someone why I follow you, it would be that exact interaction. The follow up, and the insight you gave us after the "hard to pronounce Žydrūnas" we have all heard is what makes this channel worth it.
Great interview Matt. Real in depth. Big Z is the G.O.A.T of strongman. Thanks to both for this video. Got a lot of answers to questions I have been wondering about for awhile.
well done Matt , you handled this interview with good questions , and bigZ was very entertaining , a very inteligent man great interview well done to you and big Z
Matt, this was absolutely remarkable. An hour+ interview with the strongman G.O.A.T.?! Not sure how you're getting these interviews, but am sure I'd like for you to arrange more. Good on you sir.
Awesome interview, but a tip Matt. You should start putting time-stamps of the subjects you put on the bio as I hunted the bit where he talked about Mariusz for a bit (didn't have time to watch the whole interview)
In awe. How can the goat of strongman be so humble? Just another sign of his greatness, the man won every thing multiple times. No sign of bragging etc just a strong guy from a village who conquered the world multiple times. Amazing
Awesome interview. My favorite strongman; I am the same age as Big Z and have followed him since I discovered the sport, when he was in his hay-day winning Worlds and the Arnold.
Awesome interview Matt ! I didn't knew he had such a rough beggining in his career. Really nice to have that legend answering our questions. By the way, you didn't picked my question, but yours were far better ! 👌 haha
You are really good at doing interviews Matt. Thank you for bringing this amazing content. Also I am really happy that you asked smith machine question that I have suggested when you asked us what would we ask to him. Loves from Turkey.
His greatest asset besides the obvious and what has been mentioned, is, his balance. It comes natural to him and he has work on it in everything he does..
Certainly he attributes a lot to mindset being the difference for him and he told me he believes he has an unusual capacity to absorb huge amounts of protein rather than it just go in and out.
Another great interview 👌 well done Matt Just one suggestion - can you adjust the mic volume a little bit (I know it's a new piece of kit). Gets quite loud sometimes / decreases sound quality
Great interview! I would have loved to hear his perspective on Fortissimos and maybe a bit more on the IFSA years but still priceless hearing it straight from the legends mouth
@@MattRhodesSport Totally fair. I found his thoughts on why he went really enlightening. As a fan (especially a youngish fan who didn’t know what was going on back then) I’m always interested in as much as people are willing to share. Thanks for being what you did!
Great interview. You learn fast. Strongmen are cut from a different cloth. The drive the have is amazing. BTW, what are the mics and setup you're using. It's working great.
I have watched many shorter interviews with Zydrunas and this was, by far, the best interview with the most interesting answers. I wonder if Big Z has any desire to pass on his expertise to young athletes to get them to that pro level. He seems to have a very steady, holistic type of approach to strength training.
Just finished watching Z's interview. Awesome I can't hit the like button enough. I would have loved to hear his thoughts on Mateusz K. Will Mateusz heal up and have longevity??? Would be my question. Also not only do I have a love and respect for these guys strength! But the fact they also find time to learn multiple languages amazing.
Very unusual to get such a long interview and with all these questions been answered by the greatest of our sport. please give the video a like and leave a comment if you enjoyed it. Thanks guys! ☕If you really liked it you can even buy me a cup of coffee:) www.buymeacoffee.com/mattrhodes
Thank you for opening with the big z question haha
I didnt know he does a yearly competition, where is the footage?
Your aces mate. Just checked out his insta, I get it isnt exactly what you said but the while first page of Google was garbage, and I saw him doing SBD equipment log lift for reps, and yeah, selfies with Eddie hall( no hate i subscribe to everyone as a fan just of course Eddie got a selfie with Big Z which as a judge he was careful to appear with contestants during) Thanks. I haven't really reached out to strength athletes overseas other than novikov or big loz as a Western/American fan on Google or social media I wrongly ignored it. Stupid me. Thanks again.
@@nmaresch579 check out Big Z’s own RUclips channel. Loads on there.
Very good interview, great questions and knowledgeable interaction
Crazy there's never been an actual interview like this with Big Z, Matt Rhodes you're really bringing all the content us big strongman fans want!
This was the big one i was hunting
You can see he's becoming very fluent in English speaking, it wasn't always like this but now it seems he's realising it would benefit his brand and would really please his fans who wants to know more about him, so now he can finally sit down do a interview in English language
This guys career is on another level! He's not just the greatest in this sport , he is undoubtedly one of the greatest athletes to ever walk the planet.. it doesn't matter whether we are talking about the greatest ever Olympians, the greatest soccer players or whatever .. this guy ranks alongside them all.. a bloody lovely fella too, respect 👊🏻
100%
0:59 He's talking about Zydrunas Ilgauskas... nice reference!
Funny how Brian Shaw and Big Z both share a name with a basketball player
Well done for getting this far Matt. You're a success mate 👊🏾
Thank you
Really humble guy especially when talking about Mark Henry
Yep, he has nothing to prove. Confident but humble
Matt gets these interviews through his knowledge, respect, and passion.
Thank you, i'm fortunate the guys give me so much time and answer all my questions.
The Strongest man to walk this 🌍
Next to me 😏
so true 👍😄
Fax
Which one ???
The one on the left or the one on the right ????
Without you and Big Loz I wouldn't have anything to watch on RUclips. Thanks for the content. I would love to see if you could get Bill Kazmeier on here. Good interview.
I've asked Bill and he thanked me for the video i did on him but hasn't agreed to an interview YET
@@MattRhodesSport I will buy him a cheeseburger if that sweetens the pot
He seems like if you offended him with a question he would break your neck lmao
@@MattRhodesSport you should interview Brian shaw
This is strongman content. One of the strongest humans ever and definitely the best strongman ever. That's pretty amazing.
How the hell is he looking younger than usual? This man must be drinking the same water as mark felix
Weight loss and decreased stress.
Or constant trips to the fountain of youth
@@alexmilburn4261 What do you mean decreased stress? He's always happy.
@@makaan699 Training/eating/competing to become WSM is stressful.
Maybe not drinking fluoridated water. That ages a person.
Imagine me, only recently getting into strongman competitions, just now finding out about this guy! Amazing accomplishments.
(I'm only just starting to expand my awareness beyond Eddie, Thor and Brian.)
Btw he mentioned he got some gene testing done. Where does a person get that done? I'm assuming not just through their PCP?
I think he did the Muhdo gene test
If you know about brian you really need to watch their back and forth rivalry
Dude, go and watch all the WSM competitons that are on youtube, also from 10-20 years ago. It's so entertaining!
I like eddie and thor. I love Brian. But Z is the goat and it isn't close.
This is by far some of the greatest strongman content that will be watched for years to come by new fans who learn about the athletes as we get further away from their comp days! Thanks for documenting and putting all of it together for us! 🤘🏻
Cheers Tyler, chuffed to get this one in the bag with so many questions answered.
@@MattRhodesSport i can see that in your smile throughout the video I’m so jealous! Haha truly an amazing man.
You can tell he is the greatest by the way he takes a compliment. He doesn't get embarrassed but acknowledges it so nonchalantly as if to say, "Yes, you're right, that was amazing when I did that!"
Matt is lowkey jacked himself
The device of big z neck isn't a microphone, it's an inhibitor. It helps him to control his powers in order to protect people around him
He is such a nice person
loved the video
Z is very introverted. But I think he is a nice guy.
Looking forward to watching this. Thank you for all your hard work, and thank you Big Z for sitting down for an interview.
He couldn't have been more helpful, top guy.
This is the best interview of Big Z i ever watched.
Great to hear
He gives confidence in my genetics to become stronger. Im lithuanian polish and italian from my mom and french canadian from dad.
Holly molly, the legend himself, Big Z. I like the insights he gave on IFSA split and Mariusz. Also I had no idea that something like Zydrunas Classic even existed, I can't find any info about it tho.
check big z youtube channel he has uploaded the 2020 classic!
Thank you very much Matt!! Big Z forever!!
Cheers Igor, don't think we 'll see better in our lifetime than this man
Great interview, Matt! Thanks for picking Big Z's brain
Glad you enjoyed it
I just love how Big Z sincerely talks, its just nice to hear.
Very genuine and open about his career.
@@MattRhodesSport yes very genuine person, no bullshit, no underestimating no over estimating, no excuses, just facts as they are. "I was stronger then Marius" :)
Great interview, never saw a long form Big Z interview like this.
Thanks Piotr, this was a rare one.
Big Zed, great comeback tale from a very bad injury.. didn't even know that...He never whined about it.
Horrific injury, no idea how anyone can blow both knees out in 2001 and be lifting the Arnold's trophy in 2003
Only one minute in and this is so exciting! Amazing job Matt situation these interviews with such legends for your audience, let alone Big Z. I can only imagine the excitement to meet him in person.
Cheers Sean, this was a big one.
this is so cool i cant believe that you actually got a real interview with big z. 😲
love the video @ Matt Rhodes Sport. cant wait to see what awesome content you make next.
stay fresh and hydrated 😄✌
Thanks for watching
Wow! What an interview!💪💪
This was a big one :)
When you asked "when did you first realize you were strong?" Damn... I have seen a lot of interviews but the question is always, when did you get interested in lifting, or fall in love with the gym, or why did you. I hope you understand how exactly perfect this question, and the follow up about age and family is EXACTLY, what we as your subscribers want to know. I watched that two minute segment up til "what did you want to be if not strongman" about 4 times. If I could point to someone why I follow you, it would be that exact interaction. The follow up, and the insight you gave us after the "hard to pronounce Žydrūnas" we have all heard is what makes this channel worth it.
These interviews are very genuine. Asking questions that we fans want to ask not some general stuff which everyone already knows.
Thank you, that's what i'm trying to do
@@MattRhodesSport And thanks for doing that Matt...!
Great interview Matt. Real in depth. Big Z is the G.O.A.T of strongman. Thanks to both for this video. Got a lot of answers to questions I have been wondering about for awhile.
Pleased to hear it mate
It's amazing how much Big Z's hair color changes in the course of the seasons, it brightens so much in summer. It goes from brown to blonde
Mine just falls out
@@MattRhodesSport haha, that's amazing too, Big Z no hair loss in spite of gear, World's Strongest follicles
Mate, it’s called dye. His hair used to be the same colour year round in the 2000’s. I can’t believe I’m having to explain this.
The strongest man who ever lived.
Not strong like Json!!
@@charlieseaman9464 it sick it piss
jason blahino warms up with big Zs max
@@sweatyguysteve8087 Blason Jaha? Never heard of her.
Next to Samson ✝️
The GOAT
Been watching your channel for a while, you are getting some crazy content now! Amazing job man 👍
Appreciate you watching mate
Really enjoyed this interview!! Very informative! Big Z is a legend!!
Cheers Blair, he sure is.
He looks younger now than when he competed!
You did well to bag this interview Matt, nice one! 👍
Cheers Jamie, looking in great shape and still huge at 168kg
Wow an hour with the GOAT, great stuff! Already thought this for a while but yea- this is definitely a go-to channel for any Strongman fan 👍
Much appreciated!
well done Matt , you handled this interview with good questions , and bigZ was very entertaining , a very inteligent man great interview well done to you and big Z
Thank you very much
The best strongman ever
100%
You can see Matt is so hyped to see him in real life.
Matt, this was absolutely remarkable. An hour+ interview with the strongman G.O.A.T.?! Not sure how you're getting these interviews, but am sure I'd like for you to arrange more. Good on you sir.
Thank you, fair bit of organising but hopefully worth it. very happy to get this one.
Come on z, one more worlds 2022. Let's do it. Legend.
Zyndrunas is realy a legend , such a good Charakter ,, love him
100%
Awesome interview, but a tip Matt. You should start putting time-stamps of the subjects you put on the bio as I hunted the bit where he talked about Mariusz for a bit (didn't have time to watch the whole interview)
I have now although I'm surprised the rest isn't of interest and timestamps aren't actually beneficial to me at all
@@MattRhodesSport Well I wanted to watch asap in my lunch break. Afterwards I watched the whole thing:P
In awe.
How can the goat of strongman be so humble?
Just another sign of his greatness, the man won every thing multiple times. No sign of bragging etc just a strong guy from a village who conquered the world multiple times.
Amazing
100% true mate
Brilliant watch Matt, your knocking it out the park with your content mate.
Did he break your wrist with the handshake at the end haha ?
Cheers, wrist is just about ok :) He was sitting at168kg!
Awesome interview. My favorite strongman; I am the same age as Big Z and have followed him since I discovered the sport, when he was in his hay-day winning Worlds and the Arnold.
Thank you, some career wasn't it!
Great interview with the best ever. Forgot about him coming back from the double knee injuries.
Amazing that he came back so quickly from that horrendous injury!
Excellent interview.
Thank you
Because of this man Im more excited for Shaw Classic than WSM. GOAT.
Awesome interview Matt ! I didn't knew he had such a rough beggining in his career. Really nice to have that legend answering our questions.
By the way, you didn't picked my question, but yours were far better ! 👌 haha
Cheers, yeah that injury was horrific!
Thank you, Matt! Bringing the goods as usual. Nice surprise. :)
My pleasure
ZYYYYDRUNASS !!!! BEST OF THE BEST !!! SUCH A LAD, LIVING MOTIVATION, PURE ENERGY AND STRENGTH, SUCH A ROLL MODEL !!
100%
Looks like a great experience to interview Big Z himself!
Okay. It’s a coffee, a Bourbon and a listen. This is going to be a barn burner!
You are the best Matt
You are really good at doing interviews Matt. Thank you for bringing this amazing content. Also I am really happy that you asked smith machine question that I have suggested when you asked us what would we ask to him. Loves from Turkey.
Glad you liked it mate!
Okay Matt. Mike Burke next - pretty please? His intro to Stromgman, grip strength, the Brian Shaw fallout etc.
Make it happen chief!
I'll work on it mate
Yes!!
Matt, you must be lifting some weights as well, your chest is getting bigger 💪
His greatest asset besides the obvious and what has been mentioned, is, his balance. It comes natural to him and he has work on it in everything he does..
Z is the GOAT 🐐
Doing so well Matt ! Great interview with the Legend himself
Thanks Edward
Thanks matt great content and a huge interview well done, would you also be able to put up timestamps of the questions please?
Done
@@MattRhodesSport you're the man
Thanks Matt - Big Z is my favourite, always has been, always will be 💕
Welcome Nicola. Agreed, he's #1
Very enjoyable interview
Matt you look so funny at the beginning because you look like you’re talking to your hero LOL. I think it’s absolutely awesome. Amazing interview 👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing work Matt, not seen something like this with big Z, ever.
I heard he was complaining after the handshake that your grip was too strong...
Thank you. That's definitely what happened after the handshake :)
Awesome, my favorite 💪👍
This is a great interview man, the conversation is flowing on point. 👍 ✌️
Glad you enjoyed it!
I should have asked : Is Big Z aware that his lifestyle (very healthy food and environment) + mindset are maybe a gamechanger in his career ?
Certainly he attributes a lot to mindset being the difference for him and he told me he believes he has an unusual capacity to absorb huge amounts of protein rather than it just go in and out.
Another great interview 👌 well done Matt
Just one suggestion - can you adjust the mic volume a little bit (I know it's a new piece of kit). Gets quite loud sometimes / decreases sound quality
Yeah i think it was slightly high too, his voice is a little different to most which i think also had an effect
Wow, you created a real piece of gold here!
Glad you enjoyed it
You can tell how excited Matt was
Great interview! I would have loved to hear his perspective on Fortissimos and maybe a bit more on the IFSA years but still priceless hearing it straight from the legends mouth
Cheers Luke. Some of the IFSA stuff goes down a rabbit hole which people don't want to discuss on camera
@@MattRhodesSport Totally fair. I found his thoughts on why he went really enlightening. As a fan (especially a youngish fan who didn’t know what was going on back then) I’m always interested in as much as people are willing to share. Thanks for being what you did!
Great interview. You learn fast. Strongmen are cut from a different cloth. The drive the have is amazing. BTW, what are the mics and setup you're using. It's working great.
Thank you. Rode Wireless Go 2 mics
Brilliant as normal keep it going
Matt he will always be the strongest
Cheers Steve
Fantastic! Well done Mr. Rhodes.
Thank you
Big Z looks better than ever! My favourite Strongman and, in my opinion, The Strongest Man That Ever Lived! Thanks Matt. I enjoyed this immensely...🙂👍
Glad you enjoyed it mate
Excellent interview. Without doubt Big Z is the GOAT!
Thank you
So chill , humble and Powerful, JESUCRISTO ✝️ TE BENDIGA BIG Z YOUR THE BEST
Champ💪
Great interview mate!!
Much appreciated!
Great interview. A privilege to watch.
Glad you enjoyed it
The CEO of strength world himself 💪💪💪💪💪🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐
What an amazing video with the GOAT. Awesome insight ❤️
Glad you liked it mate
This is just fantastic
Glad you enjoyed Caleb
Do you plan on interviewing Thor in the near future and asked him about why he never came out with the 2017 wsm response?
Hope to at some point, travel restrictions making things difficult
Super deep and nice interview! I comment to you on big Z's channel, ooops. 😂
Glad you enjoyed it. Big Z and i appreciate your comments on both channels :)
@@MattRhodesSport 😎 Love your feedback 👍🏼
Good research prior to interviewing
Thank you for investing in lapel mics.
Welcome, definitely helped as it was noisy there and the audio seems fairly reasonable
I'm going to watch this later on. Commenting for the big zalgorigthm
Would love to see video of his seated BNP training.
I have watched many shorter interviews with Zydrunas and this was, by far, the best interview with the most interesting answers. I wonder if Big Z has any desire to pass on his expertise to young athletes to get them to that pro level. He seems to have a very steady, holistic type of approach to strength training.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great interview Matt.... Any chance of interviewing Mariusz...??
Would blow up your channel.... 👍 👍
I want to, let's see what happens :)
Oh my gosh! I can't watch this tonight! But it is most certainly on my list for tomorrow!!!
Hope you enjoy Fred
@@MattRhodesSport Starting now.
Just finished watching Z's interview. Awesome I can't hit the like button enough. I would have loved to hear his thoughts on Mateusz K. Will Mateusz heal up and have longevity??? Would be my question. Also not only do I have a love and respect for these guys strength! But the fact they also find time to learn multiple languages amazing.
This is awesome!
Glad you enjoyed it
This was great!
Glad you enjoyed it
Awesome 💕