Pete Rubish – Full Interview With The Legend!
Introduction
I got the chance to interview Pete Rubish recently. Whilst Pete is a powerlifter, he has an incredible passion towards lifting weights and has devoted many years of his life to improving in this regard. He does possess great natural aptitude to lifting weights and is famous for his deadlift strength.
Pete has deadlifted 920lb before in the gym which is an incredible feat in and of itself. I am a big fan and have followed Pete from the very beginning of his journey and from when he used to lift super heavy in his basement.
I am sure you will all enjoy my interview with the legend himself. He is a great example of what can be achieved if you have a dogged persistence and pursue your goals with determination and passion!
How Did You Feel When You Deadlifted 920lb?
The crazy thing about the 920 lb deadlift was that it felt rather effortless. That’s the biggest thing I can remember about it. It felt no different than when I had maxed at a 700 lb deadlift. Everything just felt completely dialed in from a form perspective and it came up with relative ease. I had more in the tank on that one! My proudest moment had to be when I totaled 2100 at a meet. Hitting such a big milestone like that was probably the pinnacle of my powerlifting achievements. It’s always tougher to execute in competition, so that one meant a lot!
I Believe The Trap Bar Deadlift Is Safer – Do You Agree?
I actually strictly have my personal training clients use the trap-bar for this very reason. The trap-bar utilizes more quad involvement and less low back and naturally places you in a safer position. So it’s really the way to go! But for competitive powerlifters, straight-bar deadlifts are obviously a must.
A big part of managing low back pain is simply not overdoing the volume and frequency. I have tons of disc issues in the right side of my low back, but so long as I don’t go overboard with volume and frequency, I can still deadlift pain free!
How Have You Rebalanced Your Life In Recent Years?
My life has completely changed the last few years. I am married, have a ten week old daughter, and am far busier. I’m off anabolic steroids now as well and my priorities have shifted. Balance is really the key at this point in my life. I want to be both strong and healthy. I am not singularly focused on just trying to get strong like I was for much of my 20s.
You Are Famous For Your Four Cheese Rice-a-roni With Ground Beef – Do You Still Eat This?
I no longer eat this, but I do enjoy both on occasion! My favorite foods these days are fried chicken with gravy and mac and cheese. That being said, I don’t usually partake in either. I typically eat jasmine rice and ground turkey for my first two meals of the day and then it’s pretty random in the evenings when I get home from work. Typically whatever I feel like at that time of day.
Your Wife Kelley Is Big Into Fitness Like You – How Important Is Having Common Passions With Your Partner?
It’s definitely key with not only lifting, but just life in general. You have to support your partner and try to add to their life. That is the foundation of everything you’re going to have moving forward. Without that foundation, you’ll never make it and your life won’t be all that smooth.
Do You Still Utilise “Rubish Rows” Or Are You A Bigger Fan Of Seal Rows?
I really don’t use the Rubish row anymore. It was more for show back in the day. It has some degree of merit, but I’m a much bigger fan of seal rows these days, as they allow you to completely isolate the upper back and lats with no low back engagement.
Do You Still Do Farmers Walks For Conditioning And Grip Work
Farmers walks are too taxing on the CNS if you take them heavy on a consistent basis. So I’m a far bigger fan of the Captains of Crush grippers for 10 second holds these days. That translates better to hook grip anyway in my opinion.
I Believe Bodybuilding Movements Are Great For Longevity – Have You Started Included More Into Your Training?
I honestly find that accessories don’t do all that much in terms of improving strength on the main lifts. You have to drill a high frequency if you want to get stronger on squat, bench, and deadlift. But the accessory movements can be a nice change of pace and build hypertrophy. Our gym really doesn’t have machines, or else I’d do a lot more. Things like tricep pushdowns and hamstring curls are great.
What Do You Think About The Epidemic Of Teenagers Using SARMS Nowadays – Isn’t It Sad?
If I could do it all over again, I would have waited for sure. That’s not to say I wouldn’t have ever dabbled in it. But I would have been far smarter about things to avoid these long-term effects like the acne scars. You can’t undo that sort of thing. I jumped into it way too soon. I still could have progressed my natural base a lot further as well. The health consequences are real as well.
Nowadays, the balance between health and strength is far more important to me. Steroids and Sarms don’t fit in that equation.
Do You Think It Is Better To Look “Jacked And Aesthetic” Than Looking Super Freaky Big?
If you’re more aesthetic, you’re probably healthier. So I’m going that route more myself lately. It’s not as impressive and you don’t get all the looks and respect you once did. But you have to pivot in life sometimes.
Do You Perform The 45 Degree Back Extensions With Lighter Weights Nowadays?
I honestly still push these heavy. Not all that long ago I did a set of 336 lbs for 5 reps. I mainly do these for hamstring strength, although they definitely hit the low back and glutes.
But these are huge as far as a deadlift accessory lift. Probably the best deadlift accessory lift period!
Conclusion
I really hope you all enjoyed my interview with Pete Rubish, it was a pleasure to interview him. He is the same age as me (30 yrs old at the time of this interview) and is finding more balance in his life with regards to lifting.
He still has huge passion for lifting weights but he is doing things much healthier now and came off anabolic steroids. He looks a lot younger as a result and is no doubt healthier.
I believe it is very important to find balance in life and happiness. If you focus too much on one area and neglect others it can be detrimental. We should all pursue what is important to us and brings us joy, but take a holistic approach and try to ensure we are well balanced in all aspects of our lives. We must also ensure that we aren’t risking our own health by doing things that are too risky and shortening our life span.
If you have any thoughts on this interview, please leave them in the comments. I would love to know what you thought about this interview!
As always, stay safe and enjoy your training!
