If you missed Part 1 here it is. Now here’s the second half of my conversation with wrestling superstar Mark Henry:
You’ve lifted a Humvee in competition, what other exotic feats of strength have you accomplished?
I lifted Apollon’s Wheels[a 366 pound barbell with a non-rotating, two-inch thick bar] four times. Appollons Wheels had only been lifted three times in history, and I hoisted it four times in one session.
I also lifted the Thomas Inch “un-liftable” dumbell, which was created in the late 1800’s. Inch supposedly lifted it, but they don’t have any evidence or documentation other than his own words. Up until 1998 no one had lifted it more than two inches high, and I lifted it over my head.
You kick ass in celebrity slam dunk competitions, ever consider a career in the NBA?
Oh no, that’s a whole nother level, like as if some professional basketball player jumped in the ring wrestling like Dennis Rodman did, and that was horrible.
And also, I’d be tired. I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them. I actually played in a pick-up game with the Dream Team before the Olympics in ’92 because Charles Barkley is a friend of mine. So playing with them, I got to see how fast and how quick those people are.
If you are not at courtside, I mean you can see it on television, you can see it sitting in the crowd, but when you’re real close, and a guy is like two feet from you, and they’re able to get away from you so quickly. You can jump as high as you can, and they’ll still grab your ball with both hands, and bruise your fingertips.
What’s the coolest dunk you can do?
My best is probably a two-handed reverse.
Ever done like Daryl Dawkins and shattered a backboard?
I wouldn’t hang on the rim that long because I knew if I did I would have to pay for it for one, and two they wouldn’t allow me to come back.
If you could trade your title for another world title, like say richest man in the world, what title would it be?
If I could trade all my sporting gifts…I don’t know…that would be hard. I make a good living, and having a lot of money is not going to make you happy; it’s who you share it with, and how you enjoy it. If I was going to switch everything, I’d probably switch with another athlete.
I would have liked to be Michael Jordan for a day or two, to be able to jump that high, and having a career that spanned that long. That’s what every athlete wishes, that they maintain over a long period of time, and I’ve been blessed enough to do that, so I guess I wouldn’t want to be anybody but me.
What’s the secret to your awesome strength?
I come from a genetically gifted family, but I work hard at specific strength [groups] to be strong. That’s what my goal was, so I used my gifts wisely.
Are you scared of anything?
I don’t like spiders. I guess I’ve got arachnophobia
Was the NFL a consideration?
I played. I went to a couple of training camps in ’90 straight out of high school. I went to the Houston Oilers training camp with Bob Young and just worked out, never really got into any contact.
And then in ’95 I went out to the Dallas cowboys training facilities. I worked with the University of Texas with Tony Brackens who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars so [I tried.]
How do you gather all your strength together at once?
Only one lift requires all my strength, and that would be a clean and jerk, but as far as focusing in the areas that I did, you don’t use all of your strength for lifts you know you can do, only when it comes to lifts you’ve never done, personal records, and world records.
Then you have to focus your ability to use your mind to give you energy, and to keep you from getting over-excited. Its a hard thing for athletes to do…you have to master it to compete at the highest level.
How much can you curl?
I never really go above 225 just because there is no reason to. When people go up to heavier weights it’s just something that people feel they can be good at, or whatever.
Do you have any unusual talents?
Yes, I can do the splits. It’s from my martial arts training in Tae Kwon Do.