On Apr. 27, 2023, recently retired strongman Nick Best shared a clip of himself working out on a seated iso-lateral row machine with six 45-pound plates affixed on each side. Best is shown rowing 244.9 kilograms (540 pounds) for eight repetitions. Best is also seen rowing five 45-pound plates per side (totaling 204.1 kilograms/450 pounds) for 10 reps and four 45-pound plates per side (totaling 163.3 kilograms/360 pounds), also for 10 reps.
According to the caption of Best’s post, the row machine routine at this high weight comes on the heels of an early-January 2023 nephrectomy — surgical removal of either of the kidneys. Best had previously posted on Instagram detailing his necessary kidney removal due to a diagnosis of stage one renal cell carcinoma.
By his standards, Nick Best has seemed to keep it somewhat easy in the weight room lately. While he’s still posting regular training updates that likely require massive power and strength from his home facility, Best has dialed it back in some official respects.
After placing second at the 50+ Masters World’s Strongest Man contest during the latest Official Strongman Games (OSG) in November 2022, the strength icon retired from strongman competition. Shortly after, it appears Best put plans into motion about needed maintenance on his body before he could continue with his usual weightlifting.
Some of Best’s other recent training sessions are aligned with the established precedent of a seasoned strength star.
In mid-April 2023, Best completed 52.1-kilogram (115-pound) dips for 10 reps and combined them with 47.6-kilogram (105-pound) dumbbell bench presses during a chest day workout. Before that, Best had a leg day where he completed a top back squat of 332.5 kilograms (735 pounds) while wearing a lifting belt and knee wraps. If the athlete lost any strength after his recent kidney operation, it’s not apparent how it affected him based on these examples of his lifts.
Best turned 54 in November and hasn’t shown any evident signs of slowing down. After all, shining in powerlifting still seems to be present in his front-view mirror. Even despite his operation and a devastating lat injury from Spring 2021, he resembles an athlete with the intent to continue picking up (pun intended) where he leaves off.
Featured image: @nickbeststrongman on Instagram
