AN Aberporth man has lifted the crown of Wales’ Strongest Man.

Cris Davies won the title in the under-105kg category at a competition held at Caerphilly where he had to take part in six gruelling events requiring both strength and endurance.

Many people will be familiar with the concept through watching similar popular strongman programmes on TV.

In his opening event, Cris managed a 140kg barbell clean and press. That was followed by having to carry for 15 metres a heavy yoke weighing in at 360kg. Cris completed that in 12.5 seconds.

Next up was a shield carry, where he managed to carry a 165kg weight for around 50m.

Then Cris had to shift sandbags weighing up to 130kg, then he completed 12 deadlifts in 60 seconds of a 250kg bar.

And if that was not enough, he rounded it all off with a medley event, involving lifting and running with barrels and sandbags.

Cris was up against seven other athletes from across Wales and his consistent performance across all six disciplines saw him win the overall crown.

“This was my first big win. I have done a few competitions before in the open weight category but I was just too small,” said the 29-year-old, who works for Welsh Water while also studying to be a civil engineer.

“A lot of the time you think to yourself, ‘why am I putting myself through all this?’ but then to win makes it all worthwhile.”

Cris started out on his fitness regime when he was playing rugby at school.

“I did not want to go down the bodybuilding route and this sort of competition has so much more to it, with strength, fitness, endurance and technique,” said Cris.

“It is so different to just lifting weights and I really enjoy it.”

The training programme he follows at a gym in Blaenporth alongside his partner Ashleigh Owen, who has supported him all the way, is pretty demanding and in peak training, he can burn up to 5,000 calories a day.

“I eat plenty of good, high-energy foods and plenty of meat from Tom Samways butchers in Cardigan,” added Cris.

“I have a lot of support from my family, while West Wales Chiropractors in Blaenporth have also helped me out a lot.”

And as reward for winning his Welsh title, Cris is now eligible to compete at Britain’s Strongest Man at Reading in August and then Europe’s Strongest Man at Dublin in October.

“I am back in training and hoping to make it to both,” he added.