Arm-wrestling: Welshman wins British national championship

Greg says years of training means he knows how to avoid hurting fellow competitors

Growing up watching his dad in the pub inspired one man to become the "guy to beat".

And Greg Foster has just done that, as the UK and Ireland Professional Arm-wrestling Associations (PAA) Champion 2023.

Earlier this year he beat about 150 competitors, and now has his sights on becoming world champion.

But how do you become a champion arm wrestler?

"My dad was very strong, growing up I remember watching him in the pub, and he would arm-wrestle the other men," said Greg.

"And then it was the same with my older brother, so I started to test myself, and I didn't lose.

"So I guess it was just indoctrinated in me, a show of strength was beating people in arm-wrestling."

Greg said in the run-up to the competition, training with former British and World Champion Dean Bolt was a massive help

The 35-year-old grew up playing rugby, but when he stopped competing in the sport in 2018 he still had the urge to compete in something else.

"I was on honeymoon in Hawaii, and I saw a televised competition, and whilst I was watching it I was thinking 'how can I get into it?'"

He found the Welsh Warriors, based in Merthyr Tydfil, in 2019.

The club had members including former British champion David Bradford and former World and British champion Dean Bolt, who is also Greg's training partner.

"I was told I had the strength but needed to learn the technique.

"So slowly I kept learning, and getting stronger and worked my way through the amateur division and then into the pro," he added.

How do you train to become a champion arm wrestler?

• Break down the individual movements of the arm

• Train the wrists

• Exercise the fingers

• Focus on strength training, but also stamina - high repetitions of weights

• Get on the arm wrestling table to get that match sharpness - there is no better way to train than on the table itself

Greg entered the competition in 2022, when Dean Bolt won and got bronze.

"That experience built my confidence and helped me learn."

He said it was an unusual sport where you have to be "at your best" with "little injuries" a major hinderance, adding it was important to rest.

"Because you're always training, injuries will be ongoing, you need to nurse those.

"There's a fine line between training, and getting stronger, or making things worse."

Greg said he was told that he had big hands and long arms so had a natural gift when it came to arm-wrestling

Greg compared the tears and the tendon and ligament pain to "severe toothache in your arms".

But he added it was vital that he turned up as healthy as possible for a competition.

"You need to make sure you are peaking for that moment.

"When I started I would train up until the competition, and I would have little niggles, now I know to train as hard as I can before, but then to rest so I am in peak fitness for the event," he said.

He said he was "buzzing" to have won the championship, with both arms - silver on his right, and gold on his left.

Greg said arm-wrestling was a physically demanding sport, but a lot of fun

"I beat two previous champions so that was icing on the cake.

"I would love to be at the International Federation of Arm Wrestling (IFA) World Championships in Greece next year.

"That's my target."