Austin Andrade and Nick Guardione both train at Heavy Metal Fitness in San Antonio. Austin, best described as an Eddie Hall lookalike, burst onto the pro scene in 2024 by winning World’s Strongest Latino, securing an invite to World’s Strongest Man, pulling over 1000lbs at the World Deadlift Championships and taking 5/16 at the brutally heavy Shaw Classic. Nick, who is taller and more…. aerodynamic…. is right on his heels, having won the open at OSG last December and getting his WSM nod for 2025.
It isn’t the numbers that are so crazy, or the rapid rise to the top. Rather, the fact that two training partners can start out at a small gym in San Antonio, and both develop the world class strength that would take them to their debut at the Arnold Strongman Classic in 2025. Together, they talk openly about the importance of a structured, rigid training program, a supportive coach and community, and their essential role in pushing each other to the top.
Follow their Youtube channel… I mean, their training is pretty cool, but Nick’s best Steve Irwin impression during “Ghost Adventures” is what really steals the show.
Some key points from episode 3 of StrongerMan:
- Visualization
Both men are trained at ‘flipping the switch’ on command, which is necessary for maximal performance with bone crushing weights. But Nick specifically uses tactics like yogic breathing and visualization to put himself in a place to perform. This wasn’t surprising to hear, as one of the first thing’s I heard about him from his coach Tim Ingram was that Nick had a “gamer mentality”. Where so many people show up to the biggest events of their lives nervous and prone to mistakes, Nick always excels at meets relative to his training.
- Training the Deadlift and Squat
Their coach is heavily influenced by Westside Conjugate and, as such, uses a free rotation of special exercises and variations to keep them well rounded and progressing forward. This is somewhat unusual in strongman, as the most common training approaches tend to be more linearly structured and centered around mastering one particular movement pattern at a time. The Texas Boys talk about the value of variation, how it contributes to preparedness and recovery, and the specific principles that allow them to hang with the best deadlifters in the world without burning out.
- Having an athletic background
Both Austin and Nick were athletes through high school and college. At 6’4 and 175lbs, Nick was a distance runner and trained parkour. He even says at one point he could confidently leap off a 2 story building. Austin played football and wrestled, having to cut to 285lbs to make the weight cap. This is directly in line with the best and longest lasting performers; from the early dominators of Wilhelm, Reinhoudt and Kaz to modern phenoms like Shaw, Hooper and Hatton, having a WIDE base of athletic experience seems to raise the potential ceiling for strength, improve performance in various strongman events, and insulate the athlete from risk of injury.
- How a nutrition coach changed their life
The big boys tend to eat the most recklessly and strongman has often been an excuse for many to binge to their heart’s content. Both Austin and Nick are working with nutrition coach Nathan Peyton to be leaner, healthier and more enduring and, so far, they say the results are astounding. What happens when an open strongman hits the buffet twice a day? They get big and strong, fast. But what happens when they eat like a bodybuilder? They get strong, enduring, and useful.
Follow both of these men at their debut at the 2025 Arnold Strongman Classic March 1-2, and be sure to check out their training vlog on Youtube @TheTexasBoys11