Strength Beyond Strength S2E18: Mike the Machine Bruce

Mike “The Machine” Bruce is one of the best professional performing strongman of our time, longtime coach, former Marine and submission wrestling champion, author, speaker and most importantly: my friend for many years.

I first met Mike in 2006. He has become widely known in the strength world for extraordinary demonstrations of neck strength and old-school physical culture. Among his feats are a 1,500-pound partial rack pull at approximately 202 pounds bodyweight, a 300-pound seated neck raise and having a steel bar bent across the front of his throat. In fact, he has a world record of 7 bars measuring 5/8” x48” bent across his throat in under 60 seconds. By me.

photo by Mandy Whitley Photography

But this conversation goes well beyond records.

Mike and I discuss how strength training gave him direction early in life, lessons carried forward from the Marine Corps and combat sports, training under old-time strongmen such as Grandmaster Dennis Rogers and Bud Jeffries, the forgotten value of neck training, and how a lifetime of lifting changes the way you think about strength.

They also explore Mike’s philosophy that there is no magical training method. The foundation is still consistency, discipline and mastery of the basics — coupled with the patience to allow those things to work over time. Mike “The Machine” Bruce