Joe Rogan Experience #1416 - Rob Kearney

1. 0:00 – 1:50

   Rainbow mohawk, “World’s Strongest Gay,” and Strongman’s welcoming culture

   1. JRJoe Rogan0:00

      ... two. You are the first ever person with a Mohawk on this podcast.

   2. RKRob Kearney0:05

      (laughs) Oh, yeah. That's cool.

   3. JRJoe Rogan0:06

      Congratulations.

   4. RKRob Kearney0:06

      Thank you, man.

   5. JRJoe Rogan0:07

      I think, right? Is that accurate? Yeah.

   6. RKRob Kearney0:10

      Just say yes.

   7. JRJoe Rogan0:11

      Yeah. Def- yeah. I wouldn't-

   8. RKRob Kearney0:11

      Make me feel good.

   9. JRJoe Rogan0:13

      Definitely the first with a purple and blue Mohawk.

   10. RKRob Kearney0:16

       Oh, it's a full rainbow, man. It's-

   11. JRJoe Rogan0:18

       Oh. Oh, yeah, that's right. All the way down the back. Oh, yeah. Very, very nice.

   12. RKRob Kearney0:20

       Absolutely.

   13. JRJoe Rogan0:21

       Very nice. Now, uh, first of all, I love your fucking handle.

   14. RKRob Kearney0:25

       (laughs)

   15. JRJoe Rogan0:25

       World's Strongest Gay.

   16. RKRob Kearney0:27

       That's me, yeah.

   17. JRJoe Rogan0:27

       That's, that's hilarious. Does, is there, in that community, is there acceptance? Is there open... Is it just about, like, they don't give a fuck, just as long as you're a real power lifter-

   18. RKRob Kearney0:36

       In Strongman?

   19. JRJoe Rogan0:36

       Yeah.

   20. RKRob Kearney0:37

       Oh, yeah, yeah. No, it's, um, yeah, when I came out, it was super cool. Uh, nobody really gave me any shit. Um, that's the best part about Strongman. You know, I know you had Rob Oberst in here-

   21. JRJoe Rogan0:46

       Yeah.

   22. RKRob Kearney0:46

       ... uh, not too long ago, and he even mentioned-

   23. JRJoe Rogan0:49

       He's awesome.

   24. RKRob Kearney0:49

       Yeah. You know, he's something, but... (laughs)

   25. JRJoe Rogan0:51

       I love him.

   26. RKRob Kearney0:52

       Um, you know, he mentioned just, like, the community of, of Strongman is so... Is awesome, because, like, we all realize what we have to do to get to this level of the sport, and we all have to be-

   27. JRJoe Rogan1:00

       Mm-hmm.

   28. RKRob Kearney1:00

       ... a little bit of, you know, sick and twisted in the head to look at a truck and get excited to pull it.

   29. JRJoe Rogan1:04

       (laughs)

   30. RKRob Kearney1:05

       Um, so, yeah, when I came out, like, nobody really gave a shit. They were just like, "All right, as long as you can still lift weights, we don't care."
2. 1:50 – 7:18

   Coming out at 22: college relationship, self-realization, and meeting his future husband

   1. JRJoe Rogan1:50

      Was it, w- like, when you were in high school, and, like, when... First of all, when, when do you know?

   2. RKRob Kearney1:57

      You know (sighs) I don't know that I, (laughs) I've, like, I don't remember... Like, I never had, like, an aha moment per se. Um, for me, it was going through high school, like, I was involved in a bunch of stuff. You know, I was a cheerleader actually, also played football. Um, was doing the weightlifting thing, like, was class president, so I had my hands in a bunch of different pots. College, super into everything as well, um, and really just focused on school, and actually dated a girl for, like, a year and a half.

   3. JRJoe Rogan2:25

      In college?

   4. RKRob Kearney2:26

      In college, yeah. Um, and-

   5. JRJoe Rogan2:27

      Did you ever date a boy?

   6. RKRob Kearney2:29

      No.

   7. JRJoe Rogan2:29

      So w- but did you, like, go, "Damn, I wish she was a boy."

   8. RKRob Kearney2:32

      I mean (laughs) -

   9. JRJoe Rogan2:33

      "She's cool, but..." (laughs)

   10. RKRob Kearney2:35

       It was... Yeah, pretty much. You know, it was, uh, it was... It was more like a friendship than a relationship, I guess, is the way to put it.

   11. JRJoe Rogan2:43

       Oh.

   12. RKRob Kearney2:43

       You know, like, we were cool and everything, and everything was going well, but, like, nothing else was really going on.

   13. JRJoe Rogan2:49

       When you came out, was she like, "Aha!"

   14. RKRob Kearney2:52

       Uh, that w- I, that was the reason I broke up with her.

   15. JRJoe Rogan2:54

       Oh, you came out.

   16. RKRob Kearney2:55

       Because, you know, meanwhile, you know, I'm dating this girl, but I'm watching gay porn when she's not around. I'm like-

   17. JRJoe Rogan2:59

       Mm.

   18. RKRob Kearney2:59

       ... "Uh, this isn't right."

   19. JRJoe Rogan3:00

       Right.

   20. RKRob Kearney3:00

       "There's something else going on here."

   21. JRJoe Rogan3:02

       So did you, like... Was it gay porn, like, finding gay porn where you're like, "That's what I like"?

   22. RKRob Kearney3:08

       (laughs) Pretty much.

   23. JRJoe Rogan3:09

       Really?

   24. RKRob Kearney3:09

       Yeah. (laughs)

   25. JRJoe Rogan3:10

       (laughs) Gay porn is thought of very differently than straight porn, because, like, straight porn, there... Here's the, the rub in the straight community. You look at straight porn, you're like, "Uh..." Especially someone like me who has daughters, you go, "Fuck. Somebody probably did something awful to those girls when they were young." Like, that's like nine out of 10 times.

   26. RKRob Kearney3:32

       Yeah.

   27. JRJoe Rogan3:33

       Like, "And that's why they turn to porn." But when you see gay porn, it's like, "Ah, a couple of dudes who like to fuck."

   28. RKRob Kearney3:38

       (laughs) Pretty much.

   29. JRJoe Rogan3:39

       (laughs)

   30. RKRob Kearney3:39

       (laughs)
3. 7:18 – 10:46

   Religious backlash, “gay agenda” myths, and using humor as a shield

   1. RKRob Kearney7:18

      I think it's fricking funny. I mean, you know, like, and I, I get shit a lotta ... I mean, obviously, like, with an Instagram handle World's Strongest Gay-

   2. JRJoe Rogan7:25

      (laughs)

   3. RKRob Kearney7:25

      ... I get more shit on a daily basis on social media than I can even count. Um, and most of it's from, like, religious people.

   4. JRJoe Rogan7:31

      Really?

   5. RKRob Kearney7:31

      Oh, yeah. Like, they're sending me, like, Bible, Bible verses and like-

   6. JRJoe Rogan7:35

      Oh, God.

   7. RKRob Kearney7:35

      ... telling me, like, I need to convert to Christianity, and, like-

   8. JRJoe Rogan7:38

      By the way, they're probably jerking off while they're doing it.

   9. RKRob Kearney7:40

      Probably.

   10. JRJoe Rogan7:41

       Probably thinking about you like-

   11. RKRob Kearney7:42

       My go-t- (laughs)

   12. JRJoe Rogan7:42

       ... "Oh, you need to, you need to stop this."

   13. RKRob Kearney7:44

       (laughs)

   14. JRJoe Rogan7:44

       "You need to stop being so gay and delicious."

   15. RKRob Kearney7:47

       My, uh, my go-to response is, you know, "Hey, man, I don't read fiction, so-"

   16. JRJoe Rogan7:52

       Ah.

   17. RKRob Kearney7:52

       "... you keep doing that." Um, but I just always think it's funny because, you know, they're like, you know, gay p- ... Like, obviously I'm very open about my sexuality on social media. And, you know, World's Strongest Man has been super supportive of it. They had World's Strongest Man in June during Pride Month this year and did a whole, like, little expose about me, which was awesome. And, uh, the comments (laughs) on the World's Strongest Man, they're like, "You're pushing the gay agenda." Like, all this bullshit.

   18. JRJoe Rogan8:16

       (laughs)

   19. RKRob Kearney8:16

       And I'm like, "Listen, man," like, the only agenda we're pushing is, like, I just wanna be treated like everybody else and, like, get the same shit that you do. You know, I've never once, like, tried to make someone gay. You know, like, meanwhile, Christians are in my DMs saying like, "You need to convert." I'm not, "Hey, you need to suck a dick." Like-

   20. JRJoe Rogan8:33

       Ah.

   21. RKRob Kearney8:33

       That's ... (laughs)

   22. JRJoe Rogan8:34

       The gay agenda is a hilarious phrase.

   23. RKRob Kearney8:37

       I-

   24. JRJoe Rogan8:37

       Like, there's an agenda. Like-

   25. RKRob Kearney8:38

       I still don't even know what it is.

   26. JRJoe Rogan8:40

       (laughs)

   27. RKRob Kearney8:40

       So whoever's listening, if you could, like, hit me up and let me know, I'd love to learn about it.

   28. JRJoe Rogan8:44

       Yeah, you need to get in a tighter knit club.

   29. RKRob Kearney8:46

       I guess I do.

   30. JRJoe Rogan8:47

       The gay agenda.
4. 10:46 – 14:53

   Real-world heckling and changing times: the Texas truck-pull moment

   1. RKRob Kearney10:46

      To not see that ugly part of, you know, the world. 'Cause, I mean, the thing is with me, you know, I'm fortunate enough where, like, not many people, like, talk shit to me in person.

   2. JRJoe Rogan10:55

      Right.

   3. RKRob Kearney10:55

      You know, like, I'm, I'm an average-sized strongman. Like, I'm not really that big of a dude.

   4. JRJoe Rogan10:59

      What's a average-sized strongman? You're like 300 pounds.

   5. RKRob Kearney11:02

      I don't ... I'm the smallest guy that competes.

   6. JRJoe Rogan11:04

      (laughs) How, how much do you weigh?

   7. RKRob Kearney11:05

      Uh, I'm like 285 right now.

   8. JRJoe Rogan11:06

      Yeah. That's not average-sized, bro. (laughs)

   9. RKRob Kearney11:08

      (laughs)

   10. JRJoe Rogan11:08

       That's fucking-

   11. RKRob Kearney11:09

       Well, I mean, I just competed this weekend against Brian Shaw, and the motherfucker's 420.

   12. JRJoe Rogan11:13

       Yeah, that's large.

   13. RKRob Kearney11:14

       You know, and six foot eight. I'm five ten. Like, "Hey, man, cool." Um, you know, so like, I'm fortunate. Like, most people don't talk shit to me in person. It's, like, all on social media. But it did happen one time in Texas, of all places. I had just finished a truck pull event. Uh, and this guy was, like, calling me a faggot from the stands, like all this stuff. And like, I just stopped and looked-

   14. JRJoe Rogan11:32

       Really?

   15. RKRob Kearney11:32

       ... and I was like, "Dude, I suck dick and I'm stronger than you."

   16. JRJoe Rogan11:35

       Ah.

   17. RKRob Kearney11:36

       And the whole crowd just kinda, like, went quiet, and then he walked away.

   18. JRJoe Rogan11:38

       They just went quiet? (laughs)

   19. RKRob Kearney11:40

       Yeah. (laughs) They didn't ... Like, you know, I, I think, like, in that situation, like, I, I feel like people feel like they're invincible. Like, they feel like they have the power.

   20. JRJoe Rogan11:48

       'Cause they're in the crowd.

   21. RKRob Kearney11:49

       Yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan11:49

       Yeah.

   23. RKRob Kearney11:49

       And like, they don't expect, like, somebody, like, who's competing to like say something back to 'em.

   24. JRJoe Rogan11:54

       Right.

   25. RKRob Kearney11:54

       But like, I'm not gonna h- ... Like, take that shit.

   26. JRJoe Rogan11:57

       It's amazing it's only when one guy, though.

   27. RKRob Kearney11:59

       Yeah.

   28. JRJoe Rogan12:00

       That shows you how the times are changing.

   29. RKRob Kearney12:02

       For sure. No, and I, yeah, it's in, you know, luckily, like, you know, I was dubbed, like, the unofficial fan favorite at World's Strongest Man this year, so it's really cool to see the support throughout the entire community.

   30. JRJoe Rogan12:12

       How do you get dubbed the unofficial fan favorite? Like, who-
5. 14:53 – 20:53

   From cheerleading and football to discovering Strongman by accident

   1. RKRob Kearney14:53

      Um, you know, I think, like, I think back to, like, middle school, um, and, you know, I think it's just, like, the stereotypical, like, I was into theater, I was into music. I played sports, but wasn't really that good at them. Um, and actually (laughs) was a cheerleader in middle school too. Like, I was, I s- I did, uh, joined my first cheerleading team in seventh grade, and, you know, the funny thing is is, you know, there was tryouts and everything, and I got the fourth-highest score out of all the girls. So, I figured that was, you know, a little telltale sign as well.

   2. JRJoe Rogan15:25

      That was the sign?

   3. RKRob Kearney15:26

      Yeah.

   4. JRJoe Rogan15:26

      Yeah.

   5. RKRob Kearney15:27

      Not stereotyping male cheerleaders whatsoever, but ...

   6. JRJoe Rogan15:30

      (laughs) I have a buddy who's a male cheerleader who's awesome. He's ... Chappelle's ... I'm 99.9% sure he's straight. Chappelle Lacey? But he's built like a brick shit house too.

   7. RKRob Kearney15:40

      They're, I mean, collegiate cheerleaders are insane.

   8. JRJoe Rogan15:42

      Yeah, but they have to be able to flip through the air. People don't understand what cheerleading is, right? They think of it as, like, "Yeah, go team."

   9. RKRob Kearney15:49

      (laughs)

   10. JRJoe Rogan15:49

       No, it's crazy acrobatics.

   11. RKRob Kearney15:51

       Not even a little bit. I, even in high school, like, I was throwing girls up in the air by myself and catching them overhead.

   12. JRJoe Rogan15:55

       Yeah.

   13. RKRob Kearney15:55

       You know, like doing shit like that.

   14. JRJoe Rogan15:57

       Yeah, that's what's weird. Yeah, Chappelle does this stuff where he grabs them by the feet and flips them in the air-

   15. RKRob Kearney16:01

       Yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan16:02

       ... and then catches them on one hand.

   17. RKRob Kearney16:03

       It's stupid.

   18. JRJoe Rogan16:03

       It's bananas.

   19. RKRob Kearney16:04

       Yeah.

   20. JRJoe Rogan16:04

       Like, the amount of physical power you have to have to be able to do that.

   21. RKRob Kearney16:07

       Timing, coordination, yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan16:09

       Yeah.

   23. RKRob Kearney16:09

       It's crazy.

   24. JRJoe Rogan16:10

       I mean, you have to be a fucking savage to throw someone in the air.

   25. RKRob Kearney16:12

       Yeah.

   26. JRJoe Rogan16:12

       And catch them with one hand.

   27. RKRob Kearney16:14

       It takes a lot of balls. (laughs)

   28. JRJoe Rogan16:15

       F- a lot of fucking power too.

   29. RKRob Kearney16:17

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan16:17

       Like, the explosive power.
6. 20:53 – 22:16

   Amateur grind, rapid progression, and learning through constant competing

   1. RKRob Kearney20:53

      So, you know, I think the cool thing is, you know, like, I was really... Like I said, I took last in my first contest, and that went on for a while. I took dead last in, like, my first eight shows that I did. So, like, I wasn't good at this thing when I started. (laughs)

   2. JRJoe Rogan21:08

      Now, when did you start being successful?

   3. RKRob Kearney21:12

      20... So I went to Amateur Nationals actually in the 200-pound weight class, so I weighed in under 200 pounds in 2011. That was my first time at the Amateur Nationals, so I had been doing it for about two years. Um, surprised myself and ended up taking second place in that weight class. Uh, went back to the Amateur Nationals as a 231 and 212 and took second place there, and then won the Amateur National Championship in 2013, and that's where I be t- you know, where I won my pro card and kinda got to that next level.

   4. JRJoe Rogan21:41

      But it's such a difficult thing to do, that I would imagine doing it 40 times a year, like, you're gonna get injured.

   5. RKRob Kearney21:49

      Luckily, I didn't.

   6. JRJoe Rogan21:50

      Really?

   7. RKRob Kearney21:50

      Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm fortunate where, um, uh, I'm... So by trade and what I went to school for is I'm an athletic trainer, um, so sports medicine has kinda been my thing. So, you know, I've been lucky enough to learn, um, when I was training of when I need to back off, when I can push a little bit harder, what needs to be taken care of, um, and just try to be smart. You know, I'm, I'm... you know, knock on wood-

   8. JRJoe Rogan22:12

      Mm-hmm.

   9. RKRob Kearney22:13

      ... you know, I've had one serious injury in the 10 years that I've been doing this sport.

7. 22:16 – 23:54

   Injury reality check: the Atlas stone accident and how he stays mostly healthy

   1. JRJoe Rogan22:16

      And what was that?

   2. RKRob Kearney22:17

      Um, it was the summer of 2018, I dropped a 275-pound Atlas stone on my chest.

   3. JRJoe Rogan22:22

      Oh!

   4. RKRob Kearney22:23

      So-

   5. JRJoe Rogan22:24

      Fuck.

   6. RKRob Kearney22:24

      Uh, tore my QL in my low back, broke three ribs.

   7. JRJoe Rogan22:27

      Oh, Jesus.

   8. RKRob Kearney22:28

      Put me out of commission for a little while. And, you know-

   9. JRJoe Rogan22:30

      How'd you drop it? Where were... H- what was-

   10. RKRob Kearney22:32

       It was at a contest, I was in second place by one point (laughs) , um, so it was the final event of the contest and, uh, I went to push the stone onto the... So the thing is, with me being only 5'10", with the Atlas stones, like, the first box you have to put the stone on is high-

   11. JRJoe Rogan22:46

       Right.

   12. RKRob Kearney22:46

       ... you know? So this was 75 inches tall.

   13. JRJoe Rogan22:48

       Hmm.

   14. RKRob Kearney22:49

       Um, you know, and I'm only 5'10", so that was literally, like, eyebrow height, so I li- had to, like, press it up onto the box. And, uh, I thought it was up there, it wasn't secure, it ended up rolling off, fell onto my chest.

   15. JRJoe Rogan23:01

       (groans)

   16. RKRob Kearney23:02

       Yeah.

   17. JRJoe Rogan23:03

       Fuck.

   18. RKRob Kearney23:03

       And, uh, you know, naturally, that was the first contest my mom had come seen in person in, like, four years.

   19. JRJoe Rogan23:09

       Oh my gosh.

   20. RKRob Kearney23:10

       So she was in the stands watching it happen.

   21. JRJoe Rogan23:11

       She saw her baby get killed by a boulder.

   22. RKRob Kearney23:12

       Yep. (laughs)

   23. JRJoe Rogan23:14

       (laughs)

   24. RKRob Kearney23:14

       Perfect timing.

   25. JRJoe Rogan23:15

       God damn, dude.

   26. RKRob Kearney23:16

       Yep.

   27. JRJoe Rogan23:16

       So how long did it take you to recover from that?

   28. RKRob Kearney23:19

       Let's see, that was... (sighs) That was in June or... June or July of 2018, and I didn't do my next contest until March of 2019.

   29. JRJoe Rogan23:27

       Oh, wow.

   30. RKRob Kearney23:28

       Yeah. Took me out for a while.
8. 23:54 – 27:29

   Training structure, heavy-day logistics, belts, and a 1,000-lb deadlift target

   1. RKRob Kearney23:54

      Exactly, and, uh, I think that's where it's... that's why I've been lucky, you know, and y- and I kind of stayed injury-free. Because even, like, to this day, like, you know... So my coach is, um, you know, a pretty well-renowned strongman, Derek Poundstone, who, you know, took second place at World's Strongest Man, um, and he programmed some crazy shit for me.... but there are some days where I'm just like, "Yo, dude. This is not gonna fly today."

   2. JRJoe Rogan24:17

      When you have a light ... Like, what's a light day?

   3. RKRob Kearney24:20

      Um, (clears throat) you know, so like, I train four days a week and I get, like, one, like, I call them, like, my bro day. It's like my bench, back and arms day. (laughs)

   4. JRJoe Rogan24:30

      (laughs)

   5. RKRob Kearney24:31

      Um, you know?

   6. JRJoe Rogan24:32

      I didn't even know power men do that.

   7. RKRob Kearney24:33

      Yeah. Yeah.

   8. JRJoe Rogan24:34

      Really?

   9. RKRob Kearney24:34

      So, it, it's more just like... 'Cause like bench press is gonna, like, build up your triceps. It's gonna build up the anterior delt. It's gonna help, like ... Uh, bench press actually helps your overhead lifts. And, um, so I do that, and that, that's what I consider, like, my light day. But like, I'll still bench, like, in the mid 450s.

   10. JRJoe Rogan24:48

       Hmm.

   11. RKRob Kearney24:49

       So ...

   12. JRJoe Rogan24:50

       So, four days a week?

   13. RKRob Kearney24:52

       Yeah.

   14. JRJoe Rogan24:52

       And so how do you, how do you structure it? Do you do every other day? Do you do-

   15. RKRob Kearney24:56

       Um, it all depends on the week, really. So, typically, I try to go Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday.

   16. JRJoe Rogan25:03

       Hmm.

   17. RKRob Kearney25:04

       That's usually my, my average week. Um, so Tuesday is like my big overhead day where I'll do a, a strongman movement overheads, like log press or dumbbell, um, and then a bunch of (clears throat) shoulder overhead accessory work. Thursday, my day two, is my biggest day, so I squat and deadlift in the same day. Um, and that's a workout that sometimes takes four to five hours.

   18. JRJoe Rogan25:26

       Really?

   19. RKRob Kearney25:26

       Yeah.

   20. JRJoe Rogan25:27

       So, do you do big spaces in between each workout? So, you lift, and then do you, do you have like a large amount of time-

   21. RKRob Kearney25:32

       I'll take about 10, 15 minutes-

   22. JRJoe Rogan25:34

       ... for rest? Yeah.

   23. RKRob Kearney25:34

       ... between sets sometimes.

   24. JRJoe Rogan25:35

       Yeah.

   25. RKRob Kearney25:35

       Like, you know, like we're building up to the Arnold Strongman Classic in Columbus, Ohio this coming March, and, um, you know, we have a max deadlift coming up. And, you know, I'm potentially gonna be going for a 1,000 deadlift.

   26. JRJoe Rogan25:47

       Jesus Christ.

   27. RKRob Kearney25:49

       You know, so like to get through a deadlift workout-

   28. JRJoe Rogan25:51

       Whoo.

   29. RKRob Kearney25:51

       ... where I'm deadlifting ... Oh, yeah. There's me.

   30. JRJoe Rogan25:54

       There's you. Ju- look at the bar bending.
9. 27:29 – 31:57

   Truck pulls in practice: borrowing a firetruck and managing event-specific injury risk

   1. RKRob Kearney27:29

      So, um, (clears throat) leading up to World's Strongest Man, um, I knew we had a truck pull. We actually got to pull the, uh, the Grave Digger and the Monster Jam firetruck.

   2. JRJoe Rogan27:39

      Really?

   3. RKRob Kearney27:39

      Or, uh, yeah, the, the monster trucks at Worlds this year, which was pretty cool.

   4. JRJoe Rogan27:42

      (laughs) How much does Grave Digger weigh?

   5. RKRob Kearney27:44

      Well, so the funny thing is it only weighs 15,000 pounds, so they had to grab a second one and attach them, so we were-

   6. JRJoe Rogan27:51

      What?

   7. RKRob Kearney27:51

      ... pulling two of them at one time.

   8. JRJoe Rogan27:52

      How does one ever say it only weighs 15,000 pounds?

   9. RKRob Kearney27:56

      (laughs) That's what I wanna know 'cause I suck at that event, (laughs) so I don't ... You know, I would like it if it was only one of them, but-

   10. JRJoe Rogan28:01

       That's, that's an event where it must help to be 450 pounds, right?

   11. RKRob Kearney28:05

       Huge, huge advantage. Um, you know, you look at guys like me, you know, again, only 5'10", about 285 competing against ... In my qualifying group at Worlds was Thor Björnsson, the Mountain from Game of Thrones, who's-

   12. JRJoe Rogan28:15

       Yeah, how much does that fucker weigh?

   13. RKRob Kearney28:17

       Six, nine, four, 40.

   14. JRJoe Rogan28:19

       Jesus!

   15. RKRob Kearney28:20

       And that bitch has a six-pack.

   16. JRJoe Rogan28:22

       Six, nine, four, 40?

   17. RKRob Kearney28:25

       Yeah. So, that's Thor doing the event right there. Um, and you can see Grave Digger right behind him, and then behind that, they attached-

   18. JRJoe Rogan28:33

       Is that-

   19. RKRob Kearney28:33

       ... with a metal pole to the Monster Jam monster truck as well.

   20. JRJoe Rogan28:35

       Oh, so you use a rope to pull you as well?

   21. RKRob Kearney28:37

       Yeah, so it's like kinda ... You get a little bit of lever, yeah. There's a second truck right behind.

   22. JRJoe Rogan28:41

       Look at these two trucks. That is ridiculous.

   23. RKRob Kearney28:43

       Yeah, so leading up to World's Strongest Man, I actually became really good friends with the firefighters in my local town. Um, (laughs) and I just, uh, I, I talked to the fire chief. I was like, "Hey, uh, can I borrow one of your trucks to pull?"

   24. JRJoe Rogan28:55

       (laughs)

   25. RKRob Kearney28:56

       (laughs)

   26. JRJoe Rogan28:56

       What do you do if a fire breaks out? "Hey, we got our friend. He's out there pulling it."

   27. RKRob Kearney29:00

       (laughs) They can wait. Um, yeah. His re- ... His response was, "Are you shitting me?" I was like, "I'm actually serious." Um, so I actually ... I was pulling that, that ... I was pulling that firetruck, like, once or twice a week for like six weeks leading up to World's Strongest Man.

   28. JRJoe Rogan29:13

       How much does a firetruck weigh?

   29. RKRob Kearney29:15

       Um, depends if the water's in it or not. I found that out.

   30. JRJoe Rogan29:18

       Oh.
10. 31:57 – 37:33

    Career longevity, common injuries, and grip: from biceps tears to Mark Felix’s hands

    1. RKRob Kearney31:57

       Yes and no.

    2. JRJoe Rogan31:57

       ... tremendous stress.

    3. RKRob Kearney31:59

       Um, you know, I, I think, like, we see most of the guys are in their prime, like, mid-30s. I would say, like, early to mid-30s is kind of like the prime for most strongman athletes. But then you got guys like Mark Felix from the UK who's 53 and he's still competing and breaking world records.

    4. JRJoe Rogan32:16

       What?

    5. RKRob Kearney32:17

       Yeah.

    6. JRJoe Rogan32:18

       Dude, piss test that guy.

    7. RKRob Kearney32:19

       (laughs)

    8. JRJoe Rogan32:20

       He's on all the shit. 53-

    9. RKRob Kearney32:23

       53.

    10. JRJoe Rogan32:23

        ... that's bonkers.

    11. RKRob Kearney32:23

        He also ... He has the biggest hands in strongman, um, so they actually don't fit on an eight-by-eleven piece of paper.

    12. JRJoe Rogan32:30

        What?

    13. RKRob Kearney32:31

        Yeah. So his hands were, like-

    14. JRJoe Rogan32:32

        (laughs)

    15. RKRob Kearney32:32

        ... 11-1/2, 12 inches long.

    16. JRJoe Rogan32:35

        (laughs)

    17. RKRob Kearney32:35

        Yeah.

    18. JRJoe Rogan32:36

        That's ridiculous. That's like Shaq hands.

    19. RKRob Kearney32:38

        It's crazy. But that's why-

    20. JRJoe Rogan32:40

        God.

    21. RKRob Kearney32:40

        ... he ... The world records that he gets are all in grip events-

    22. JRJoe Rogan32:42

        Oh.

    23. RKRob Kearney32:43

        ... ironically. And then I have, like, you know, the where's the meat hands, and can't hold onto anything.

    24. JRJoe Rogan32:48

        God damn. 53.

    25. RKRob Kearney32:50

        It's crazy. It's absolutely crazy. And he looks like he's 38. And-

    26. JRJoe Rogan32:54

        You got a picture of that guy, Jamie? Yeah, I was trying to find it. Got sidetracked by trying to find his hands in the middle there.

    27. RKRob Kearney32:59

        Yeah.

    28. JRJoe Rogan32:59

        Wow. Look at him-

    29. RKRob Kearney33:00

        There's Mark.

    30. JRJoe Rogan33:01

        ... holding all the ... Fucking A. Look at the size of his hands. (laughs)
11. 37:33 – 49:35

    Recovery toolkit: stim units, swimming/sauna, deep tissue, cupping, and dry needling

    1. RKRob Kearney37:33

       Yeah, you know, I mean, I, I-

    2. JRJoe Rogan37:34

       Or recovery.

    3. RKRob Kearney37:34

       ... do everything from, like, self-massage and, you know, I have my own stim unit, um, at home-

    4. JRJoe Rogan37:39

       Mm-hmm.

    5. RKRob Kearney37:39

       ... and do that. But then I'm also doing recovery workouts on my off days. So-

    6. JRJoe Rogan37:43

       How much those stim things help, those electrical stimulation units?

    7. RKRob Kearney37:46

       I love them, dude.

    8. JRJoe Rogan37:47

       Do you, what-

    9. RKRob Kearney37:47

       I love them.

    10. JRJoe Rogan37:47

        ... do you, what, what one do you use?

    11. RKRob Kearney37:48

        Compex.

    12. JRJoe Rogan37:49

        Compex?

    13. RKRob Kearney37:49

        Yeah, that's the brand that I go with.

    14. JRJoe Rogan37:51

        So you have, uh, it's like those glue things, the pads, they slap down?

    15. RKRob Kearney37:53

        Yeah, just little pads, you put 'em on. And then the nice thing about the Compex ones is, like, they're pretty much foolproof. So it like, has like, 12 to 15 preprogrammed settings. You put your kinda like punch in what body part it's on, and then you just pick what setting you want it on. So it's like, pain relief, training recovery, competition recovery, muscle activation. There's a bunch of different ways to use it.

    16. JRJoe Rogan38:14

        Mm-hmm.

    17. RKRob Kearney38:15

        And then you just hit go, and it goes. (laughs)

    18. JRJoe Rogan38:18

        Oh, so you just-

    19. RKRob Kearney38:19

        It's awesome. I mean-

    20. JRJoe Rogan38:20

        ... watch TV or something and just let it eh, eh, eh, eh.

    21. RKRob Kearney38:21

        Yeah, yeah. But I, I have it in my carry-on, so when I fly home tonight, I'll, I'll put it on during my seven-hour flight home and use it.

    22. JRJoe Rogan38:27

        I gotta get one of those. Someone sent me one years back but I never fucking used it. Compex, I'm gonna write that down.

    23. RKRob Kearney38:32

        Yeah, I, I think they're awesome.

    24. JRJoe Rogan38:35

        Yeah.

    25. RKRob Kearney38:35

        So along with that, then, I do, um, I do c- recovery workouts. So like, I'll go to the, I'll go to a, like a commercial gym and, you know, I'll swim.

    26. JRJoe Rogan38:42

        Mm-hmm.

    27. RKRob Kearney38:42

        Not well. Um, do hot tub, sauna, um, and then I have, like, a massage therapist and body work person that I go and see. I try to see every week, but sometimes it's every other week, um, where they do deep tissue massage, cupping, dry needling, the whole nine yards on me.

    28. JRJoe Rogan38:58

        Dude, you're so dense, you must have a fucking seriously powerful massage therapist if someone's gonna go deep tissue on you.

    29. RKRob Kearney39:05

        He works in pro hockey, so ... (laughs)

    30. JRJoe Rogan39:06

        They gotta fucking get in there, man.
12. 49:35 – 56:07

    Eating to fuel Strongman: 6–8 meals, carb obsession, and the intra-workout 1,000-cal shake

    1. JRJoe Rogan49:35

       Now, how much do you eat? You must be eating-

    2. RKRob Kearney49:39

       I eat a good amount.

    3. JRJoe Rogan49:40

       ... all the time.

    4. RKRob Kearney49:41

       It's, it's not a crazy amount.

    5. JRJoe Rogan49:42

       No?

    6. RKRob Kearney49:43

       I mean, I say that like, you know, 'cause I think like-

    7. JRJoe Rogan49:45

       But you also said, "Oh, it's only 28,000 pounds."

    8. RKRob Kearney49:49

       (laughs) Touche, touche.

    9. JRJoe Rogan49:50

       "No big deal."

    10. RKRob Kearney49:50

        Um, I think, like, people get caught up in, like, these 10,000 calorie eating challenges, like Oberst did and Brian Shaw d- do-

    11. JRJoe Rogan49:56

        Yeah.

    12. RKRob Kearney49:56

        ... and stuff like that. I'm not that guy. You know, like, an average eating day for me is probably around 4 to 5,000 calories.

    13. JRJoe Rogan50:03

        Oh, that's not too crazy.

    14. RKRob Kearney50:04

        It's, it's a lot, but nothing crazy.

    15. JRJoe Rogan50:05

        Well, Oberst is so big.

    16. RKRob Kearney50:07

        Huge.

    17. JRJoe Rogan50:08

        He's a giant.

    18. RKRob Kearney50:08

        E- exactly.

    19. JRJoe Rogan50:09

        You know.

    20. RKRob Kearney50:09

        You know, like he was sitting in this chair. Like, I'm a little different looking than him. (laughs)

    21. JRJoe Rogan50:12

        He's got double your head.

    22. RKRob Kearney50:13

        (laughs)

    23. JRJoe Rogan50:14

        His head is so wide. You're like, "What are you?"

    24. RKRob Kearney50:16

        Yeah. He looks like an ogre.

    25. JRJoe Rogan50:18

        (laughs)

    26. RKRob Kearney50:18

        He's, he's the real life Shrek. Um-

    27. JRJoe Rogan50:20

        He's a great guy, but-

    28. RKRob Kearney50:21

        He's awesome. I love him. You know-

    29. JRJoe Rogan50:23

        Boy, is that fucker huge.

    30. RKRob Kearney50:24

        The, uh ... So the first conversation Rob and I ever had was actually at that contest in Texas when a dude was calling me a fag from the stands. And we were hanging out before the con- the day before the contest. We had never met in person before. First interaction we had, we're hanging out in a hotel room, a few of us athletes, and he looks at me and he's like, "How old were you when you knew you wanted a dick in your mouth?"
13. 56:07 – 59:08

    How Strongmen earn money: sponsorships, coaching, content, and the limits of prize purses

    1. JRJoe Rogan56:07

       (coughs) So how, how does a strongman make money? Do you only make money if you win or do you make money from sponsors? Like, what's your primary income come in from?

    2. RKRob Kearney56:14

       Both.

    3. JRJoe Rogan56:15

       Both.

    4. RKRob Kearney56:15

       So my, my main income is, um, is mainly from sponsorships. You know, so I'm sponsored by a supplement company, Blackstone Labs.

    5. JRJoe Rogan56:23

       I've heard of them.

    6. RKRob Kearney56:23

       Um, SBD, which is, uh, like, an equipment company. They make, like, knee sleeves, belts, elbow sleeves, stuff like that. And then a, uh, a clothing company that's called Kinda Fit, Kinda Fat.

    7. JRJoe Rogan56:33

       (laughs)

    8. RKRob Kearney56:33

       So... (laughs)

    9. JRJoe Rogan56:36

       That's honest.

    10. RKRob Kearney56:37

        It's great. I mean, it's a lifestyle.

    11. JRJoe Rogan56:39

        That's hilarious. Kinda Fit, Kinda Fat.

    12. RKRob Kearney56:40

        Yeah. Um, so they, those are like my three biggest supporters. And, um, and then on top of that I also do, like, online coaching for, for strength athletes all over the world. So, you know, pretty much I write their weekly workouts, they send me videos, I collaborate with them, get them competition prep, and get them ready to compete. Um, so those are my two biggest main sources of income. And then, you know, on top of that, and then, you know, prize money's just kind of extra on top.

    13. JRJoe Rogan57:05

        Mm-hmm.

    14. RKRob Kearney57:05

        You know, bonus essentially.

    15. JRJoe Rogan57:07

        Now, you're active on social media, obviously. You have a Instagram, which is where I found you.

    16. RKRob Kearney57:13

        Yep.

    17. JRJoe Rogan57:13

        But you ... Do you have anything else you do? Do you do YouTube? Do you do, do a podcast or anything along those lines?

    18. RKRob Kearney57:21

        Um, do YouTube, yeah. So same YouTube name, World's Strongest Gay.

    19. JRJoe Rogan57:24

        Mm-hmm.

    20. RKRob Kearney57:24

        Um, you know, and then, um, just launched a website a couple weeks ago. Um, so a lot of content's gonna be up there.

    21. JRJoe Rogan57:30

        What's the website?

    22. RKRob Kearney57:31

        Uh, robkearneystrongman.com. And then, um ... And-

    23. JRJoe Rogan57:35

        Do you own wor- world's strongest gay.com?

    24. RKRob Kearney57:38

        I don't.

    25. JRJoe Rogan57:38

        Who does?

    26. RKRob Kearney57:39

        N- I don't ... Nobody does, actually.

    27. JRJoe Rogan57:40

        What? That's nonsense.

    28. RKRob Kearney57:41

        Yeah.

    29. JRJoe Rogan57:42

        Well, listen, this isn't live, so let's-

    30. RKRob Kearney57:43

        True.
14. 59:08 – 1:06:01

    LGBTQ visibility in hyper-masculine sports: hate messages, impact stories, and a documentary

    1. JRJoe Rogan59:08

       How much, uh, you must be getting ... I mean, this is, like, the first time probably the LBGTQ community has gotten behind a strongman, though. I mean, this is-

    2. RKRob Kearney59:16

       And even just a pro athlete in general.

    3. JRJoe Rogan59:18

       Really?

    4. RKRob Kearney59:19

       You know, I think, well, that's, like, (sighs) that's the biggest reason for my Instagram name is just, like, showing LGBTQ, like, visibility in pro sports.

    5. JRJoe Rogan59:27

       Mm-hmm.

    6. RKRob Kearney59:28

       'Cause it doesn't exist.

    7. JRJoe Rogan59:29

       Right.

    8. RKRob Kearney59:29

       You know, like, there's a few. Um-

    9. JRJoe Rogan59:31

       While in fighting, the UFC, uh, Amanda Nunes, who's the greatest woman of all time, she's gay.

    10. RKRob Kearney59:36

        Oh, w- w- which is great, and that's a ... cool, but men.

    11. JRJoe Rogan59:42

        Mm.

    12. RKRob Kearney59:42

        Different animal.

    13. JRJoe Rogan59:43

        Yes.

    14. RKRob Kearney59:43

        You know, I think, like, there's this really big disconnect where, like, people think, like, "Okay, lesbian women are allowed to be strong. They're allowed to be athletic."

    15. JRJoe Rogan59:51

        Right.

    16. RKRob Kearney59:51

        "They can do all these really cool things. Gay men have to be feminine. They have to be put in this box, and they shouldn't be pro athletes."

    17. JRJoe Rogan59:59

        Hmm.

    18. RKRob Kearney1:00:00

        And that's one of the biggest reasons why I'm so ... You know, I call myself, like, unapologetically open about my sexuality. Um, because, like, it really is... You know, the more you think about it, like, if you even try to think of, like, an openly gay man in any pro sport across the world-

    19. JRJoe Rogan1:00:19

        Uh...

    20. RKRob Kearney1:00:19

        ... n- there's no really mainstream.

    21. JRJoe Rogan1:00:21

        I think you forgot about Brian Boitano.

    22. RKRob Kearney1:00:23

        Oh, touché.

    23. JRJoe Rogan1:00:24

        Don't you remember South Park, what would Brian Boitano do?

    24. RKRob Kearney1:00:27

        (laughs)

    25. JRJoe Rogan1:00:28

        (laughs)

    26. RKRob Kearney1:00:28

        Smart-ass.

    27. JRJoe Rogan1:00:29

        (coughs) Brian Boitano, I mean, he's a goddamn trailblazer. But yeah, other than figure skating, who?

    28. RKRob Kearney1:00:35

        Actively competing in a-

    29. JRJoe Rogan1:00:36

        Right.

    30. RKRob Kearney1:00:36

        ... major sport, there really isn't anything. And I'm not saying... Like, you know, strongman is by no means, like, major or mainstream yet, but we're getting there.

Episode duration: 1:54:19