Cory Mueller
Tell us a little about yourself:
Hello, my name is Cory Mueller and I am 28 years old and live in Madison, WI. I am a professional electrical engineer as well as a strongman competitor.
What got you into Strongman:
I originally was on the powerlifting team back in high school and stayed very competitive through my college years in Milwaukee. Once I moved to Madison and started training at Ford’s Gym, I figured I would change it up a bit and give strongman a shot. I’ve been hooked ever since.
What is your biggest achievement to date:
Outside the gym, earning my Professional Engineering license as well as just recently graduating from UW Madison with my Masters.
As for strength sports I would say my biggest achievement is deadlifting 600 lbs. at a 185 lb. bodyweight.
Do you have a favorite powerlifting competition:
If you are looking to watch the best of the best compete all in one area you must travel to the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus Ohio. I’ve been going for the past 7 years to watch the best powerlifters, strongman, and bodybuilders compete.
How do you prepare yourself before a competition:
A few days prior to the competition I find myself stuffing my face with carbs and making a huge checklist of all the gear I will need at the event. I also like to mentally prepare by running through each event in my head to make sure that my game plan is going to help me reach my goal.
Do you have any training goals:
In the near future I would like to achieve a 615 deadlift and a 315 bench. Also, the daily goal is to remain injury free.
Do you have a particular training program:
Over the years I have tried tons of training programs on the internet but now mainly stick to homemade plans that incorporate different rep ranges and weight percentages based on when my next competition is.
Where do you train:
Ford’s Gym (Madison, WI)
How often do you train:
4-5 times per week.
Do you ever lose focus/motivation to train, and if so how do you overcome these situations:
The only time I lose my drive to train is when I do not have my future goals established. For me, it works best to always be chasing the next PR or even prepping for an upcoming contest. Gotta keep those eyes on the prize!
Do you diet to maintain in a particular weight class:
For the past 2-3 years I have been walking around at roughly 186 lbs. This gives me room to fluff up for the under 200 lb. competitions and allows for an easy 5 lb. cut to make the 181 lb. competitions.
Do you have any plans in changing weight classes:
No plans on changing weight classes for me in the near future. I still have room to improve my strength and speed at this bodyweight.
How focused is your diet:
Some would say that I am on the see-food diet. I do have a fairly large appetite and am lucky enough to also have a high metabolism to go along with it. I do try to keep my protein intake up as well as staying super hydrated. I find this helps with consistence performance in the gym.
Do you have any food weaknesses:
Cheesecake. Nuff said.
What tips would you have for someone struggling with their diet:
Baby steps. Don’t go for the homerun right away. Learn to cut out something small and see if you can live with that for an extended amount of time. Once you find out that it is sustainable, then maybe introduce another small change in diet.
What’s something fun, or funny, about yourself that people don’t know:
I am a 2-time mini golf tournament champion.
Do you have any hobbies outside of lifting:
Now that I am done with grad school, I have started playing more golf and disc golf.
What do you love most about strongman, and what’s something you would what to change:
I am into Strongman for the competition aspect. I love to compete and challenge myself against some of the best in the sport. If I could change one thing about the sport I would have to say I wish there more popularity and media coverage of the competition. Having a larger following of fans just brings in more money and will ultimately grow the sport.
What advice would you give to any newbies interested in Strongman:
DO IT! Once you give it shot you will be hooked. Also, I would recommend going to watch a local competition for a little motivation. United States Strongman and Strongman Corporation websites keep a running list of upcoming events.
Where/How did you hear about King Kong Apparel:
I spotted one of their duffle bags at a local competition and had to immediately go home and do some research on what I had found. Every bag I had used in the past would begin to rip after just a few short months. I decided to pull the trigger and buy myself a King Kong, and it turns out that the investment was 100% worth it!
What made you want to be a King Kong Ambassador:
Absolutely love the products and had the opportunity to chat and hang out with Stefan at the 2017 Arnold Sports Festival. My brand loyalty is off the charts and having the chance to work with such an amazing company that supports the sports I am involved with is an honor!
What do you love most about King Kong Apparel:
Top notch high quality gear with design appeal that is perfect for my personality. I am normally pretty rough on my gear, and King Kong has proven that its technology and material choices can withstand a beating.
What’s your favorite King Kong bag:
I have an older model camo King Kong backpack that I use every single day of my life, but my favorite still has to be my camo Giant Kong Bag that I use to haul my gym equipment.
What’s the first word that comes to mind when I say King Kong Bags:
Incredible!
