This story was originally published by the Ledger-Enquirer.
At 6-foot-6-inches and 335 pounds, it isn’t news that Trotter Barringer is strong.
But in only his third year competing in Strongman events, this 29-year-old Columbus native and Phenix City resident now officially has the title of Georgia’s Strongest Man.
Making the June 8 victory even sweeter, Barringer won the superheavyweight state championship in his hometown, at Scofflaw Brewing in Columbus, to qualify for the national championships Sept. 20-21 in Greenville, South Carolina.
“To not just win the Georgia one but to do it in Columbus with my family and friends watching, that was very fun and very cool,” he told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I’m very proud of that.”
Making the trip to nationals even sweeter, his coach, Body Evolution Gym owner Matt Powell, and three other Columbus area residents who train at Body Evolution qualified to compete there:
- Powell, who finished third among 15 competitors in the 231-pound division at the 2024 Arnold Amateur Strongman in Ohio
- Robert Babitz, who finished second among four competitors in the Georgia 200-pound division
- Tyler Collins, who won the Alabama superheavyweight title among eight competitors Aug. 17 in Gulf Shores
- Aleila Worley, who won the Georgia women’s heavyweight title among four competitors
“It makes me a better strongman for this competition because we get to train and be pushed by gym family,” Barringer said.
Feats of strength
Strongman competition events can vary, but they essentially are feats of strength. During this year’s Georgia’s Strongest Man competition at Scofflaw Brewery in Columbus, participants had five events:
- Keg carry, clean and press. Scoring is based on the number of reps completed in 60 seconds.
- Car squat. The weight used in this event is a car connected to a squatting rack. Scoring is based on the number of reps completed in 60 seconds.
- Fingal’s fingers. Named after the mythological Gaelic hunter-warrior, this event involves lifting hinged poles from a horizontal position and flipping them to the other side. The poles get heavier and longer as the event goes on. Scoring is based on how many poles are flipped in 60 seconds.
- Yoke and keg carry medley. Athletes take the yoke the length of the course, get a down call from the judge, then run back to grab the keg, bring it down and place within the loading area, then report again with a heavier keg. Kegs must be standing upright in the loading area to count. Scoring is based on time it takes to complete the medley within 60 seconds.
- Stone over bar. Athletes lift as many stones as possible over a bar within 60 seconds.
Barringer finished in first place among eight competitors in his weight class by winning four of the events and tying for first in the other (Fingal’s fingers).
How Trotter Barringer became Georgia’s Strongest Man
Barringer played basketball and football at Glenwood School and baseball for one year at Chattahoochee Valley Community College.
He has been married to his wife, Alaina, for 10 years. His three children are Bryson, 9, Banks, 5, and Brynn, 3.
After working for the Columbus Fire Department for two years, his current job has been with his family’s business, Barringer Construction, the past eight years.
Credit: Mike Haskey
Credit: Mike Haskey
Barringer started as a powerlifter in the 275-pound weight class. He won two tournaments in 2021. Then, with encouragement from Cerrone’s Brick Oven Pizzeria owner Leo Dicesaris, a former Troy University football offensive lineman, Barringer entered his first Strongman competition in January 2022 in Kentucky. He won the superheavyweight novice class and qualified for the open class.
In 2022, Barringer finished third in the Alabama Strongman, making him eligible for nationals. He finished 16th among 43 competitors at the 2022 national championships in Erie, Pennsylvania.
In 2023, with Powell as his coach, Barringer won the Scott Helm’s Memorial Tri-City Classic in Columbus to again qualify for nationals in Erie, where he finished 17th among 50 competitors.
Barringer thought about how he would define success for his performance at nationals this year.
“Winning Georgia’s Strongest Man and the notoriety of it, I’ve kind of gained a little bit of pressure, like I need to go up there and win,” he said. “Do I think I can win? I honestly think I can. But, to me, it’s going up there and know I did the best I could on all of the events and I stay as healthy as I can.”
If he finishes in the top three at nationals, he would earn a pro card, allowing him to compete in America’s Strongest Man, where he could win as much as $40,000.
Barringer practices for Strongman four days per week, two or three hours per session, at Body Evolution, where he is inspired by the other Strongman competitors.
“I’m lifting for a purpose,” he said. “It keeps you motivated to want to come in here. … I enjoy doing this sport first for the competition side of it, and secondly I want to do something that my kids can be proud. It is fun and challenging mentally and physically. It is also a sport that my family supports and enjoys watching.”
In fact, his oldest son, Bryson, has competed in two Kids Strongman competitions.
The toughest obstacle for Georgia’s Strongest Man
Although this sport is a mighty rigorous physical challenge, Barringer said the toughest test for him to persevere through is the mental aspect, especially when he makes a mistake.
“That’s been my biggest setback, of kind of giving up,” he said. “Well, this year, I’ve taken pride in being more mentally prepared. So, if I do mess up, I’m still strong enough to go get it again.”
Credit: Mike Haskey
Credit: Mike Haskey
It’s also challenging for Barringer to stay in competition shape while dividing time between his workouts, family and job. He credits Nate Borget at Sports Medicine Solutions for helping to keep his body healthy. He also credits attending The Ridge Church with his family for helping him be “the man of God that I know He wants me to be. I was raised in church and will make sure the same for my children.”
And he credits Powell for honing his raw talent into a top competitor. Powell returns the praise.
“He’s a great guy as well — big into his family, big into his faith — and just an amazing person who wants to help constantly,” Powell told the Ledger-Enquirer. “So the ability to give back to him is awesome.”
Powell played football for Temple University and worked as a strength coach at Temple, the University of Connecticut, College of Charleston and Southeastern Louisiana University before staff positions with the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears in the NFL. Now, he serves as a human performance enhancement specialist with the U.S. Army 3rd Ranger Battalion at Fort Moore.
With 16 years of experience helping people increase their physical performance, Powell is impressed by Barringer’s transformation.
“He started treating it like a profession as opposed to just a hobby,” Powell said, “and he has just blossomed wonderfully in this past year.”
Credit: Ledger-Enquirer
Credit: Ledger-Enquirer
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