Staying Strong in the New Year with 42FT

Cirque Mechanic’s resident Strongman, Battulga “Tulga” Battogtokhis, is a former wrestler hailing from Mongolia. After years of working out in gyms, he has to get creative with each setting he finds himself in now that he is on tour. He finds that the quality of hotel fitness rooms varies greatly from place to place. Some are really well equipped with a generous assortment of weights and machines, while others only offer the bare essentials.

To push his limits and stay performance-ready on tour, Tulga spins a 16′ log backstage—the same one he uses in his on-stage routine. He’ll even add extra weight for an added challenge in the form of human bodies. In the show, he spins two women attached to swings, but backstage he will use two women as well as two men. Additionally, he can often be found with one of his fellow performers, Brooke, standing on his shoulders or even on his head!

Now, most people aren’t as strong as Tulga. So, during his stay at the New Victory, Tulga shared a few tips for people looking for easy ways to incorporate fitness into their everyday routines—but who may not have a home gym or a career in the circus. These are activities that pretty much anybody can try!

• He always runs wearing layers and thinks sweating is good for the body.
• A short workout of any kind following the main meal of the day keeps Tulga and all the performers of Cirque Mechanics fit.
• While walking from the grocery store, Tulga uses his heavy grocery bags to do bicep curls.
• While walking around the city or waiting at the crosswalk for the light to change, Tulga does squats or other stretches instead of checking his phone.
• If he has a choice, he always, always, always takes the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator.
• For nutrition, Tugla eats a lot of protein and meat. He absolutely loves soup!
• Finally, when spending time with his family, he playfully juggles his young kids!

Most importantly, he encourages everyone to utilize everyday situations as opportunities for fitness, get creative and have fun!