Aleksandar is the "CRAZIEST" Serbian Athlete: He is hanging from a bridge holding in one arm! (PHOTO) (VIDEO)
This is a story about a guy who six years ago decided to "spill blood, tears and sweat" and armed himself with a steel will to make him what he is today. And today he is in the Top 20 of the world's best athletes in the street exercising. We repeat: in the world!
If you noticed, while going across the bridge on Ada, a "ripped" guy hanging on the edge of the and wondered "is this guy crazy?", it was no attempt of suicide, God forbid, or youth adrenaline rush (and there is that also) but a rather unusual way of promoting "Street work out" discipline performed by a strong man Aleksandar Duncic.
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This is a story about Aleksandar who six years ago decided to "spill blood, tears and sweat" and armed himself with a steel will to make him what he is today. And today he is in the Top 20 of the world's best athletes in the street exercising. We repeat: in the world!
This guy, former football player, is successful student today and athlete "to the bone", he was the only representative of Serbia in the "Street work out" championship of the work held in Moscow. So, in the company of men of steel. The strongest. However before we go to the story about how Aleksandar reached Moscow and how was his time there, let us return to the hanging from the bridge situation. Let's just mention, it is not his first time to do dangerous exhibitions, defy gravity, laugh at the face of danger. Not so long ago, he was standing on his hands on the edge of Branko bridge, and now he went a step further in his fearless endeavor.
You hanged off of a bridge, over the abyss. Isn't that a bit extreme way to promote the sport you are practicing?
- It was spontaneous. We went there (on the bridge) to make a clip and I wanted to do something I haven't done before. I knew that the comments will be positive and negative, and I know that is something that shouldn't be done, but I just love adrenalin, that lured me to try it - starts his story for Telegraf.
You were, we got the feeling, so sure in yourself, your strength and endurance, that you did not think for a moment what could go wrong?
- That's right. After six years, I did standing on my hands for so many times that I was certain in myself and that everything will go with no problem. I was right. Adrenalin lured me. You know: I know I mustn't do it, but again have to - it is incredible feeling. I got the idea to do the hands first, and then I did the flag, and somewhere there I got the idea to hang off of the bridge. And then I hanged myself with both hands. I told myself "well, let me release one hand, and so I did". I had a feeling that I could hang for half an hour. After that I felt guilt, because my friends criticized me, but it was worth it. I was actually over the part of the bridge that wasn't in the middle, but above the shallow water. If I fell down... Luckily everything ended up well and I am happy about it.
Of course Aleksandar isn't recommending this to anybody! It takes years of hard work and training, practice, incredible strength and courage. And even then, hanging off of bridge is not smart. But, Aca was just "attracted: to it. He said he "won't do it" anymore (although we don't believe him). One month before the bridge, the most important moment in his career happened: the mentioned trip to the championship to Moscow.
How did you get there?
- A video should be sent so the organizations of the competition could see and take in consideration and based on that determine who from Serbia will go. There were lots of candidates, and they picked me. I couldn't be happier. I got a accommodation and food there. I had to find a ticket on my own. I tried to find a sponsor, but since they told me 15 days before I should go, it was too late to find a benefactor.
You didn't even start the trip to Moscow and you already had fiends towards "Mother Russia". Completely unexpected.
- On the airport I met a Russian by a chance, Grigor, and we started talking. I told him I was going to Moscow to represent Serbia and so on. He immediately told me "I will help you, no problem". When we landed there I was a bit scared and I couldn't settle. Massive airport, totally unfamiliar. But there was Grigor, who literally took me to the place where I had few minutes to my hotel. I catch is, I wore a shirt with "Serbia - Russia" written on it, and whoever I talked to, he immediately liked me. It was much easier, I did not feel like a stranger. I practically had guides to the hotel. I was in a room with a black man named Edgar, from Africa, but he represented Finland on the competition.
Ok. You got there. How did it all look like, the organization, on what level?
- On top level. Everything! The day before the competition we had the official "photo shoot" on the square. At one time I climbed the bridge and I started doing the elements. I remember someone said "crazy Serbian". I did some parts that were really memorable, and I caught everyone's eye. Generally it was a great experience for me, since I started doing this, I only watched these people on YouTube, and now I am here with them. This was my dream. I wasn't aware that I am going there. Next day, the competition was held in the sports hall "Luznjiki", which is really big, and it has a grandiose football stadium within it.
The competition itself is consisted of following: every contestant has devices and two minutes of time.
- First I have to say that the stands were full, really. I carried Serbian flag, a shirt with our markings. I had everything. As far as my performance goes, I had complex elements, like standing on hands and few more complicated practices. I told to my self, "it will all be alright". And it was.
Although, Russians remembered you for something special.
- What they remembered me by is that I was the only competitor that had a Russian song for background music. Only me. Russians were amazed, and when I greeted them with them with three fingers, it was great. People supported me. I did the practice more easily because of that. When I finished everybody approached me, Russians, fans, people were so great. I am happy with the performance considering that we have to conditions to work out in Serbia. The marks were given from statics and dynamics. Statics is a strong point with me, because dynamics requires certain parts where you have to do spins, where you have to have good grounds, and I did not have that here, but I got it when I returned from Russia on the Faculty of Physical Education were I study. I got a hall where I can practice and I will have better conditions for the next competitions.
To reach Russia you spilled hectoliters of sweat. This is an ideal part from the asphalt: "thousands and thousands of push ups, thousands and thousands of crouches..."
- Precisely like that. I started working out six years ago. With my godfather and my friend. We accidently saw the video of Hannibal on YouTube doing those absolute elements. And that's how we started. I was still training football at the moment, and later when I started going to the University I started working more serious. For the first two years those were classic repetitions: chin-ups, push-ups, gym, jogging, running up the stairs... With upper part of the body we did the lower as well, but we never knew how to match the load. When I started the university, I learned how things go. First we did not have the conditions so we practiced wherever we could. We worked on the fence, on the climber, then we bought chains, I drilled a hole in my roof so I could practice. Later on we gathered signatures and the city made devices for us. They were nothing special, but we had a place to practice. People from the area helped us a lot when they saw how much we try and work on everything. After two years I started working more seriously: with a bag, weights... I had a program at that moment.
How does your program look like today?
- I train daily for 4-5 hours. Usually running in the morning, so cardio. After that I do chin-ups, push ups, then rest. After that weights, and at the end always stretching exercises, up to one hour of stretching. Very important process of recovery, the fight with milk acid. Now I am in a phase when it is most important to rest for the upcoming day. It is also important to know, for everyone who want to start doing this sport, first they have to make a base, and that means doing the elements that hit every muscle so they can go to next phase. From the pull-ups, push-ups, squats, various exercises to strengthen the tendons, which is very important because these are the chords that are often ignored until the muscles are working, but they are more often hurting. Only when the base is done, you can move to weights.
For the end, how much push-ups, sit-ups can you do without stopping?
- I do 56 pull-ups in the series, this is the most I've done in the basic preparation before stronger efforts, although they can be more. Pushups I counted to 120 in the series, easily.
(Telegraf.co.uk / M. Bogovac)