When a few years ago someone asked about competitors of the Slovakian armwrestling there was just one name – Jan Germanus. Now, apart from Janek the icon of the Slovakian armwrestling is also Lubomir Jagnesak from the border town of Rabca. 
Although “Lubo” normally conducts a FITMAX GYM in his home town and distributes dietary supplements and nutrients for sportsmen of the FitMax brand on the area of Slovakia, he is always able to find some time for his hobby, which is Armwrestling. This multiple title of the Slovakian, European and World Champion obligates Lubomir to further activity in this sport. 
How did it happen that he chose armwrestling? After how long did he become European and World Champion? How does he normally train? Answers for these and other questions you may read yourself in the below interview for armpower. 

WHEN I AM IN A GOOD FORM, I CAN FIGHT WITH EVERYONE, I’M NOT AFRAID OF ANYBODY.

Name: Lubomir Jagnesak
Date of Birth: 14 – 05- 1987
Weight: 90 kg
Height: 178 cm
Place of residence: Rabca, Slovakia
Education: law student (5th year)
Marital ststus: single
Hobby: tourism, books, events
Successes:
- Twice Junior World Champion 
- Four times Senior World Champion
- Four times Junior European Champion
- Triple Senior European Champion
- Triple winner of the Professionals’ World Cup
- Ten times Slovakian Champion

Armpower: Lubomir how did it happen that you started practising Armwrestling?
Lubomir Jagnesak: It was when I was at the school age. I was about 12 then. I started to train with my uncle who practised Armwrestling. He is the one who pulled me into this sport.

Armpower: Do you remember your first tournament?
LJ: After a year of trainings I went to my first competition. It was a Slovakian competition. I weighted 63kg then. The lowest class was up to 75kg. I had to wrestle with a bit heavier competitors. Finally I was second, just behind my uncle.

Armpower: Did your uncle train you all that time?

LJ: My uncle trained me for the first three years. He introduced me into the secrets of this discipline. When I was 15 I started to train on my own and go to competitions.

Armpower: Where did you train and where do you train now?
LJ: I have still been training in my home town - Rabca. Today I have my own FITMAX GYM where I train.

Armpower: For all these years you have passed through many tournaments. Do you remember which one was toughest for you? 
LJ: There were many tough tournaments. But I don’t remember which one was the hardest. I think that it might have been the start at the World Championships where being still junior I also fought among seniors.

Armpower: Is Armwrestling a popular sports discipline in Slovakia?
LJ: There are about 50 clubs here, so I think it is similar as in Poland. 

Armpower: Are there many tournaments in Slovakia where you can compete?
LJ: There are not many local tournaments. In fact there are just three Slovakian Cups and an international Senecka Ruka tournamnet. 

Armpower: What is your greatest sports success?
LJ: My first title of the World Champion. It was in 2006 in Manhester – England. In my up to 75kg where were 36 people. I fought among seniors then. In this class such names as: Engin Terzi from Turkey, Cvetan Gashevski from Bulgaria, or Jan Amolins from Latvia fought off. I was the best for right hand and I won a title of the World Champion. For the left hand I unfortunately broke my wrist in the elimination fight with Engin Terzi.

Armpower: After what time of training did you become a World Champion?
LJ: After Tyree years of training I won a title of the Junior Word Champion and after five years the Senior World Champion. Since 2002 I have been on the podium of the European and World Championships.  

Armpower: When did you feel that you are good at it?
LJ: From the very beginning almost. When I started to win local tournaments, and then win medals at European and World Championships I knew that here is my potential.  

Armpower: So let’s go to trainings now. Explain us how you train?
LJ: It all depends on what kind of tournaments I am preparing for. Generally I train 3-4 times a week. I twice perform a typical armwrestling training, once a training with a sparring partner and twice a strength training of the whole body. Of course 1-2 times a week to keep my condition and dynamics I run.  

Armpower: Who is you sparring partner?
LJ: I do not have one sparring partner. I mainly train alone. When guys from Poland come to my FitMax Gym in Rabca, I take the advantage of it and spar with them. I often train with a Slovakian competitor - Peter Kasan. I also spar with Rustam Babyevem from Ukraine. Sometimes we visit each other and Exchange our views. Rustam Babayev is probably the Best sparring partner for me.

Armpower: Do you have any strength records?
LJ: I have few. For example I lift 100kg on wrist with one hand. However armwrestling is not about records.

A terining should be performed precisely, in the right angels and with properly chosen weights depending on how you feel your hand and what are your abilities for a given. 

Armpower: And what about supplementation, is it an important element of your trainings?
LJ: It is very important. It sometimes hurts after tournaments. And in addition, when an old injury renews it almost always hurts. If it is possible I do 100% of my abilities at trainings. And at competitions 150?%. Without supplementation my body would not make it. The most important are amino acids, BCA and supplements for bones regeneration.  

Armpower: Lubomir, what can you tell beginning armwrestlers to encourage them to armwrestling? 
LJ: Remember to train with your head and heart. I order not to get injured at the beginning of your career do not perform any crazy trainings. It is better to train slowly, with little weights. The precision of performing the exercises is really important. If you want to gain strength fast, you need to find a good trainer, who will lead you. I think that an athlete who trains dutifully for at least 3 years May become a good armwrestler.  

Armpower: You have your own gym. What is trained there – Armwrestling?
LJ: My gym is quite big and many people train there. There are some who train general development and there are some training Armwrestling. Almost all local arm wrestlers train at my gym . 

Armpower: And why did you call it FitMax?
LJ: I am a face of FitMax in Slovakia. I fit is so, I also used that name for my gym. I think it is a good name for a gym. FITMAX GYM – sounds nice, doesn’t it? 

Armpower: How do you reconcile business and trainings?
LJ: Sometimes when there is a lot of work to do it is hard to train. I’m thinking of both. I cannot concentrate. I usually for the time of trainings I try to turn off my phone and concentrate mainly on exercises.

Armpower: Are you recognized in Slovakia?
LJ: I think I am. Some time ago, when someone Said Arwrestling, there was Just one person – Germanus, not it is said - Jagnesak. In my family, Jagnesak is a famous Slovakian bobsleigher – bob’s pilot. People recognize us both as good sportsmen.

Armpower: Let’s now enter into a private sphere. Your recent partner is also a competitor. Can you tell us something more about her?
LJ: Yes. My life partner is an armwrestler – Sniezana Babayev from Ukraine. We met in Gdyni in 2004 at the European Championships. It started with a joint photography. We exchanged our numbers and wrote to each other. A year later we met at the European Championships in Bulgaria. And that’s where it really strated. I came to Ukraine from time to time, she came to me, to Slovakia.

Armpower: Do you live together now? 
LJ: Yes, now we live in Rabce – almost for 3 years. She works in my gym as an armwrestling and fitness trainer. 

Armpower: So are you her trainer?
LJ: No, I’n not. I’m not a private trainer at all. I don’t have time. If someone wants I share my oppinion. And Sniezana trains herself. 

Armpower: And what do brothers: Rustam i Ruslan think of you?
LJ: We are good friends. We train together 2-3 times a year before bigger competitions. 

Armpower: do you drink alcohol? What kind of?
LJ: I like good white wine. 

Armpower: Do you have a car? What kind of?
LJ: I have Volvo XC60

Armpower: Have you ever traind Any Rother sport in your life?
LJ: I also practised pressing on a bench. But you cannot practise two disciplines professionally. It is impossible to gain records in both, be the best in both. That’s why I chose Armwrestling. 

Armpower: Do common people want to wrestle with you?
LJ: Some time ago I had a lot of situations when people wanted to wrestle with me. It was mainly in bar and pubs. I remember such a situation when I was 15-16 and weighted about 65kg, boys who weighted over 100kg approached me. They put money on the table and wanted to wrestle at the bar table. I did not usually accepted such challenges cause as an athlete I think you can only spar at trainings. But when it came to the situation that they wanted to hit me, I decided to fight. I won of course. .Now, I do not have such proposals luckily.  

Armpower: I sometimes wonder, who is stronger – you or Jan Germanus?
LJ: I think that I am. You won’t believe but I have never met him at any competitions. However we spare many times. Then one the one who was in a better form at that time. But recently I won more times than he did.  

Armpower: Does it mean that you the strongest in Slovakia?  
LJ: For now there are just two Slovakian competitors who I can fight with: weighting 140kg (traind in the USA) Rozbor Jozef and Jan Germanus. With both I fought and I won. So it seems that I’m the stronest. When I am in a good form I can fight with anyone, and I’m not afraid of anyone.  

Armpower: And what are you starts plans? 
LJ: I want to take off at the World Championships and at the Professionals’ World Cup – Nemiroff World Cup of course. 

Interviewd: Paweł Podlewski