Danny Nichols is Back

May 18, 2012

Sam Radetsky

The man who thrustered 325 pounds in 2011 is back and setting world records.


Photos by: Austin Einhorn

Three hundred and twenty five … that’s how many pounds the beast from TJ’s Gym, Danny Nichols, thrustered at the 2011 NorCal Regional. That unreal lift, with extra bars set up just for him, catapulted him into CrossFit fame.

Nichols is back this year. Still with TJ’s Gym, still huge, still a beast. Workout 2 of this year’s Regional seems tailor made for him – row, pistol and heavy hang power cleans. Yep, Nichols crushed it; doing the first 12 cleans unbroken and quickly getting back on the bar for the last three.

Nichols built his prodigious strength in conjunction with football, culminating at Minnesota State University. He works his weaknesses regularly in training, but he does not ignore what he’s good at, which is strength. Seeing the 225-pound hang power cleans in Workout 2 was like a fair damsel blowing him a kiss, he was so happy about them.

But it is the snatch ladder that really makes Danny excited. Predictions? “Oh yeah,” he says, “all the way to the end.” He has hit 305 in training the ladder, and barely missed 315. The biggest question in Danny’s mind is not if he will nail the 295 pound bar, but will the event organizers bring out more bars for him like they did last year during the thruster ladder.

TJ’s Gym is tied for 1st place after Day 1, and Nichols, along with his teammates, helped set a world record, beating Team CDR Redlands in SoCal. With two days to go at the NorCal Regional, Nichol is hungry for more records.