The iconic TV show Gladiators is back on the BBC with a fresh new series and an exciting lineup of new faces, each bringing their own unique set of skills to the arena. As part of our series of Gladiator spotlights this time we’re focusing on Steel, also known as Zack George. From his roots in Leicester to becoming the UK’s Fittest Man in 2020, stick around to read everything you need to know about Steel.
Born in Leicester in 1990, Zack George is now a 6 foot tall beast of a man who can lift a whopping 220kg and has earned himself the nickname ‘Silverback’ in the CrossFit world.
In the Gladiators world though, he’s Steel. And he is raring to get into that arena. In his official bio on the Gladiators website he says, “”I was inspired by the Gladiators as a child, but never imagined I’d be physically fit enough to be considered a ‘superhuman’! I hope a new generation of fans will look up to me as their new strong, unbreakable hero, Steel.”
One of the reasons he never saw himself getting in the kind of shape he needs to be in as a Gladiator is that he was overweight as a teenager. Stuck in a loop of feeling down about the way he looked and taking comfort in fast food, it was a challenge from his dad that helped Zack turn things around. He offered to buy him a Playstation if he could lose some weight, which to a teenager is a pretty good incentive right?!
Well it worked, and Zack developed an interest in all sorts of sports and ended up representing Leicester in rugby, squash, and table tennis. Then in 2013 he found CrossFit and things really started heating up.
Zack now co-owns his own CrossFit gym, CrossFit BFG, along with fellow athlete Harmeet Singh and is really building a name for himself in the CrossFit world. He took first place in the UK region in the 2020 CrossFit Open, giving him that title of UK’s Fitness Man and qualifying him for the 2020 CrossFit Games.
At the same time as building his business, Steel’s also been building his name as a fitness influencer. His personal Insta @zackgeorge has 221k followers and he’s worked with huge names in the industry including MyProtein, Hyperice, and G-Shock. He’s also steadily building his following over on his official Gladiators account @steelthegladiator. Oh, and did we mention that he’s also been a cover model for Men’s Health magazine?!
With a huge following already behind him, as well as his formidable strength and fitness (the guy can run 5K in 19 minutes and 20 seconds, and he has a 127.5kg snatch), Steel is definitely one to watch as he heads into the Gladiators arena.
Learn more about other gladiators: Everything You Need To Know About Nitro From Gladiators or Everything You Need To Know About Sabre From Gladiators.
