The world’s most mysterious strongman unmasked: Reclusive giant who counts Joe Rogan as his biggest fan finally reveals his training secrets – and why he almost never shows his face
He may have developed a cult following thanks to celebrity supporters like Joe Rogan, but giant Australian weightlifting sensation Tom Haviland has remained a mystery to his hundreds of thousands of fans until now.
Haviland, who stands 203 cm (6'8') tall and weighs 157 kg (346 lb), looks nothing like other powerlifters – one look at him and it's easy to see why Rogan once said he has the “most freakish physique ever has.
The 37-year-old lives a quiet life on a remote property on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, and does most of his lifting outside on his property, wearing the kind of working-class clothes associated with construction workers.
He also sets himself apart from other strongmen by not only lifting weights, but also lugging super-heavy truck parts and boulders, while almost always keeping his face hidden.
He is an extremely private man who had revealed very little about himself to his 700,000 followers before opening up in an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Australia.
The towering Aussie's incredible strength feats have recently caught the attention of podcaster Rogan, who has featured Haviland on recent episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience.
'Have you ever heard of Tom Haviland? This guy is a real lunatic,” Rogan told guest Cameron Hanes on JRE episode #2068.
“He's a freak who lives in Australia, and he does crazy workouts, and he wears flannel shirts and jeans, and he has the most freakish physique ever.”
Haviland told Daily Mail Australia it was “quite a shock” to hear he was being talked about on the world's biggest podcast, and said he was keen to go on record and clear up some of the mysteries surrounding him.
“I grew up in a very small town on the north coast of New South Wales,” Haviland said of his upbringing.
Australian giant Tom Haviland has created a cult following of hundreds of thousands of people with his incredible workout videos, despite keeping a very low profile
The 37-year-old's clips are unmistakable as they show him on his rural estate, lifting everything from huge truck parts (pictured) to enormous boulders.
'I was a very active child and grew up playing all the major sports. We lived deep in the bush and lived very simply, which meant that as a child I was rarely indoors and spent most of the day outside working, playing and exploring.
“This is where my love for physical strength began to develop, as there was no shortage of logs, rocks and other objects to lift and carry, something I was naturally drawn to at a young age.”
Haviland took a keen interest in basketball as a teenager and says he began researching strength training as a way to “expand my athletic ability.”
'I have two big influences when it comes to my physical training and the first is Derek Boyer – 12 times Australia's and Thunder's Strongest Man [the TV show] Australian gladiators,” Haviland said.
'I met Derek at a young age and he immediately took me under his wing and we started training together. We trained for hours and then talked for hours.
'These were some of the best and most challenging moments of my life and were invaluable to my knowledge/development.
Podcaster Joe Rogan (pictured) has become a big fan of the mysterious Australian strongman, saying: 'He has the most freakish physique ever'
Haviland is happy to be recognized for his incredible feats of strength, but prefers to stay out of the spotlight as he makes light work of insanely difficult lifts (pictured)
Haviland rarely shows his face, so his followers will focus on what he's lifting rather than what he looks like
“He is someone I have grown to love like a brother and is a big part of the reason why I am today.
“Josh Bryant from Jailhouse Strong is the other influence on my life and training. In my opinion, Josh is the best strength coach in the world and a distant second.”
Haviland says that by keeping his life private on social media he has created an atmosphere of “unnecessary mystery” and that he wants to finally explain why he rarely shows his face.
“I prefer to keep my message focused on my training and not on me personally,” Haviland said.
'I add little bits of my personal life here and there, but I'm a private person and I prefer to maintain boundaries on social media and don't feel like it distracts from what I'm trying to do.
Haviland revealed that one of Australia's most talented strongmen – who was also a TV star – has had a huge influence on him
“I know it seems strange to a lot of people and I can understand that, but I like it and it's worked well so far, so until I see a reason to change, I'll keep doing it this way.
“I also can't deny that I get a kick out of all the speculation about what happened to my face.”
When it comes to why he covers his body in work clothes instead of activewear like tank tops and shorts, Haviland admits it's a purely practical choice that suits his life working on an estate.
“Most of my training is spent in the sun lifting rusty tools, stones and wood, so the trousers and long sleeves are practical,” he says.
“I see my training as an extension of all the manual work I do, so I just go by the old saying: 'train how you play.'
“I also like that it takes some of the focus away from the physical/cosmetic side of things and keeps it more on the performance.”
The Australian powerhouse says he wears work clothes while he's lifting because it's often a more practical choice than regular workout gear
Haviland says he is grateful for all the interest in his training and will continue to inspire others
Haviland is enjoying the recent interest Rogan has brought him, but isn't sure how he would fare if asked to appear on an episode of the great podcast.
“It would be a great experience to be on his show, but I'm not sure I would have enough interesting things to talk about to fill an entire podcast,” he said.
'It probably goes without saying at this point, but I'm a pretty boring guy who prefers the simple things in life.
“It's not in my personality to seek attention or the spotlight, and I've spent most of my life trying to avoid that.
'The interest in my training has come as a big surprise to me, but it has been a very positive experience and I am extremely grateful for it.'