Eddie Hall has opened up on the impact training alongside his son Max has had on their relationship, describing the experience as a “real blessing”.
The former World’s Strongest Man has spent much of his life in the gym, having first started lifting weights at the age of 14 during a difficult period in his teenage years.
Decades later, the gym has taken on another meaning for Hall after becoming somewhere he can spend quality time with his son.
Speaking to Men’s Health UK, Hall explained that Max has been diagnosed with dyspraxia and ADHD and also has his “own sort of little world of autism”.
Hall said that when Max was nine, he was behind in several areas and was socially awkward, while struggling with reading, writing and maths.
For years, Hall had jokingly asked his son whether he wanted to join him in the gym.
Max had always insisted he would start when he turned 10 – and when that birthday eventually arrived, he stuck to his word.
The changes Hall says followed were significant.
“There’s no word of a lie. Within six months, he could read and write better than, as good as and better than most people in his class. His maths came on, his social skills, just talking and, you know, just laughing, giggling. He’s just came on leaps and bounds and I believe the gym just completely transformed him,” he said.
Hall believes the sporting environment helped Max expend energy, while he also saw improvements in areas including his social skills.
Now, years since Max first joined him in the gym, Hall says his son has made huge progress.
But beyond what has happened inside the gym, training together has also given the pair something Hall clearly values just as much – time together.
“The relationship we’ve got is amazing. I mean, spending time with your son like that every day is a blessing because most parents go to work, they come back, they’re busy, you know, they get themselves washed, cooking tea, and then by the time you’re done, it’s bedtime, isn’t it?” he said.
For Hall and Max, their routine allows them to share considerably more of their day.
“Whereas with Max, I can go to the gym with him, I can come back, I can have food with him, we can play in the pool, we can play games together, just do so much together. So, it’s been a real blessing,” he said.
Hall believes taking his son into the gym has ultimately had a profound effect on both of them.
“Taking him to the gym has really transformed us both into a very healthy father-son bond,” he said.
For Hall, the gym once provided an outlet that helped change the direction of his own life.
Now, years after reaching the very top of strength sport, that same environment has given him something entirely different: a place to build an even stronger relationship with his son.
Featured image credit: Eddie Hall / Instagram
