Published 3 min read
By Ed Brennen
Topics: Alumni Student Life
Two young men in matching shirts arm wrestle while posing for a photo in a lobby. Image by Ed Brennen

Senior business major Caleb Gennell, left, and his brother, Manning School of Business alum Josiah Gennell '22, '24 run The Natty Bros, a YouTube channel devoted to professional arm wrestling.


Some people learned to bake sourdough bread or play guitar during the pandemic. Brothers Caleb ’26 and Josiah Gennell ’22, ’24 started a YouTube channel dedicated to arm wrestling.

“We were working out together a lot, and Caleb was getting into powerlifting,” Josiah, a Manning School of Business alum, says of his younger brother, who is currently a senior business major at UMass Lowell.

The Gennells began filming their strength-training sessions at their family’s home in Methuen and posting their videos on YouTube. But in a vast online sea of workout content, they needed a niche to stand out. So they tried arm wrestling.

“We had always arm wrestled when we were kids, but we didn’t really know what we were doing,” Josiah says.

Through YouTube videos, the brothers soon learned about the world of professional arm wrestling and stars such as Devon Larratt and Chance Shaw. With an app called Armbet, which connects arm wrestlers by location, the Gennells found Granite Arms, a club in Manchester, New Hampshire, where they started training with professionals. 

Their pandemic pastime has since evolved into The Natty Bros, a fast-growing YouTube channel and live-event series that’s putting the brothers — and the New England arm wrestling community — on the map.

“The sport has been growing a lot over the past few years, thanks to social media,” says Caleb, an honors marketing and management student who also serves in the Air Force National Guard.

A man in a football jersey and purple head covering arm wrestles a man inside a pickleball facility. Image by The Natty Bros

Manning School of Business senior Caleb Gennell, right, teaches New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins the finer points of arm wrestling during a recent Natty Bros video shoot in Foxboro.


Since launching in 2021, The Natty Bros — a nod to their natural, drug-free approach to training — has grown to nearly 7,500 subscribers and more than 2.5 million views. They’ve filmed matches in Chicago, Atlantic City and Orlando and interviewed some of the sport’s top athletes. A recent video features Caleb taking on several New England Patriots football players.

In addition to competing — Caleb is ranked among the top 50 left-handed arm wrestlers in the U.S. for his 187-pound weight class, while Josiah regularly places in the top three at regional events — the brothers have become event organizers. 

Last summer, they hosted their first “super match” competition at their Manchester club to test the logistics, production and operations. The small event went smoothly, giving them the confidence to plan something bigger.

This December, they’ll stage “Natty Strength Wars 2” at Dave & Buster’s in Woburn, featuring 15 matches and a main event between two of the nation’s top-ranked super heavyweights, Shaw and Nic Stone. The Gennells are handling every aspect — matchmaking, sponsorships, promotions and video production — while both competing in the lineup themselves.

“There’s a lot that goes into it; it’s basically like our own small business. But UMass Lowell has definitely equipped us to do it,” says Josiah, who as an undergrad participated in the Rist DifferenceMaker Program, helped launch the Manning Consulting Group and served as president of the Real Estate Network Association.

“I was able to do real-world entrepreneurship that directly helps with running our business,” he says.

Caleb, who is already taking classes for the Bachelor’s-to-Master’s Program, sees the project as hands-on education.

Two young men in matching shirts talk while standing on a balcony in a lobby. Image by Ed Brennen

UMass Lowell alum Josiah Gennell '22, '24, left, and his brother, senior business major Caleb Gennell, are hosting "Natty Strength Wars 2," an arm wresting event on Dec. 6 in Woburn.


“This is 100% marketing,” he says. “If we don’t promote the event, no one shows up. We make event posters, run social media campaigns, reach out to sponsors — everything.”

One of their event’s main sponsors is oneITz, a Concord-based information technology company where Josiah works as a service delivery manager and Caleb has an internship as a marketing associate.

While there’s not yet enough money in professional arm wrestling to make it a full-time career, the Gennells are eager to keep building The Natty Bros brand and helping the sport grow.

“There's a lot of local guys in New England who are really good, but their names aren't out there, so we're giving them a platform to show off and compete on a big stage,” says Caleb, who approaches the business the same way he does an arm wrestling match: with confidence.

“No matter who you’re going against,” he says, “you have to go in with the mentality that you’re going to win.”