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When it comes to physical strength, some men have proven to be one of the strongest men in the world.
This list gives the names, powerlifting PBs and strong man PBs of 10 of the strongest men in the world.
The Strongest Man in the World
As the centuries wore on, the methods for determining the strongest man grew more sophisticated, from the advent of Highland games to Olympic weightlifting.
Still, with all the various ways we’ve devised to determine who is the strongest of the strong, it seems we’ve managed only to create factions, each loyal to the top athletes in their sport or organization of choice.
1. Brian Shaw
Having already won the World’s Strongest Man four times, USA’s Brian Shaw placed second in last year’s Arnold Strongman Classic, with Iceland’s Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson emerging victorious.
A record-breaker in his own right Shaw beat Terry Holland’s record by qualifying for WSM finals for the ninth successive year — proving that he’s in it to win it.
Brian Shaw’s Powerlifting PBs
Squat- 410kg
Deadlift- 410kg
Bench press- 238kg
Brian Shaw’s Strongman PBs
Tire deadlift- 570kg (with straps)
Log lift- 200kg
Atlas stone- 250kg
2. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
The 30-year-old Icelandic strongman is one of the most famous in the world.
Björnsson is also the first person to have won the Arnold Strongman Classic, Europe’s Strongest Man, and the World’s Strongest Man in the same calendar year.
His chances of retaining the title were scuppered after tearing his plantar fascia on the first day of the 2019 World’s Strongest Man.
But lifting atlas stones wasn’t his first love. Nope, it was basketball. He was pretty good at it, too. An ankle injury, however, cut short his love for the hoops.
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson’s Powerlifting PBs
Squat- 440kg
Deadlift-410kg
Bench press- 250kg
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson’s Strongman PBs
Tire deadlift- 460kg
Log press- 213kg
Log carry (5 steps)- 650kg
3. Zydrunas Savickas
In our opinion, he’s the strongest man of all time. You just can’t argue with these numbers: Savickas has won the Arnold Strongman Classic seven times (2003–08, 2014), which is considered a truer test of pure strength than the better-known WSM competition.
In 2005, he broke three world records en route to victory at the IFSA Strongman World Championship. The following year he again took top honors.
Savickas placed second at the WSM competition in 2002, 2003, and 2004, usually dominating the events that involved pure strength while not doing as well in those that required speed and agility.
In 2009, he broke the streak by winning the WSM—an accomplishment he’d repeat in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
In ’14, Savickas also set a new world record with a 500-pound log lift to complement his other impressive totals: a raw squat of 880 pounds, a 900-pound deadlift, and a 629-pound bench.
Žydrūnas Savickas’s Powerlifting PBs
Squat- 433kg
Deadlift- 409.5kg
Bench press- 286kg
Žydrūnas Savickas’s Strongman PBs
Hummer tire deadlift- 524kg
Wooden log lift- 210kg
Heavy super yoke- 640kg
4. Mark Henry
Henry holds the unique distinction of being the only man ever to hold both the U.S. weightlifting and powerlifting superheavyweight championship titles at the same time.
Despite his incredible feats, Todd believes that Henry has stores of untapped potential that we never got to see as he pursued a career in WWE.
So in theory at least, Henry might have been the strongest man in history. However, we think one man has him beat.
Mark Henry Strongman PBs
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 412 Lbs
5. Bill Kazmaier
“Kaz” is considered by many to be the strongest of the strong, and it’s hard to argue.
The winner of the ’80, ’81, and ’82 WSM contests, Kazmaier was barred from competing in 1983 by the event’s organizers because it was assumed that so long as he competed, no one else would ever get the chance to savor the victory
Kaz was the first man to lift all five McGlashen stones, which weigh between 90 and 160 kilograms (about 200 and 350 pounds).
His 661-pound bench press stood as the world record for years, and if not for a pec tear shortly thereafter he would have surely bested it himself.
His 2,425-pound total, set back in 1981, is still the record for raw (no bench shirt, no squat suit) powerlifting today.
Bill Kazmaier Strongman PBs
Born: USA, 1953
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 330 LBS
6. Mateusz Kieliszkowski
At 25-years-old, Kieliszkowski is one of the youngest competitors on the World’s Strongest Man circuit.
At 22-years-old, he became the youngest strongman to compete in the Arnold Strongman Classic.
A year later, he won an event in the WSM final, dominating strongman veterans in the frame carry, taking a 360kg frame across a 30m course in a swift 17.69 seconds. You’ll hear a lot more of this man this year.
7. Gary Taylor
A former weightlifter, powerlifter, and bodybuilder, Taylor competed at 6″ (183 cm) and approximately 295 lbs (134 kg) during his strongman career.
He competed in weightlifting at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, taking second in the snatch in the 110 kg class.
Gary is best known for winning the 1993 World’s Strongest Man contest in Orange, France. He also finished 3rd in 1991, 5th in 1992, and 6th in 1995.
Taylor was extraordinarily strong on the Behind-The-Neck push press. At Brian Batcheldor’s Strength Seminar in Birmingham in 1995, he performed an incredible Behind-The-Neck push press of 272.5 kg (600.75 lb) (judged by David Webster, the organizer of the World’s Strongest Man competitions).
Gary suffered a career-ending knee injury during the tire flip event at the 1997 Europe’s Strongest Man contest. The injury was so severe that it forced Gary to retire from strongman competition permanently.
Gary Tylor Powerlifting PBs:
Bench Press- 235 kg (518 lb) raw.
Squat- 405 kg (892 lb)
Deadlift- 357 kg (786 lb) raw, no wrist straps.
Gray Taylor Strongman PBs
Behind-the-Neck Push Press – 210 kg (462 lb) winning lift at 1995 World’s Strongest Man Final
Behind-the-Neck Push Press – 267.5 kg 1994
8. Vasyl Virastyuk
Virastyuk is the first person ever to be declared the strongest man alive in both the World’s Strongest Man and IFSA World Championship competitions, winning in 2004 and 2007, respectively.
In fact, he edged out the man who tops this list when he achieved victory at the IFSA contest.
Additionally, the Ukrainian strongman took second place at the Arnold Strongman Classic on three occasions (2005-07).
Now 40, Virastyuk has been retired from competition for some time, but his accomplishments and his legacy live on.
Vasyl Virastyuk; Strongman PBs
Born: Ukraine, 1974
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 320 LBS
9. Andy Bolton
Britain’s Andy Bolton is the first man in history to have deadlifted 1,000 pounds.
Twice during competition, he eclipsed his own accomplishment with pulls of 1,003 pounds and a then-record 1,008 pounds.
Bolton holds the fourth highest squat of all time (1213.63 pounds), and his three-lift total of 2,806.34 pounds ranks third highest in history.
He once stated his goal was to break the mythical 3,000-pound total, a feat not even dreamed of by most powerlifters of any era.
Andy Bolton Strongman PBs
Born: England, 1970
Height: 6′
Weight: 350 LBS
10. Leonid Taranenko
Taranenko set the world record in weightlifting for the clean and jerk (266 kilograms, or 58.2 pounds) and total (475 kilograms, or 1,045 pounds) way back in 1988—an eon in weightlifting years—and these records still stand today.
Due to restructuring by the International Weightlifting Federation of its weight classes, Taranenko’s official records no longer stand, but his lifts have yet to be equaled.
Do you know how hard it is to bench six plates? Imagine lifting it overhead. Now that’s power!
Leonid Taranenko Strongman PBs
Born: USSR, 1956
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 260 LBS
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