Strongman Archives (10 strongest men of all time)

Strongman Archives - The 10 Greatest Strongmen Of All Time

Welcome to The Strongman Archives. This article is intended to serve as a complete and in-depth history of the sport of strength athletics, including top lists from the largest competitions in history, profiles on historically significant athletes, and other information you need to know about strongman.

What is Strongman?

Strongman is a form of competitive weightlifting that involves lifting heavy objects, such as cars, trucks, and boulders. The sport originated in the 19th century and has been growing in popularity ever since.

There are many different Strongman competitions around the world. The most famous is probably the World’s Strongest Man competition, which is held annually. 

Other well-known Strongman competitions include the Arnold Strongman Classic and the Giants Live tour.

Some of the strongest men in history have competed in Strongman competitions. The current world record holder for the heaviest weight lifted in a Strongman competition is Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, better known as “The Mountain” from the TV show Game of Thrones. 

Other famous Strongmen include Eddie Hall, Brian Shaw, and Zydrunas Savickas.

Strongman is a fascinating sport that attracts some of the strongest people in the world. If you’re looking for a challenge, then Strongman might be right for you.

Popular Strongman Competitions

World's Strongest Man

The World's Strongest Man is an annual event that tests the strength of competitors from all around the world. The competition has been held since 1977 and is sanctioned by the International Federation of Strength Athletes. 

The contest consists of a series of timed events, with the winner being the competitor who completes all of the events in the shortest time. 

The World's Strongest Man is one of the most popular strength athletics competitions in the world and attracts a large television audience. 

Arnold Strongman Classic

The Arnold Strongman Classic is an annual event that tests the strength of the world's strongest men. This year's event will be held on March 3-4 in Columbus, Ohio. The classic will feature four events: the car deadlift, the circus dumbbell press, the keg toss, and the log lift. 

The car deadlift is a test of strength where competitors must lift a car (weighing a minimum of 4,410 pounds) from its bumper height to full extension. 

The circus dumbbell press is a test of pressing strength, where competitors must press two dumbbells (weighing a combined total of 245 pounds) overhead. 

The keg toss is a test of power, where competitors must throw a 55-pound keg a distance of 16 feet. The log lift is a test of brute strength, where competitors must lift a log (weighing a minimum of 385 pounds) from the ground to overhead. 

The Arnold Strongman Classic is the premier event for strongmen and is sure to be an exciting competition. Stay tuned to the blog for more updates on the event as it gets closer!

World Log Lift Championships

The World Log Lift Championships were held last weekend in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, and it was an incredible show of strength! 

The veteran lifters put on a great show, but the real story was the debut of new starlets like Nastasya Antonova and Anastasia Zolotkova.

Nastasya Antonova is only 18 years old, but she already holds the world record in the log lift. She made her debut at the World Championships recently and blew away the competition, setting a new world record with a lift of 210 kg (462 lbs)! 

Anastasia Zolotkova is another young up-and-comer who made a big splash at the World championships. She's only 21 years old, but she managed to win the silver medal in the log lift with an impressive lift of 200 kg (440 lbs).

These young women are setting a new standard for female strength athletes and they are definitely ones to watch in the future. Who knows what they'll be able to achieve as they continue to grow and develop their skills? We can't wait to find out!

Siebenkaemfer Stone Put

The Strongman Siebenkaemfer Stone Put event is a test of strength, where competitors must lift a large stone and put it onto a platform. 

The competitors must be strong enough to lift the stone, as well as have the technique to place it accurately onto the platform. This event requires a lot of strength and coordination and is a great test of strength for any strongman competitor.

Ukrainian Wheelbarrow Races

In the Ukrainian city of Kolomyia, wheelbarrow races are a popular sporting event. The races are held annually, and attract competitors from all over the country.

The races are run on a course that is just over two miles long, and the competitors must negotiate a number of obstacles along the way. The winner of the race is the team that completes the course in the shortest time.

Wheelbarrow racing is a test of strength, endurance and teamwork, and it is not uncommon for teams to train for months in preparation for the event. The races are also a popular spectator sport, with thousands of people lining the route to cheer on the competitors.

If you're looking for a unique sporting event to watch or take part in, then head to Kolomyia for the annual wheelbarrow races!

10 Strongest Strongmen of All Time

There have been many strongmen throughout history who have amazed the world with their feats of strength. Some of these men were professionals while others were just everyday people who had an extraordinary talent for lifting heavy objects.

One of the strongest strongmen of all time was probably Paul Anderson who was an American weightlifter and powerlifter. Anderson held the world record for the heaviest clean and jerk and the heaviest squat. 

From the strongman archives, we can see that he was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Another strongman who was popular in the early 20th century was Eugen Sandow. Sandow was a German bodybuilder and weightlifter. According to Strongman Archives, he is credited with being the first person to develop a systematic approach to bodybuilding.

Other famous strongmen, according to strongman archives, include Louis Cyr, Milo Steinborn, Doug Hepburn, and Bill Kazmaier. These men all had impressive feats of strength that have made them legends in the world of strength athletes.

Below is our list of the top 10 Strongmen of all time.

Zydrunas Savickas “Big Z”

Zydrunas Savickas (born 5 September 1976) is a Lithuanian former strongman, powerlifter and bodybuilder. He is one of the most successful strongmen in world history, winning the World's Strongest Man a record 7 times. He is a four-time runner up in the contest, including three consecutive second places between 2004 and 2006

Big Z is widely regarded by fellow strongmen as the best of all time.

Brian Shaw

Brian Shaw, the 2017 World's Strongest Man Champion, is part of an elite group of strong men and women who are capable of carrying 1800 lbs over a distance of 20 meters in less than 30 seconds.

These may be superhuman feats to laypeople. It might not be immediately evident, but what we're discussing—the science and the art of maximal heavy lifting—is part of the heritage and tradition's greatest strength sports worldwide.

Bill Kazmaier

Bill Kazmaier became the 'World's Strongest Man' in 1980. He was renowned as one of the strongest, toughest, and fastest athletes.

WSM defines a champion not just as one who can lift the most amount of weight, but rather how fast an athlete can do it to find the World's Strongest Man!

This individual title is not just determined solely by who lifted what weight; it also took into account an athlete's speed in doing so.

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson “Thor”

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson “Thor” was born in Reykjavik, Iceland on 18 October 1988. He is best known for his role in the series Game of Thrones (2011 - 2012).

But he has also competed as the World's Strongest Man from 2011 to 2017, winning that competition in 2017, and then again in 2018. He holds Arnold Fitness Classic records in the squat lift and deadlift.

Eddie Hall "The Beast"

Eddie Hall, known as "The Beast," defeated a worldwide field of elite weightlifters to take the crown of the World's Strongest Man. Cut to the 29-year-old British athlete yelling out his trademark victory cry: "I am The Beast!" at the end of an exhilarating day.

Julius Maddox

Julius Maddox is one of the world’s strongest man. He has won numerous medals for his strength, including at the Strongman Games, in which he happens to be a three-time champion.

The scope of his achievements is staggering: – he broke a total of fifty world records - thirty-five national records - twenty-two state records – he’s been featured on eight Guinness World Records- and he even performed 18 consecutive backflips.

In 2008, Maddox challenged Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator) in an arm-wrestling competition. It ended as a stalemate, but it is interesting that while arm wrestling they were each lifting cars over their heads!

Mariusz Pudzianowski “Dominator”

Mariusz Pudzianowski is one of the strongest athletes in the world. He won the IFSA World Heavyweight Championship in 2003, 2004 and 2006. Pudzianowski has been a strongman competitor since 1999, but he started his career as a powerlifter.

He's been competing in bodybuilding competitions, and during his 10 years of competition, he's managed to win gold medals in five of them.

Pudzianowski also won six other titles for strongman competitions: Mr Poland at the Polish President’s Cup three times running from 2000-2002; Polish champion in 2002; Champion of Champions II at IFSA contest 2003; the title of "Europe's Strongest Man" at IFSA contest 2005; in 2008, he was named "World's Strongest Man" by Atlas Imperial Club following his victory at Pol'and'web Festival (a GTF event) in Warsaw.

Louis Uni “Apollon the Mighty”

At 6'4", Louis Uni was not always the strongest guy around. Always a hard worker, Louis set a goal for himself of becoming the strongest man in the World and he succeeded.

In 1983, he became the world champion in Powerlifting. According to strongman archives, he then moved on to open powerlifting competitions where strength Men, as well as Women, were able to test their strength skills.

From there, Louis hosted five television TV series that featured these events on ESPN America shows like "Women Who Dare" and "Men of Steel."

With his decades of experience in coaching and hosting televised events, Louis has become a promoter who travels all over the World with International Championship weightlifting tournaments that vary from country to country.

Geoff Capes

Geoff Capes held the title of World's Strongest Man from 1982 to 1985. In March 1980, he became the first person to deadlift 12,000 pounds. Between 1979 and 1985 this was a record amount of weight for any world champion at the time. To date, only 3 people have ever successfully completed a deadlift at this weight.

Angus MacAskill

Angus MacAskill is the most well-known of the strongmen. He holds a Guinness World Record for "Strength." MacAskill was born in 1872 and worked as a blacksmith.

His rise to fame came much later in his life, however, when he took on an invitation challenge from Arthur Saxon to lift four hundred pounds. Though according to strongman archives, he had only lifted 200 pounds before, MacAskill successfully lifted 400 pounds and was subsequently recognized as the "world's strongest man."

One strongman that is not featured on the list is Louis Cyr. Cyr was born in Canada in 1863 and was known for his incredibly strong arms. He once did a demonstration where he lifted a platform that had four men, two horses, and a cow on it- totalling over 4,000 pounds!

Another notable strongman that should be mentioned was Eugen Sandow. Sandow was born in Prussia in 1867 and was considered to be the father of modern bodybuilding. According to strongman archives, he popularized the idea of using weights to build muscle and strength. He also wrote several books on the subject.

These are just two of the many famous strongmen that did not make it into the Strongman Archive top 10. 

Interesting Facts about the Men Who Placed 1st to 10th in The World’s Strongest Man Competition.

1. Bill Kazmeier was the first man to ever be crowned The World’s Strongest Man. According to strongman archives, he did so in 1977 and then again in 1978.

2. Larry Wheels is the only man to have ever won The World’s Strongest Man and The Arnold Strongman Classic in the same year. He accomplished this in 2020.

3. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, better known as “The Mountain” from Game of Thrones, is the only man to have ever won The World’s Strongest Man, Europe’s Strongest Man, and The Arnold Strongman Classic. He did so in 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively.

4. Eddie Hall is the only man to have ever deadlifted 500 kg (1,102 lb) in competition. He did so in 2016 at The World Deadlift Championships. This record was broken by Thor but not in a competitive setting.

5. Zydrunas Savickas is the only man to have ever won The World’s Strongest Man four times. He did so in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014.

6. Brian Shaw is the only man to have ever won The World’s Strongest Man three times in a row.

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